RealNetworks Launches Online Gaming Service

Technology bellwethers like Microsoft Corp. and AOL Time Warner have long predicted a future in which shrink-wrapped applications and entertainment is history and Internet delivery is the name of the game. It's the idea propelling Microsoft's development of the .Net initiative and it was the driving force behind America Online's merger with Time Warner. But it was Real Networks Inc. -- which has made a name for itself delivering music over the Internet -- that grabbed the early mover reins Monday. RealNetworks Inc. Monday moved to formally branch out from its roots as a music delivery service and stepped fully into the realm of online gaming with the beta launch of RealArcade. The company already had its foot in the gaming door with its Real.com Games Web site. But RealArcade takes the concept a giant step further by creating an all-in-one, free games service that offers consumers the tools to find, acquire, manage and play PC games. The company launched the service Monday with 120 games from more than 40 top developers and publishers. RealArcade includes a game guide to keep users posted on the hot new games, and also includes indexing features like RealArcade Games and the Games Bazaar -- an open publishing area with top retail game demo downloads as well as independent, self-submitted games by the grassroots developers community. RealArcade also tackles community creation by offering message boards for sharing strategies and ideas, user reviews and ratings, and chat. It also offers the ability to find opponents or partners for peer-to-peer and server-based multiplayer games. And, a community-wide system allows users to post scores and rank their progress against other players.