RealNetworks Unveils RealArcade for Consumers

RealArcade Provides Everything Consumers Need to Easily Find, Acquire, Manage and Play PC Games - Including Direct Access to an Online Game Community Service Kicks-Off With More Than 120 Downloadable and Web-based Games, Including Several Highly Anticipated Titles Developed Specifically For RealArcade

May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- RealNetworks today unveiled RealArcade, the only all-in-one, free games service offering consumers everything needed to find, acquire, manage and play a rich set of PC games -- including direct access to an online game community. RealArcade launches today with more than 120 games from over 40 top developers and publishers. The beta release of RealArcade is immediately available for free at http://www.realarcade.com.

RealArcade represents an important breakthrough for Internet gaming by combining the services and content mainstream gamers want with a powerful delivery network, an incredibly simple interface, and an unequalled consumer audience that only RealNetworks can provide. Over the past year, more than four million unique registered users have downloaded PC games from the Real.com Games Web site. RealArcade will extend that demand even further by offering consumers a compelling and simplified Internet gaming experience -- providing everything they need all in one place. In March, RealNetworks unveiled the platform that will enable developers to begin creating new game titles for RealArcade. Today's release marks the first time the service will be widely available to the general public.

The list of RealArcade games available for the first time today includes a number of highly anticipated titles from an array of award-winning game developers. Users will be able to choose from downloadable games including Tex Atomic Big Bot Battles, Kayak Extreme and Super Bubble Pop; massively multiplayer games including Evernight and SmallBall; and Web-based games including Popcap and Gamegate.

"RealArcade offers PC gamers an immersive entertainment experience that's like nothing else," said Rob Glaser, founder and CEO, RealNetworks, Inc. "Our goal was to make it fun and simple to find, organize and play a mix of games across the widest range of genres. RealArcade's easy interface, rich features, and community environment will earn the 'high score' with consumers."

RealArcade is Easy:
RealArcade provides consumers the easiest way to find, acquire, manage and play PC games.

• Discover new games -- Built-in game guide keeps you posted daily on hot new games while the RealArcade Games and the Games Bazaar provide a visual index of games.
• Acquire games -- One-click guaranteed download and automatic installation with system requirements checking, enables games to be delivered and work when played. An integrated e-commerce solution makes purchasing games easy and provides a history that acts as a virtual CD backup to ensure that you never lose your game.
• Manage your collection -- A "scan for games" feature organizes all your games in one place and displays them in a quick launch list for fast access as well as in a My Games area that provides greater organization and detail about each game.

RealArcade is Complete:
RealArcade offers a complete range of high-quality games across all genres for both online and offline play.

• RealArcade Games -- Engaging high quality downloadable games with small file sizes and a great selection of the best Web games available online in all mainstream genres for all types of gamers.
• Games Bazaar -- An open publishing area with top retail game demo downloads and independent games self-submitted by the grassroots developer community.
• Built in game resources -- A rich set of resources including a "Getting Started" instruction manual, support info, "Tips and Tricks," fan sites, system requirements information, message boards, ratings and reviews, streaming previews, and install and uninstall instructions.

RealArcade is Connected:
RealArcade is a simple and fun way to interact and play games online with others.

• Share with others -- Includes message boards for sharing strategies and ideas with the community, user reviews and ratings enable you to rate games and read reviews, and built in chat for real-time interaction.
• Find opponents or partners -- Provides a simple way to setup and play peer-to-peer and server-based multiplayer games.
• Scores and rankings -- A community-wide system enables users to post scores and track progress against others.

"With today's launch, RealNetworks has opened up an exciting new distribution channel for PC games," said Michael Calleja, director of business development, Infogrames. "With digital distribution through RealArcade, consumers get a great shopping experience, a wide selection of titles, and instant digital fulfillment of full version games. RealArcade promises to be an excellent delivery mechanism for the more mainstream games we are launching."

New Games Available Today
RealNetworks today also announced the availability of new games developed specifically for distribution through the RealArcade games service. These include fully downloadable games, new multiplayer subscription supported games, and an advertising supported Web games section. For more information see http://www.realarcade.com .

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SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.