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CASUAL GAMES LEADER REALARCADE SURPASSES 150 MILLION DOWNLOADS, SETTING NEW MARK FOR CATEGORY
Soaring Popularity of Casual Games Drives Growth Among Unique Demographic of Women with Families; Women Customers Cite Variety and Ease- of-Use as Most Attractive Characteristics
SEATTLE, October 6, 2004 — RealNetworks, Inc. today announced that its category leading RealArcade service for downloadable games is the first in the sector to surpass the 150 million game downloads milestone, another indication of the explosive growth of casual games and a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to grow its gaming, music and movie subscription services businesses.
"Millions of everyday people are experiencing games for grownups because they find casual games to be simple, accessible, friendly entertainment for the whole family to play," said Andrew Wright, vice president of games for RealNetworks Inc. "We've been able to capture a lot of that growth at RealArcade by offering a product that consumers consistently rank as one of the best on the Web."
Wright said, "Consumers now download about 1.8 million new games each week through the RealArcade service."
Casual gaming going mainstream with families
A recent survey by the ISG group found that women and families continue to dominate casual gaming. In fact, about two-thirds of RealArcade customers are women and about two-thirds have children, according to internal surveys. About 49 percent of RealArcade game players say they access RealArcade daily. More than 25 percent of families with children spend time downloading games for their children.
"Against common expectations, this market isn't comprised of the "typical" gamer, but rather a diverse spectrum of players who would never consider themselves to be gamers. As a result, this market has grown explosively by successfully tapping into new markets," said Schelley Olhava, of IDC. "Double digit growth rates in the paid downloadable games space alone will result in U.S. revenues of $760 million by 2007."
Download and Take Popular Games for a Test Drive
Top 10 games downloaded from RealArcade during the record month of August were:
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Feeding Frenzy |
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Zuma Deluxe |
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Platypus |
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Rebound Lost Worlds |
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Jewel Quest |
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Bricks of Egypt |
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Shape Shifter |
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Super Collapse! II |
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Mad Caps |
Since its founding in 2001, RealArcade has become leading service for downloadable games, the fastest growing category of PC games that provides electronic versions of classic board, puzzle and card games with great titles like Zuma Deluxe, Super Collapse II, Scrabble Download Edition and Feeding Frenzy.
About IDC
IDC is the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm in the information technology and telecommunications industries. We analyze and predict technology trends so that our clients can make strategic, fact-based decisions on IT purchases and business strategy. Over 700 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide local expertise and insights on technology markets, and our management team is comprised of experienced and respected industry luminaries. Business executives and IT managers have relied for 40 years on our advice to make decisions that contribute to the success of their organizations.
About RealArcade
RealArcade offers consumers a fun, unique and compelling way to discover, acquire and play PC games in a single, easy to use environment. RealArcade provides play-before-you-pay access to over 250 of the best in downloadable games (titles such as Super Collapse II, Zuma Deluxe, and Feeding Frenzy), free online Web games, broadband games, and Palm games. RealArcade also recognizes and manages many retail CD titles and top shareware games, giving users a one-stop destination for any game on their PC. Features such as download and installation management, automatic systems requirements checking and integrated e-commerce make acquiring downloadable games a safe easy and reliable experience for consumers. RealArcade is available for free at: http://www.realarcade.com.
About RealNetworks, Inc.
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including the award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service, RealArcade downloadable game service and RealPlayer 10. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com
For More Information:
Maureen Farley, RealNetworks, (206) 892-6653 (o), mfarley@real.com
Jennifer Lauricella, Sutherland Gold for RealNetworks, (866) 262-7373x 103 (o), jennifer@sutherlandgold.com
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