NEW GAMESPY SDK ENABLES IN-GAME AND WEB-BASED COMPETITION
March 19, 2006 - mmiernik

BRISBANE, Calif. - March 20, 2006 - IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy division, the supplier of multiplayer technology used in more than 300 PC, Sony PlayStation(R)2, Sony PlayStation(R)Portable and Nintendo DS(TM) game titles, today announced the addition of Competition SDK to its suite of In-Game solutions. Competition SDK enables developers to auto-submit accurate game results and statistics to competition based sites, allowing casual gamers to effortlessly setup and manage private tournaments with personalized ladders.

The new Competition SDK also directly communicates with the Arena Tournament site, enabling professionally managed tournaments with the look and feel of the game, or casual on-demand tournaments managed by individuals or teams that do not require game players to manually report their wins and losses. This automation saves gamers time and reduces opportunities for errors or cheating. The new Competition SDK can be used in combination with other GameSpy SDKs, such as Matchmaking, Chat and Dynamic content, as the developer deems appropriate for the game.

“Competition is a huge community driver. This new software lets developers incorporate sophisticated leaderboards and other statistics without learning SQL or doing backend scripting,” said Jamie Berger, vice president and general manager of IGN Entertainment’s Publisher Services. “We have seen game players fall in love with the advanced statistics in games like Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and keep playing and playing to improve their ranking. With this new software we hope to make features like that more accessible to developers so they can be used in more games.”

The new Competition SDK lets game developers define which elements in the games are contributors to a ranking, what external factors like elapsed time should be applied, and the processing steps to be applied to generate a composite score. The processing takes place on GameSpy servers so as not to impact game play, and the results are returned for display inside the game, on a web site or sent to Arena. All this makes it much easier to have sophisticated leaderboards and tournaments without requiring special development expertise.

In addition to simple arithmetic operations (add, increment, decrement), the new Competition SDK offers developers several standard ladder ranking algorithms:
- Win/loss (position on ladder is determined purely by examining gross # of wins/losses)
- ELO (position on ladder is determined by score, which changes based on skill of opponents)
- Single-stat (position on ladder is determined by gross # of a single stat selected by developer, such as frags or flag captures).

Game developers can also get access to the raw feeds and data with the ability to write fully custom scripts.

The GameSpy Competition SDK will be available as part of the Premium Software Suite beginning in April 2006 at no additional cost to GameSpy’s licensed developers.

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN’s properties reached more than 33 million unique users worldwide in the month of January 2006, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix.* IGN’s network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web’s number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.

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*comScore Media Metrix, January 2006 Worldwide data. Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.

IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Dungeons & Dragons Online, Eberron, Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions, and are used with permission. Hasbro is a trademark or registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions, and is used with permission. Turbine is a trademark or registered trademark of Turbine, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

GameSpy Announces 2005 Technical Excellence Award Winners
March 17, 2006 - mmiernik

BRISBANE, Calif. - March 16, 2006 - IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy division, the supplier of multiplayer technology used in more than 300 PC, Sony PlayStation(R)2, Sony PlayStation(R)Portable and Nintendo DSTM game titles, today announced the 2005 “Powered By GameSpy” Award Winners. The awards honor games and game developers who have achieved excellence using GameSpy software and services. Winners were chosen from the 78 games released in 2005 that implemented one or more of the GameSpy game software or services.

Four categories were awarded in 2005: Technical Excellence Award for Multiplayer, recognizing most appropriate use of matchmaking modes, excellent server list filtering, preferences for buddies, indication of online presence; Technical Excellence for Stats and Awards, recognizing innovative in-game data collection, processing and display of results to game players and spectators; Technical Excellence for Online Innovation, recognizing the most significant overall achievement in spreading the value and fun of connected gaming; and this year a special Award was given to a publisher who has showed continuous innovation across platforms and franchises.

“We are delighted by the innovation we saw in 2005 and are proud to recognize the best of the best today. It is exciting to see what creative developers achieved using GameSpy online software and how that delights consumers,” said Mark Stieglitz, vice president and general manager of IGN Entertainment’s Publisher Services. “We applaud the winners and all of our other excellent partners as we look forward to an even more exciting 2006.”

The winners of the 2005 “Powered By GameSpy” Awards are:

2005 Technical Excellence Award for Multiplayer Winner: Civilization IV developed by Firaxis and published by 2K Games for creating an intuitive lobby and staging room interface that allows players to easily set up matches and seamlessly chat with their buddies. Other finalists for this award were Mario Kart (DS) from Nintendo and Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (PS2)(TM) from Electronic Arts.

2005 Technical Excellence Award for Stats & Awards Winner: Battlefield 2 developed by Digital Illusions C.E. and published by Electronic Arts for its advanced team play, tightly integrated stats and awards tracking system, which offers real-time recognition for player achievements. Other finalists for this award were Lord of the Rings; The Battle For Middle-Earth II from Electronic Arts, Infected(TM) by Majesco, and Star Wars Battlefront II from LucasArts.

2005 Technical Excellence Award for Online Innovation Winner: WiFi Connection (DS) developed by Nintendo for linking to the GameSpy registration system in a way that combined excellent matchmaking with excellent online safety. Nintendo also offers the service for free at hotspots around the world. The other finalist for this award was Infected (PSP)(TM) by Majesco.

2005 Special Excellence Award Winner: NeverSoft for being the first developer and Activision for being the first publisher to deploy GameSpy technology on the Sony PlayStation(R)Portable (2005) and Sony PlayStation(R)2 (2002) platforms.

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN’s properties reached more than 31 million unique users worldwide in the month of September 2005, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix.* IGN’s network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web’s number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.

About IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy Division
GameSpy is the premiere provider of online gaming infrastructure and technologies used in over 300 PC, PlayStation(R)2, PlayStation(R)Portable and Nintendo DSTM game titles. From matchmaking and networking to revenue enhancing subscription-based play, GameSpy products and services allow publishers to easily enhance game functionality and reduce development time. GameSpy’s products and services have become the industry standard in multiplayer gaming, back-end systems/infrastructure and cross-platform developer tools for the $8-billion interactive entertainment industry. For more information on GameSpy technologies, please visit www.gamespy.net

Marta Miernik
Sr. Marketing Manager, IGN, GameSpy
415.508.2225 - o
408.506.6499 - c
mmiernik@ign.com

IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy Technology Available for PSP Game Title Developers; GameSpy Technology Enhances Online Capabilities for PSP Online Game Titles
September 08, 2005 - jschuur

BRISBANE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 8, 2005 — IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy, the supplier of multiplayer technology used in more than 300 PC and “PlayStation(R)2” game titles, has joined Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.’s (SCEI) tools and middleware license program, making its in-game technology available for “PSP(TM)” game title developers. GameSpy technology lets game developers add sophisticated online gaming features to their “PSP(TM)” game titles just as they have with the PC and “PlayStation(R)2” platforms — and with the same confidence.

GameSpy technology can significantly extend the capabilities of online game titles by taking advantage of the interconnectivity provided by WiFi hotspots. Using GameSpy’s solution, game developers can give their players freedom to find and compete with each other anywhere in the world via a WiFi hotspot - home, coffee shop, office - just as conveniently as from a connected PC or console.

GameSpy’s tools open a world of possibilities for “PSP(TM)”game title designers. Some of the most compelling elements of PC and console games — such as leader boards ranking a player’s accomplishments among others, awards systems that reward skills and frequent play as well as team-based competition and tournaments — are now as easy to implement on game titles for “PSP(TM)” as on games for GameSpy-connected PCs and consoles. In addition, GameSpy’s Professional Services Organization is now able to assist designers with development of online titles for “PSP(TM)” and with implementation, including server-based real-time game processing.

“New online elements in console and PC games like Battlefield 2 are increasing hours of game play and attracting more players,” said Mark Stieglitz, Vice President and General Manager of IGN Entertainment’s Publisher Services. “Now we are able to help add functions such as persistence and team play to the online game titles for ‘PSP(TM).’ Plus, developers are familiar with our technology already, having used it to create more than 300 PC and ‘PlayStation(R)2’ games, so they should be able to adapt quickly to this new tool.”

The tools use the familiar GameSpy application programming interfaces (APIs) that are already available on the PC, “PlayStation(R)2,” Xbox, Nintendo DS, Linux and Macintosh. This consistency should reduce the cost of porting games from other platforms to the “PSP(TM)” and speed development.

“Over time, GameSpy’s new infrastructure may change the way portable games are played. Developers can create games that span platforms; for example, a player can use a ‘PlayStation(R)2’ while in the dorm and a portable system like a ‘PSP(TM)’ at the library, with both systems contributing to the same game and the player’s results. Game developers can even include combined statistics on custom web-based pages, encouraging the dynamic community that is central to many successful games,” added Stieglitz.

Game publishers and developers interested in learning more about GameSpy SDK services should contact devrelations@gamespy.com or visit www.gamespy.net.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment is a leading community-based Internet media and services company for video gaming. IGN owns and operates a network of branded web sites that provide content and services to consumers, advertisers, and publishers and developers of video games and other forms of digital entertainment. IGN also provides technology for online game play in video games. The company’s major video game-related properties include IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameStats.com and a number of web sites within the company’s Vault and Planet networks. IGN also owns and operates two entertainment web sites focused on movie-related content, IGN FilmForce and Rotten Tomatoes, and a male lifestyle web site, AskMen.com. Collectively, IGN Entertainment’s properties attracted an average of approximately 26.8 million users each month in the three-month period ending June 30, 2005, and the company has over 250,000 active paying subscribers to its online program for premium video game content, services and information. The privately held company has its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S.

IGN Entertainment, IGN.com, GameSpy, AskMen.com, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameStats.com and IGN FilmForce are trademarks of IGN Entertainment, Inc. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment. “PSP” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Nintendo, IGN Entertainment Join Forces to Create a New Portable Gaming Network
May 10, 2005 - btershana

REDMOND, Wash., May 10, 2005 - Nintendo is partnering with IGN Entertainment to create an innovative network for portable video games that is not only expansive but also extremely easy for everyone to use. Set to debut later this year, the wireless service for Nintendo DS tm will use IGN’s GameSpy Technology to let people around the world link easily and wirelessly to play games, just as if they were playing face-to-face.

“With minimum setup procedures, Nintendo DS owners will be able to enjoy Wi-Fi gaming just as easily as if they were playing with their friends in the same room,” explains Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “To realize this simple and seamless transition to Wi-Fi gaming, we’re partnering with one of the leaders in the multiplayer gaming world. Accessing the service will require no added Nintendo subscription charges, whether users hook up using a home broadband Wi-Fi connection or access a Wi-Fi hotspot at a coffee shop, library or elsewhere. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”

The service will be used by a variety of upcoming games, including the previously announced Animal Crossing(R) DS. Other titles will be revealed in the coming weeks. When using the service, DS owners can choose whether they would like to play with friends or strangers, whether nearby or on the other side of the world.

The service represents the first foray by IGN’s GameSpy into portable games.

“We’re excited to bring the technology that powers more than 300 PC and console video games to Nintendo’s innovative wireless platform. Now developers can easily and confidently add advanced matchmaking, community and other multiplayer services to their Nintendo DS games,” says Mark Stieglitz, general manager of IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy Technology Group. “We’re honored that Nintendo is choosing IGN’s GameSpy as their middleware partner, and look forward to a very long relationship.”

About IGN Entertainment:

IGN Entertainment provides many of the Internet’s leading destinations for video gaming, entertainment and community targeted at teens and 18-34 year-old males. The company’s properties include IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena, Direct2Drive, TeamXbox , 3D Gamers, more than 70 community sites and a vast array of online forums. IGN Entertainment is also a leading provider of technology under its GameSpy brand for online game play in video games, providing developers and publishers with cost effective solutions for matchmaking, community building, piracy prevention, and in-game marketing. The company’s paid content, download and game play services are among the most popular game-related subscriptions available on the Internet. The privately held company has its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S.

About Nintendo:

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance SP, Nintendo DS tm and Nintendo GameCube tm systems extend Nintendo’s vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario tm and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(R), Zelda tm and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com. # # #

IGN Entertainment Launches In-Game Advertising and Marketing Technology, Service
April 12, 2005 - btershana

IGN’s New Offering Allows Dynamic Content Management for In-Game Advertising, Game Updates, In-Game Promotions

BRISBANE, Calif. April 12, 2005 IGN Entertainment, the leading gaming information network and the leading provider of in-game technology solutions, is extending its technology platform to serve dynamic content and advertising in video games. IGN’s new software and services will enable developers and publishers to manage their online game content throughout the game lifecycle, as well as execute in-game advertising campaigns. Advertisers will be able to develop cross media programs that include in-game and online ads and promotions as part of IGN Entertainment’s overall media offering.

“Our In-Game technology is already proven in over 300 games, and includes online matchmaking, chat, CD key verification, unified registration, and statistics and tracking,” said Mark Stieglitz, general manager, publisher services, IGN Entertainment. “We are extending our current platform and solution set to enable game publishers to manage the space within their games dynamically, for In-Game marketing, advertising or for other purposes based on their unique needs.”

The new In-Game Marketing Technology and Service will extend IGN’s media and technology platforms, allowing publishers to enhance the gameplay experience by continually updating their games with new levels, patches, alternative player skins, weapons, buildings, maps, and even soundtracks. These same tools can be used to advertise the next version of a game by dropping in trailers and assets as they become available, as well as offering special in-game promotions.

In addition, IGN’s technology will enable publishers to add incremental revenue to their games by selling in-game advertising themselves, or by having IGN leverage its advertising infrastructure and experience to manage and sell in-game advertising programs on their behalf. The technology also will track impressions, time spent viewing items and type of each interaction, so that advertisers can watch the return on their investment, make smarter buys and design more effective campaigns.

IGN Entertainment’s flagship website, IGN.com, reaches the highest concentration of 18-34 year old males online, according to Nielsen//NetRatings @Plan Spring 2005 release. IGN Entertainment’s network of media properties reaches an audience of more than 22 million unique users* and serves 1.5 billion impressions a month on behalf of its client base of more than 650 advertisers.

“IGN Entertainment’s In-Game Marketing Service allows publishers and advertisers to reach the elusive target audience of young males where they are: online and in the game,” said David Tokheim, vice president of marketing, IGN Entertainment. “We already capture the attention of the largest group of gamers worldwide. We are now able to reach this same vital audience in multiple mediums.”

IGN Entertainment’s In-Game tools and services build on its proven GameSpy backend infrastructure, service teams, data centers and core technologies.

About IGN Entertainment IGN Entertainment provides many of the Internet’s leading destinations for video gaming, entertainment and community targeted at teens and 18-34 year-old males. The company’s properties include IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena, Direct2Drive, TeamXbox , 3D Gamers, more than 70 community sites and a vast array of online forums. Collectively, these properties reached 22.6 million users worldwide* in the month of February 2005, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN Entertainment is also a leading provider of technology for online game play in video games. The company’s paid content, download and game play services are among the most popular game-related subscriptions available on the Internet. The privately held company has its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S.

* comScore Media Metrix, February 2005 Worldwide data. Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.

# # #

IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.

EPIC First To Sign Up For GameSpy’s All New, Fully Moderated Forum Hosting Service
March 09, 2005 - btershana

BRISBANE, Calif. - March 9, 2005 - IGN Entertainment, a leading Internet media and services company focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets, and computer games developer Epic Games have inked a deal to launch a fully moderated, private label forum hosting service using IGN’s GameSpy technology offering. Epic has enlisted the new service to provide a branded forum dedicated to Unreal Champion 2: The Liandri Conflict. Please visit liandriconflict.com/main.php to view site.

“It’s an advantage for us to not worry about moderation and administration of the site; it leaves us with more time to focus on creating our next hit.” said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic. “We chose the GameSpy technology because it is totally customizable and its publisher support technology is proven; plus, dedicated Epic Unreal fans will get right into the branded site.”

IGN Entertainment continues to expand its technology simplifying developers’ and publishers’ ability to add sophisticated online functionality to their games. The new forum hosting service complements the extensive suite the company already offers, including matchmaking, server browsing, multiplayer and voice software development kits, peer-to-peer services, file downloads and more.

“We are thrilled to have Epic Games be first to utilize our new service as we broaden our offerings to publishers,” said Mark Stieglitz, general manager of IGN publisher services. “Online forums present a vital interactive link between community and publishers; they create a vibrant medium where gamers can talk about a game before it even comes out.”

The GameSpy forum hosting and moderation services provide Epic significant advantages, including:

- Moderation, administration and operational management of the forum, handled by GameSpy

- Scalability expertise through IGN.com and GameSpy.com user boards, which are consistently in the top 10 largest on the Internet, as ranked by bigboards.com

- A branded board with a skinable template

- Forum that will seamlessly integrate into Epic’s existing marketing campaign

“With each new product we offer, we fortify IGN’s position as the leading tools and services provider for the video games industry.” Stieglitz added.

The GameSpy forum hosting service provides integrated administrative tools, a private area where development teams can work with GameSpy engineers to set up and test, a professional service team to build out custom jobs and access to feature enhancements.

Forum hosting services are available now, publishers interested, please send email requests to to devrelations@gamespy.com

About Epic
Epic Games Inc, based in Raleigh, NC and established in 1991, is a developer of cutting-edge computer and video games. The company is best known as the creator of hit PC 3D action games Unreal and Unreal Tournament, both award-winning blockbuster hits having each sold more than 1 million copies. Games created with the Unreal Engine include: 2002 Console Game of the Year winner: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell(tm) (on PC and console platforms), Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, and Rainbow Six 3 from Ubi Soft, PC Gamer’s 2000 Game of the Year: Deus Ex from Ion Storm/Eidos, America’s Army: Operations, from the United States Army, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (PC) from Electronic Arts - and many others. Prior to their 3D success, Epic Games was well known for the hit shareware games Jill of the Jungle, Jazz Jackrabbit, and Epic Pinball. Additional information can be obtained through Epic’s Web site at epicgames.com.

About GameSpy Technology
GameSpy technology is the leading provider of middleware and solutions for the online video game industry. Publishers rely on the GameSpy suite of software development tools to build in game multiplayer functionality. Consumers turn to GameSpy.com for file downloads, matchmaking services and online gameplay, including tournaments, ladders and rankings. Please visit gamespy.net for more information.

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment operates many of the Internet’s leading destinations for video gaming, entertainment and community targeted at teens and 18-34 year-old males. The company’s properties include IGN.com, GameSpy.com, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet.com, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameSpyArcade.com, GameSpyArena.com, TeamXbox.com, more than 70 community sites and a vast array of online forums. Collectively, these properties reached 27.7 million users worldwide* in the month of November 2004, according to Internet audience measurement firm, comScore Media Metrix. IGN Entertainment is also a leading provider of technology for online game play in video games. The company’s paid content, download and game play services are among the most popular game-related subscriptions available on the Internet. The privately held company has headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S.

*Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.

# # #

IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.

Visit the GameSpy Team at the Game Developers Conference, Booth #220, March 9-11, 2005 in San Francisco
February 23, 2005 - btershana

The GameSpy Team looks forward to meeting you at GDC to talk about the New SDKs in the pipeline for 2005 and what they mean for your upcoming titles. Ask us how your games can generate recurring revenue, if our new Forum Hosting Services make sense for your title or franchise, and about the new platforms we will be supporting in 2005.

You might also want to meet our Professional Services team which can help you successfully implement awards or other game sub-systems, manage your beta testing or implement integrated marketing programs.

If you can’t make it to the Conference, or if you just run out of time while there, we can discuss your upcoming titles by phone or email. Just send us a note at devrelations@gamespy.com and suggest a time for us to explore together how GameSpy’s field proven tools and services can speed the development and success of your title.

We look forward to meeting you at GDC BOOTH #220.

GameSpy at The Austin Game Conference
September 13, 2004 - tnorthcutt

GameSpy was at the Austin Game Conference last week, attending as a sponsor, an exhibitor and as a speaker. “Implications of Namespace Design”, presented by GameSpy Product Manager Todd Northcutt in the “Future of Development” track, offered advice to those developers pondering an account system for their game.

The presentation is now available for download.

GameSpy Unleashes New Voice SDK
August 24, 2004 - tnorthcutt

GameSpy is proud to unleash the second generation of its Voice SDK. The new SDK helps video game publishers and developers bring voice communication into multiplayer games more easily than ever before. Full details on announcement may be found in the Voice SDK press release.

Now available as part of GameSpy’s Premium Suite, the new Voice SDK delivers on GameSpy’s promise to assist game developers in adding multiplayer features in a manner that creates the greatest impact with the least development effort.

GameSpy’s new SDK enables developers with little or no voice experience to add voice communication functionality to their PC or Sony PS2 game without having to learn the details of voice capture, playback or encoding.

Developers interested in using GameSpy technology in their game can apply for access to the GameSpy.net Evaluation Package, which contains our technical documentation, header files, and code samples.

Acclaim’s Online Games Powered By GameSpy
February 23, 2004 - jschuur

GameSpy and Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. have signed a technology and services licensing agreement to facilitate online game play for multiple forthcoming titles developed by Acclaim’s internal and third-party teams, including “ASB `05,” “Worms 3D” and “Juiced.”

Under the one-year contract, GameSpy will provide Acclaim with software development kits (SDKs) to enable online matchmaking, community, administrative and networking functions. In addition, Acclaim will utilize GameSpy’s consulting, file hosting and beta testing services.

“Partnering with GameSpy enables Acclaim to utilize the most effective online gaming technology within its product portfolio,” said Robert Nashak, Vice President of Product Development for Acclaim. “We’re very pleased to be working with GameSpy and are confident that they will play an important role in Acclaim delivering compelling online gaming experiences for its consumers.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Acclaim’s development teams and provide the logistics of building, running and maintaining the online components of their games,” said Mark Surfas, GameSpy founder, chairman and CEO.

More than 80 publishers and developers use GameSpy technology under the “Powered by GameSpy” brand, making it the de facto standard for embedded online technology and services in PC and PS2 games. GameSpy technology products and services include SDKs, online game play tools, high-performance back-end infrastructure support, training for online game play development, as well as integrating and running the world’s largest online service for publishers, developers and fans.