GameSpy

GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, and operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy was founded in 1995 by Mark Surfas, and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. It is currently controlled by News Corporation (a company chaired by mass-media mogul Rupert Murdoch), the 92.3% shareholder of its parent company, IGN - which was bought for $650 million on 8 September 2005.

Related Topics:
IGN Entertainment - Mark Surfas - Costa Mesa, California - News Corporation - Rupert Murdoch

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The company's Web sites include the gaming portal, GameSpy.com, released in 1999; many of the "planet" Web sites devoted to popular video games (such as PlanetQuake, Planet Half-Life, Planet Unreal, and ForumPlanet), the network's extensive message board system; and FilePlanet, arguably the largest video game file download site on the Web. GameSpy also offers online matchmaking and community software, such as GameSpy Arcade and GameSpy 3D, as well as software development kits (SDKs), middleware and back-end online services for game developers and publishers.

Related Topics:
PlanetQuake - Planet Half-Life - Planet Unreal - ForumPlanet - FilePlanet - GameSpy Arcade - GameSpy 3D - SDK

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GameSpy Arcade is the company's flagship matchmaking software, allowing users to find servers for different online video games (whether they be free or purchased) and connect the user to game servers of that game. GameSpy Arcade technology is also widely used by major game developers who incorporate it into their games (for in-game server browsing), however one large source of controversy for the program has been intrusive advertisements, spyware, adware and tracking cookies/tracking images used in the program. GameSpy Arcade also features the Roger Wilco voice chat software, primarily meant for communication and co-ordination in team-oriented games, where users join a server to chat with other users on the server using voice communication. This software rivals the other major voice chat software GameComm and Teamspeak.

Related Topics:
Advertisements - Spyware - Adware - Cookies - Roger Wilco - GameComm - Teamspeak

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GameSpy is remarkable for its success in surviving the dot-com collapse and various shakeouts among the online video game market. Employees attribute the success to its unusual corporate culture (in its early days, GameSpy was perhaps most widely known for its BeatDowns -- over-the-top LAN parties) and famously wide independent streak. Surfas, the company founder, is alternately described as a visionary businessman or reviled as "Bastard," -- a nickname he created for himself -- a difficult, obstinate individual.

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In March 2004, IGN Entertainment and GameSpy Industries merged, and was briefly known as IGN/GameSpy before formalizing their corporate name as IGN Entertainment. GameSpy and IGN still operate their own separate sites with different editorial content.

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