Present Operations
The Planet Network (also known as the GameSpy Network) is a network of video game-related websites operated by GameSpy. It includes the genre-specific sites, 3DActionPlanet, RPGPlanet, SportPlanet and StrategyPlanet, as well as sites dealing with specific video game titles (e.g., Planet Quake, Planet Half-Life, Planet Fallout and Planet Unreal). In the past it included platform-specific sites (e.g., Planet PS2, Planet Xbox, Planet Nintendo and Planet Dreamcast), but these were consolidated into GameSpy.com; only Classic Gaming remains separate. ForumPlanet and FilePlanet are services offered by GameSpy, and are not part of the Planet Network.
Currently, the company's websites include the gaming portal, GameSpy.com, created in 1999; the Planet Network, a collection of "Planet" websites devoted to popular video games (such as Planet Quake, Planet Half-Life and Planet Unreal) as well as the genre-related websites, 3DActionPlanet, RPGPlanet, SportPlanet and StrategyPlanet; ForumPlanet, the network's extensive message board system; and FilePlanet, arguably one of the largest video game file download site on the Web. GameSpy also offers online matchmaking and community software, such as GameSpy Arcade and GameSpy3D, as well as software development kits (SDKs), middleware and back-end online services for game developers and publishers.
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 also publishes 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 Ventrilo and Teamspeak.
The company's "Powered by GameSpy" technology has enabled online functionality in over 300 PC and PlayStation 2 games. In 2005 GameSpy added the PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS to its stable supported platforms. In March 2007, GameSpy added the Wii as another supported platform and will help get some of its games online.
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 was an affiliate of N.e.W. gaming until a break up in 2004.
As of August 2010, GameSpy ceased to publish for the general public on the internet, statistics on the number of servers, players and games actually engaged at any one time. They ceased to do so since about 2008, or possibly longer.
Read more about this topic: GameSpy
Famous quotes containing the words present and/or operations:
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—Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958)
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—Jean Scott Rogers. Robert Day. Mr. Blount (Frank Pettingell)