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GameHouse
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>GameHouse was founded by Ben Exworthy and Garr Godfrey<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> in 1998.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p><p>The first downloadable game developed by the company was <i><a href="/facts/Collapse!/vf8C3952">Collapse!</a></i>, a game similar to <i><a href="/facts/SameGame/s7PVy4YB">SameGame</a></i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> In 2003, company revenues topped $10 million ($5.5 million net).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> In January 2004,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> GameHouse was acquired by <a href="/facts/RealNetworks/XenxRXL2">RealNetworks</a> for $14.6 million cash and about 3.3 million RNWK shares, then estimated at $21 million.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> Its staff of 25 became a part of RealNetworks and planned no layoffs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>After the acquisition, the GameHouse studio continued operations as a developer, while its games were distributed via RealNetworks, and the GameHouse game portal continued to operate alongside the RealArcade gaming service. </p><p>On November 3, 2009, RealArcade had announced they are merging with GameHouse to create a large distribution platform. Such plans include migrating the accounts of users from RealArcade, offering discounts and special offers to GamePass members and new social community opportunities.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The merger was completed on November 13. As a result, all customers visiting the RealArcade website are redirected to Gamehouse.com. By 2010, RealArcade Mobile was rebranded as GameHouse.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="locations">Locations</h2> <p>GameHouse's main offices are in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The company also has studios in Barcelona and Alicante (Spain). GameHouse has been working on developing their own original story games such as the Delicious series and Zylom. In collaboration with Blue Giraffe, it launched Delicious: Emily's Christmas Carol in December 2016.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> The company continues to release multiple story-driven time management games per year on mobile while maintaining Zylom and GameHouse websites on which they publish games by other developers too. </p><p>Zylom is part of the Gamehouse Studios Europe which operate the main GameHouse properties globally.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="realarcade">RealArcade</h2> <p>RealArcade (Formerly RealOne Arcade) was a gaming service run by <a href="/facts/RealNetworks/XenxRXL2">RealNetworks</a> that sold casual-style computer games to individual users,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> launched in May 2001.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> Its purpose was to let users download demo versions of games, and optionally buy the full versions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p><p>On March 20, 2002, six new language editions of RealArcade's website launched, in French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. The move was to increase its international user base. At the time, the program had been downloaded 4.5 million times, with a grand total of 15 million game downloads and 450,000 purchases. The company had teamed up with Telstra, <a href="/facts/StarHub/fb0GtGpC">StarHub</a>, Tiscali and <a href="/facts/Grupo_RBS/56h0fkCr">Rede Brasil Sul</a> to distribute its games either using their portals or using CDs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> </p><p>RealNetworks announced in 2008 that it would spin off its casual games unit.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h3>Sales model</h3> <p>RealArcade distributes games on a time-limited demo basis. Each game downloaded has a trial time of 60 minutes unless differently specified by each publisher. Once the trial time expires, users are required either to uninstall the game from their computer or to purchase the full version of the game. Users can also subscribe to a RealNetworks service called GamePass, introduced in 2002.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> For a monthly fee, it offers a free ownership of a single game of their choice per month at no additional fees and $5.00 off each game purchase.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.gamehouse.com">Official website</a> </li> <li><a href="https://archive.org/details/com.real.arcade">RealArcade Games Preservation Project archive</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Gamehouse CEO on 25 years of making games for women <a href="https://venturebeat.com/games/gamehouse-ceo-on-making-games-for-women/" target="_blank">https://venturebeat.com/games/gamehouse-ceo-on-making-games-for-women/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Loughane, E (2005). Net Success Interviews. Lulu.com. p. 201. ISBN 978-1411626980. <a href="978-1411626980" target="_blank">978-1411626980</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"GameHouse, Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7917578" target="_blank">https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7917578</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Dbritto, Simran (January 1, 2022). "Looking For Great Games? You, Will, Find Them On Gamehouse! Try Any Game Free Or Get Unlimited Access To All The Games You Love From Your Favorite Genres". IWMBuzz. Retrieved May 3, 2022. <a href="https://www.iwmbuzz.com/gaming/looking-for-great-games-you-will-find-them-on-gamehouse-try-any-game-free-or-get-unlimited-access-to-all-the-games-you-love-from-your-favorite-genres/2022/01/01" target="_blank">https://www.iwmbuzz.com/gaming/looking-for-great-games-you-will-find-them-on-gamehouse-try-any-game-free-or-get-unlimited-access-to-all-the-games-you-love-from-your-favorite-genres/2022/01/01</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"RealNetworks, Inc. - Acquisition History". realnetworks.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160404051612/http://investor.realnetworks.com/faq.cfm?faqid=2" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160404051612/http://investor.realnetworks.com/faq.cfm?faqid=2</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>RealNetworks to buy game developer GameHouse <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20141030184237/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-to-buy-game-developer-GameHouse-1135467.php" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20141030184237/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-to-buy-game-developer-GameHouse-1135467.php</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"RealNetworks, Inc. - Acquisition History". realnetworks.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160404051612/http://investor.realnetworks.com/faq.cfm?faqid=2" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160404051612/http://investor.realnetworks.com/faq.cfm?faqid=2</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>RealNetworks to buy game developer GameHouse <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20141030184237/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-to-buy-game-developer-GameHouse-1135467.php" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20141030184237/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-to-buy-game-developer-GameHouse-1135467.php</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"RealArcade announces Gamehouse Merger". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2009. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110715161501/http://www.realarcade.com/gamehouse" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110715161501/http://www.realarcade.com/gamehouse</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Jordan, Jon (March 2, 2010). "RealArcade Mobile rebranded as GameHouse on carrier decks". pocketgamer.biz. Retrieved May 3, 2022. <a href="https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/18848/realarcade-mobile-rebranded-as-gamehouse-on-carrier-decks/" target="_blank">https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/18848/realarcade-mobile-rebranded-as-gamehouse-on-carrier-decks/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Tyrsina, Radu (December 10, 2016). "Delicious: Emily's Christmas Carol is a fun cooking game for Windows PCs". Windows Report - Error-free Tech Life. Retrieved May 3, 2022. <a href="https://windowsreport.com/delicious-emilys-christmas-carol-cooking-game/" target="_blank">https://windowsreport.com/delicious-emilys-christmas-carol-cooking-game/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Privacy Policy". <a href="https://www.zylom.com/us/en/about_us.jsp" target="_blank">https://www.zylom.com/us/en/about_us.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Mossberg, Walter (September 11, 2003). "Gore-Free PC Games Can Help While Away Those Senior Moments". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) <a href="https://archive.today/20240130142012/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB106323038086874500" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20240130142012/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB106323038086874500</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>RealArcade makes online games available <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/fun.games/05/15/realarcade.games.idg/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/fun.games/05/15/realarcade.games.idg/index.html</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Ryan, Michael E. (January 8, 2001). "PC Magazine Reviews: RealArcade". Retrieved December 14, 2008. <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,33221,00.asp" target="_blank">https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,33221,00.asp</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>RealArcade goes after international players <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/03/21/real.arcade.idg/index.html" target="_blank">https://edition.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/03/21/real.arcade.idg/index.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>RealNetworks spins off games <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150222044210/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-spins-off-games-1272883.php" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20150222044210/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/RealNetworks-spins-off-games-1272883.php</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Real issues GamePass in sub battle <a href="https://variety.com/2002/digital/news/real-issues-gamepass-in-sub-battle-1117869284/" target="_blank">https://variety.com/2002/digital/news/real-issues-gamepass-in-sub-battle-1117869284/</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"GamePass by RealArcade". Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081010160539/http://www.realarcade.com/gamepass" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20081010160539/http://www.realarcade.com/gamepass</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>