Big Fish Games

Big Fish Games is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services founded by ex-RealNetworks executive Paul Thelen in 2002. The Seattle-based company is best known for its downloadable online casual games and ad supported free online web browser games, although it is also involved in game development studios, e-greetings, and a social networking site for casual game players to share opinions, invite friends, and earn money for games their friends buy.

The company experienced early success with titles such as Mahjong Towers, Word Wizard and Top Ten Solitaire and Big Fish Studios now releases 12 to 15 original titles per year, producing many branded hit titles including Fairies, Mystic Inn, Hidden Expedition: Titanic, Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, Mahjong Towers Eternity, Atlantis - Sky Patrol and Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects. Big Fish Studios also publishes titles from outside developers and controls online distribution of several hit franchises including Virtual Villagers, Fish Tycoon and Master of Defence.

Some of the games developed by Big Fish Studios include:

• Top Ten Solitaire (January 28, 2002)
• Word Search Deluxe (January 5, 2003)
• Slot Words (July 9, 2004)
• Mahjong Towers Eternity (July 28, 2005)
• Magic Vines (November 24, 2004)
• Atlantis (August 3, 2005)
• Fairies (October 28, 2005)
• Mystery Case Files: Huntsville (November 14, 2005)
• Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects (April 6, 2006)
• Mystic Inn (April 12, 2006)
• Hidden Expedition: Titanic (July 21, 2006)
• Atlantis Sky Patrol (August 25, 2006)
• Travelogue 360: Paris (November 3, 2006)
• Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst (December 14, 2006)

Big Fish Games also distributes casual downloadable games for over 400 developers, and has launched a new game every day for the past two years, with over 400,000 downloads per day on peak days. The company also runs sites for Viacom's Nickelodeon and NBC's iVillage sites, offering downloadable casual games with a try-before-you-buy model, in which users can play a selection of over 300 games for free for an hour before choosing to purchase. Big Fish Games also has a game subscription service (Game Club), where consumers can buy games at a discount if they commit to volume purchasing.

In addition to downloadable games, Big Fish distributes online advertising supported web browser games that are free to play. There are over 80 games available, and a subscription service (Club Atlantis) enables users to play without advertisements. The games all include chat and players earn tokens that can be used to enter lotteries to win cash prizes and free games.

Timeline of Big Fish Games

• May 2002: Big Fish Games, LLC founded as a game development studio.
• September 2003: Big Fish Games launches a web portal and begins distributing other developers' games for the first time.
• April 2005: Big Fish Games purchases the online games community site Ion Thunder.
• June 2005: Bigfishgames Deutschland is launched.
• July 2005: Big Fish Games launches game operations for NBC's iVillage site and Viacom's Nickelodeon site.
• Feb 2006: Launch of Bigfishgames Japan.
• April 2006: Game Club subscription service is launched.
• September 2006: My Big Fish Games social networking service for casual gamers is launched.