 The GameSpy Logo GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a company that runs a network of gaming websites and provides gaming-related services. It was founded in 1995 by Mark Surfas, and is headquartered in Irvine, California. The company homepage, www.GameSpy.com (http://www.gamespy.com), opened in 1999. The GameSpy network includes many of the "Planet" sites (examples are PlanetQuake, PlanetHalfLife, PlanetUnreal, and ForumPlanet).
Among the services GameSpy offers to non-paying and paying customers is a program called GameSpy Arcade, which is used 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). Another program similar to GameSpy Arcade is The All-Seeing Eye. GameSpy 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 Teamspeak.
In March 2004 GameSpy Industries merged with IGN Entertainment. GameSpy and IGN still operate their own separate homepages with different editorial content.
Gamespy's message board system is known as Forumplanet.
Corporate History
- 1995, Mark Surfas founded Critical Mass Communications, d.b.a GameSpy, rumored to be a cover for having BeatDowns (an over-the-top LAN party).
- 1996, Launched PlanetQuake.com.
- 1997, Released GameSpy3D.
- 2000, Sold corporate name "Critical Mass" to a Canadian company, and officially changed name to "GameSpy Industries".
- 2000, Released GameSpy Arcade.
- December 2000, purchased RogerWilco, MPlayer.com and the MPlayer gaming service from HearMe.
- March 2004, merged with with IGN to create IGN/GameSpy.
- June 2004, the corporate name was changed to IGN Entertainment.
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