Shockwave (game portal)

Shockwave
Private[1][2]
Industry Online and offline video game distribution
Founded December 18, 1998 (1998-12-18)[1]
Headquarters

225 Bush Street, Suite 1200 [2][3]

San Francisco, California, U.S.
Key people
 Dave Williams, Senior Vice President,[4] Mika Salmi (CEO)[2]
Products Video games (Casual games)
Owner Defy Media
Number of employees
 25–100 [2]
Parent Defy Media
Website www.shockwave.com

Shockwave.com or shockwave is an online and offline video games distributor and portal, based in San Francisco, California, United States.[3] Shockwave has three main tabs on its website, namely online games, download games, and my shockwave.[5] It hosts over 400 games [6] and ranging in genres, such as puzzle, action, strategy, racing, sport, jigsaw, adventure, multiplayer games, and downloadable games.[7] Peter Glover, Vice President, describes Shockwave as a "United Artists of the Web" or a site that helps independent game developers publish their web games.[8] As of September 2010, it ranked # 2,245 on Alexa and # 1,023 in the U.S web traffic.[1]

From 2012 to 2014, Shockwave was under the NickMom brand serving as NickMom's game section. In 2014, Defy Media acquired all of Viacom's game properties, and Shockwave.com became a stand-alone entity again.[9] Viacom acquired a small stake of Defy.

History

Shockwave.com merged with Atom Corporation and formed Atom Entertainment in 2001. Later, on August 9, 2006, Viacom acquired the company for $200 million.[10][11] As the result of the acquisition, AtomFilms.com and Addicting Clips.com will expand MTV Network's online video library. On January 31, 2009 Shockwave Japan, a subsidiary of Shockwave closed its business.[12] In 2014, Defy Media took over Shockwave.com.

Audiences

In August 2008, Shockwave had 4.8 million unique visitors, according to ComScore Media Metrix.[4] Mika Salmi said Shockwave as casual gaming site whose target market is parents and moms,[13] with its customers mostly women from age 18 to 49 years old.[4] This shows difference in statistic, as in 2002, when the company was freshly merged with Atom, Shockwave's audiences ranging from age 10–39 and about equal in gender.[14]

Club Shockwave

On March 24, 2009 Shockwave launched a premium service called Club Shockwave. The service allows members to play a number of exclusive games, and download titles. and a chance to win cash prizes.[6]

Shockwave Cash (Discontinued )

At the Casual Connect game conference in Seattle, Dave Williams, senior vice president of the Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group introduced Shockwave Cash, virtual currency that could be used to buy virtual goods in several titles, such as Hungry Hungry Hippy, Let’s Get Grillin’, and Sara’s Super Spa Me.[15] The Shockwave Cash feature has been discontinued, but users are still allowed to use any earned or purchased Shockwave Cash.[16]

See also

References

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