Does anybody remember RealArcade?

[TheBowlFoSho]

Back in the 2000's, RealNetworks had a desktop application where you were able to download games from. (as sort of like a predecessor to Steam) It shut down back in 2013. Am I the only one that remembers this?

 

[Brian Boru]

No, you're not. It didn't shut, it merged with GameHouse, another RealNetworks subsidiary, and is still operating under that name.

It wasn't like Steam, it was like BigFishGames. It used to offer time-limited demos of games, and the option to buy the full game.

 

[TheBowlFoSho]

Because they've been so difficult to find these days, I started a project based around preserving its RGS files through the shared efforts of me and others. (the type of file extension used for its installers). We currently have 344 of them.

 

[spot]

No, you're not. It didn't shut, it merged with GameHouse, another RealNetworks subsidiary, and is still operating under that name.

It wasn't like Steam, it was like BigFishGames. It used to offer time-limited demos of games, and the option to buy the full game.

They have trashed a ton of the older games and have not moved them over to GameHouse. Here is the archive website https://realarcade.org/

 

[Brian Boru]

they've been so difficult to find these days

Here's their site—GameHouse

They have trashed a ton of the older games

Ah, it's a shame when that happens.

 

[TheBowlFoSho]

I'm surprised we were able to find 344 of these installer things. Never knew that many people still cared enough about it to preserve these things.

For those who don't remember: they were usually found in a folder on the main drive labelled "My Download Files".