Shockwave (game portal)

In February 1998, Macromedia launched the website ShockRave,[10][11][12] featuring various interactive games and cartoons.[12][13][14] The website's purpose was to showcase projects that developers had created using Macromedia's animation software.[12][15][16]

Shockwave.com was announced on May 24, 1999,[17] as an expansion and replacement of ShockRave.[18] Shockwave.com was formed to promote Macromedia's Shockwave and Flash players, both of which the new website would require.[17] At the time, 100 million people around the world had Shockwave and Flash installed on their computers.[19] Shockwave.com was formed as a separate but wholly owned business within Macromedia, with its own finances. Its CEO was Stephen Fields, a former executive for Disney Interactive Studios.[19][20][21] Fields hoped to eventually turn Shockwave.com into a specialty cable channel. The majority of the website's revenue would come from advertising.[19]

Shockwave.com was launched on August 2, 1999. The website included cartoons, games such as Centipede and Missile Command, an MP3 directory, and a program for creating animated greeting cards.[22][23] The website offered two user control tools: the free Shockwave Remote, and the $19.95 Shockmachine. The latter option gave consumers additional options, such as being able to download and save an unlimited amount of content from the website. Some games and cartoons could only be accessed with a purchase of Shockmachine.[23] The company, also known as Shockwave.com, was based in San Francisco and had 50 employees.[16] Lawrence Levy, a former chief financial officer for Pixar, became Shockwave's chief executive of entertainment in mid-2000.[24]

Shockwave.com merged with Atom Corporation and formed Atom Entertainment in 2001. Later, on August 9, 2006, Viacom acquired the company for $200 million.[25][26] As the result of the acquisition, AtomFilms.com and Addicting Clips.com expanded MTV Network's online video library. On January 31, 2009 Shockwave Japan, a subsidiary of Shockwave closed its business.[27] In 2014, Defy Media took over Shockwave.com.

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,[28] 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.[29]

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]

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.[30] The Shockwave Cash feature has been discontinued, but users are still allowed to use any earned or purchased Shockwave Cash.[31]

• Official website