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Viacom to Fold iFilm, Other Brands Into Spike.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2007 - 11:56am.

New York - Viacom will fold a number of its Web properties into its Spike.com destination, including its video site iFilm, gamer community service Xfire, and gamer news site GameTrailers, Variety reported. The iFilm brand will be retired, while Xfire and GameTrailers will retain independent URLs. The new Spike.com site is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2008, and will be headed by John Slusser, co-founder of GameTrailers. "There is a lot of overlap in all these audiences. The people who like cars also like girls, they like computers, and they like sports," Slusser told Variety. "We see a lot of opportunities in reaching them this way."
tags: Games | TV | Movies | Viacom | Xfire | IFilm | GameTrailers | Spike.com |

MTV Networks to Invest $500 Million in Games Over Next 2 Years

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 16, 2007 - 1:59pm.

New York - Viacom's MTV Networks plans to invest more than $500 million in video games over the next two years, as part of a plan to incorporate games into all new programs at their inception, Reuters reported.

tags: Games | Deals | TV | Music | Xfire | MTV Networks | Neopets | AddictingGames.com | Investments | GameTrailers |

Xfire Hits 5 Million Users for PC Game Online Community Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2006 - 1:51pm.
Menlo Park, Calif. - Xfire, a recent $102 million acquisition of Viacom's MTV Networks that provides a free, ad-supported online community for over 600 PC games, announced on Friday that it now counts over 5 million users. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Xfire's service includes in-game messaging, voice chat, friend tracking, peer-to-peer file downloading and a game server browser.
tags: Games | Advertising | MTV | Xfire | PC Games | Online Games | Online Communities | In-Games |

Viacom Acquires Online Game Community Firm Xfire for $102 Million

Authored by dmw on April 24, 2006 - 7:32pm.
New York - Media conglomerate Viacom announced on Monday that it has acquired Xfire, a provider of online gaming communication and community features, for $102 million in cash. Founded in 2004, Menlo Park, Calif.-based Xfire now claims 4 million users of its software, which adds instant messaging and social networking functionality to hundreds of PC game titles. The company will become part of Viacom's MTV Networks, whose other digital assets include Neopets, GameTrailers and iFilm; Viacom also owns a stake in Chicago-based developer Midway Games. Viacom said Xfire will now be better able to maximize its advertising revenues through stronger marketing efforts and integration with MTV's digital and cable properties.
tags: Games | Deals | Internet | Social Networking | Investing | Acquisitions | Viacom | Xfire |

Xfire Claims 3 Million Users for PC Gaming Chat Software

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 19, 2006 - 2:56am.
Menlo Park, Calif. - Xfire, a provider of PC gaming applications, announced on Thursday that its Xfire application has now drawn over 3 million registered users. The software includes in-game instant messaging and voice chat features, friend lists, and the ability to view which games friends are playing and join them in one click.
tags: Games | PC | Chat | Xfire | Software |

Online Game Technology Developer Xfire Raises $5 Milllion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 3, 2005 - 3:43am.
San Francisco - Xfire, a developer of online gaming community applications, announced on Monday that has raised $5 million in a follow-on round of venture capital financing. Granite Global Ventures led the round; previous investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and New Enterprise Associates also participated. San Francisco-based Xfire's service automatically notifies gamers when their friends are playing PC games online, and lets them chat both within and outside of online games; the company also distributes digital content through a peer-to-peer file download system. The funds will be used to support the Xfire service, which has more than 2 million registered users in over 100 countries,
tags: Games | Deals | Internet | VC | Xfire | Online Game Technology |

Xfire Countersues Yahoo Over Video Game IM Patents

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 11, 2005 - 4:02am.
Menlo Park, Calif. -- Xfire, a developer of instant messaging and social networking tools for online games, announced that it has filed a countersuit against Yahoo, which sued Xfire claiming a former Yahoo employee now at Xfire developed products that infringe Yahoo patents. In its suit, Xfire asks the court to dismiss Yahoo's complaint, and also alleges that Yahoo's action is a ploy to shut Xfire down or gain favorable licensing terms for its in-game instant messaging technology. The company is also seeking unspecified damages from Yahoo.
tags: Yahoo | Xfire | Video Game IM Patents |

Yahoo Sues Xfire Over Patent on Gamer Chat Application

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 7, 2005 - 3:08am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Web portal Yahoo has sued video game technology developer Xfire for patent infringement of technology that allows gamers to instant message one another and connect for online gameplay, GameSpot.com reported. The patent for Yahoo's GameProwler application was granted to Yahoo employees Brian Gottlieb and Chris Kirmse in March 2004; Kirmse now serves as Xfire's vice president of engineering. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Xfire says it now counts 1 million registered users for its gamer chat application, for which it is also currently seeking a patent. Yahoo is seeking an injunction against the distribution of Xfire's product, as well as unspecified damages.
tags: Yahoo | Xfire | Gamers | Chat Application |

Online Gaming Platform Developer Xfire Raises $5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 20, 2004 - 4:17am.
Menlo Park, Calif. -- Xfire, a developer of online game platforms formerly known as Ultimate Arena, announced that it has raised $5 million in new funding in a round led by New Enterprise Associates. Previous investor Draper Fisher Jurvetson also participated in the company's third round. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Xfire plans to use the capital to support its service of the same name, which is designed to automatically keep track of when and where gamers are playing PC games online and allows friends to easily join in. Over 350,000 people in 100 countries have downloaded Xfire since its beta launch in January.
tags: VC | Xfire | Deal | Platform | Online Gaming |