AOL Taps Game Publisher For IM Service

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September 25, 2003 (12:47 PM EDT)

America Online said Thursday that it has partnered with online game publisher WildTangent Inc. in a new instant messaging game service.

AIM Games is the latest move by AOL, a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., to squeeze more revenue out of its popular online chat service. The games service, available in beta from AOL's web site, will combine instant messaging with a variety of games from Redmond, Wash.-based, WildTangent.

"Online gaming is a natural extension of the social interaction that takes place among our AIM members today, and we think users prefer to play online games with their friends, just like they do in the real world," Edmund Fish, senior vice president and general manager of AOL Desktop Messaging, said in a statement.

AIM Games, which will be incorporate in the next release of AOL Instant Messaging, will include WildTangent's puzzle and arcade games Blasterball 2 and Bounce Symphony, and a number of popular multi-player games. WildTangent is providing games, backend systems, leader boards and billing for the service.

The beta version of AIM Games includes both for-pay, try-and-buy, and sponsored games, including two free games sponsored by Dr. Pepper/7 UP Inc.

AOL, which has suffered from a deep slump in online advertising, has been searching for new revenue sources. In addition, the company has been losing market share to IM services from rivals Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.