The Seattle company, best known for its Rhapsody music service and
RealPlayer audio and video tool, said Thursday it would either execute
a direct spinoff of the casual games division or conduct an initial
public offering followed by a spinoff. It has hired Lehman Brothers Inc. to advise it on the move.
RealNetworks introduced RealArcade in 2001 and has built the
division through acquisitions. Its largest purchase was in 2004, when
it acquired GameHouse, a publisher and distributor of downloadable
video games, for $35.6 million in cash and stock. GameHouse enabled
RealNetworks to produce its own games, which has proved to be an
important element in its success.
See the full story from The Daily Deal. -
Dave Shabelman
Aiming to unlock value built through a string of successful acquisitions, RealNetworks Inc. has unveiled plans to spin off its lucrative casual games business and possibly take the unit public. 
