Trymedia
Play / Download the Best High-Quality Games | GameHouse.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Trymedia Systems, Inc. was a digital distribution and digital rights management (DRM) company that emerged in 1999. Founded in Spain by cousins Alex and Andres Torrubia, the company relocated to San Francisco after a successful round of fundraising. Trymedia established itself as a key player in the burgeoning market for downloadable PC games, providing the technological backbone for secure digital sales.
The core of Trymedia's business was its proprietary ActiveMARK DRM technology suite. This system was designed for the secure digital distribution of software, not just through downloads but also for physical CD/DVD releases. A key feature of its model was allowing a "try-before-you-buy" experience, where consumers could play a trial version of a game before purchasing the full license. The business model focused on providing white-label online retail services and syndication to a wide network of affiliates, which included major portals like AOL, Yahoo!, and GameSpot, as well as retailers like Electronics Boutique. This B2B approach enabled partners to offer a vast catalog of games directly to their own customer bases.
The company's journey includes several significant milestones, most notably its acquisition by Macrovision for $34 million in July 2005. This led to the formation of a new games division within Macrovision built around the Trymedia team. However, the operation faced financial challenges, reporting a significant loss in 2007. Subsequently, in February 2008, RealNetworks acquired Trymedia from Macrovision for a reported $4 million, integrating it to expand its own casual games syndication business. Trymedia also operated a direct-to-consumer retail site called Trygames, which was launched in 2001 and eventually redirected to GameHouse in 2014.
Keywords: digital distribution, digital rights management, DRM, PC games, software distribution, game syndication, white-label retail, try-before-you-buy, ActiveMARK, Macrovision, RealNetworks, casual games, game downloads, software security, content protection, electronic license management, B2B marketplace, online retail services, game portals, secure distribution