In personal computer games, a spawn installation is an installed copy of a game that may only be used to play in

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

mode, or otherwise limits the amount of

single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...

content accessible to the user. Additionally, some spawn implementations only allow the user to join games hosted by the installer's cd-key. There are several purposes for a spawn installation, including but not limited to creating added value by allowing the owner of the game to experience the multiplayer mode with friends and demonstrating the game to more potential buyers. A similar concept (for example, in some ''

Command & Conquer ''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise created and originally developed by Westwood Studios and currently owned by Electronic Arts. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself ba ...

'' games) is the use of multiple game discs. Each disc contains a discrete portion of the game, such as an individual campaign. Sharing a disc with a friend allows both the owner and the friend to experience the full content of each respective disc, but not at the same time. In contrast with spawn installations, the disadvantage to the multiple-disc approach was that the game could only be shared among as many people as there were discs, while spawn installations could be used on any number of systems. This concept is very similar to the single-card-multiplayer "Download Play" option that some

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

games offer (such as

Super Mario 64 DS ''Super Mario 64 DS'' is a 2004 platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Nintendo DS. ''Super Mario 64 DS'' is a video game remake, remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game ''Super Mario 64,'' with new gr ...

). The difference here, however, is that a spawn installation is installed on the system like a normal program, whereas the Nintendo DS only keeps its downloaded copy in memory while it is powered on.

Games with spawn installation

*'' Carmageddon'' *''

Joint Strike Fighter Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlan ...

'' - Innerloop *'' Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit'' -

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...

*'' Diablo'' -

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Irvine, California, and a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. Originally founded in 1991, the company is best known for producing the h ...

*'' Diablo II'' -

*'' StarCraft'' -

*''

StarCraft II ''StarCraft II'' is a real-time strategy video game created by Blizzard Entertainment, first released in 2010. A sequel to the successful '' StarCraft'', released in 1998, it is set in a militaristic far future. The narrative centers on a galacti ...

'' -

*'' Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'' -

*'' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'' -

*'' Earth 2150'' -

Reality Pump TopWare Interactive – AC Enterprises e.K. is a German video game publisher based in Karlsruhe. The company is best known for publishing the ''Two Worlds (video game), Two Worlds'' series developed by its #Reality Pump Studios, Reality Pump Stu ...

*'' Total Annihilation'' - Cavedog Entertainment *'' Disciples: Sacred Lands'' -

Strategy First Strategy First Inc. is a Canadian video game publisher based in Montreal. Founded in 1988 by Don McFatridge, Steve Wall and Dave Hill, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and was subsequently acquired by Silverstar Holdings in 2005. Initia ...

*'' Enemy Territory: Quake Wars'' -

id Software id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer T ...

*'' Halo Custom Edition'' -

Gearbox Software Gearbox Software, L.L.C is an American video game developer, video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitch ...

*'' Dr. Mario Online Rx'' -

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

*''

Age of Empires ''Age of Empires'' is a series of historical real-time strategy video games, originally developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. The first title in the series, ''Age of Empires'', focused on events in Europe, Afri ...

'' -

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

*'' Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome'' -

*'' Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'' -

*'' Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion'' -

*'' Heroes of Might and Magic II'' -

The 3DO Company The 3DO Company was an American video game company based in Redwood City, California. It was founded in 1991 by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins in a partnership with seven other companies to develop the 3DO standard of video gaming hardware ...

*''

Heroes of Might and Magic III ''Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia'' (commonly referred to as ''Heroes of Might & Magic 3'', or ''Heroes 3'', or abbreviated HoMM 3) is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Comput ...

'' -

*'' Gruntz'' -

Monolith Productions Monolith Productions, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Kirkland, Washington. The company was a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Games from August 2004 until its shutdown in 2025. It formerly published third-party games in the 199 ...

*'' Wolfenstein: Youngblood'' -

Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a Division (business), division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Z ...

References

Video game development Video game distribution {{Videogame-software-stub