Skyworks Interactive, Inc., formerly Skyworks Technologies, was a video game developer established in 1995, best known for producing
advergames
An advergame (portmanteau of "advertisement" and "video game") is a form of advertising in video games, in which the video game is developed by or in close collaboration with a corporate entity for purposes of advertising a brand-name product. Whil ...
for websites.
It was established by
David Crane and
Garry Kitchen in 1995, following the shutdown of Absolute Software. The two jointly developed the advergaming business model, where their games were played for free, but licensed to other companies' websites. Their first gaming portal was
Candystand, launched in 1997 by The Lifesavers Company. The website evolved from a premium CD-ROM Skyworks developed for Lifesavers the previous year, which raised interest between the two parties involved to create a dedicated website.
[Promo Partner Personals: Skyworks’ sponsored gaming model soars on-line](_blank)
/ref>
Skyworks later launched further advergaming websites following on from Candystand's success: NabiscoWorld in 1999 followed by Postopia
Postopia was an American advergaming portal established by Skyworks Technologies in partnership with Post Cereals in 2001.
Work on the website started at Skyworks in 1999, continuing until 2009, with the website open in the summer of 2001; its ...
and TooMunchFun in 2001. As of 2003, Skyworks had a catalog of 60 proprietary games which were later reskinned depending on the needs of the sponsor. The target received an exclusivity clause for the sector it operated (soft drink, food, etc.) and integrate its branding to the game.
In 2005, Skyworks formed its subsidiary Advergame.com, due to the growth of its non-advergame activities. In August 2006, it was announced that Gottaplay was acquiring Skyworks. In 2007, ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
took over the rights of Skyworks' sports game website, Rcade.com, being renamed ESPN Arcade in the process. Subsequently in 2009, Arkadium bought Advergame.com, as Skyworks had been auctioning off its domain name.
In late 2008, Skyworks entered the iPhone business with the release of their first game title, ''Arcade Hoops Basketball
''Arcade Hoops Basketball'' (also called ''Arcade Hoops'') is a basketball video game developed and published by Skyworks Interactive. It was released as a download-only title on April 17, 2009 for the iOS and on December 28, 2009 for the Ninten ...
''.In 2010, the company filed for bankruptcy.Firm Sanctioned for Bad Faith Bankruptcy Filing Against Former Client
/ref> The company closed in 2014.
References
{{reflist
1995 establishments in New Jersey
Browser-based game websites
Mobile game companies
Video game companies established in 1995
Video game companies disestablished in 2014
Video game companies of the United States