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'{{Infobox company | name = Big Fish Games, Inc. | logo = [[Image:Big Fish Games logo.png|200px|Big Fish Games]] | type = [[Subsidiary]] | foundation = [[Seattle]] (2002) | location = [[Seattle, Washington]], United States | key_people = [[Paul Thelen]], [[Chairman]]/[[President|CEO]] | industry = [[Video game industry|Video game]]<br>[[Computer software]] | products = [[Video games]] ([[Casual games]]) | num_employees = 700 (2013) | parent=[[Churchill Downs Incorporated]] | homepage = [http://www.bigfishgames.com/ bigfishgames.com] }} '''Big Fish Games''' is a [[casual gaming]] company based in [[Seattle, Washington]], [[United States]]. It serves as both a developer and distributor of casual games, primarily on [[Personal computer|computers]] and [[mobile app|mobile devices]]. It was founded in 2002 by Paul Thelen,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pressroom.bigfishgames.com/company-history |title=Company History |publisher=Big Fish Games|accessdate=May 23, 2011}}</ref> and currently employs more than 500 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pressroom.bigfishgames.com/exec-team |title=Executive Team|publisher=Big Fish Games|accessdate=June 18, 2014}}</ref> == History == The company was founded by ex-[[RealNetworks]] executive [[Paul Thelen]] in 2002 with $10,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pressroom.bigfishgames.com/index.php?s=20319&item=29928|title=Paul Thelen|publisher=Big Fish Games |accessdate=May 23, 2011}}</ref> Thelen was the Group Product Manager that launched the [[RealArcade]] games service for RealNetworks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2005/09/12/focus4.html |title=Thelen Worked Through Illness to Launch Big Fish |publisher=Puget Sound Business Journal|date=September 11, 2005 |accessdate=October 25, 2009|first=Heather |last=Reese}}</ref> In 2009, it announced the opening of their new European headquarters in Cork, Ireland. The [[Better Business Bureau|BBB]] rates it "no rating" due to being "in the process of responding to previously closed complaints."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/games-and-supplies/big-fish-games-in-seattle-wa-39000589#reasonrating|title=Big Fish Games Inc|accessdate=April 12, 2016|publisher=BBB}}</ref> In September 2008, the company received $83M financial backing from [[Venture Capital]] funds [[Balderton Capital]], [[General Catalyst Partners]] and Salmon River Capital. <ref>http://techcrunch.com/2008/09/12/big-fish-games-raises-833-million-for-casual-game-distribution/</ref> In August 2013, the company announced the closing of its cloud-based games service, Vancouver studio and Cork offices.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2013/full-memo-big-fish-ceo-announces-job-cuts-closure-ireland-bc-facilities-cancellation-cloud-games-business/|title=Full memo: Big Fish CEO announces job cuts, cancellation of cloud games business and closure of Ireland and BC facilities|accessdate=June 18, 2014|publisher=GeekWire|first=John |last=Cook |date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> On November 12, 2014, the company was acquired by [[Churchill Downs Incorporated]] for $885 million. It is primarily involved in the gambling business, and is the owner of several major [[horse racing]] tracks, including its namesake [[Churchill Downs]].<ref name=psbj-churchhill>{{cite web|title=Seattle casual game-maker Big Fish Games acquired in $885 million deal|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2014/11/12/seattle-casual-game-maker-big-fish-games-acquired.html|website=Puget Sound Business Journal|accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> == Big Fish Studios == Big Fish Studios is the internal development studio that publishes original titles every year through Big Fish Games. Many of these games are developed using its own proprietary game engine that supports both DirectX and OpenGL.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/537/|title=Chris Campbell, Brian Thompson, Peter Yiap |publisher=Adventure Classic Gaming |date=January 23, 2010 |accessdate=November 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/developers/149/index.html|title=Big Fish Games presents the Big Fish Games collection|publisher=Big Fish Games |accessdate=July 24, 2011}}</ref> Games developed by Big Fish Studios include: * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Huntsville]]'' (November 14, 2005) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects]]'' (April 6, 2006) * ''[[Mystic Inn]]'' (April 12, 2006) * ''[[Hidden Expedition: Titanic]]'' (July 22, 2006) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst]]'' (December 15, 2006) * ''[[Hidden Expedition: Everest]]'' (June 1, 2007) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate]]'' (November 7, 2007) * ''[[Mystery in London]]'' (December 14, 2007) * ''[[Hidden Expedition: Amazon]]'' (June 20, 2008) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst]]'' (November 27, 2008) * ''[[Drawn (series)|Drawn: The Painted Tower]]'' (September 5, 2009) * ''[[Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle]]'' (October 24, 2009) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove]]'' (November 25, 2009) * ''[[Life Quest]]'' (April 29, 2010) * ''[[Drawn (series)|Drawn: Dark Flight]]'' (October 2, 2010) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull]]'' (January 8, 2011) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident]]'' (June 27, 2011) * ''[[Drawn (series)|Drawn: Trail of Shadows]]'' (October 19, 2011) * ''[[Hidden Expedition - The Uncharted Islands]]'' (November 3, 2011) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Escape from Ravenhearst]]'' (December 23, 2011) * ''[[Fairway Solitaire|Fairway Solitaire HD]]'' (May 24, 2012) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake]]'' (December 26, 2012) * ''Fetch'' (March 20, 2013) * ''[[Mystery Case Files: Fate's Carnival]]'' (November 26, 2013) * ''[[Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope Diamond]]'' (December 19, 2013) * ''[[Fairway Solitaire Blast!]]'' (March, 11 2014) * ''[[Gummy Drop (Big Fish Games)]]'' (December 18, 2014) * ''[[Lifeline (Big Fish Games)]]'' (April 29, 2015) == Digital distribution == The company distributes over 2500 casual downloadable games for over 500 developers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/12/big-fish-and-playfirst-team-up-in-online-game-distribution-deal/|title=Big Fish Games and PlayFirst team up for online game distribution|publisher=VentureBeat |date=January 12, 2010 |accessdate=May 23, 2011 |first=Dean |last=Takahashi}}</ref> According to Big Fish Games, they serve over 1,500,000 downloads per day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.ign.com/articles/100/1009221p1.html |title=People and Big Fish Games Launch Exclusive Partnership |publisher=IGN.com |date=July 30, 2009 |accessdate=November 25, 2009}}</ref> The service offers downloadable [[casual games]] with a [[try before you buy|try-before-you-buy]] model where consumers can play games for free for 60 minutes, then have the option to purchase that game to keep playing. == Online games == The company entered the [[Browser-based games|browser gaming]] with its acquisition of the game website Ion Thunder in 2007; the service was re-branded as Atlantis following the acquisition.<ref name=pr-bigfishionthunder>{{cite web|title=Big Fish Games Acquires Leading Multi-player Casual Game Site, Ion Thunder|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/big-fish-games-acquires-leading-multi-player-casual-game-site-ion-thunder-54345797.html|website=Press release|accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> The service, which was later revamped as Big Sea Games in 2009, was shut down in 2010 as part of the company's shift from traditional online games to [[Social network game|social games]] on [[Facebook]] and [[mobile app]]s.<ref name=gamezebo-bigseadown>{{cite web|title=Big Sea Games fans swim to other ponds|url=http://www.gamezebo.com/2010/08/09/big-sea-games-fans-swim-other-ponds/|website=Gamezebo|accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> == References == {{reflist|30em}} == External links == <!-- Please see the article talk page before adding links to this section. --> * {{Official website|http://BigFishGames.Com}} {{Prone to spam|date=October 2012}} {{Z148}}<!-- {{No more links}} Please be cautious adding more external links. 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