# NeoEdge Networks

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{{Infobox company
| name        = NeoEdge Networks
| logo        = Nen-logo.png
| type        = [Private](/source/Private_company)
| founded     = 2002
| hq_location = [Mountain View, California](/source/Mountain_View%2C_California)
| key_people  = Dan Servos, CEO<br />[Todd Kenck](/source/Todd_Kenck), CFO<br />[Andrew Radin](/source/Andrew_Radin), CTO<br />[Nolan Bushnell](/source/Nolan_Bushnell), Chairman of the Board<br />[Steven Woods](/source/Steven_Woods), Co-founder, Member of the Board<br />Michael Babiak, Co-founder, Sr. VP Advertising
| industry    = [In-game advertising](/source/In-game_advertising)/[Digital distribution](/source/Digital_distribution)
| products    = Video commercials in casual games
}}

'''NeoEdge Networks''' was a [Silicon Valley](/source/Silicon_Valley){{En dash}}based technology and in-game advertising company that enabled [casual game](/source/casual_game) publishers and developers to deliver television-like commercials within their products {{En dash}} frequently in the context of free-to-consumer casual game play. NeoEdge powered advertising for a variety of game publishers including Yahoo.<ref name="cnn money">{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/36184fef5bd4792429d23e6dfc08966a.htm |title=Yahoo unveils ad-supported downloadable games |work=CNN Money |date=10 July 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929053351/http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/36184fef5bd4792429d23e6dfc08966a.htm |archivedate=September 29, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="bushnell yahoo">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interview-bushnells-neoedge-becomes-big-player-with-yahoo-games/?biz=1|title=Interview: Bushnell's NeoEdge Becomes Big Player with Yahoo! Games|work=GameDaily|date=10 July 2008|accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> NeoEdge provided both [peer-to-peer](/source/peer-to-peer) game distribution (to reduce costs of distributing games) and [in-game advertising](/source/in-game_advertising) (to help increase consumer game play and monetization).
It was renamed Blue Noodle in early 2011 and shut down later that year.<ref name="shut">{{Cite news |title= Investor immorality: The strange case of Blue Noodle |author= Dan Primack |work= Fortune |date= August 17, 2011 |url= http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/17/investor-immorality-blue-noodle/ |accessdate= June 11, 2013 }}</ref>

==Introduction==
NeoEdge provided advertising inside online [casual games](/source/casual_games).<ref name="marketwire">{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Neoedge-795130.html|title=Casual Games Get a Serious Business Model: NeoEdge Launches First Open Advertising Network for a Huge, Untapped Market|work=MarketWire|date=20 November 2007|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> The online video advertising platform provides advertisers a medium that reaches a key [demographic](/source/demographic) (adults over 18 years of age) with television-like commercials in an engaged environment that casual gamers have accepted in exchange for free game play.<ref name="redherring">{{cite web|url=http://www.redherring.com/Home/pages/print/posts/?bid=3f0a738e-1a03-4fcc-927c-a72792d8d070&mode=Full|title=Video Ads Suck in Casual Gamers|work=RedHerring|date=25 September 2006|accessdate=2008-10-30}}</ref>

==History==
NeoEdge was founded in 2002 by [Steven Woods](/source/Steven_Woods), [Jeromy Carriere](/source/Jeromy_Carriere), Kelly Slough, Dave Simons, and Michael Babiak, former [Netscape](/source/Netscape) and [America Online](/source/America_Online) employees, under the name "Kinitos". While at [Quack.com](/source/Quack.com) the founders created the first consumer-based Voice Portal, acquired by America Online in 2000.<ref name="quack2">{{cite web|url=http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;920516229|title=AOL Acquires Voice Portal Quack.com|work=Computerworld|date=2 September 2000|accessdate=2008-11-16|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017160654/http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id|archivedate=17 October 2008}}</ref> In 2007, [Atari](/source/Atari) co-founder [Nolan Bushnell](/source/Nolan_Bushnell) joined the NeoEdge board as Chairman.<ref name="bushnell joins neoedge 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/nolan-bushnell-joins-neoedge-board-of-directors|title=Nolan Bushnell Joins NeoEdge Board Of Directors|work=Gamasutra|date=21 May 2007|access-date=2008-09-22}}</ref><ref name="bushnell joins neoedge 2">{{cite web|url=
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9876298-52.html?tag=mncol;title|title=Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell pushing ads in casual games|work=CNET|date=21 February 2008|accessdate=2008-10-28}}</ref>

Under the Kinitos brand, the company participated in [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft) Smart Client program intended to help companies deliver [Web 2.0](/source/Web_2.0) Internet services. These services were intended to help companies deliver consumer services that transcended traditional browsers {{En dash}} helping to provide downloadable application-style capabilities to consumer and enterprise companies without the past problems associated with installed applications.<ref name="microsoft kinitos">{{cite web|url=http://www.devxnews.com/article.php/3324371|title=Microsoft Offers Sneak Peek to Developers|work=DevX|date=10 March 2004|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref> Downloadable games with embedded web services are one class of such solutions, the MostFun.com Game Player, owned by NeoEdge, is one example of such an application - others include all manner of browser extensions and plugins, or downloadable web services applications like [instant messaging](/source/instant_messaging), [Google Earth](/source/Google_Earth), [Bittorrent](/source/BitTorrent_(software)), [iTunes](/source/iTunes), and many others.

In 2005, Kinitos reorganized to support game developers and distributors to deliver ad-enabled game play to consumers as an alternative to traditional "try and buy" models.<ref name="game trials">{{cite web|url=http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/27467/Casual-Biz-Models-No-4-Try-Before-You-Buy|title=Casual Biz Models No. 4 – Try Before You Buy|work=Casual Gaming Biz|date=22 May 2008|accessdate=2008-10-05}}</ref> NeoEdge became a leader in changing the current business model of the casual game industry. According to the Casual Game Association, 200 Million people worldwide play casual games every month.<ref name="casual games market report">{{cite web|url=http://www.casualconnect.org/newscontent/11-2007/CasualGamesMarketReport2007_Summary.pdf|title=Casual Games Market Report 2007|work=Casual Gaming Biz|date=November 2007|accessdate=2008-11-15|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221075723/http://casualconnect.org/newscontent/11-2007/CasualGamesMarketReport2007_Summary.pdf|archivedate=2008-12-21}}</ref> The industry struggled as a “hits” based business with a “Try and Buy” business model made long-term revenue generation difficult.

In 2010, the company was merged with Offspring Games and started a game studio in [San Francisco, California](/source/San_Francisco%2C_California).  Titles released include Prize-O-Rama and Happy Thoughts.  The game studio was unable to produce a profitable title and the company fell on hard financial times during the [Great Recession](/source/Great_Recession).
It was shut down in July 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Exclusive: MMV Financial in trouble |author= Dan Primack |work= Fortune |date= July 18, 2011 |url= http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/18/exclusive-mmv-financial-in-trouble/ |accessdate= June 11, 2013 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite web |title= NeoEdge: The Leading Ad Platform For Casual Games |url= http://www.neoedge.com/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101230205450/http://www.neoedge.com/ |archivedate= 2010-12-30 }}
* {{Cite web |title=BlueNoodle: The Leading Ad Platform For Casual Games |url= http://www.bluenoodle.com/ |work= Official web site |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110207063018/http://www.bluenoodle.com/ |archivedate= February 7, 2011 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neoedge Networks}}
Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States
Category:Companies based in Mountain View, California
Category:Software companies based in Mountain View, California
Category:Marketing companies established in 2002
Category:Advertising agencies of the United States
Category:2002 establishments in California

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [NeoEdge Networks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeoEdge_Networks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeoEdge_Networks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.