WildTangent is a software development company that develops and publishes computer games. It was founded by Alex St. John, father of Microsoft's DirectX technology who serves as President and CEO. The company sells 50,000 games a monthGame Makers Turn to Online Distribution.

Games

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WildTangent produces both original games and advertising games for various companies, including Nike, Coke, and Ford. Their games include:

• Blasterball
• Fate
• Polar Bowler
• Tradewinds
• Phoenix Assault

Plugin bundle

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WildTangent produces an online gaming plugin bundle that consists of WildTangent Web Driver, WildTangent Multiplayer Library, WildTangent Updater and WildTangent GameChannel. The bundle can be downloaded as an .exe file or from an ActiveX control from WildTangent.com. It is sometimes bundled with Windows Media Player and Winamp plugins. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) uses WildTangent for its Games service, and bundles the Multiplayer Library, Updater, and WebDriver with it. The installation of the software was not stated in AIM's EULA until version 5.5.3595.

WildTangent asserts that the software bundle is safe, but many anti-spyware programs classify it as adware/spyware, mainly because it reports activity and games played to various servers. Some experts feel that WildTangent's software is safe, but consider to be foistware as in many cases it is installed without the user's knowledge or express consent. It doesn't spy or deliver advertising, but is generally unwanted.

The bundle is removed by Spybot, and in several Internet hosts files Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File used by many people to block rogue and criminal sites. Spyware or Slyware?

References

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External links

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• Official site

Computer and video game companies