DWANGO

For the Japanese division of DWANGO which has been spun off as a separate company, see Dwango (company).
DWANGO
DeveloperInteractive Visual Systems
TypeOnline service
Launch dateDecember 1994[1]
DiscontinuedOctober 1998
Platform(s)DOS, Microsoft Windows
Website"Official website". Archived from the original on February 7, 1998. Retrieved January 16, 2013.

The Dial-up Wide-Area Network Game Operation, better known by the acronym DWANGO, was an early online gaming service based in the United States. Launched in 1994, it was originally known for its compatibility with Doom, for which it functioned as a matchmaking service for online multiplayer. The service also supported various other titles, including other id Software games such as Doom II and Heretic as well as titles from other companies like Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior from 3D Realms.[2][3]

To use the service, players would pay a fee and run the DWANGO client software which would dial into a DWANGO server. Initially, a phone number in Houston, Texas had to be dialed, but soon a number of servers in other cities were also set up.[4] However, DWANGO's dial in approach was soon overshadowed by online multiplayer through the increasingly popular Internet and the service ceased operation in October 1998.[5] Its Japanese division has continued to flourish, evolving into the telecommunications/media company which now operates the Niconico video hosting service and game developer and publisher Spike Chunsoft.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference mastersofdoom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "History of Online Gaming - 1993-1994: DOOM and DWANGO". UGO. July 10, 2008. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  3. ^ "DWANGO and DOOM - A History of Gaming". Fully Gaming. April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference PCMag was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Dwango Dies". IGN. October 21, 1998. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  6. ^ "Dwango Co., Ltd. - Subsidiaries". Dwango. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-14.