The World Opponent Network (WON) operated in its original form, more or less, from 1996 until about 2001. WON then went through many changes until the last of the WON-based game servers shut down in 2008. See the main WON article for its complex history after 2000.
WON provided features for online game serversprimarily for multiplayer gamesfor matchmaking and chat. Games that used these features were tagged as "WON Enabled" in the WON downloads database. While this database ultimately included hundreds of titles regardless of WON capabilities, this is a list of only the WON-enabled titles (with some exceptions as noted below).
A sister feature of WON, called "WONswap," allowed for user-created DLC sharing. While many titles supported by WONswap were also WON enabled, this was not always the case and this list does not include WONswap-only titles. For example, StarCraft is not in this list because, even though it appeared on WONswap, the game itself was served by Battle.net instead of WON.
Retail games
Most of these games used WON game servers to enable online multiplayer capabilities. A few, however, such as Shivers II, just used some of the other WON features such as chat (for chatting while playing solo) and puzzle sharing. This list also includes WON-enabled demos of retail games that were, essentially, free online multiplayer mini-games.
While chess.net for Windows (1999) is a retail game that was linked to from WON.net (eventually replacing/outlasting Power Chess), it is not included in the list below because there is no indication that any chess.net products were WON enabled.
Title Release date Developer(s) SIGS/WONlaunch date SIGS/WONshut-down date Online fate 3-D Ultra Cool Pool Jeff Tunnell Productions Sierra Attractions Oct 1999 Offline 3-D Ultra MiniGolf Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline 3-D Ultra MiniGolf Deluxe Dynamix Sierra Attractions Offline Alien vs Predator 2 Monolith Productions Sierra On-Line Offline Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura Troika Games Sierra On-Line Offline Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance Synergistic Software Sierra On-Line Offline Caesar IV Tilted Mill Sierra Entertainment Offline Civil War Generals 2 Impressions Games Sierra On-Line Offline Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars Dynamix Dynamix Offline Dark Reign 2 Pandemic Studios Activision Offline Day of Defeat Valve Activision Steam Edgar Torronteras' eXtreme Biker Deibus Studios Sierra On-Line Jan 2000 Offline Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom Impressions Games, BreakAway Games Sierra Entertainment Offline Empire Earth Stainless Steel Studios Sierra On-Line Offline Empire Earth 2 Mad Doc Software Sierra Entertainment Offline Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest Mad Doc Software Sierra Entertainment Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 3D Dynamix Sierra Sports Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 4 Dynamix Sierra Sports Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Bass 5 Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Bear Hunting Dynamix Sierra Sports Jun 2000 Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Big Game Hunting Dynamix Sierra Sports Jun 2000 Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Buck Dynamix Sierra Sports Feb 1999 Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Hunting Dynamix Sierra Sports Jun 2000 Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Hunting 4 Dynamix Sierra Sports Offline Field & Stream: Trophy Hunting 5 Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline Front Page Sports: Football Pro '97 Synergistic Software, Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline Front Page Sports: Football Pro '98 Synergistic Software Sierra On-Line Offline Front Page Sports: Golf Headgate Studios Sierra On-Line Offline Front Page Sports: Golf, 1998 Edition Headgate Studios Sierra Sports Offline Golf Pro '98 Headgate Studios Sierra Sports Offline Front Page Sports: Trophy Bass 2 Dynamix Sierra On-Line Front Page Sports: Trophy Bass 2: Northern Lakes Dynamix Sierra On-Line Front Page Sports: Trophy Rivers Dynamix Sierra On-Line Ground Control Massive Entertainment Sierra Studios May 2000 Offline Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus Massive Entertainment Sierra Entertainment Offline Half-Life Valve Sierra Studios Steam Half-Life: Counter-Strike Valve Sierra Studios Steam Half-Life: Opposing Force Valve, Gearbox Software Sierra Studios Steam Homeworld Relic Entertainment Sierra Studios Offline Homeworld: Cataclysm Barking Dog Studios Sierra Studios Offline Interstate '82 Activision Activision Offline Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Epic MegaGames Gathering of Developers Offline Leisure Suit Larry's Casino Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Offline Leisure Suit Larry's Casino demo Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Offline Lords of Magic Impressions Games Sierra On-Line Offline Lords of the Realm II: Siege Pack Impressions Games Sierra On-Line Offline MissionForce: CyberStorm Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline NASCAR Legends Papyrus Sierra Sports Offline NASCAR Racing 2002 Season Papyrus Sierra Entertainment Offline NASCAR Racing 2003 Season Papyrus Sierra Entertainment Offline NASCAR Racing 3 Papyrus Sierra Sports Offline NASCAR Racing 3 demo Papyrus Sierra Sports Offline NASCAR Racing 3: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Papyrus Sierra Sports Offline NASCAR Racing 4 Papyrus Sierra On-Line Offline NASCAR Racing Online Series Papyrus TEN NASCAR Racing Online Series demo Papyrus TEN NFL Football Pro '99 Sierra On-Line Sierra Sports Offline No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way Monolith Productions Sierra Entertainment Offline Outpost 2: Divided Destiny Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline PGA Championship Golf 2000 Headgate Studios Sierra Sports Offline PGA Championship Golf, 1999 Edition Headgate Studios Sierra Sports Offline Police Quest: SWAT 2 Yosemite Entertainment Sierra FX Offline Power Chess Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Offline Power Chess 98 Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Offline Power Chess 2.0 Sierra On-Line Sierra Attractions Dec 1998 Offline Sierra's Complete Chess Sierra On-Line Sierra Attractions Feb 1999 Offline Professional Bull Rider Sierra On-Line Sierra Sports Mar 2000 Offline Professional Bull Rider 2 Sierra On-Line Sierra Sports Offline Quake II id Software Activision Feb 1999 Steam Red Baron II Dynamix Sierra On-Line Offline Red Baron 3D Dynamix Dynamix Offline Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Monolith Productions Fox Interactive Offline Shivers II: Harvest of Souls Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Offline Soldier of Fortune Raven Software Activision GameSpy Speed Busters: American Highways Ubi Soft Ubi Soft Offline Star Trek: Armada Activision Activision Offline Star Trek: Starfleet Command II: Empires at War Taldren Interplay Entertainment Offline Starsiege Dynamix Dynamix Offline Starsiege: Tribes Dynamix Dynamix Offline SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle: Elite Edition Sierra Northwest Sierra Studios Offline SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle: Elite Edition demo Sierra Northwest Sierra Studios Offline SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition Sierra Northwest Sierra Studios Offline Team Fortress Classic Valve Sierra Studios Steam The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions Jeff Tunnell Productions Sierra On-Line Offline The Time Warp of Dr. Brain Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Feb 1997 Offline Throne of Darkness Click Entertainment Sierra On-Line Offline Tribes 2 Dynamix Sierra Studios Offline Unreal Epic MegaGames GT Interactive Jun 2000 Unreal Tournament Epic Games, Digital Extremes GT Interactive Offline Vampire: The Masquerade: Redemption Nihilistic Software Activision Apr 2000 Offline YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: 5th Dementia Jellyvision Sierra Attractions Offline
Nested references from notes above: * † ‡ **
Announced retail games Games announced as coming to WON.net but never appeared.
Front Page Sports: Ski Racing (1997) Sierra On-Line Skiing, 1999 Edition (1998) Sierra Sports Shanghai: Dynasty (1997) Activision Shanghai: Second Dynasty (1999) Activision Heavy Gear II (1999) Activision
Free games
This is a list of all free/ad-supported, browser-based/download-on-demand games that were featured on WON.net. Some are WON enabled (such as ARC and Silencer); some not (such as the single-player "Quick Games"); some difficult to tell after the fact. Hence, all free games are included here as the list is not very long.
The PrizeCentral.com games are not listed here (which could be the topic of its own list). Likewise, games that appeared after the breakup of WON.net into Flipside.com and, later, UPROAR.com also are not listed here. These games came with the acquisition of WON.net by Havas (who had also acquired PrizeCentral.com and other properties). It is not known that any of these later Havas-acquired games are WON enabled.
The instant messaging games are not included here (which appeared in download.won.net in Sep 2000, and later on Flipside.com). Even though some like IM Backgammon are tagged as WON Enabled in the downloads database, they are built upon ICQ and not WON (and have no known WON components).
Title Release date Developer(s) SIGS/WONlaunch date SIGS/WONshut-down date Online fate Absolute Zero Eye One Eye One Offline Acrophobia Berkeley Systems Berzerk.com Offline Roof Rats Berkeley Systems Sierra Attractions Feb 2000 Offline Any Given Sunday Trivia Challenge Jellyvision WON.net Feb 2000 Offline ARC Hoopy Entertainment Hoopy Entertainment Offline Austin Powers: Operation: Trivia Berkeley Systems Sierra Attractions Oct 1999 May 2000 Offline Burning Metal Eye One Eye One chess.net for Java Eplay Network chess.net Aug 2000 Cosmic Consensus Berkeley Systems, Electronic Hollywood Berzerk.com Jun 1999 Roach Invaders Electronic Hollywood WON.net Loco Electronic Hollywood WON.net May 1999 Feb 2000 Get the Picture? Berkeley Systems WON.net Offline Manic Media EPG Multimedia LAUNCH Media May 1999 Oct 1999 Offline S.P.I.T.E. EPG Studios LAUNCH Media Gameplay Silencer beta only Mind Control Software WON.net Feb 2000 Offline SnowCraft Nicholson NY Nicholson NY May 1999 SpiritWars Kellogg Creek Software WON.net Stock Market Challenge Sierra On-Line Sierra On-Line Apr 1997 Offline The Cypher EPG Multimedia LAUNCH Media Gameplay Trivia Blitz E-Pub UPROAR.com Feb 1999 What's the Big Idea? Berkeley Systems Berzerk.com Jun 1999 Offline Wordox WON.net WON.net Offline YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Sports the netshow Berkeley Systems, Jellyvision Berzerk.com Offline YOU DON’T KNOW JACK the netshow Berkeley Systems, Jellyvision Berzerk.com YDKJ Offline
Hoyle retail games and Hoyle Channel
The Hoyle series of games evolved from retail to free on WON and, as such, are difficult to classify in the other lists here. Hoyle retail games started much like all the other retail games here until it was announced that the servers for the retail and demo versions would be shut down in favor of the new free versions. The new free versions were dubbed the "Hoyle Channel." It was also announced that future Hoyle retail games would work with the Hoyle Channel for online play--only with more features (such as choices for backgrounds and card graphics) plus the usual array of offline features and games. Thus, here is a detailed list of the retail releases, plus a simple list of the free games (due to version evolution of the free games being unknown, and staying in sync with the retail releases anyhow).
For the most part, bundles are not included in the list, but a-la-carte splits (Hoyle Bridge being a split from Hoyle Card Games for example) are included.