<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Zone.com	B-Application
-	O
formerly	O
known	O
as	O
The	O
Village	O
,	O
Internet	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
,	O
MSN	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
,	O
and	O
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
by	I-Application
Zone.com	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
casual	O
gaming	O
web	O
site	O
,	O
with	O
single	O
player	O
,	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
PC	O
download	O
,	O
and	O
social	O
casino	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
is	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
Xbox	O
Game	O
Studios	O
,	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
MSN	B-Protocol
portal	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
owned	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
headquartered	O
in	O
Redmond	O
,	O
Washington	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Steve	O
Murch	O
,	O
an	O
employee	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
convinced	O
Bill	O
Gates	O
and	O
Steve	O
Ballmer	O
to	O
acquire	O
the	O
small	O
online	O
game	O
site	O
,	O
then	O
owned	O
by	O
Electric	B-Application
Gravity	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
site	O
was	O
rebranded	O
to	O
"	O
Internet	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
"	O
and	O
launched	O
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
started	O
with	O
a	O
handful	O
of	O
card	O
and	O
board	O
games	O
like	O
Hearts	O
,	O
Spades	O
,	O
Checkers	O
,	O
Backgammon	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Bridge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
following	O
5	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
Internet	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
would	O
be	O
renamed	O
several	O
times	O
and	O
would	O
increase	O
in	O
popularity	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
popular	O
retail	O
-	O
and	O
MMORPG-games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
MechWarrior	B-Device
,	O
Rainbow	B-Application
Six	I-Application
,	O
UltraCorps	B-Protocol
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
,	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
and	O
Fighter	B-Protocol
Ace	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
lasted	O
until	O
the	O
closure	O
of	O
MSN	B-Protocol
Groups	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
announced	O
in	O
early	O
2006	O
the	O
retiring	O
of	O
support	O
for	O
CD-ROM	O
games	O
,	O
chat	O
lobbies	O
,	O
the	O
ZoneFriends	O
client	O
and	O
the	O
Member	O
Plus	O
program	O
,	O
scheduled	O
for	O
June	O
19	O
,	O
2006	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
as	O
...	O
of	O
June	O
19	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
we	O
will	O
be	O
retiring	O
our	O
CD-ROM	O
matchmaking	O
service	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
versions	O
of	O
several	O
classic	O
card	O
and	O
board	O
games	O
:	O
Classic	O
Backgammon	B-Application
,	O
Bridge	O
,	O
Classic	O
Checkers	O
,	O
Chess	O
,	O
Cribbage	O
,	O
Euchre	O
,	O
Go	O
,	O
Classic	O
Hearts	O
,	O
Reversi	O
,	O
and	O
Spades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
multiplayer	O
games	O
will	O
be	O
integrated	O
with	O
MSN	B-Protocol
Messenger	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
public	O
chats	O
held	O
with	O
various	O
administrators	O
and	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
Zone	O
,	O
MSN	B-Protocol
outlined	O
its	O
plan	O
to	O
shift	O
its	O
gaming	O
environment	O
into	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Live	I-Protocol
Messenger	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
more	O
frequently	O
updated	O
client	O
than	O
the	O
outdated	O
ZoneFriends	O
messenger	O
used	O
on	O
the	O
Zone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
due	O
primarily	O
to	O
MSN	B-Protocol
's	O
inability	O
to	O
provide	O
a	O
timeframe	O
for	O
the	O
expected	O
replacement	O
of	O
chat	O
lobbies	O
,	O
tournaments	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
Member	O
Plus	O
volunteer	O
moderator	O
program	O
,	O
thousands	O
of	O
players	O
appeared	O
at	O
each	O
session	O
to	O
express	O
their	O
discontent	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
an	O
online	O
petition	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
stop	O
MSN	B-Protocol
's	O
scheduled	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
previous	O
changes	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
MSN	B-Protocol
continued	O
to	O
stand	O
firm	O
in	O
its	O
commitment	O
to	O
the	O
retirement	O
of	O
its	O
services	O
,	O
citing	O
outdated	O
hardware	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
economic	O
viability	O
for	O
the	O
old	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
alternatives	O
exist	O
to	O
the	O
Zone	O
for	O
CD-ROM	O
gameplay	O
,	O
many	O
Microsoft	O
game	O
studios	O
embedded	O
Zone	O
links	O
and	O
functionality	O
into	O
their	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Rockstar	O
San	O
Diego	O
 '	O
Midtown	B-Application
Madness	I-Application
and	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
 '	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ensemble	O
only	O
began	O
their	O
switch	O
to	O
an	O
in-game	O
matchmaking	O
system	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
(	O
2005	O
)	O
also	O
had	O
in-game	O
matchmaking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
as	O
recent	O
as	O
Flight	B-Application
Simulator	I-Application
98	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
Galactic	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
utilized	O
the	O
Zone	O
's	O
lobby	O
system	O
for	O
matchmaking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Flight	O
Simulator	O
series	O
to	O
use	O
in-game	O
matchmaking	O
is	O
Flight	B-Application
Simulator	I-Application
X	I-Application
,	O
released	O
early	O
2007	O
,	O
leaving	O
a	O
gap	O
of	O
several	O
months	O
without	O
MSN	B-Protocol
supported	O
matchmaking	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
and	O
msngames.org	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Protocol
's	O
competition	O
with	O
AOL	O
Games	O
resulted	O
in	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
Volunteer	O
Program	O
for	O
the	O
Zone	O
,	O
which	O
AOL	O
also	O
offered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groups	O
operated	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
backgammon	B-Application
,	O
cribbage	O
,	O
chess	O
,	O
hearts	O
,	O
and	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
these	O
groups	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
RTW	O
Online	O
's	O
Thunder	O
and	O
MrFixitOnline	O
's	O
Smackdown	O
series	O
of	O
tournaments	O
in	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	O
of	O
games	O
)	O
created	O
an	O
intense	O
following	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
associated	O
intercine	O
rivalries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
GammonZone	O
and	O
Warpgammon	O
(	O
backgammon	B-Application
)	O
and	O
Pegging	O
Pals	O
(	O
cribbage	O
)	O
even	O
survived	O
the	O
demise	O
of	O
the	O
Zone	O
and	O
migrated	O
to	O
other	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citing	O
MSN	B-Protocol
's	O
statement	O
regarding	O
the	O
closure	O
of	O
CD-ROM	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
Zone	O
on	O
June	O
19	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
Member	O
Plus	O
program	O
was	O
also	O
disbanded	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
removal	O
of	O
chat	O
capabilities	O
from	O
game	O
lobbies	O
and	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
ZoneFriends	O
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
changed	O
its	O
market	O
strategy	O
and	O
left	O
the	O
retail	O
market	O
to	O
focus	O
solely	O
on	O
free	O
and	O
premium	O
games	O
,	O
a	O
decision	O
that	O
finally	O
culminated	O
in	O
their	O
decision	O
to	O
retire	O
support	O
for	O
CD-ROM	O
games	O
and	O
lobbies	O
on	O
June	O
19	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specialized	O
programs	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Fighter	B-Protocol
Ace	I-Protocol
and	O
Allegiance	O
teams	O
,	O
disbanded	O
during	O
the	O
Zone	O
's	O
transition	O
to	O
the	O
Member	O
Plus	O
program	O
,	O
due	O
primarily	O
to	O
the	O
planned	O
retirement	O
of	O
their	O
associated	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sheik	O
of	O
The	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
invited	O
a	O
few	O
backgammon	B-Application
players	O
from	O
the	O
Zone	O
to	O
play	O
in	O
his	O
"	O
2nd	O
annual	O
Abu	O
Dhabi	O
Backgammon	B-Application
Championship	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Giants	O
of	O
Backgammon	B-Application
"	O
(	O
top	O
32	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
)	O
participated	O
in	O
Zone	O
tournaments	O
,	O
including	O
Neil	O
Kazaross	O
,	O
Johannes	O
Levermann	O
,	O
Steve	O
Sax	O
,	O
Howard	O
Ring	O
,	O
Paul	O
Weaver	O
,	O
Kit	O
Woolsey	O
,	O
and	O
Bill	O
Robertie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
is	O
credited	O
for	O
assisting	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
new	O
games	O
on	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Live	I-Protocol
Messenger	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Xbox	B-Device
Live	I-Device
Arcade	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Writer	O
Dorothy	O
Rosencrans	O
wrote	O
a	O
book	O
about	O
her	O
experiences	O
at	O
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
and	O
her	O
encounter	O
with	O
Bill	O
Gates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSN	B-Application
Games	I-Application
is	O
credited	O
with	O
renaming	O
DiamondMine	O
to	O
Bejeweled	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
casual	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
