X-Wars
Encyclopedia
X-Wars is a massively multiplayer
browser game
, in which thousands of players interact in realtime. It contains elements of real-time strategy
and construction and management simulation
.
The player colonizes and develops planets, designs, builds and commands starships as well as trades, allies and battles with other players.
The game has become popular in the early stages of massively multiplayer browser games from 2002 in Germany
, mainly for its complexity and innovative features. Later it has been released internationally in six languages.
X-Wars won the "Superbrowsergame Gold Award" of 2005 in the category of the largest games (more than 20,000 players). This prize had been the most prominent massively multiplayer browser specific game contest at the time and was awarded after several voting rounds including communities and an expert committee. The developers were then invited to the Giga Games tv show
(NBC
).
The popular German mainstream computer magazine c't
awarded it the best free browsergame. The German gaming magazine PC Action rated it 90%, which has been the best rating.
In particular, the possibility of designing own starship types with own names from a broad range of components contributed to the game's complexity and popularity and the distinction in comparison to other games. As a result, the X-Wars universe is populated by thousands of different starship types which try to gain strategic advantages in battles.
, Switzerland
and Austria
. Later, it was licensed internationally to Gameforge
. French
, English
, Polish
, Spanish
and Portuguese
versions have been released. In 2007, mediatainment acquired X-Wars and continued game development and operation.
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
browser game
Browser game
A browser game is a computer game that is played over the Internet using a web browser. Browser games can be created and run using standard web technologies or browser plug-ins. Browser games include all video game genres and can be single-player or multiplayer...
, in which thousands of players interact in realtime. It contains elements of real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
and construction and management simulation
Construction and management simulation
Construction and management simulation is a type of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy video games sometimes incorporate CMS aspects into their game economy, as players must manage resources while expanding...
.
The player colonizes and develops planets, designs, builds and commands starships as well as trades, allies and battles with other players.
The game has become popular in the early stages of massively multiplayer browser games from 2002 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, mainly for its complexity and innovative features. Later it has been released internationally in six languages.
X-Wars won the "Superbrowsergame Gold Award" of 2005 in the category of the largest games (more than 20,000 players). This prize had been the most prominent massively multiplayer browser specific game contest at the time and was awarded after several voting rounds including communities and an expert committee. The developers were then invited to the Giga Games tv show
GIGA Television
GIGA was the brand name of a digital TV channel and several German television shows. The channel ceased operations in 2009.-Early Days:...
(NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
).
The popular German mainstream computer magazine c't
C't
c't – Magazin für Computertechnik is a German computer magazine, published by the Heinz Heise publishing house. Originally a special section of the electronics magazine elrad, the magazine has been published monthly since December 1983 and biweekly since October 1997...
awarded it the best free browsergame. The German gaming magazine PC Action rated it 90%, which has been the best rating.
Details
The game offers a deep complexity with many fractions, technology dependencies and interaction possibilies which were considered genre innovation at the time of introduction.In particular, the possibility of designing own starship types with own names from a broad range of components contributed to the game's complexity and popularity and the distinction in comparison to other games. As a result, the X-Wars universe is populated by thousands of different starship types which try to gain strategic advantages in battles.
History
The game has been developed by Sebastian Lagemann and Nils Mitoussis from 2002 and has been published initially in German language. Gamigo published the game in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Later, it was licensed internationally to Gameforge
Gameforge
Gameforge is a German video game developer and publisher, specialising in browser-based multiplayer games. The company was established in Karlsruhe, Germany in December 2003 by Klaas Kersting and Alexander Roesner....
. French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
versions have been released. In 2007, mediatainment acquired X-Wars and continued game development and operation.