PRESS RELEASES - IKARIAM
20. December 2012
Ikariam: the Pirates are coming!
Pirate update sends players on a big capture run
Karlsruhe, 20.12.2012 – The newest update for the popular browser game Ikariam allows players to take to the seas as pirates. Gold and capture points can be gained on forays, while pirate rivals can be put in their place through raids on their fortresses. The most successful buccaneers receive a giant treasure trove of resources as a reward.
Robbing and pillaging
The first step towards a successful pirate career can be taken by constructing the new Pirate Fortress building. This can only be erected on a special offshore building slot. With a Pirate Fortress, players are able to start a total of nine different capture runs, on which they can loot gold and capture points. Successful attacks on other players’ Pirate Fortresses sweep their hard-won capture points into their own treasure chests. Capture points help players to strengthen their own crews. A stronger team defends its own forts more effectively and is more successful in conducting raids on the pirate hideouts of other players.
New highscore and giant treasure trove of resources
A new highscore for capture points shows which Ikariam buccaneers are the real terrors of the seas. It is valid for fixed evaluation periods and the final score can be viewed until the expiration of the next evaluation period. In their own Pirate Fortresses, players have the opportunity to check their standings at any time. The 50 pirates that collect the most capture points at the end of an evaluation period will be rewarded with lots of resources. After rewards have been given out, all capture points and increased crew strengths are reset and the battle of the pirates starts all over again.
06. November 2012
Ikariam to make history on the iPad
Ready for the future: Gameforge publishes tablet version of the four-time award-winning browser game
Karlsruhe, 06.11.2012 – Ikariam, one of the most successful browser games ever with over 51 million registered players, is going mobile: following a successful trend. The market for digital entertainment and, in particular, the mobile game sector, is constantly growing. More and more people are playing away from their stationary PCs and consoles: they are playing on the go. According to analysts at Digi-Capital, the entire digital games market will reach a turnover of 82 billion USD by the year 2015. This corresponds to an increase of a full 14 percent from 2011 to 2015. Online and mobile games in particular are named as growth drivers, which will by then will make up 50 percent (or 41 billion USD) of the entire market.
The German civilisation strategy game Ikariam, developed by the Karlsruhe-based games company is already able to look back at a successful history: launched at the beginning of 2008 in Germany, Ikariam is now played in over 60 countries; 38 different language versions allow players to dive into the ancient island world from all over the globe and now they will be able to do it on the go too.
The Ancient World is going Mobile
In November 2012, the mobile version for the Apple iPad will be released. The main focus during this implementation is to create an optimum experience with the many capabilities of the tablet. This means that Ikariam gets the full range of functions that players already know and love from the browser version but with a touchscreen experience.
“Ikariam stands out with its easy accessibility, appealing graphics and with game content that gradually becomes more and more complex”, said Sebastian Meyer, Product Director at Gameforge. “As developers and publishers, creating a mobile version of Ikariam was the next logical step and we are very pleased with the results.”
24. May 2012
Ikariam: update brings a fresh look to the digital ancient world
New version re-energizes the popular browser strategy game with a brand-new layout, new features and improved ease of use
Karlsruhe, 24.05.2012 – Gameforge, Europe’s leading provider of online games has breathed new life into the popular browser game Ikariam. Thanks to launch of update 0.5.0, veteran and future Ikariam players can look forward to enjoying charming and detailed graphics, a brand-new and clearly laid out menu design as well as new game features.
In the browser game Ikariam, the player colonises a fantasy-filled ancient island, establishes a flourishing community, increases riches and resources and cooperates or fights with their neighbours. After an intensive testing phase, update 0.5.0, which provides an all-round improvement to the Ikariam gaming experience, has now gone online. Gameforge’s developers have completely revised the layout: the game interface now uses the entire browser window, allowing a broad overview of carefully sculpted buildings, lush nature and a number of new, carefully crafted animations.
In addition, various designs and menus, for example the research advisor, the help area and the navigation elements on the world map have been revised, which benefit the clarity and game comfort. Each town has two new building slots and the handling of military and occupied towns has been refined.
About Ikariam
Ikariam is a browser-based strategy game, that whisks players from all over the world into an antique island setting and is completely free of charge. In an era of emerging advanced civilisations, ground-breaking discoveries and destructive battles, the player leads their civilisation to honour and glory. With a comprehensive overview, great tactics and by cooperating with thousands of other players, a huge online world can be explored and seized. Ikariam has been fascinating players from around the globe since early 2008 and so far 60 million players have registered for the game. Since November 2012, the game has also been available as a mobile version on the iPad.