Company:BigWorld
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | Sydney, Australia (2002) |
Headquarters | Sydney, Australia |
Key people | Steve Wang (CEO) Simon Hayes (CTO) |
Number of employees | ~65 (2013) |
Parent | Wargaming |
Website | www |
BigWorld (also known as Wargaming Sydney) is an Australian company that develops and licenses a middleware development tool suite for creating massively multiplayer online games (MMO) and virtual worlds. It was formed in 2002 by John De Margheriti . It was the first company that developed such a middleware platform for the MMO market. In 2007, BigWorld was recognized as the UK's Develop magazine's[1]industry leader. On 7 August 2012, Wargaming acquired BigWorld middleware firm for $45M.[2]
Technical overview
BigWorld Technology provides an underlying software architecture needed for game developers to build MMO's and online games. The 3D client technology is built for Windows PC and browser, and is available on iOS, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 via network API. The back-end server solution is implemented under Linux, with a Python API scripting environment. The tool suite includes content creation tools, server monitoring tools and support. BigWorld Technology also integrates various third party plugins such as Umbra (occlusion culling), Scaleform (user interface creation), Speedtree (foliage), and Vivox (VOIP).
Games
Published games using BigWorld Technology include World of Tanks (Wargaming), World of Warplanes (Wargaming), World of Warships (Wargaming), Realm of the Titans (Aeria Games), VIE: Virtual Island of Entertainment (enVie Interactive LLC), Hokuto no ken ONLINE (GungHo Online Entertainment), (Meteor Games),[3] Moego (Userjoy), Tian Xia III (Netease) and Secret Kingdoms Online (Globex Studios).
List of games made with BigWorld technology
- Stalker Online Stay Out - MMO [OBT]
- Versalis – switched to Unity & SmartFoxServer [under development]
- Negaia (Vankenthor Entertainment) – switched to Unity & SmartFoxServer [under development]
- Origins of Malu (Burning Dog Media) – switched to Unreal Engine [under development]
- World of Tanks Blitz (Wargaming)[4]
- World of Tanks (Wargaming)[5] – switched to Core Engine
- World of Warplanes (Wargaming)[6]
- World of Warships (Wargaming)[7]
- Realm of the Titans (Aeria Games)[8]
- Moego (Userjoy)[9]
- Kingdom Heroes 2 Online (Userjoy)[10]
- VIE: Virtual Island of Entertainment (enVie Interactive LLC)
- Heroes: Scions of Phoenix (Userjoy)[10]
- Tian Xia II (NetEase)[11]
- Tian Xia III (NetEase)[12]
- Grandia Online (Gung Ho Online)[13]
- Secret Kingdoms Online (Globex Studios)[14]
- States at War (Sunhome Entertainment)[15]
- Kai Xun (Zhejiang Kai Xun Technology Co., Ltd.)[16]
- Twinity (Metaversum GmbH)[17]
- Genesis: Journey to the West (Netease)[18]
- Legendary Champions (Aeria Games)[19]
- Hokuto no ken ONLINE (Gung Ho Interactive)[20]
- Floral Fire Online (TianCheng Interactive)
- House of Flying Daggers (T2CN)
- Interzone Futebol[21]
- Kwari (Kwari Ltd)
- Storm Hawks MMO (Bitcasters, Inc.)
- SZone Online[22]
Server load balancing
BigWorld Server supports dynamic load balancing, a feature that automatically and dynamically spreads user load across multiple cell apps on the same game server, allowing for large numbers of concurrent users to inhabit the same game space. In 1999, BigWorld ran a test, simulating 900 entities on the same server.[23] In 2005, large scale tests were carried out at the IBM Deep Computing facility in Poughkeepsie, NY. BigWorld successfully demonstrated the linear scalability of its load balancing technology by dynamically balancing 100,000 entities across various cell apps on a single server.[24]
Licenses
BigWorld Technology is offered in the following licenses:
- BigWorld Technology: Commercial Edition
- BigWorld Technology: Indie Edition (Development, Support) Sales were stopped after the company was acquired.
Guinness World Record
World of Tanks is built on BigWorld Technology. On 23 January 2011, Guinness stated that the World of Tanks Russian server broke the previous record for Most Players Online Simultaneously on One MMO Server when they reached 91,311 concurrent users.[25] In November 2011 World of Tanks reached a new concurrency level of 250,000 players.[26]
Awards
BigWorld Technology has received a number of business and technology innovation related awards:
- Winner 2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Awards (ranked 93)[27]
- Winner 2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia Award (ranked 7 - 526% growth)[28]
- Deloitte Technology Fast 500[29]
- Asia Pacific 2008 Winner - (Ranked 93)[29]
- Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia 2008 Program - (7th Fastest growing technology company in Australia)[29]
- 2007 Australian Export Awards - Austrade Arts, Entertainment & Design Award Finalist[29]
- 2007 Finalist of Australian Technology Showcase Patrons Awards[29]
- 2006 Cool Company Awards[29][30]
- 2006 Finalist of the Secrets of Australian IT Innovation competition, Arts and Entertainment category[29][31]
- 2005 Winner ACT Chief Minister's Export Award in Art and Entertainment Award[29][32]
- Red Herring 100 Private Companies of Asia (2005)[29][33]
- 2005 Australian Game Developer Awards – Award for Outstanding Innovation[29][34][35]
- 2005 Sumea Awards for Best Engine Technology[29]
- Secrets of Australian IT Innovation 2005 Winner – 2nd Prize in Entertainment Category[29]
- 2003 Winner ACT Chief Ministers Export Award in the Arts and Entertainment[29]
- 2003 Winner of the Secrets of Australian IT Innovation competition in the Arts and entertainment category[29]
- 2003 Australian Game Developers Awards – Award for Outstanding Innovation[29]
- 2003 National Finalist of the Austrade Australian Export Award – Arts and Entertainment[29]
- 2003 Territory Winner in the Panasonic Australia Business Award Category of the Telstra and ACT Government Small Business Awards[29]
- 2003 National Winner in the Panasonic Australia Business Award Category of the Telstra and Australian Government Small Business Awards[29]
- 2002 National Finalist of the Austrade Australian Export Award – Arts and Entertainment[29]
- 2002 Winner ACT Chief Ministers Export Award in the Arts and Entertainment[29]
- 2002 Australian Winner of The Asia Pacific ICT Award (APICTA), Creative Digital Industries category[29]
References
- ↑ "MMO Engine Round-Up". Develop Magazine. http://www.developmag.com/tutorials/33/MMO-Engine-Round-Up.
- ↑ "Wargaming acquires BigWorld middleware firm for $45M (exclusive)". 7 August 2012. https://venturebeat.com/2012/08/07/wargaming-acquires-bigworld-middleware-firm-for-45m-exclusive/.
- ↑ "Meteor Games Licenses BigWorld Technology Suite For MMOG". http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19384.
- ↑ "World of Tanks Blitz". Wargaming. https://eu.wotblitz.com.
- ↑ "World of Tanks". Wargaming. http://www.worldoftanks.com.
- ↑ "World of Warplanes". Wargaming. http://www.worldofwarplanes.com.
- ↑ "World of Warships". Wargaming. http://www.worldofwarships.com.
- ↑ "Realm of the Titans". Aeria Games. https://www.onrpg.com/games/realm-of-the-titans/.
- ↑ "Moego". Userjoy. http://www.moego.com.tw/index.aspx?suid=&flag=N.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Aeria Acquires 2 new MMOS". MMOCulture.com. http://www.mmoculture.com/2010/02/aeria-acquires-2-new-mmos.html.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ "Tian Xia II". Netease. http://tx3.163.com/.
- ↑ "Tian Xia III". Netease. http://en.178.com/201108/107736856149.html.
- ↑ "Gung Ho Licenses BigWorld for Grandia Online". Gamesindustry.biz. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gungho-licenses-bigworld-for-grandia-online.
- ↑ "Secret Kingdoms Online Game Details Revealed". MMOCulture.com. http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/09/secret-kingdoms-online-game-details.html.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ "States at War". Sunhome Entertainment. http://www.lieguo.com/.
- ↑ "Kai Xun". Zhejiang Kai Xun Technology Co., Ltd.. http://indie.bigworldtech.com/index.php/kai-xun-fairy-world.
- ↑ "Twinity". Metaversum. http://www.twinity.com/en/choose-your-free-avatar.
- ↑ "Genesis: Journey to the West". Netease. http://csxy.163.com/.
- ↑ "Legendary Champions Gameplay - First Look HD - YouTube". MMOHut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESz1ixA0ZJ0.
- ↑ "Hokuto no ken Online / 北斗の拳ONLINE HEROES - 2009 - YouTube". MMOHut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FlwGEc4x7w.
- ↑ "Interzone Futebol". Interzone. http://www.interzoneentertainment.com/games/.
- ↑ "CTS-Games". Cybertime System Company. http://cybertime-games.ru/.
- ↑ "[1999 BigWorld Server 900 Entity Concurrency on Vimeo"]. BigWorld Pty Ltd. http://vimeo.com/24618014.
- ↑ "BigWorld and IBM: Large-scale testing for online games". IBM. http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/MCAG-6HQMGM?OpenDocument&Site=default&cty=en_us.
- ↑ "World of Tanks sets Guinness World Record". Joystiq. http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/world-of-tanks-sets-guinness-world-record/.
- ↑ "World of Tanks Sets a New Guinness World Record". MMOSite.com. http://news.mmosite.com/content/q/2011-12-09/world_of_tanks_sets_a_new_guinness_world_record.shtml.
- ↑ "2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Awards". Deloitte. http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/dtt_tmt_fast500_asiapacific_2008.pdf.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ "2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia Awards". Deloitte. http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/TechFast%2050%202008(2).pdf.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ 29.00 29.01 29.02 29.03 29.04 29.05 29.06 29.07 29.08 29.09 29.10 29.11 29.12 29.13 29.14 29.15 29.16 29.17 29.18 29.19 29.20 "Australia Training & Simulation Industry Capability Directory: BigWorld Pty Ltd". Australian Government/Simulation Australia. http://directory.simulationaustralia.org.au/company/bigworld-pty-ltd-2/.
- ↑ "Cool Company Awards 2006". Australian Anthill Magazine. Aug–Sep 2006. http://www.anthillonline.com/article_detail.php?id=141.
- ↑ "IT Secrets Competition Winners 2002-2005". Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. 2005. http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/50718/IT_Secrets_winners_2002_to_2005.pdf.
- ↑ "2007 Australian Export Awards". Austrade. http://www.exportawards.gov.au/2007-ACT-winners/default.aspx.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ "Red Herring's Top 100 Private Firms in Asia". Red Herring Magazine. Sep 2005. http://www.redherring.com/Home/13566.
- ↑ "Australian Game Developers Award Winners Announced". Gamasutra. 9 December 2005. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7467.
- ↑ "Australian Game Developers Conference 2005 Award winners". AGDC. 2005. http://www.agdc.com.au/awards/awards_winner05.php.
External links