Company:Egosoft
 | |
| Formerly | Ego Software (1988–2006) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Bernd Lehahn |
| Headquarters | Würselen , Germany |
Key people | Bernd Lehahn (CEO) |
| Products | X series |
Number of employees | 34[1] (2024) |
| Website | egosoft |
Egosoft GmbH (formerly Ego Software) is a German video game developer based in Würselen, Germany. The company was founded by Bernd Lehahn in 1988.
Egosoft is best known for its X series of video games,[2] a series of space simulator games noted for combining open-ended gameplay, dynamic market-driven economy and compelling storyline.[3][4] The series began in 1999 with Software:X: Beyond the Frontier. Since then, the series has expanded with three sequels and three standalone expansions; the latest being Organization:X4: Foundations, released 30 November 2018.
History
Egosoft was founded in Würselen by Bernd Lehahn in 1988, making it the oldest active video game company in Germany.[5] Its first game, Hotel Detective, was released for the Amiga in June 1988.[6]
In 2000, Egosoft planned a multiplayer online game called Online Universe or X Online. This project was intended to be "the next step in the evolution of Egosoft's X universe."[7] Egosoft has since released a number of games, yet has given little indication of the progress of this project. In 2003, Egosoft staff were working on a later version—codenamed X2OL—which Egosoft chief executive officer Bernd Lehahn described as their "long-term goal."[8][9] There is still no official information on the Online Universe, though there has been speculation that X2 and X3's 2007 uplink feature may be a positive spin-off of the project.[10]
In late 2009, Egosoft announced that Terran Conflict completed the story started in X: Beyond the Frontier, taken by some to mean the end of the franchise. However, in March 2011 they announced on their X-Universe forums that they would be attending FedCon XX in Düsseldorf on 28 April 2011, and would show preview footage of their current project,[11] previously only referred to by the codename TNBT (The Next Big Thing). However, on 20 April 2011, they released a trailer officially announcing X Rebirth, initially slated for a Q4 2011 release. X Rebirth will take place in the X Universe after a major catastrophe (the shutdown of the series' network of jump gates, thus starting a new chapter in the X Universe separate from the original plot line. Rebirth missed its first two proposed release dates (Q4 2011 and 2012) and was eventually released 15 November 2013.[12]
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Hotel Detective | Amiga | Euroline | |
| 1990 | Fatal Heritage | Delta Konzept | ||
| R1 R2 | Promotional game for Reemtsma | |||
| 1991 | Aquarius Game | Promotional game for Aquarius | ||
| Pepsi: All Over the World | Promotional game for Pepsi | |||
| 1992 | Light American Spacegame | Promotional game for Philip Morris International | ||
| Come Together (Around the World) | Promotional game for Peter Stuyvesant | |||
| Ugh! | Play Byte | |||
| 1993 | Elefanten! | Promotion Software | Promotional game for World Wide Fund for Nature | |
| Ketchup Connection | Amiga, MS-DOS | Promotional game for Kraft Ketchup | ||
| Flies: Attack on Earth | Rainbow Arts | |||
| 1994 | Balduin: Run for Fun | MS-DOS | Delta Konzept | Promotional game for the Techniker Krankenkasse |
| Abenteuer Europa | Tevox | Promotional game for the Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| 1995 | Heiermanns Return | Promotional game for the Sparkasse of Gelsenkirchen | ||
| 1996 | Imperium Romanum | Rainbow Arts | ||
| No Future? | Microsoft Windows | Delta Konzept | Promotional game for the Umweltbundesamt | |
| 1999 | Power Pool | Data Becker | ||
| Software:X: Beyond the Frontier | THQ, Egosoft | Entry in the X video game series | ||
| 2000 | X-Tension | |||
| 2003 | Software:X2: The Threat | Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows | Deep Silver, Egosoft | |
| 2005 | Software:X3: Reunion | |||
| 2008 | Software:X3: Terran Conflict | |||
| 2011 | Software:X3: Albion Prelude | |||
| 2013 | X Rebirth | Egosoft | ||
| 2014 | X Rebirth: The Teladi Outpost | DLC for X Rebirth | ||
| 2016 | X Rebirth: Home of Light | |||
| 2017 | X Rebirth: VR Edition | Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2018 | Organization:X4: Foundations[13] | Linux, Microsoft Windows | Entry in the X video game series | |
| 2020 | X4: Split Vendetta[14] | DLC for X4: Foundations | ||
| 2021 | X3: Farnham's Legacy[15] | Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows | Entry in the X video game series | |
| 2021 | X4: Cradle of Humanity[16] | Linux, Microsoft Windows | DLC for X4: Foundations | |
| 2022 | X4: Tides of Avarice[17] | |||
| 2023 | X4: Kingdom End[18] | |||
| 2024 | X4: Timelines[19] | |||
| 2025 | X4: Hyperion Pack[20] |
References
- ↑ Fröhlich, Petra (10 September 2024). "25 Jahre X: Wachstums-Schub durch Games-Förderung" (in de). https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/egosoft-25-jahre-x-100924/.
- ↑ Josh Venning (25 January 2006). "X3 Reunion: New Rolling Demo Tested". AnandTech. AnandTech. http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2680. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ Wrentmore, John (12 December 2003). "X2 - The Threat Review". GameZone (GameZone Online). Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080219021731/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19207.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ Reed, Kristan (6 November 2005). "X3: Reunion". EuroGamer (Eurogamer Network Ltd). http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61555. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ "Die 30 ältesten Games-Studios in Deutschland - Update". 29 June 2017. https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/top-20-aelteste-games-studios-deutschland/.
- ↑ Xenon_Slayer (5 June 2018). "30 Years of EGOSOFT games – June 2018 Celebration Month!". Egosoft. https://www.egosoft.com/news/archive/2018June_en.php.
- ↑ "ONLINE-UNIVERSE". Online Universe (Official Page). http://www.online-universe.net/44index.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ Stokky (10 May 2003). "Interview: X2 - The Threat". playfuls.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006124249/http://www.playfuls.com/gamespace_354_preview_2847_Interview_X_The_Threat_Egosoft.html. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ Presley, Paul (19 April 2003). "PC Preview: X2: The Threat". PC Zone (Future Publishing Limited.). http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=89980. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ Caesar S. (3 January 2008). "Egosoft updates X3: Reunion, X2: The Threat". QJ.net (Content Holdings, LLC.). Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716115340/http://www.qj.net/Egosoft-updates-X3-Reunion-X2-The-Threat/pg/49/aid/110949. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ "TNBT will soon be officially unveiled!!". http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=299039&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0.
- ↑ BurnIt!. "X Rebirth - The wait is almost over!". Egosoft.com forums. Egosoft GmbH. http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=341133. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ↑ O'Connor, Alice (1 October 2018). "X4: Foundations blasting off in November". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/x4-foundations-release-date-announced. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ↑ Vega, Sin (April 2020). "X4: Foundations gets a major update and expansion with Split Vendetta". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/01/x4-foundations-gets-a-major-update-and-expansion-with-split-vendetta/.
- ↑ ""From April Fool's joke to May release: Unveiling X3: Farnham's Legacy" - Games Press". https://www.gamespress.com/From-April-Fools-joke-to-May-release-Unveiling-X3-Farnhams-Legacy.
- ↑ "X4: Foundations - New Expansion, Cradle of Humanity Announced - IGN". https://www.ign.com/articles/x4-foundations-new-expansion-cradle-of-humanity-announced/.
- ↑ "X4: Foundations - New Expansion, Tides of Avarice Announced". https://store.steampowered.com/app/1701060/X4_Gezeiten_der_Habgier/.
- ↑ "X4: Kingdom End and major 6.00 Update now available". https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=453475.
- ↑ "X4: Foundations 7.00 Update and X4: Timelines now available". https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=463205.
- ↑ "X4: Hyperion Pack & Flight Model Update - A New Era Begins!". https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=469530.
External links
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