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Wargaming.net video summarizes 2012
2012 is almost be over, and it has been a good year according to Wargaming.net, the studio behind the WWII-inspired MMO World of Tanks. WoT has grown to over 45 million players worldwide and garnered several awards, including best MMO of the year from Golden Joystick. But that isn't all; development continues to roll forward on the two company's two upcoming titles, World of Warplanes and World of Warships. Wishing everyone a happy holidays, the studio released a video montage highlighting the year's accomplishments as well as the developers behind the games. Interspersed throughout are clips of in-game footage from all three titles. Want to see just what kind of shenanigans go on at the Wargaming offices? Check out the video after the break.
World of Warships debut screens aim for photorealism
Fans of naval combat who have been following Wargaming.net's development of World of Warships are in for a treat: The studio has just released the first in-game screenshots of the free-to-play action MMO. And those screenshots depict impressive detail and a level of photo-realism rarely seen in games, from the landscapes to the water to the ships themselves. Rechristened last August from World of Battleships, World of Warships puts players on the bridge of massive 20th century ships to battle one another on the high seas. Check out the breathtaking scenery and a variety of vessels available in the gallery below. [Source: Wargaming press release]%Gallery-172269%
How Wargaming.net launched itself to the top
Wargaming.net got its real start the day IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer beat Garry Kasparov at chess. Viktor Kislyi, Wargaming.net's CEO, came to the conclusion that civilization had moved on and that computers were the future. His first game, made over the course of two years with his brother and played by only two other people on the planet, was Iron Age, a turn-based strategy game in the traditions of Risk and Civilization. After that, Kislyi worked on translating the miniature wargame De Bellis Antiquitatis to the virtual (but still historically accurate) world. After the success of DBA, Kislyi and those around him created the Massive Assault games, Galactic Assault, and Order of War. After that, development for World of Tanks began, although in the early days, it was a drastically different game. The game began as a "fantasy arena style battle game," but circumstances intervened, and eventually World of Tanks as we know and love it was born. Want to brush up on your history? PC Gamer has the full details of the rise of Wargaming.net. There'll be a quiz.
John De Margheriti leaves BigWorld
BigWorld, the Australian middleware platform developer that was recently acquired by Wargaming.net, will have a new man at the helm as CEO and co-founder John De Margheriti steps down. Taking over the job as director will be the company's other co-founder, Steve Wang. Passing along BigWorld's leadership reins will not, however, end De Margheriti's involvement in the gaming industry. He plans to remain active by providing consulting services to Wargaming.net and the non-profit Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), an Australian 3-D animation, game design, and visual FX educator. Of the recent purchase of BigWorld, De Margheriti said, "I believe that BigWorld is a great fit for Wargaming, and the acquisition is a very smart move by this growing global giant. They now have secured the best online games platform on the market." [Source: BigWorld press release]
World of Battleships rechristened World of Warships
In a move to make the title more congruent with the entire Wargaming universe, the game formerly known as World of Battleships has been redubbed World of Warships. The studio, however, emphasizes that the change is in moniker only; nothing has changed gameplay-wise for the upcoming free-to-play naval game in which players get to participate in sea-faring combat using historically accurate vessels. Additionally, World of Warships will be included in the Wargaming.net common economic system, which will allow players to distribute resources between all three titles. The game is scheduled to launch next year. [Source: Wargaming press release]
Wargaming.net installing gaming center on USS Iowa
Wargaming.net's public relations machine is larger than life. Whether we're talking about the ginormous booth on display at this month's E3 or the full-size tank the company brought with it last year, the maker of World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Battleships is fond of both spectacle and military hardware. The firm's latest endeavor ties in with World of Battleships by taking gamers and history buffs on board the USS Iowa, a battleship commissioned in 1943 that took part in almost every major Pacific theater naval engagement during World War II. Wargaming.net is installing a gaming center below deck on the Iowa, as well as a "bridge experience" that will simulate an attack by Japanese forces and allow partcipants to defend the ship and fly Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter planes. "Not only is sponsoring a museum and a vet-run organization a good thing, it also naturally clicks and fits within our business mission," explains Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. "That brings us fantastic brand awareness and spreads the word about our company and our products, so it's a very perfect fit. It is business and it is passion for history and historical accuracy. It's a mutually beneficial thing." Head past the cut for a video interview with Kislyi on the deck of the Iowa.
E3 2012: Hands-on with World of Warplanes
It was difficult to miss one of the most impressive booths on the show floor at E3. Wargaming.net established its dominance on the floor by setting up computers and allowing all E3-goers to play its latest games against the Wargaming development team. Its flagship title at E3 was World of Tanks, but I sneaked away to the team's press room to watch a demo of something similar. World of Warplanes is one title out of three that Wargaming.net is proud to show. For the unfamiliar readers, Wargaming.net launched World of Tanks last year, and its booth at E3 2011 wasn't quite as large as this year's.
E3 2012: World of Battleships unmoors its trailer
World of Battleships may be the newest title in Wargaming.net's arsenal, but that doesn't mean it's about to be overshadowed by its older siblings. The World War II-era battleship combat simulator arrived at E3 this week to show off a rather clever trailer illustrating how ships can be just as exciting as tanks and planes. The trailer is interestingly framed, flashing between shipwrecks on the bottom of the ocean floor and shots of the ships in combat and taking damage. Presumably the message is, "We're going to litter the heck out of the ocean with the steel corpses of your failures -- unless you're good enough, that is." World of Battleships will be joining World of Warplanes and World of Tanks under a unified battle realm. You can watch the smoky trailer action after the jump.
Wargaming.net to unify all its titles in a 'single MMO battle realm'
Wargaming.net has not one, not two, but three action MMOs in its portfolio. You've probably played World of Tanks, and World of Warplanes just recently transitioned from alpha to closed beta. The company is also working on World of Battleships as well as a portal to connect all three World War II titles and allow gamers to access them instantly. The service is called, er, Wargaming.net Service. Once it is deployed, players will receive unified Wargaming.net IDs "that will provide instant access to all games and services, as well as any partner or fan websites." The company's latest press release also mentions something called a "single MMO battle realm," where tank, warplane, and battleship clans will assist one another in their quest for world domination. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
The Daily Grind: What 'world of' game do you want to see next?
Wargaming.net is known to gamers for its popular World of Tanks MMO, in which players play... well, tanks. And thanks to WoT's success, the company has embarked on an ambitious plan to launch World of Warplanes and World of Battleships too. I think you know where I'm going with this. World of Dirigibles? World of Tractors? World of Hoverboards? World of Dunebuggies? World of Post-Apocalyptic Volkswagen Beetles With Chainguns Mounted On Their Hoods? Let's give the folks at Wargaming.net some helpful advice. What vehicle should they feature for their next "World of" game? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
GDC Online 2011: Chatting planes, tanks, and battleships with Wargaming.net
Just a year ago, Wargaming.net was at GDC Online to promote World of Tanks. At the time, it was still in closed beta, with open beta still a month away. Nevertheless, the team was enthusiastic and excited to share its plans for the game. What a difference a year makes. Today, World of Tanks has weathered a successful launch, surpassing five million registered players in August and setting a Guinness World Record for simultaneous player connections at 91,311. Retail boxes are now arriving in stores, and game updates have come at a steady pace. On top of that, the company is working on World of Warplanes and World of Battleships as it expands on its wartime MMO series. This week at GDC Austin, Massively had a chance to talk to Vice President of Public Relations in North America Bryan Davies and PR Manager Arthur Pratapopau, and they shared some news about all three titles. Read on for highlights from the interview.%Gallery-130862%
