| Type | GmbH |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video game industry |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Würselen, Germany |
| Key people | Bernd Lehahn, Managing Director |
| Products | Video games |
| Employees | ~20 |
| Website | egosoft.com |
Egosoft is a computer game developer founded in 1988 and based in Würselen, Germany. It became a commercial company in 1990. Its first products were for the Amiga, but it later became a PC game developer.[1]
Egosoft is best known for its X game series,[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 X: Beyond the Frontier. Since then, the series has expanded with two sequels and two standalone expansions; the latest being X3: Terran Conflict in 2008.
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Egosoft has released the following products:
Linux versions of the X Series were developed by Linux Game Publishing. Mac OS X versions were developed by Virtual Programming. Ltd
Several of the X series have been released multiple times in special bundle packs or when a major update to the game was released. Notable releases include:
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."[5] 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 Director Bernd Lehahn described as "our long term goal."[6][7] 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.[8]
In Q4 of 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 April 28, 2011, and would show preview footage of their current project,[9] previously only referred to by the codename TNBT (The Next Big Thing). However, on April 20, 2011, they released a trailer officially announcing X Rebirth, slated for a Q4 2011 release. X Rebirth will take place in the X Universe after a major catastrophe, thus starting a new chapter in the X Universe separate from the original plot line. On the 7th December 2011, they announced X3: Albion Prelude and revealed a trailer, after stating on the previous day that "There will be something you might not have seen coming. More info soon ;)". Albion Prelude's release is scheduled for the 15th of December, only a week after the announcment. It will bridge the plot gap between the older X games and the upcoming Rebirth, featuring a storyline only hinted at in the X Encyclopedia. Albion Prelude is scheduled for boxed release at some point early in 2012, and will be available free on Steam for those who register the X Superbox, or purchasable including paired with X3: Terran Conflict.
Egosoft runs a Developer Network - DevNet - which members may be able to join. It provides an opportunity to test new software and create the scripts for it. Submiting personal information to Egosoft is enough for mere testing, however, access to pages of the higher level requires signing a non-disclosure agreement.
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