| Parallel Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | PerBlue |
| Publisher(s) | PerBlue |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS X, Android, Web [1] |
| Release date(s) | November, 2009 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game, MMORPG |
Parallel Kingdom is a mobile, location based, massively multiplayer game that uses GPS location and Google Maps to place users in a virtual world. Parallel Kingdom (abbreviated PK) is the first location based RPG for the iOS and Android platforms. The game was developed by PerBlue, a privately held mobile and social gaming software company founded in 2008 and based in Madison, WI. In 2011 the game's user base surpassed 600,000 players worldwide.[1]
The game is set in a virtual world or "Parallel Kingdom" where users claim their territories based on their GPS location or by making friends who invite them to travel to new places. Parallel Kingdom is a freemium game, meaning it is free to download and play, but players have the option of purchasing premium content.
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PerBlue, developers of Parallel Kingdom, received $800,000 USD in Series A funding led by the Marquette Golden Angels Network.[2] [3]
Food is the basic unit of currency in Parallel Kingdom. Gold is the other most basic and most used. Food can be used for many things such as leveling up (thereby acquiring new Skill Points), Refining Oil, and training a Hunting Dog. Every player starts out with 300 Food 100 gold. There are several ways to get more, like selling items in the Trade Post, referring friends or by purchasing for cash. Gold can be earned by killing monsters, selling items in trade post, and dumping items from a player's inventory. Beginners often spend their starter Food on Leveling Up their characters to gain Skills; and their gold is can be used in many ways.
Flags are built by users to mark territory. There are several types of flags within the game. They include: normal, public and private. Each player is given a certain color, and that color is on all his/hers buildings and flags. Once built, flags can then be used for travel. Flags can be attacked and destroyed by other players for 20 Crude Oil to claim additional territory. Players often "harden" their flags to make them more difficult to destroy. A flag is shown as a flag with stone on the bottom of the flag.
Starting a new city is a costly endeavor, requires cooperation between three players, and is possible only if the player is not already a member of any other city. To join an existing city, players construct a City House on city territory. A City House costs 2 Wood and 1000 Gold to construct. A city Mayor is chosen at the end of each hat race week, and only the Mayor of a city can build city buildings or upgrade city flags or towers. The "Hat Race" is a competition between city members for the most coins. If a player gets the most City Coins (earned by killing monsters, refining oil, gathering oil and crystals, etc.) he/she has the choice to become Mayor. If he/she declines, the player with the next highest amount has a chance and so forth.
Dungeons can be found all over the world. There are several different types including: Caverns, Roc Nests, Groves, Dojos, Dragon Lairs, City Sewers, and Sunken Cities. Users are not allowed to venture into Dungeons until they reach a certain level.
P.S. If you do become a member of PK, put in your referral code as "irfzd". That's me ;)
Parallel Kingdom has gone through four major iterations, known as "Ages". Each Age introduced new features and gameplay mechanics.
Parallel Kingdom was nominated for four categories in the 2009 Best App Ever Awards: Best MMO, Best Augmented Reality Game, Most Creative Use of iPhone Hardware, and Best Use of Location Services.[4]
In 2011, Parallel Kingdom partnered with PlayMob in 'Food For Good'. PK player to used in-game currency, 'Food', to purchase real food for children suffering from droughts in Kenya. The initiative resulted in 2500 meal vouchers for SOS Children, the world's largest children charity.[5]