‘Empire of Sports’ is the world’s first massively multi-player online role-playing game platform (MMORPG) built entirely around sports. It is designed to allow millions of players around the world to simultaneously exist in a persistent online universe, where their avatars socially interact, train, compete and attend events in various sports disciplines to build a virtual sporting existence.
Building on the unprecedented rise of persistent gaming worlds, Empire of Sports opens up a completely new realm for gamers and online users: the exciting and thrilling world of sports. At the centre of the gamers’ attention is their virtual representation in the sports world, the avatar or player character. The player assumes the role of a single player character throughout the entire game, which will result in an up to now unimagined gaming experience, especially in team sports.
Q: What sports categories are in development for Empire of Sports?
A: At the moment the sports that will be available in Empire of Sports will be:
- Tennis
- Athletics
- Skiing
- Bobsleigh & Skeleton
- Basketball
- The Virtual Gymnasium
We also have Football (That’s Association Football or Soccer as I know that a lot of our American fans have been asking us about Football). The thing that we would like to stress is that whatever sports come next will be strongly influenced by the community. The more suggestions and feedback we receive for a particular sport the more likely we are to try and develop it for Empire of Sports. Although we cannot talk about the sports that we are researching we have had some amazing suggestions including requests for various Martial Arts, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Bowling, Handball, bar sports like Darts and Pool. If you have a favorite please let us know via the Contact Page.
Q: What is the difference between Empire of Sports and other MMORPGs currently on the market?
A: Empire of Sports offers players the possibility to break out of the traditional fantasy role-playing genre and instead enter the world of sports. Instead of offering just one version of a sports game that can be played online, Empire of Sports kicks off with a variety of different sports and will gradually add in more.
Q: What platforms will Empire of Sports appear on? Imagine cross platform with teams of gamers on PS3s vs 360 vs Wii vs PC gamers…
A: Presently Empire of Sports is only being developed for the PC. There are several reasons for this decision. We also want to make Empire of Sports available to as many people as possible without requiring heavy investment into new equipment and the best platform for a MMORPG is unarguably the PC. As the game develops we may well look into the option of releasing the game on different platforms, such as the Wii. Although I think simultaneous battles between the various gaming platforms is a long way off, although feel free to write to the manufacturers to suggest it.
Q: Is this game skill or equipment based? Who will win the matches, the player with the better items or the player with the biggest skills?
A: We want Empire of Sports to be a skill based game. There will be equipment which you can buy or win and it will give you a certain advantage, but your skills will always be the most important part. For example, you may have a tennis racket, which helps you to deliver more accurate shots, but if your opponent has better reflexes, you can still lose, even if he is running around with a starting Avatar and no special equipment.
Q: How will the skill and attribute system work?
A: To advance in Empire of Sports is really simple, all you have to do is play. The Metabolism built into the avatar means that it responds to how you play. The more strength you use the stronger you become, the more sprinting you do the faster you become.. In short your avatar advances as you do, meaning that you should find it increasingly easy to play the way you do naturally. For the more intense gamers, who will be involved in the big tournaments and who want to play with the top gamers the challenge will be trying to play and train against your natural style to take advantage of an opponent’s weaknesses or to add that missing element to a club or team. The avatar is intended to react like a real human, so you may also have to decide to compromise from time to time, because just like in real life, body builders maybe incredibly strong but they’re not the world’s greatest sprinters or marathon runners.
Q: Why do you think will drive people to play EoS for hours on end ?
A: Empire of Sports is more than just a sports game, it’s a virtual sports life. What it means is that you have the chance to re-invent yourself with your avatar and immerse in a fascinating new world with a clear goal: Become a Sports Star! This doesn’t mean you’d have to become an athlete, it could also mean being a successful coach or a respected club president. It’s really up to you. What it requires is your time, effort and (maybe) virtual sweat. That entire package - including seven sports, a virtual world with 4 vast cities, a sophisticated RPG model, and additional features like team and club management elements - will create a surge that will be hard to resist. And the best is: You choose your playing style, casual or dedicated. That’s why we believe you’ll be gladly spending a lot of time and enjoy yourself and your friends. See you soon in Empire of Sports!
Q: Will there a monthly subscription fee?
A: Currently Empire of Sports will be free to Download with a small subscription fee. At the moment it is not clear how high this fee will be – it should be lower than current subscription models for MMORPGs and we are constantly looking at ways to make sure that players get the best value for money from the service.
Q: Are you planning to run any sort of public beta test ?
A: The intention is to have a graduated Beta so there will not be an Open Beta in the traditional sense. Those who want to become Beta testers and have a hand in shaping the game should register through the website. Beta Testers will then be selected from this pool of registered players. One key thing to remember is that those players actively supporting the game by staying in regular contact, commenting on forums, creating fansites or creating clubs will be far more likely to be selected. If you would like to register click here.
More articles about Empire of Sports