Bigpoint Games

Bigpoint GmbH is a German software company that specializes in the development and distribution of browser and online games. According to the company Bigpoint is one of the largest online game maker in the world and has over 300 million registered players. Bigpoint is now with more than 800 employees of one of the largest German computer game company and has offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Malta and São Paulo.

History

Bigpoint was founded by Heiko Hubertz as m.wire GmbH 2002. In April 2003, was the first own browser game of hockey manager " Icefighter " to the grid. By the end of 2004, two more games were developed and released " F1Manager " and the "Football Manager". In 2005 the company was renamed in e-sport GmbH. 2006 million were achieved registered users. In December 2006, United Internet AG grew as an investor a Bigpoint.

By 2007, the number of its games grew to 22. The company was officially renamed Bigpoint GmbH. In the same year, Bigpoint also won the Star Online. In December 2009, took over the Bigpoint GmbH Berlin-based game developer eLOFD GmbH, which became a basis for the Bigpoint GmbH Berlin. Bigpoint since 2005 49 % of the shares already held at the eLOFD GmbH. With the purchase of Bigpoint also took over the game " Land of Destruction " and " XBlaster ". In June 2008, the private equity fund Peacock, which in turn belongs to the American television network NBC Universal, and British investment firm GMT Communications Partners took over 35% each at Bigpoint. The remaining 30% are retained by the founders. 2009 Bigpoint reached the mark of 100 million registered players and employed more than 240 employees. First games software company Bigpoint belonged in the same year the winners of the European Business Award. Sales were increased to more than 51 million euros in 2009. In 2008, he had stood at 26 million euros.

2010 took over the insolvent German game developer Bigpoint Radon Labs, the last in particular by computer games: The Dark Eye had drawn attention to himself The River of Time Drakensang and Drakensang. Radon Labs has been fully integrated into the existing studio " Bigpoint Berlin". In the same year an office in Silicon Valley in San Francisco and another branch in São Paulo, Brazil was founded. The number of employees rose by the end of 2010 to more than 600 At the German Developer Award 2010, the game Farmerama by Bigpoint won first place as "Best Browser Game", Bigpoint.com was voted " best gaming portal". Also a Lara Award Bigpoint could win in 2010 with " Battlestar Galactica ".

In January 2011, Bigpoint took over the Planet Moon Studios in San Francisco. The end of February it was announced that the company has a strategic partnership with Electronic Arts in the marketing of online games closed. The two investment firms TA Associates and Summit Partners acquired according to dpa end of April 2011 for $ 350 million a stock majority of 67 % of the company. The former majority owner of Peacock Equity Fund and GMT Communications will continue to hold at 2.5%. Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz still holds a share of 30.5 %. In May 2011, Bigpoint employed according to their own figures, about 800 people worldwide.

In early 2012, the economic environment for browser games became cloudy in the wake of a crisis in the industry. On October 23, 2012 it was announced that Bigpoint is dismissed 80 employees at the company headquarters in Hamburg. The studio in San Francisco was closed. Here 40 employees were terminated. CEO Heiko Hubertz changes to the Supervisory tip. Already before, the main competitor, the industry leader Zynga, a profit warning pronounced and also announced a workforce reduction. It is conceivable that a total of up to 200 jobs will be eliminated.

Technology Used

Bigpoint games are developed using web technologies such as PHP, Adobe Flash, Java and Unity. Since the games do not need to be installed on the computers of the players, it is operating according to the principles of Software as a Service.

Criticism

2009 warned consumers headquarters NRW in front of the high cost of free-to -play games, including titles from Bigpoint. Just underage gambling would be induced to book paid content through premium hotlines or by text message and thereby incur high costs.

Developed by Bigpoint Games

  • Icefighter
  • Gangs of Crime (Previously known as Mafia 1930)
  • Odin's land
  • K1 Fighter
  • Manager Hockey Games
  • Soccer Manager Games
  • Popstars - The Game
  • Germany's Next Top Model - The Game
  • Elorian
  • Seafight
  • Darkorbit
  • ChaosCars
  • Speed Cars
  • Speedspace
  • The Pimps
  • Action League
  • Knocked out Champs
  • RamaCity
  • Rising Cities
  • Nova Raider
  • Gladius II
  • War of Titans
  • BeBees
  • Parsec
  • Deepolis
  • Hellblades
  • Hellblades 2.0
  • Farmerama
  • YouTube MySpace MySpace
  • Drakensang Online
  • Battlestar Galactica Online
  • Kultan - The World Beyond
  • Skyrama
  • Pirate Storm
  • FantasyRama
  • Maestia - Shattered Light

Published by Bigpoint Games

  • WonderKing Online
  • Drift City
  • War Machines
  • Land of Destruction
  • Terminator Salvation
  • Rise of Gods
  • Case White
  • Seafight
  • SpaceConquer
  • Skaph (by Vadim Kapinos, a promotion from August 2009)
  • Rangers Country International
  • Pirates 1709 International
  • Toonracer (iOS )
  • Wanted
  • 11 Manager
  • Arenas of Glory / Gladius 2
  • Castle Fight International
  • Puzzle Pirates
  • X - Blaster
  • Xhodon
  • Anophis
  • Dolumar
  • Generated affixation: the Nexus Lancinate
  • Warstory
  • Battlefield Heroes
Types of business entity MobyGames
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