InnoGames

InnoGames GmbH is a German video game developer based in Hamburg. Founded in 2007, it focuses on the development of browser and mobile games. The company now has millions of registered players and revenues that reached €190 million in 2019.[1]

InnoGames GmbH
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo game industry
Founded2007 (2007) in Stade, Germany
Founder
  • Eike Klindworth
  • Hendrik Klindworth
  • Michael Zillmer
Headquarters
Hamburg
,
Germany
Key people
Hendrik Klindworth (CEO), Michael Zillmer (COO), Christian Pern (CMO)
Number of employees
400+ (2020)
ParentModern Times Group
Websiteinnogames.com

History

In 2003, founders Eike and Hendrik Klindworth and Michael Zillmer created and released the browser-based online game Tribal Wars as a hobby project. By 2005, the game had tens of thousands of players. [2]Due to the success, the three founders decided to work full-time on the development and publishing of browser games. Then in early 2007, InnoGames was founded to handle the operation and continued development of the Die Stämme (English name Tribal Wars). Since then, the company has developed new games and publishes their games worldwide.[3] At the beginning of 2019, the company has seven live games. [4]

The company released its second game, The West, in 2008. That same year InnoGames moved to Hamburg-Harburg and hired additional employees.[3] As the company continued to grow, they released their third game, Grepolis, in 2009. Since 2013, Grepolis is playable as an app for iOS and Android devices.[5] Its first city-builder, Forge of Empires, was published in 2012. The game includes a journey through time that begins in the Stone Age and guides the player through the ages of human history. As of early 2020, the latest era is the Space Age: Asteroid Belt, but further extensions are planned. Four cultural settlements have also been introduced: Vikings, Feudal Japan, Azteks and Ancient Egypt, adding even more content.

Forge of Empires was awarded the German Computer Game Prize in 2013 as the best browser game.[6] Since 5 June 2014 the game is also playable as an app on the iPad.[7] The iPhone version followed on September 2014 [8] and the Android version on 25 March 2015.[9] In 2014, Tribal Wars 2 joins the InnoGames portfolio.[10] Following Forge of Empires' Android version in 2015, the German developer published its second city-building MMO, Elvenar in April.[11] In November 2019, InnoGames surpassed the EUR 1 billion lifetime revenue milestone. Live operations, ongoing content updates and mobile greatly contributed to the company’s continued success, having experienced growth each year since its founding.[12]

Further growth

In May 2010, the investor Fidelity Growth Partners Europe (FGPE) joined InnoGames with a minority share. Also in 2010, former Electronic Arts executive Gerhard Florin joined InnoGames as Chairman.[13] By 2016, MTG (Modern Times Group) acquired 35% of the German free-to-play developer.[14] 2016 was also InnoGames' most successful year, having a 68% year-on-year growth.[15] The following year, InnoGames acquired Wooga's strategy game Warlords, promising a relaunch of the game.[16] Later, on 2 May 2017 the Swedish Company MTG increased its stake in InnoGames by buying 51% of the company[17] As of July 2018, the company employs 420 people.[18]

Mobile initiative

The first title that the company launched on mobile platforms was Tribal Wars, its founding game. Grepolis, another of its strategy browser titles, was also launched onto mobile platforms in 2013.[19]On 2014, Forge of Empires was also converted to be played on a tablet and increased the company's revenues.

InnoGames managed to transition from browser to mobile, even as other studios have faltered. The company now has four studios which develop and maintain their strategy games.[14] Despite focusing on mobile, their CEO has said that the company will continue developing and maintaining browser games in the future [20]

Communities and languages

InnoGames is known for establishing dedicated communities in a plethora of languages. All the games are available in over 20 languages, and support to the players is provided not only through a support system, but also in forums. At the communities disposal, InnoGames count with Community Managers (and moderation teams), which engage, collect feedback and provide support to the players.[21][22]

Games developed
Year Title Platform(s)
2003 Tribal Wars Android, Browser, iOS
2008 The West Browser
2009 Grepolis Android, Browser, iOS
2010 Seven Lands Browser, discontinued
2010 Lagoonia Browser, discontinued
2012 Forge of Empires Android, Browser, iOS
2014 Tribal Wars 2 Android, Browser, iOS
2015 Elvenar Android, Browser, iOS
2017 Warlords of Aternum Android, iOS
2017 Lost Survivor Game pulled before release.
2018 God Kings Android, iOS

Awards

The games Tribal Wars, The West, Grepolis, Forge of Empires and Seven Lands have received several awards and nominations.

Forge of Empires:

  • 2012 – Nomination for the European Games Award in the category Best European Browser Game[23]
  • 2012 – Nomination at the German Developer Prize for the Developer Game of the Year in the categories Best Game Design and Best Browser Game
  • 2013 – Winner of the German Computer Games Prize in the category Best Browser Game[3]
  • 2013 – Winner of the “MMO of the Year”-Award in the category Best Strategy Browser MMO[24]
  • 2019 – Nomination at the German Developer Prize in the category "Evergreen" [25]

Grepolis:

  • 2009 – Nomination in the category Best Strategy Game and Best German Browser game 2009 at the German Developer Prize[26]
  • 2010 – Nomination for the Bäm! Computec Games Award in the category Online- or Browser Game
  • 2011 – Nomination in the category Best Browser Game at the European Games Awards[27]
  • 2012 – Winner of the "MMO of the Year, Jury-Award" in the category Best Classic Browser MMO[28]
  • 2013 – Nomination for "MMO of the Year" in the category Best Classic Browser MMO

Die Stämme:

  • 2006 – Audience Award "Browser Game of the Year" from the Website galaxynews in the category Fun
  • 2010/2011 – Nomination for den Browser Game of the Year – Audience Award in the category Best Game Expansion[29]

Seven Lands:

  • 2011 – “MMO of the Year”-Award in the category "Role Playing Games"[30]

References
  1. Mobile drives Innogames' FY19 sales to $208 million, pocketgamer.biz, 20 February 2018
  2. "From hobby development to 150 million players: CEO Hendrik Klindworth on 10 years of InnoGames". pocketgamer.biz.
  3. InnoGames. "InnoGames | Company History, History, Management". InnoGames. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  4. "Browser Games and mobile games: Play now for free!".
  5. "Grepolis App Now Available on iPhone". GameCry.com. 4 September 2013.
  6. "MMO of the Year Hall of Fame". MMO of the Year. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  7. Shaul, Brandy (5 June 2014). "InnoGames brings Forge of Empires to iPad". ADWEEK. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  8. Marceau, Erica (29 September 2014). "Forge of Empires now optimized for iPhone". Technology Tell. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  9. "Forge of Empires Comes to Android". Forge of Empires Blog. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  10. "InnoGames | Company History, History, Management".
  11. "Elvenar Overview". MMOs.com. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  12. "InnoGames rises from humble German hobbyist roots to $1.1 billion in lifetime revenue". 18 November 2019.
  13. Matt Martin (2 February 2011). "Florin takes chairman role at InnoGames". GamesIndustry.biz.
  14. Handrahan, Matthew (13 October 2016). "MTG acquires 35% of InnoGames for €90 million". gamesindustry.biz.
  15. Tucker, Jake (7 February 2017). "Players managed 600m hours of gameplay on InnoGames titles in 2016". Develop.
  16. Takahashi, Dean (23 February 2017). "InnoGames acquires Wooga's stratgy game Warlords". VentureBeat. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  17. Winter, Jason (2 May 2017). "Swedish Entertainment Company Buys 51% Stake in InnoGames". Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  18. "Deutschlands größte Spielehersteller 2018". GamesWirtschaft (in German). 2 July 2018.
  19. E3 – InnoGames' Growth & The Move to Fully Cross-Platform Experiences.Two of six games have a mobile app., RTSGURU, 26 June 2013, archived from the original on 21 February 2014, retrieved 5 February 2014
  20. "Interview with Hendrik Klindworth, CEO of InnoGames". F2P.com. 10 October 2015.
  21. "It is love, not just a game: InnoGames celebrates 15 years of "Tribal Wars"". Gamasutra. 20 June 2018.
  22. "How QA and community management is redefining the game developer". Gamesindustry.biz. 6 April 2018.
  23. "Forge of Empires". Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  24. Preisträger des “MMO of the Year”-Awards
  25. https://www.deutscherentwicklerpreis.de/forge-of-empires/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. Deutscher Entwicklerpreis Nominierungen 2009
  27. "Grepolis". Archived from the original on 24 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  28. Preisträger des “MMO of the Year”-Awards
  29. "Die Stämme". Archived from the original on 31 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  30. Seven Lands auf mmooftheyear.com
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