Press Releases

Best International PC Game 2009: Runes of Magic

2.5 million registered players worldwide

Berlin, 10.12.2009:

The public vote at this year’s German Game Developer Award has gone to the free-to-play online role play game Runes of Magic, with the game lifting the trophy in the category of ‘Best International PC Game 2009’. Publisher Frogster has also announced the reaching of yet another milestone: The product from the house of Runewaker Entertainment can currently point to over 2.5 million registered players in the USA, Europe and Korea.

Players from all across Germany were summoned to vote in the public ballot for their favourite games of 2009. Within the category of ‘Best International PC Game 2009’, Runes of Magic found itself having to battle it out with titles such as Risen and Anno 1404. The award ceremony was held at a grand gala event in the Essen Lichtburg – Germany’s largest film theatre.

The award was accepted on behalf of Frogster and Runewaker Entertainment by Frogster management board member Dirk Weyel, who commented: “We are thrilled to receive this trophy, especially with it being one awarded by actual players themselves. We would expressly like to thank our community and we'll continue to work intensively on offering players the maximum of fun with Runes of Magic.” To celebrate the day and also as a thank-you, Frogster is giving every player with a character that reached level 11 at least 100 Rubies which will be automatically credited to players’ accounts in the course of the day. Further information about the German Developer Awards can be found at: www.deutscherentwicklerpreis.de.

Runes of Magic has also been nominated for further honours: In the ‘Massively’s End-ofthe- Year Reader’s Choice Awards’ the online role play game has been entered into various categories by the editorial team. Voting is continuing up until 31st December of this year at: http://www.massively.com/2009/12/03/massivelys-end-of-the-year-readers-choice-awards

Bounty Bay Online

Pirates, Merchants & Explorers

With Bounty Bay Online players enter the historic Age of Discoveries when famous circumnavigators were roaming the seas. Since 2007, they start an online career as a merchant, sailor, fisherman, pirate, explorer or in one of several other professions in a charming sailor setting. Alone or with a guild of players they follow gripping quests, start a flourishing overseas trade and discover monumental sights. Following exciting player vs. player battles on land and sea, powerful guilds can take control of cities and entire colonies and thus control their destinies.

More information on www.bountybayonline.com.

Mythos

Gripping Action MMORPG in popular comic look

Mythos brings the highly successful Hack'n'Slash formula into an action-packed online role-playing game. Mythos offers players a virtual fantasy world based on an atmospheric comic book style where they hunt countless monsters in a variety of diverse dungeons. There is a choice of four races and three character classes which can be heavily customized. Mythos was originally developed by Flagship Studios and since 2010 has been further continued and prepared for its release in Europe by the Korean publisher HanbitSoft. The action-packed online game is due to throw open its gates in early 2011.

More information can be found on www.mythos-europe.com.

Runes of Magic

a world full of wizardry and adventure

Runes of Magic has redefined the standard for free-to-play MMORPGs since 2009 with its massive amount of features. The online role-playing game carries an exciting, multi-layered story, driven by more than 2,700 quests set in the atmospheric fantasy world of Taborea. ‘Runes of Magic’ features a unique dual class system enabling players to combine one of eight primary classes with a secondary class. Thanks to a comprehensive crafting system, individual player homes, arenas and battlefields, guild castles and siege wars, challenging dungeons and many other features ‘Runes of Magic’ offers plenty of online adventures for all kinds of players.

More information can be found on www.runesofmagic.com.

TERA

online game world to set new standards in the genre

An impressive and highly-detailed virtual world with triple-A quality claim awaits thousands of players with TERA. Entirely developed in Unreal Engine 3, TERA transcends current representatives of the genre with breathtaking 3D graphical environments, thrilling animations and spectacular effects. With six races and eight character classes, TERA offers an abundance of possibilities for character creation and development. The dynamic real-time combat system of TERA gets players engaged in battles considerably more actively than all conventional MMORPGs available on the market. TERA is set to be released in 2011 based on a subscription model.

More information can be found on www.tera-europe.com.

Throne of Fire

Gripping Dragon Combat in a Browser Window

With Throne of Fire, Frogster’s first browser-based fantasy world will cast open its gates. PC adventurers will receive free access to a medieval-themed mythical world offering impressive wide-screen landscapes using the latest Flash technology. Players will be able to take on the role of a warrior, mage, priest, warlock or paladin to fight fearsome dragons in individual or group-wise turn-based fights. Only those who can defeat the formidable boss opponents in the diverse and demanding raid instances will get the opportunity to ascend to the throne of the kingdom.

More information can be found on www.throne-of-fire.com.

Christoph Gerlinger

CEO | Frogster Interactive Pictures AG

Despite having left the games industry more than two years ago Christoph received a call from his former colleague and friend Dirk Weyel at the end of 2004, that a small computer games publisher with 11 staff was for sale. From 1996 to 1999 Christoph had co-built the German computer games business of Psygnosis, a Sony group company. 1999 he had co-founded CDV Software Entertainment AG took it public as MD in the CFO role in 2000 and co-managed it until end of 2001. Psygnosis and CDV were a big success during his time. So why not buy a small company and switch to the driver seat completely? Opportunities in the games hit business are large but so are the risks. Even more if you are a small challenger required to move ahead into innovative niches. Christoph bought the company beginning of 2005 together with Dirk, friends and family. Under the new name Frogster Interactive Pictures they have since focussed the company as one of the first in Europe on the growth market of virtual worlds, so called massively multiplayer online games. For the purists - Christoph was born 1967, has started his career with a "Banklehre" and holds a master degree in business admin from JW Goethe University in Frankfurt.