Egosoft

Egosoft GmbH
Formerly
  • Ego Software (1988–1990)
  • Egosoft GbR (1990–2006)
Private
Industry Video game industry
Founded 1 June 1988 (1988-06-01) in Herzogenrath, Germany
Founder Bernd Johann Lehahn
Headquarters Würselen, Germany
Key people
 Bernd Johann Lehahn (CEO)
Products X series
Website egosoft.com

Egosoft GmbH (formerly Ego Software) is a German video game developer based in Würselen, Germany. The company was founded by Bernd Lehahn in Herzogenrath in June 1988 as Ego Software, and incorporated as Egosoft GbR in 1990, though still trading as Ego Software until 1998.[1] In 2006, the company re-incoprorated as Egosoft GmbH.

Egosoft is best known for its X series of video games,[2] a series of space simulator games noted for combining open-ended gameplay, dynamic market-driven economy and compelling storyline.[3][4] The series began in 1999 with X: Beyond the Frontier. Since then, the series has expanded with two sequels and three standalone expansions; the latest being X Rebirth in 2013.

Future plans

In 2000, Egosoft planned a multiplayer online game called Online Universe or X Online. This project was intended to be "the next step in the evolution of Egosoft's X universe."[5] Egosoft has since released a number of games, yet has given little indication of the progress of this project. In 2003, Egosoft staff were working on a later version—codenamed X2OL—which Egosoft chief executive officer Bernd Lehahn described as their "long-term goal."[6][7] There is still no official information on the Online Universe, though there has been speculation that X2 and X3's 2007 uplink feature may be a positive spin-off of the project.[8]

In Q4 of 2009 Egosoft announced that Terran Conflict completed the story started in X: Beyond the Frontier, taken by some to mean the end of the franchise. However, in March 2011 they announced on their X-Universe forums that they would be attending FedCon XX in Düsseldorf on 28 April 2011, and would show preview footage of their current project,[9] previously only referred to by the codename TNBT (The Next Big Thing). However, on 20 April 2011, they released a trailer officially announcing X Rebirth, initially slated for a Q4 2011 release. X Rebirth will take place in the X Universe after a major catastrophe (the shutdown of the series' network of, thus starting a new chapter in the X Universe separate from the original plot line. Rebirth missed its first two proposed release dates (Q4 2011 and 2012) and was eventually released 15 November 2013.[10]

Games developed

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s) Notes
1989 Hotel Detective Amiga Euroline
1990 Fatal Heritage Delta Konzept
R1 R2 Promotional game for Reemtsma
1991 Aquarius Game Promotional game for Aquarius
Pepsi: All Over the World Promotional game for Pepsi
1992 Light American Spacegame Promotional game for Philip Morris International
Come Together (Around the World) Promotional game for Peter Stuyvesant
Ugh! Play Byte
1993 Elefanten! Promotion Software Promotional game for World Wide Fund for Nature
Ketchup Connection Amiga, MS-DOS Promotional game for Kraft Ketchup
Flies: Attack on Earth Rainbow Arts
1994 Balduin: Run for Fun MS-DOS Delta Konzept Promotional game for the Techniker Krankenkasse
Abenteuer Europa Tevox Promotional game for the Social Democratic Party of Germany
1995 Heiermanns Return Promotional game for the Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen
1996 Imperium Romanum Rainbow Arts
No Future? Microsoft Windows Delta Konzept Promotional game for the Umweltbundesamt
1999 Power Pool Data Becker
X: Beyond the Frontier THQ, Egosoft Entry in the X video game series
2000 X-Tension
2003 X2: The Threat Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows Deep Silver, Egosoft
2005 X3: Reunion
2008 X3: Terran Conflict
2011 X3: Albion Prelude
2013 X Rebirth Egosoft
2014 X Rebirth: The Teladi Outpost
2016 X Rebirth: Home of Light
2017 X Rebirth: VR Edition
2018 X4: Foundations[11] Microsoft Windows

References

  1. ↑ Michael Madden (26 August 2006). "Egosoft FAQ". Egosoft X-News. Egosoft. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  2. ↑ Josh Venning (25 January 2006). "X3 Reunion: New Rolling Demo Tested". AnandTech. AnandTech. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  3. ↑ Wrentmore, John (12 December 2003). "X2 - The Threat Review". GameZone. GameZone Online. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  4. ↑ Reed, Kristan (6 November 2005). "X3: Reunion". EuroGamer. Eurogamer Network Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  5. ↑ "ONLINE-UNIVERSE". Online Universe (Official Page). Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  6. ↑ Stokky (10 May 2003). "Interview: X2 - The Threat". playfuls.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  7. ↑ Presley, Paul (19 April 2003). "PC Preview: X2: The Threat". PC Zone. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  8. ↑ Caesar S. (3 January 2008). "Egosoft updates X3: Reunion, X2: The Threat". QJ.net. Content Holdings, LLC. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  9. ↑ "TNBT will soon be officially unveiled!!".
  10. ↑ BurnIt!. "X Rebirth - The wait is almost over!". Egosoft.com forums. Egosoft GmbH. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  11. ↑ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/01/x4-foundations-release-date-announced/
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