Empire of Sports

Empire of Sports
Empire of Sports
Developer(s)	F4
Publisher(s)	F4 Group
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)	Sports MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Last updated March 30, 2019

Empire of Sports was an online multiple-sport MMORPG developed by the French company F4, that advertised itself as the first ever of that style. It was first demo-ed at the Leipzig Games Convention in August 2007 and was afterwards in a so-called Prologue phase which objectives were similar to a beta testing. It was downloadable and playable free of charge, although one could spend money on optional items in the title. In April 2016 the game was shut down permanently.

A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance is the modern Olympic Games.

The Games Convention, sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention and abbreviated as GC, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment. Its concept was created by the Leipziger Messe in cooperation with Bundesverband für Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware amongst others. The 2010 Gamescon was held August 18 to August 22.

A prologue or prolog from Greek πρόλογος prologos, from πρό pro, "before" and λόγος logos, "word" is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Ancient Greek prólogos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance, more like the meaning of preface. The importance, therefore, of the prologue in Greek drama was very great; it sometimes almost took the place of a romance, to which, or to an episode in which, the play itself succeeded.

Gameplay

Empire of Sports combined role-play and competitive sports games in a persistent world. The player controlled a single character, or avatar, which they played with through the game. This was capable of increasing in ability with playing.

The following sports were available for competitive play (friendly and official mode): football, tennis, skiing, basketball, bobsleigh and track & field. There were also a series of training/fitness games. There were plans for this list to be expanded post-launch.

Players were able to compete against AI (artificial intelligence) controlled characters or other players. For team sports they could team up with AI or other players as well. Players were able to form their own teams and clubs, and tournaments and competitions were organized.

Critical reception

Eurogamer examined the Empire of Sports preview and found it prone to bugs, with a sluggish interface and unfinished NPCs and shops. However, the sports events themselves were considered slick and playable.^[1]

Eurogamer is a website focused on video game journalism, reviews, and other features. It is operated by Gamer Network Ltd. with headquarters in Brighton, East Sussex. It was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman while they were in secondary school.

External links

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References

↑ Welsh, Oil (4 April 2008). "Empire of Sports First Impressions". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Retrieved 2010-02-09. Empire of Sports is a genuinely light, throwaway, quick-fire and accessible sports MMO, and that makes it quite unique. The best of its sports are simple, addictive, and offers satisfying progression. It has a very, very long way to go before it's polished enough to be unleashed on the general public - but we remain optimistic that Empire of Sports can bring a much-needed dash of Eurotrash to the po-faced world of MMOs.

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[1] Welsh, Oil (4 April 2008). "Empire of Sports First Impressions". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Retrieved 2010-02-09. Empire of Sports is a genuinely light, throwaway, quick-fire and accessible sports MMO, and that makes it quite unique. The best of its sports are simple, addictive, and offers satisfying progression. It has a very, very long way to go before it's polished enough to be unleashed on the general public - but we remain optimistic that Empire of Sports can bring a much-needed dash of Eurotrash to the po-faced world of MMOs.