Launched in September of 2008, Plano, Texas based KingsIsle’s Wizard101 has accomplished some lofty goals. In this time, KingsIsle’s unique approach to family MMO gaming has struck a chord, making Wizard101 one of the most popular online destinations, not just in it’s particular category, but across the online MMO board.
“When we launched Wizard101 two years ago, the team knew we had something very special on our hands,” said Elie Akilian, chairman and CEO of KingsIsle Entertainment. “However, we believe that the success we’ve seen, while extraordinary, is just the beginning. The number of talented professionals working to bring great new content and capabilities to Wizard101 continues to grow. For everyone who loves and plays this game, it will just keep getting better.”
To both celebrate the title’s success, and thank the millions of dedicated players, KingsIsle is preparing their largest expansion of the title yet. Due out this coming autumn, the next chapter in the Wizard101 saga will introduce players to the world of Celestia. The new expansion will allow for players to reach level 60, learn host of new spells, and adventure under the ocean surface.
“Wizard101 raced past the 10-million player mark in June and continues to grow every day,” said J. Todd Coleman, vice president and creative director of Wizard101. “This is an amazing time for KingsIsle, as Wizard101 seems to have hit a tipping point. With the upcoming launch of Celestia, the future looks incredibly exciting.”
To add to the celebrations, KingsIsle will launch a quest later this month featuring a yet unnamed teen icon. The quest will introduce players to the newest game features, primarily the underwater environments, as well as tease new features from the Celestia expansion.
In a market targeted at a very niche crowd, KingsIsle seems to have struck a chord and can clearly stand shoulder to shoulder with the deeper pockets in the pack – namely SOE’s Free Realms, and Disney’s Club Penguin. The bigger question to be asked here is – how long will it be until KingsIsle is acquired? When looking at it’s two biggest rivals, there’s one voice in the pack that’s mysteriously missing – EA.
