Imperia Online

Imperia Online AG
legal form	private company
founding	2009
Seat	Sofia , Bulgaria
Branch	Game developer
Website	www.imperiaonline.bg

The Imperia Online AG is a Bulgarian gaming software company based in Sofia . The first and most successful game is the MMOG of the same name, Imperia Online . In the beginning, the company mainly focused on browser games. Later the studio also began developing mobile games.

On September 21, 2018, Imperia Online was acquired by Stillfront Group. Stillfront Group is a group of independent developers, publishers and distributors of games that works with 9 almost independent agencies: Imperia Online in Bulgaria, Bytro Labs, OFM Studios, Goodgame Studios and Playa Games in Germany, Coldwood Interactive in Sweden, Power Challenge in Great Britain and Sweden, Dorado Online Games in Malta, Simutronics in the United States, Babil Games in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and eRepublic in Ireland and Romania. Stillfront Group's games are distributed worldwide. The main sales markets are Germany, USA, France, Great Britain and MENA .

As of 2019, Imperia Online has over 25 playable titles.

history

Imperia Online was founded in September 2009 by Moni Dochev and Dobroslav Dimitrov. Both had been working on the real-time strategy game of the same name since 2005, with Dimitrov taking over the game design and Dochev the programming. In January 2005, the concept was developed from the idea and on August 23, round 1 of game world 1 went online. 2006 Worlds appeared for 2 new versions of Imperia Online. The game has been translated into 12 languages. In the same year, the Nomads Invasions competition was held for the first time. In 2007, the browser game Galactic Imperia came on the market, which was characterized by modern, military gameplay, followed in March 2008 by the game Global Wars , a browser-based strategy game that is set in the present. In 2009, Imperia Online launched Imperial Hero, its first role-playing game . The Ludo game was also released for iOS and Facebook at this time . It's a classic turn-based board game with thousands of real players online. In 2010, Imperia Online released Online Artillery , a turn-based cannon shot game . In 2011 the first world championship took place on Imperia Online, the Bulgarian team became world champions. In 2012 the second world championship was organized, the Bulgarian team again became the champion. In the same year, Imperia Online participated in the On! Fest. In 2013 Imperia Online hosted the third world championship, this time the Croatian team took first place. At that time, Imperia Online had 100 employees. The first school of its kind for software developers - Imperial Training Camp - was founded. The company's main product - the game Imperia Online - grew in size, and versions for iOS and Odnoklassniki for the largest social network in Russia were born. Android users also got access to the game . At the end of the year, the latest version of Imperia Online - The Great People - was released. The graphic design is new at this point, the gameplay is exciting. Imperia Online participated in Gamescom , Dubai World Game Expo and On! Fest. The company sponsored Sofia Game Jam, Intergame Tallinn and #archHackaton, as well as the Bulgarian boogie-woogie team at the World Cup in Moscow, Russia.

In 2013 the company established a training center for game developers in Sofia, the first of its kind in Bulgaria. The center, initially named "Imperial Training Camp", is free for students. From 2015 partner companies started to get funding and the center was renamed “IT Talents Training Camp”. The annual number of graduates is around 200.

In 2014, Imperia Online The Great People became available on Android, Windows Phone , and Facebook. Microsoft put Imperia Online in the Featured Games tab in the Windows Store . In the second half of the year, Imperia Online released several mobile games: Mad Moles and Online Artillery 2 for iOS and Facebook; Rocket Chameleon was released for iOS and later also for Android; Egg Tales for iOS. At this time the fourth world championship took place in Imperia Online. This time the Brazil team became champions. The company sponsored the Black Sea Solo kayak expedition , HackFMI, and is also among the sponsors of Launchub. Imperia Online AG took part in Gamescom in Cologne and Intergame in Tallinn, where Dobroslav Dimitrov gave a lecture on the subject of Winning the War for Software Engineering Talent . The company became a member of the Bulgarian Association for Information Technologies (BAIT) and the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASCOM).

In 2015 Imperia Online AG released a number of titles, including the role-playing game Imperial Hero II - Remake by Imperial Hero, which can be found on Android, Facebook and the web. Imperia Online for Windows Phone was published by Game Troopers and featured under Featured Games on Xbox. Several new titles came out in January: the turn-based strategy Seasons of War for Android for iOS, Jolly Join and Golem Wars for iOS. In February 2015, Robo Risk and Cluster Six were released for iOS, and Egg Tales for Android. In June Imperia Online AG released the game Ishi for Android. The studio later took part in Gamescom. In October the company released FlapOTron 3D Touch for iOS and Ludo Blitz - for iOS, Android and Facebook. The game is an improved version of the game Ludo from 2009. At that time Imperia Online AG visited the Game Connection in Paris. The next month Online Artillery 2 was released for Android, and as a special 3D Touch version for iPhone 6s. Ishi GO for iOS was born in December 2015 . At that time, the company partnered with VKontakte, and Imperia Online for Android and iOS was included among the games on the platform.

The year 2016 began with the company's participation in Casual Connect Amsterdam , where the game Online Artillery 2 took part in the prize competition. In April, Imperia Online was sold on Steam . In May, the game Viber Emperors for Android and iOS was born. The game has been translated into 30 languages. It offers options such as “Invite a Viber friend” and has its own pack of stickers. In the same month Moni Dochev participated in the E-volution awards from Forbes in part as a juror. At that time, the game Ludo Blitz was integrated into Windows Store . The company attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The fifth world championship took place on Imperia Online from the end of October to the middle of December, the champion was the team from Poland.

In February, Imperia Online became the first web-based game to incorporate ClanPlay - a social app for better in-game communication. Meanwhile the team was at Casual Connect in Berlin. In March, Imperia Online partnered with Play 3arabi . Play 3arabi is a publisher of mobile games focused on the MENA region . The result of the cooperation between the two companies is the game Kingdoms Online - an adapted mobile version of Imperia Online for the Arabic-speaking players in the MENA region. At the end of March 2017, Imperia Online in partnership with the Huawei Company published their game Imperia Online on HiGame - Huawei's Android mobile game platform. Meanwhile, according to Capital Magazine , the studio has become part of the 25 Most Valuable Companies in the Bulgarian IT Industry. Mariela Tzvetanova, CMO at Imperia Online, was one of the keynote speakers at the Israel Mobile Summit and gave the talk “Beauty and the Beast of Brand Diversification”.

The MMO Game of Emperors was launched on the online platform Steam . In October, the company was invited as a premium partner of Huawei Mobile to the official announcement of HiApp Europe in Berlin . Game of Emperors was launched on Windows at the end of 2017.

Numerous conventions were attended in 2018, for example Casual Connect in London, where Game of Emperors was nominated for the Indie Prize. At this time, Imperia Online is already available in the Samsung Galaxy App Store and MI App Store India. The company has now started its new game publishing program and participated in Sofia Games Night. Meanwhile, the 8th edition of the world championship took place until mid-December. The US team became the champion. Shortly before the end of the year, Imperia Online was already available on KakaoTalk and One Store for Korea.

In January 2019, COO Cvetan Rusimov and Marketing and BizDev Manager Mario Vasilev visited PGC in London. During the event, Mario Vasilev took part in the panel "Managing Your Community Across Platforms".

numbers

• As of January 2018, Imperia Online AG has more than 40 million registered users in its main product - Imperia Online.
• The company and its games have nearly 650,000 fans on their Facebook pages.
• The annual turnover of Imperia Online AG for 2017 is 5.3 million euros.
• The turnover for the period 2012-2017 amounts to 33.2 million euros. And since 2018 Imperia Online has officially been part of the Stillfront Group.
• The game software company is currently located on 1,200 square meters of office space in Bulgaria's most luxurious office building. - Infinity Tower .
• In January 2018, Imperia Online JSC employed more than 70 people.
• Imperia Online AG and its products are popular in more than 194 countries.

Games

title	year	Platform (s)	genre
Imperia Online	2005	Browser , Steam , iOS , Android , Windows Phone	MMORTS
Galactic Imperia	2007	Browser , Android	MMORTS
Global Wars	2008	Browser	MMORTS
Imperial Hero	2009	Browser , Android	MMORPG
Ludo	2009	iOS , browser	Turn-based board game
Online artillery	2010	iOS	Turn-based shooter
Mad Moles	2014	iOS , Android , browser	Arcade
Online Artillery 2	2014	iOS , Android , browser	Turn-based shooter
Rocket Chameleon	2014	iOS , Android	Arcade
Egg tales	2014	iOS , Android	Arcade, platformer
Ishi	2015	Android	Arcade
Seasons of War	2015	iOS , Android	Turn-based strategy game (RBS)
Ludo Blitz	2015	iOS , Android , Facebook , Windows store , browser	Turn-based board game
Golem Wars	2015	iOS	RBS
Jolly join	2015	iOS	puzzle
Cluster Six	2015	iOS , Apple TV	Side scroller
Robo Risk	2015	iOS	Climbing - Simulator
YoHoHo	2015	iOS	Arcade
FlapOTron	2015	iOS	Arcade
Ishi GO	2015	iOS	Arcade
Imperial Hero II	2015	Browser , Android , Facebook	MMORPG
Game of Emperors	2016	Browser , Steam , Facebook , Windows Store	MMORTS
MedCorps	2016	iOS	Strategy , simulation
Kingdoms Online	2017	iOS , Android	MMORTS

Awards and nominations

Imperia Online was recognized in the Corporate and Social Responsibility category and nominated for the Education category of the BAIT Awards 2014.

Imperia Online AG was recognized as a climber in Deloitte '' s IT company ranking for 2014 with a growth of 498% .

Imperia Online AG was nominated for the Game Connection Awards 2014 in three categories:

• Promising IP
• Desktop Downloadable
• Hardcore game

Imperia Online AG was nominated for Developer 2014 in The Appsters.

In 2015, Imperia Online was recognized by Deloitte as the 14th fast-growing IT company in Central Europe, with sales growth of 592% from 2011 to 2014. In 2015, Imperia Online AG was again nominated in three categories for the Forbes Business Awards 2015 :

• Employee of the Year
• Business development
• Human Resources Development

Imperia Online employee Ilian Iliev was named Second Employee of the Year by Forbes Bulgaria Magazine.

In 2016, both albums with the music from Imperia Online were released in Amazon Hot New Releases in the soundtrack (best-selling new releases and future releases). The music of the composer Hristo Hristov rises to the top 10 of Amazon.de Germany.

In June 2016, Imperia Online was nominated for Best Workplace and Developer of the Year at the Bulgarian Game Awards , while two of its titles were nominated in the following categories:

• Imperial Hero II - for the best visual style / art, best world, best mobile game
• Seasons of War - for the game of the year

In September 2016, two Imperia Online titles were nominated for the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2016 in the following categories:

• Imperial Hero II - for the best strategy and the best role-playing game
• Imperia Online - for the game of the year

In January 2017, Imperia Online was nominated as National Champion in the Customer Focus category at the European Business Awards.

That same month, Imperia Online was nominated for the Forbes Business Awards in this category: "Customer Relationship Guidelines"

The company has been nominated for the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies (BAIT) awards in the following categories:

• Corporate social responsibility
• Entertainment software

At the end of January, one of the company's games - Seasons of War - was nominated for the Indie Prize at Casual Connect in Berlin.

In February, Imperia Online's Viber Emperors game was nominated for the 13th International Mobile Game Awards

In April, Imperia Online's Kingdoms Online received a nomination for the E-Volution Awards from Forbes Bulgaria for the "Going Abroad" category.

In the same month Viber Emperors won the Best Gaming App category at the Webit Awards 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The company's CEO, Dobroslav Dimitrov, was a finalist in the 10th edition of the Manager of the Year competition for Bulgaria, organized by Manager Magazine.

In September 2017, the company's main title - Imperia Online was one of the nominated games for Favorite Strategy at the TIGA Awards.

A month later, Imperia Online was nominated by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in the Partnerships category for its collaboration with Game Troopers on the Windows platform.

In December, Imperia Online was announced as one of the finalists in the national “Innovative Enterprise of the Year” competition.

At the end of 2017, Imperia Online won three awards in the Forbes Business Awards in the following categories:

• Business development,
• Client Policy,
• Human Resources.

Imperia Online was recognized in the BAIT's 2017 Awards Best Bulgarian ICT Product category for the game Kingdoms Online - fully localized in Arabic.

In January 2018, Imperia Online was one of the finalists of the Europеan Business Awards One to Watch list for Bulgaria in the International Expansion category . In March the company was named the national winner for 2017-18.

In May 2018 Game of Emperors was nominated for the Indie Prize at Casual Connect in London. And immediately afterwards announced as the winner for the Applovin Workshop in San Francisco. In October 2018, Kingdoms Online was among the nominated games for the Indie Prize at Casual Connect in Belgrade.

Game of Emperors received a nomination as one of the best strategy games at TIGA 2018.

Imperia Online was rewarded for your commitment to the initiative and your help in developing the TUES part of the Technical University of Sofia.

In November 2018 Imperia Online was nominated and awarded the RPG - Imperial Hero for "High achievements in the innovations" in the national competition Innovative Company of the Year .

Web links

• Official website
• Imperia Online at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Timeline of IO's games . In: www.imperiaonline.bg .
2. ^ ^{A b} Imperia Online and the Global Invasion of The Great People , Launchub. March 18, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2019. 
3. ↑ Still Front Group completes the acquisition of Imperia Online JSC . Retrieved February 18, 2019. 
4. ^ Imperia Online's History in a Few Facts . In: www.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
5. ↑ Interview with Imperia Online: How to Build a Game for 25 Million Users? . Retrieved March 16, 2015. 
6. ↑ Upnetix.com: Free IT Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Imperia Online in Windows Store . In: www.windowsphone.com . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
8. ↑ Imperia Online in 'Featured' in Windows Store . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
9. ^ Online Artillery Now Conquering Facebook . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
10. ↑ Rocket Chameleon Available On The App Store . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
11. ↑ Rocket Chameleon Successfully Landed on Google Play . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
12. ↑ Start Your Eggciting Adventure With Egg Tales! . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
13. ↑ Brazil Is The New World Champion Of Imperia Online! . Retrieved January 13, 2015. 
14. ↑ 'Seasons of War' Now Available On Google Play . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
15. ↑ Casual Connect Amsterdam 2016 . Retrieved February 18, 2016.
16. ↑ ClanPlay provides a messaging platform for clan-based mobile games . Retrieved February 17, 2017.
17. ^ Kingdoms Online . Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 1, 2017. 
18. ↑ National Contest BUILDING OF THE YEAR ( Bulgarian ) Retrieved January 13, 2015.
19. ^ List of winners . Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 6, 2015. 
20. ↑ Technology Fast 50 powerful connections . Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 13, 2015. 
21. ↑ Deloitte: Mnemonica AD and Imperia Online are Bulgaria's fastest growing technology company . In: www2.deloitte.com . Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 13, 2015. 
22. ^ Imperia Online Competing For Three Awards in Paris . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
23. ↑ The Appsters 2014 Shortlist . In: www.the-appsters.com . Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 13, 2015. 
24. ^ Imperia Online Running for App Developer of 2014 . In: blog.imperiaonline.bg . Retrieved January 13, 2015.
25. ↑ Technology Fast 50 Powerful Connections 2015 . Retrieved September 17, 2016.
26. ↑ Forbes Business Awards 2015 . Retrieved September 17, 2016.
27. ↑ Imperia Online Soundtracks are Breaking the Charts! . Retrieved September 17, 2016.
28. ^ Bulgarian Game Awards 2016 . Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved July 1, 2016. 
29. ↑ TIGA Game Industry Awards 2016 . Retrieved September 23, 2016.
30. ↑ Europеan Business Awards 2016 National Champions . Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 1, 2017. 
31. ↑ Forbes Business Awards 2017 . Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 1, 2017. 
32. ↑ BAIT Awards 2017 . Retrieved February 28, 2017.
33. ↑ Casual Connect Berlin 2017 2017 . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
34. ↑ IMGA 2017 . Retrieved February 2, 2017.
35. ↑ E-volution Awards . Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 28, 2017. 
36. ↑ 13th Webit Awards 2017 . Retrieved April 28, 2017.
37. ^ Manager of the Year . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
38. ↑ TIGA Awards . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
39. ^ The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
40. ↑ Innovative Enterprise of the Year . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
41. ^ Forbes Business Awards . Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 26, 2018. 
42. ↑ BAIT Awards 2017 . Retrieved February 28, 2018.
43. ↑ Europеan Business Awards . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
44. ↑ Applovin . Retrieved February 17, 2019.
45. ↑ TIGA . Retrieved February 17, 2019.