EI Interactive Acquires Horizins

[Duergos]

07-19-2006 until 08-21-2006 EIHorizons vbmenu_register("postmenu_4", true);
EIAdmin: Horizons

Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 0


SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
E I Interactive Acquires “Horizons: Empire of Istaria�

BUTTE, MT - (July 20, 2006)

EI Interactive (EI) has acquired the game Horizons: Empire of Istaria from Tulga Games effective July 21, 2006. Horizons is an online role-playing game originally published in 2003 by Atari, Inc. and winner of multiple game show awards. Horizons has gone through a genesis, emerging today as a world class MMORPG providing a very stable and intrinsically interactive persistent universe for play.

The quality of the Horizons community and the potential of the Istaria world defines this game as a flagship property. EI is committed to maintaining the integrity of the Horizons way of gaming and will continue the Horizons support in a new Phoenix, Arizona office.

“The magic of Horizons is not only in its uniquely supportive community, but also in the deep potential this game has for a player’s participation in building the environment and growing the storyline�, said EI Chairman Edward C. Andercheck, “the success EI has had in building the Savage Eden community is a great testimony to our in-game event team’s efforts, we look forward to the same experience in Horizons�

EI Interactive is a Butte, Montana division of EI Communications Corp., an established publisher of online content, including MMORPGames, casual games, web based game portals and information sites. EI Interactive combines an intense customer service culture, broad gaming experience and in-depth technology skills to provide a uniquely strong platform for a superior customer experience.

For more information, visit: www.eiinteractive.com - www.mygamehaven.com or contact us today at [email protected]

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Note the part aboutthe new Phoenix office? Maybe they will be keeping some of the Tulga staff on?

[Frith-Rae]

FIRST?! HA! *chuckles*

Ok..so WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?!?!?!!!!

[Duergos]

It means a new company has purchased the game. Beyond that we can only speculate.

[LexDivinia]

My question here is what does this mean for The Settlements?

[Frith-Rae]

actually I was asking someone official like to answer that....

[Varangaard]

I have a bad feeling about the fate of Unity server...

[Khoal]

Server merger? That's all I want to know.

[cauri_order]

wth?!?

[tramsan]

Settlements is entirely up to EI. They got all the assets - they're free to continue or discontinue the project as they see fit...

[Fratricide]

So... how many of you have actually heard of EIInteractive before now? I personally havn't heard of that other game "Savage Eden" before today either... and with nothing what so ever on their website discussing Horizons, well cept for this aquisition information, it looks as though this is the first they have even look part way serious about the game.

They have links to fan sites.. no Horizons fan site.. not even one produced by themselves... they have forums.. but no Horizons forums... the list goes on...

I suppose after I get back from vacation over the next few weeks Ill have to decide if what I hear they have brought to or taken away from the game is what I feel is benificial to me and how I desire to play... right now.. my bags are half packed...

[Vidken]

My bags are half-packed as well, but I'll stick around and see what happens. If not, I spose there's always ToA if it ever comes out.

[Avarr]

Here is an interesting snippet from the EI website about their takeover of another game. Maybe this will be a good thing. I hope that we do get some sort of official comment, especially about if any of the old team are staying with us....

E I Interactive took over the publication, management, operations and maintenance of MMORPG Savage Eden during the last quarter of 2005. This was an already operating game hosted by a US based publisher since the game's introduction into the Americas in 2003-2004. E I took over the game at a point when the game was in relatively steady decline.

E I successfully stopped the decline of the MMORPG and turned the game into a growth property. To date, Savage Eden paid subscriptions have grown by over 375-percent and average simultaneous players in-game by 400-percent. We are projecting that by mid-summer 2006, average net monthly subscription growth will allow the game to double in size every six to seven months for the foreseeable future. Visit Savage Eden at: www.savageeden.com

E I has made this significant turnaround by customizing and reconfiguring Savage Eden game play; introduced dedicated "experienced" gamers as game masters; assigned an Executive Game Master to oversee the complete operations of the game and customer support; personalized the game and corporate management, such that customers can communicate directly with key personnel by name; introduced several player-guides in the game to assist new players and others needing in-game personalized assistance (guides are available in multiple international time zones and offer assistance in different languages); and, have focused game management time and efforts on listening to our customers, making changes in support of our customers, and reminding our team every day that the key component to success is service...service...service...!

[Zais]

They have seven employees!?!?!?!?!

http://www.eiinteractive.com/team.htm

Dosn't look they they even have that maney that do game stuff. I don't see any mmorpg experience outside their weird korean game

[Vlisson]

ok settlement is gone now ^^

i think they will never finish it. They cant continue the work already done to the expansion?

but if i take a look on all "reviews" i havent seen any major work there done

[Valornyx]

oh crap

[Velea]

With all due respect to EI Interactive and what they did for Savage Eden, we already had a team that did that and more for Horizons, Avarr. Think about how much this current team has been through and how well they've proven themselves. The EI team has some mighty big shoes to fill, in my opinion. And that's speaking completely and totally as a player, has nothing to do with the guide side over at gamersinfo.net that I worked on. I wouldn't have started the work on the GI.net site if it weren't for the fact that I already loved Horizons, respected the team of developers making it, and liked where I saw the game going. I've tried to do guides for years now for games I didn't enjoy, development teams I didn't know or respect... and.. well, they didn't work (the guides, that is).

I know people are saying "give them a chance"... Its just like they are saying "give this new principal at the school a chance" (my other job is working at a boarding school). We're giving him a chance, and he's so far proven that he isn't fit for the job and doesn't understand the school or the people in it. I hope, and yes pray, that it is different with EI. I guess at this point only time will tell.

[Tigris]

Well... it was a good game when we had it. Nice known' y'all. Usually what happens in this situation is that they fire all the origonal staff and the game gets all messed up.

[Valados]

Ugh.. now how did I see this comming. Could it be the issues ive watched and had both over the long period of time? Ive not said much anything.. but now I just have one thing to say... ->*SIGH*.

All is not lost at least..yet. Perhaps its a new start. Only time will tell. Though.. im not holding my breath.

[Avarr]

I think it would be odd of Tulga to feed us all that info about Settlements, and the new client from DWO just to dump HZ completely to another company. Maybe the Tulga team (or part of it) is moving under the EI banner. Maybe for no other reason to get away from the name Tulga, which I assume was named for Chris Tul-whatever.

[Avarr]

And from what Velea just posted, I guess that means that the old crew will no longer be involved at all. I was hoping they would be. This saddens me deeply.