From the Press Release
Fishlabs, the Hamburg, Germany-based developer and publisher of multiple award-winning smartphone and tablet games, will extend the Closed Beta of its first multiplayer strategy game Galaxy on Fire - Alliances. While the press had already spoken very highly of first prototype showcased at GDC SF earlier this year, the reactions to the closed beta have been even more staggering. At gamescom 2013, the attending journalists did not only praise the title’s exceptional 3D graphics and “made for mobile” gameplay, but IGN Italia has even bestowed a gamescom award in the category “Best Mobile Game” upon Alliances. And just like the press, Fishlabs’ community has also wholeheartedly embraced the various novelties and alterations in the gameplay of the company’s upcoming mobile strategy MMO.
To this date, Fishlabs has received more than 120.000 registrations from players eager to gain some firsthand insight into the Hamburg-based company’s first multiplayer title. Out of this pool of interested parties, over 30.000 beta testers have already been recruited – with a rising tendency. Once they have gained access to the game, the beta testers will take over the role of a so-called commander of the Terrans, Nivelians or Vossk and proceed to build up an outpost in a remote and hitherto uncharted arm of the galaxy. In order to prevail in this hazardous new environment, the players will have to colonize strategically useful planets, assemble valuable resources, form strong alliances and defeat their enemies in epic battles. And they have done so abundantly. Despite the fact that a various gameplay essentials, such as an in-depth tutorial or a streamlined messaging system, have not yet found their way into the app, more than 3.300 players are currently logging in to Galaxy on Fire – Alliances on a daily basis, in order to cement their dominions in the GOF universe. The average commander carries out a total of 14 game sessions à 10 minutes every day and manages a total of nine different planets. An impressive statistics that is only to be topped by the title’s above-the-ordinary 30-day-retention merit: no less than 35% of all beta testers have actively taken part in the game every single day over a period of four weeks in order to monitor construction projects and re-locate fleets.
Earlier this week, Fishlabs has also released a new beta client. The latest version of Galaxy on Fire – Alliances does not only contain a number of minor bugfixes, but also a wide range of major enhancements, including redesigns of various menus, easier access to the inventory and an improved overview of the players’ stocked resources and stationed fleets as well as more detailed presentations of the carrier data and player skills. And last but not least, the new update has also added server-wide leader boards for “Player Progress”, “Alliance Size” and “Alliance Warfare”.
Speaking of which, the significance of the alliance feuds and PVP battles in Galaxy on Fire – Alliances can best be illustrated by the battle statistics: Right now, there are 264 active alliances with players from all over the world claiming sovereignty over the 200.000+ planets of Galaxy on Fire™ – Alliances. To this day, more than 66.000 battles have taken place among the players, leading to the destruction of over 7.000 carriers and 894.000 fighter, bombers and interceptors.
To make sure that both the excellent user feedback and the internal feature list will find the recognition they deserve, Fishlabs Entertainment has now decided to expand the Closed Beta phase and postpone the subsequent Open Beta to November 2013. The official launch of the iOS version of Galaxy on Fire - Alliances on the App Store will take place in the first quarter of 2014 and an Android porting will follow later on.
With more than 30 people working on the title since mid-2012, Galaxy on Fire – Alliances is Fishlabs‘ biggest project to date. Prior to and even after the game’s official launch on the App Store, Fishlabs will keep their fans up to date about all news from the Alliances front via their blog (www.fishlabs.net/en/blog/) and forums (http://forums.fishlabs.net/en/) as well as the official Facebook fan page of the Galaxy on Fire series (www.facebook.com/galaxyonfire). Potential beta testers can still sign up for the Closed Beta of GOFA via www.GOFAlliances.com.