KingsIsle Entertainment Inc., more commonly abbreviated as KingsIsle (KI), is an American video game development studio based in Austin, Texas. Owned by Media and Games Invest (MGI) and part of the gamigo group since January 2021, KingsIsle was originally founded by former CEO Elie Akilian on January 4, 2005. KingsIsle is best known for being the developers behind the popular and critically acclaimed MMORPGs Wizard101 and Pirate101, and they also produce other related media in the Spiral Games Universe, also known as "The Spiral," which is the connected franchise both games take place in. Prior to being acquired by MGI, KingsIsle also produced various mobile games, including EverClicker and Animal Cove.
History
Independent era (2005–2021)
Original KingsIsle logo
KingsIsle Entertainment was founded in January 2005 by Elie Akilian, who was inspired by his teenage son's love of video games. He established the company's headquarters in Plano, Texas, and soon after began hiring former employees of id Software and Ubisoft to begin work on the MMORPG project would later become Wizard101.
After the success of Wizard101, KingsIsle began work on a second MMORPG set in the same universe. A development team about twice the size of Wizard101's was brought on.[1]
On April 25, 2012, KingsIsle officially announced Pirate101, which was in closed beta at the time.[2]
On July 13 through July 14, 2012, Pirate101 made its official debut at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 during a KingsIsle event in conjuction with Geeks & Sundry[3]
In October 15, 2012, KingsIsle launched Pirate101.
Subsidiary of MGI/gamigo (2021–present)
On January 15, 2021, Maltese-based video game investment company Media and Games Invest (MGI) entered into an agreement to fully acquire KingsIsle Entertainment for $126 million, plush earn-outs on a cash-free and debt-free basis. In the press release, a conference call for investors, analysts, and the media regarding the acquisition was set for January 19.[4]
Video games
Computer games
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Wizard101 | macOS, Microsoft Windows | MMORPG; started the Spiral Games Universe. |
| 2012 | Pirate101 | macOS, Microsoft Windows | MMORPG |
| TBD | Ravenwood Academy: A Wizard101 Story | Microsoft Windows | Single-player life sim/virtual novel; spinoff of Wizard101. |
Mobile games
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Grub Guardian | Android, iOS, Browser | Wizard101 tie-in game which requires you to log in to your account to play. |
| 2015 | Rise & Destroy | Android, iOS | First title to not be directly related to the Spiral Games Universe. However, Frankie Forearms appears in both this game and Wizard101. |
| 2016 | AlphaCat | Android, iOS | Tile-matching game. |
| Get Jiggy! | Android, iOS | Included art assets and other references to the Spiral Games Universe. | |
| EverClicker | Android, iOS | Had an implied connection to the Spiral Games Universe as there were several re-used character and creature assets from Wizard101. Servers shut down in 2021 following KingsIsle's acquisiton by Media and Games Invest. | |
| 2017 | Animal Cove | Android, iOS | Had an implied connection to the Spiral Games Universe with an outright mention of the Spiral as well as other noticeable inclusions from the 101 titles. Servers shut down in 2021 following KingsIsle's acquisiton by Media and Games Invest. |
| War Goonz | Android, iOS | Base builder game similar to Clash of Clans. Had an implied connection to the Spiral Games Universe with the inclusion of a character named Zeke who looked very similar to the one from both Wizard101 and Pirate101. | |
| 2019 | Monster Mega Battle | Android, iOS | Iteration of Rise & Destroy. |
| Action Squad Apocalypse Heroes | Android, iOS | Iteration of War Goonz. | |
| Action Heroes: Apocalypse | Android, iOS | Iteration of War Goonz. | |
| Action Squad Heroes | Android, iOS | Iteration of War Goonz. | |
| Monster Battle World | Android, iOS | Iteration of Rise & Destroy. | |
| Gloom Busters | Android, iOS | The game itself was not canon to the Spiral Games Universe, however the Lumies, which were created for the game, made their way to Wizard101 for the Karamelle prequests in 2020. | |
| RPG Dice Adventure | Android, iOS | Tabletop-inspired adventure game. | |
| 2020 | Doomsday Goonz | Android, iOS | Iteration of War Goonz. |
| FFA: Fantasy Fighter Arena | Android, iOS | Arena battler game using assets with a similar style to RPG Dice Adventure. | |
| RPG Dice: Heroes of Whitestone | Android, iOS | Iteration of RPG Dice Adventure. Development continued under WIMO Games after the studio spun off from KingsIsle following the acquisiton by Media and Games Invest, with the game being re-launched as a result. While not being directly related to the Spiral Games Universe, the game re-purposed music by Nelson Everhart that had been created for Avalon and Darkmoor in Wizard101. This music even briefly carried into the re-launched version of the game under WIMO. | |
| Property Flip | Android, iOS | Final mobile title to be released before KingsIsle's acquisition by Media and Games Invest. | |
| 2023 | Pirate101: Plunder Hunt | Android, iOS | Spinoff of Pirate101; developed by Just Digital in collaboration with KingsIsle Entertainment. Servers shut down in January 2024. |
Gallery
Notes and references
- ↑ Gaudiosi, John (July 27, 2012). Pirate101 Co-Creator Todd Coleman Details New Game And Talks Expansion. Forbes. Retrieved on February 1, 2019.
- ↑ Ewalt, David M. (April 25, 2012). KingsIsle Announces Pirate101. Forbes. Retrieved on January 31, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/wizard101/posts/kingsisle-entertainment-goes-to-comiccon!/469040083106137/
- ↑ Media and Games Invest entered into an agreement to acquire U.S. game developer KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. for a consideration of USD 126 million plus earn-outs on a cash- and debt-free basis. In this context, funds advised by Oaktree Capital Management participated in the transaction by subscribing to a EUR 25 million share issue.. Media and Games Invest (January 15, 2021). Archived from the original on January 16, 2021.
