Kabam Officially Announces Edgeworld for Facebook Following Google+ Launch

Edgeworld is a real time strategy game for Facebook and Google+ from veteran developer Kabam. This is the company's first foray into the real-time genre, all its previous strategy games having been asynchronous in combat. The game first arrived on Facebook in mid-May in a semi-closed beta state that lasted several months while Kabam evidently readied a simultaneous Google+ launch. According to our traffic tracking service AppData, Edgeworld currently has 420,825 monthly active users and 86,634 daily active users. Edgeworld is a strategy game of base-building, unit management and player vs player combat. The game has a lot of gameplay elements in common with Kixeye's popular Facebook strategy title Backyard Monsters, which has led to accusations of cloning. We leave it to the dedicated players to have the final say in the cloning matter, but we do believe it's worth pointing out that while the early-level experiences are very similar, there is potential for Edgeworld to differentiate itself from Backyard Monsters in post-launch content that further explores traditional RTS gameplay elements. During a game of Edgeworld, a player is expected to collect resources from their production buildings, build structures to fund and defend their base, train units to be ready to assault other bases -- both player and computer-controlled -- and then send said units into battle to assert their dominance over the game world. The game is controlled by a simple mouse-driven interface which is introduced through a straightforward tutorial and followed by seven days of protection from attack by other players to allow newcomers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the game thoroughly. The game features real-time chat and in-game mail facilities, much the same as other Kabam titles. Rather than a traditional "neighbor" system, Edgeworld players populate a persistent game map and are able to see when potential opponents are online. Players who attack offline opponents are likely to cause more damage than those who are online and able to react to an assault. To keep higher-level players from constantly attacking lower-level, Kabam has introduced a balancing mechanism that reduces the amount of spoils an attacker can collect based on levels -- which means there are diminishing returns for a level 10 player attacking a level 2 player. Beyond that, there is no match-making to restrict who can attack whom and a player's best chance at safety after a 7-day tutorial period expires is to either buy defenses or join an alliance. Edgeworld is monetized through its premium currency of Platinum, of which the player is provided with 10 units to begin with, and which can then be purchased using Facebook Credits. Platinum can be spent on extra resources for use in building construction, speed-ups, boosts, tickets to enter the prize draw to win additional items and hours of protection from attack from other players. As for the game's future, Kabam is planning on a standard set of updates to the game that introduce new armor, enemy types, and higher level caps for players and structures. An interesting feature due out a month or so after launch will place players' bases on a grid map with adjacent bases and plots of land. Players can use the map to expand their territory by conquering unclaimed spaces adjacent to their bases as "outposts," or by stumbling on other players' bases and attacking or allying with them. Ultimately, features like the maps system and emergent gameplay from the PvP mode will set Edgeworld apart from Backyard Monsters over time. You can follow Edgeworld's progress using AppData, our traffic tracking application for social games and developers. Additional reporting by AJ Glasser.

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Kabam Officially Announces Edgeworld for Facebook Following Google+ Launch

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