Paradox Interactive

Omnium rerum principia parva sunt (Cicero)

2007-12-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

Cicero's quote is of course especially true for Rome, which started as a tiny city-state and turned into an Empire beyond anything the world had ever seen.

Things are busy here at Paradox before the holiday season. The dev-team is working intensely on Europa Universalis: Rome. The beta has opened and we are busy looking at the initial feedback. So far so good.

Personally I have been really happy with the design of the EU: Rome box. That is what our Art Director Stefan Thulin along with Josefina and me have been working on these last days. I think this box has a real shot at becoming a classic. Along with the special we are planning for the web shop orders this makes for the most fun I have had for a product… ever! You will see.

Let me also take this opportunity to, from all of us here at Paradox, wish you Happy Holidays and a great and prosperous 2008!

Florian Santer

Supreme Ruler 2020

2007-08-31T06:40:00.000-04:00

We just signed Supreme Ruler 2020 from Battlegoat Studios. This is a game that should be perfect for the fans of Hearts of Iron.

The first game in the series, Supreme Ruler 2010, received mixed reviews and I think the team has learnt a lot from that.

We welcome the cooperation with Battlegoat and really hope it will be a long-term relationship.

Fredrik

RTS, TBS or what?

2007-08-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

Reading the previews and reviews on Galactic Assault, I see many people refer to it as an RTS game.

I wouldn't use that word; GA is less Supreme Commander than it is Panzer General. It is less Starcraft than it is Battle Isle (for all of you that remember this gem for the Amiga).

I would simply say it is a wargame, am I the only one using this term nowadays?

Fredrik

Tarr Chronicles

2007-07-05T08:41:00.000-04:00

If you're a fan of Wing Commander you should check out the latest game signed by Paradox Interactive: Tarr Chronicles. We are licensing the game for all European territories and release on Gamers Gate in September.

Check out the Gamespot preview of Tarr Chronicles

You can also take a look at these screenies:

Global Conflict: Palestine

2007-07-04T04:00:00.000-04:00

Tired of generic games without engaging story-line?

Check out the new engaging, emotional and though-provoking "Global Conflict: Palestine" from Serious Games, released today at Gamers Gate.

Read more about the game here

Again your Majesty?

2007-07-04T03:53:00.000-04:00

It has been one of those days with many questions in my inbox when arriving at the office.
- "Why did you purchase Majesty IP?"
- "Are you going to stop creating Grand Strategy Games?"
- "I loved Majesty, are you going to stick to the original design when creating a sequel?"

First of all I am happy to see there are so many gamers who still care about the brand. Secondly we are not planning just to sit on the rights to the game, but to create something from it. I can also tell you that our plan is to not let it slow down our pace on creating great Grand Strategy Games. I'm afraid I can't say more at the moment, but I will keep you updated.

Fredrik

Galactic Assault

2007-06-05T02:18:00.001-04:00

What is Galactic Assault? I got this question from a gamer last week. It can best be described as a mix between the old Panzer General and Massive Assault, with a little influence of Heroes of Might & Magic. We just released some new screenies of night combat that can be found on Gamespot

Gamers Gate just added 1C to the list of publishers and we are happy to see titles such as Star Wolves 2 and You Are Empty presented on GG. These are not even out in the traditional retail channels yet.
Gamers Gate

We are also getting closer to the release of Combat Mission: Shock Force. I hope you saw the unconventional warfare screens. If not, visit Gamespot

Fredrik

Galactic Assault

2007-04-26T17:10:00.000-04:00

Some new screenies from our latest addition to the publishing portfolio. From the developers of Massive Assault. The game is named Galactic Assault, check out the greaet sci-fi setting!

Extraterrestrials spotted!

2007-04-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

Are you in for some nostalgic moments with great gameplay? If so we have great news for you!

Paradox just signed UFO: Extraterrestrials for European release. Release is scheduled for the end of June with a sneak release on Gamers Gate May 4.

And yes, we have signed another great sci-fi game for worldwide publishing as well. More news will follow ;)

Fredrik

Valusoft and other things

2007-03-28T03:46:00.000-04:00

We just added Valusoft to Gamers Gate. They have a wide range of products that we haven't worked with before including Casual games and Kids games. We are really looking forward to see how this develops.

The cover art of Combat Mission: Shock Force is close to complety. Nice to have a modern warefare cover for once :)

We are in negotiations on some other titles as well, including sci-fi and historical settings. More updates the coming weeks.

Fredrik

First reviews... again

2007-03-23T04:39:00.000-04:00

Frontline: Fields of Thunder is getting some good first reviews:

Strategy Informer gives it 80%:
"If you played Blitzkrieg, you're going to be super excited by what Frontline has to throw at you."

Game Industry News rates Frontline 4/5:
If you like big battles and plenty or realism, then Frontline is the game for you.

Gamers Gate is also developing nicely. We just added our Kids tab with two games so far. Keep an eye on the site the coming weeks since we have a lot of things planned for release.

Fredrik

Gamers Gate

2007-02-27T10:49:00.000-05:00

We have worked hard to get Gamers Gate to run smoothly and to get more attractive games up on the site. It seems our efforts hasn't been in wain since two quite big publishers have shown interest in what we are doing with GG.

We are soon opening new areas of interest such as kids and casual. More news will follow. :)

Fredrik

Commenting

2007-02-21T11:18:00.000-05:00

Finally I've found out how to moderate comments and make them available on the site. Like they said when landing on the moon, a small step for one man...

Signing Combat Mission: Shock Force was fantastic. To have the opportunity to release a flagship title from Battlefront.com the same year as EU3 is just... Mmmmmm :)

Fredrik

...and climbing

2007-01-30T03:40:00.000-05:00

EU3 did finally make it to the top of the PC game chart on Gamespot!

Who's number one?

2007-01-17T08:54:00.000-05:00

As you can see, Europa Universalis 3 is currently the number one PC game on the Gamespot ranking! Well, except for that game you know, and its expansion.

You can calculate it your own way, I still say number one :)

/Fredrik

EU3 finished - new web site

2007-01-15T03:50:00.000-05:00

Last week we finally finished our new web site, still a few missing links and minor issues but overall we're happy with the new look.

With the upcoming release of Europa Universalis 3 we are now looking forward to the reviews to start dropping in. Last week the game went gold and next week we're shipping to stores. A lot to look forward to indeed.

Fredrik

2007... a Happy New Year!

2006-12-27T03:50:00.000-05:00

We're not even there yet, but we can already say that 2007 is a good year for Paradox Interactive. Europa Universalis 3, Frontline: Fields of Thunder and several new contracts for Gamers Gate makes us dream of a very Happy New Year.

We get more and more requests from distributors, publishers and developers who want to work with Paradox and Gamers Gate which feels like a proof that we're doing the right things.

Our plan for next year will be to combine download only products, like Victoria: Revolutions, with box products and some minor upgrades available through Gamers Gate for our current games portfolio. Remember where you heard it first :)

Fredrik

EU3 collectors

2006-12-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

We always sell some boxes directly to our community and the level of interest from our gamers have never been higher than with the release of Europa Universalis 3. The Collectors Edition box will be limited to one print run and therefore all people interested need to get their hands on the box within the first weeks of release. We normally do not order that many boxes for our own web shop, but I hope we ordered enough. Judging from the first day of sales I am not so sure.

It is always great to see such interest and dedication from our gamers.

Fredrik

Lyon

2006-12-08T03:57:00.000-05:00

Just came back from the Game Connection in Lyon. It seems like everyone didn't have the same opinion on the market situation. While some people openly declared that there are no good independent game developers anymore, I would like to say the exact opposite. Instead of "bubble economy" games where people need "only 2.5M EUR to complete the game" I found more small, hard-working, indie developers than ever before. From my point of view the business has gone from all flash to being actually some substance. I appreciate and welcome this progress.

Fredrik

Next Generation downloads

2006-11-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

We just released a new version of Gamers Gate. Now we're geared up for a great 2007, starting with Europa Universalis 3.

Fredrik

Release dates

2006-11-10T04:34:00.000-05:00

Finally a release date decided for EU3. January 23 in North America and January 26 in Europe. Other markets to be decided, we need to get that d*** Australian age rating on the box :)

For Frontline: Fields of Thunder we aim for end of February.

For "un-named sci-fi game" we aim for March. For "another game we are currently evaluating" we might aim for late March. I guess you'll all find out within a few weeks...

Fredrik

Moscow

2006-11-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

It is always great to visit other countries. I spent the past weekend in Moscow and this was my fourth time in the Russian capital in one and a half years. The reason for my visit was mainly the Igromir show (a Russian version of E3) and to promote EU3 to the Russian press. The show was very much like E3; loud and lots of people.

We also found some REALLY interesting strategy games from well-known teams and had the chance to visit Nival Interactive and discuss the development on Frontline: Fields of Thunder. This game is going back to basics with the more hardcore-oriented gameplay of Blitzkrieg 1, it should really be something for our gamers.

We also had the chance to drink vodka (what else?) with some people from THQ and Buena Vista Games as well as visiting the street market. Next time you'll see me I'll be wearing a Russian hat and a CSKA hockey shirt. Or maybe not...

Fredrik

World War 2... again

2006-10-20T05:42:00.000-04:00

As you will soon know from our newsletter, we just signed Theatre of War from Battlefront and 1C.

Previously known as Wartime Command (Codemasters) and World War 2 RTS, the game has been in development for several years.

Do you like details? Then this is the game for you. We are releasing the title on its premiere date, end of November. Specific date will be known within soon.

Fredrik

Collector Editions

2006-10-11T03:54:00.000-04:00

We would really like to make a Collector's Edition of Europa Universalis 3. We are currently working on some cool things we could put in a possible Collectors Edition box.

Speaking about Collectors Edition, the Warhammer: Mark of Chaos Collectors Edition is already out of print (1.5 months before release!) and we are not even sure we can fill all orders from stores in Scandinavia. Seems like people really like Collector Edition boxes...

Fredrik

More than Blitzkrieg

2006-10-04T04:49:00.000-04:00

I have received quite a few questions about the new Nival title Frontline: Kursk that we are publishing next year worldwide. The idea of the game is to go back to the basics in the Blitzkrieg series.

Blitzkrieg 1 was a great game, while the 2nd game was so-so to the core fans of the first game. We wanted to move back to the Blitzkrieg 1 feeling and add all details possible of the Battle of Kursk. Go tanks!

We'll be back with more details from the development process. The game is due Q1 next year.

Fredrik

Europa 3 - what people are saying

2006-09-23T05:39:00.000-04:00

Every time you ask a game developer how they are doing the reponse will be "great" or "fantastic". Paradox is no exception from this rule and therefore I spend a lot of time reading previews of Europa Universalis 3 in order to get the views from other people. Some interesting quotes can be found here:

The Gamespot preview says:
"Europa Universalis III seems to be making some bold changes to the series' deep strategic formula. Assuming everything falls into place, the game's streamlined interface and in-game help options should be more accessible to new players, while the highly open-ended, historical campaign structure may just swallow expert players whole for countless hours"

The recent IGN preview says:
"As always with these games, we could go on for hours and hours explaining the intricacies of other systems. Let's just say that the game has about a hundred other cool systems in it that you can employ to gain an advantage over your enemies."

Firing Squad adds:
"Europa Universalis III looks to be shaping up as a really solid sequel that retains the heart and charm of its predecessors, and builds on this quality foundation with a variety of new features. Easily one of the most anticipated strategy games of the coming year"

What I like the most is that most people think we have kept the original deep gameplay, while still making it more accessible. This was one of the outspoken goals of the game, making it easier to learn yet harder to master than its predecessors.

Can we live up to the hype? I sure think so.

Tanked in Kursk!

2006-09-21T15:40:00.000-04:00

We have decided to team up with Nival to publish a new game from the creators of the Blitzkrieg series. Read the news on Gamespot

Scandinavian distribution

2006-09-19T12:05:00.000-04:00

Finally we started our own distribution channel in Scandinavia. From a strategic perspective this is important, since we need to find a way to get our games into stores. We are also happy to present a really strong line-up from Deep Silver; this fall we will represent and distribute their titles in Scandinavia. The portfolio includes:

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
Anno 1701
Paraworld
Mage Knight: Apocalypse
Wildlife Park 2
Secret Files of Tunguska
Birth of America

We will provide you more information on these titles within soon...

Fredrik

PC Gaming Strikes Back - Part V

2006-09-11T03:31:00.000-04:00

Tired of reading how fanatastically well PC gaming is doing this year? The numbers are not THAT great, but the death of PC gaming is not as imminent as some people seem to think.

When reading the NPD report with the sales figures for August in the US, PC sales has reportedly gone up 3.3% compared to August last year. Year-to-date the increase is 9.6%.

Taking into accout that there are more alternative channels, including Gamer's Gate where we release Silent Heroes this week.

Fredrik

First MMO...

2006-09-07T03:19:00.000-04:00

At last we are involved in an MMORTS game. Infinity Empire is the sequel to Time of Defiance from 2004. Read the full review on Gamespot.

Infinity Empire has elements of both grand strategic warfare and RTS. Gigantic maps, huge robot armies and a universe full of potential enemies. Anyone else who is signing up? :)

7 days free trial on the Infinity Empire home page

Fredrik

Arcade games

2006-08-31T08:04:00.000-04:00

Thanks for your response on the MMO games! I am currently in discussion with several companies in this area and hopefully we'll be able to land something. Don't count on anything to happen too soon...

This time I need help to find people who are developing casual and arcade games. It could be games like Backgammon, Chess, Pinball or Pac-Man-alikes. Ideas? Send me an e-mail at fredrik [dot] wester [at] paradoxplaza [dot] com.

Fredrik

Good day for a Bad Day?

2006-08-30T07:31:00.000-04:00

Coming into the office this morning was great. First of all we could see the first review of Perimeter Emperor's Testament. An 85% on GameZone makes you a little more comfortable and convinced that the game was as good as you thought when it was signed. It is currently being shipped to stores in the US and Scandinavia. Price point is $19.99 and yes; it is a stand-alone game.

For the third day in a row we will have a World Download Premiere on Gamer's Gate. On Monday we had Ascaron's Darkstar One, yesterday was Perimeter: Emperor's Testament and today we are presenting the crazy adventure game Bad Day LA, designed by American McGee.

Lots of things happening around here, will tell you more next week.

Fredrik

World Premiere on Gamer's Gate

2006-08-17T02:28:00.000-04:00

Paradox partner and subsidiary Gamer's Gate today had the opportunity to host a World Premiere. The eagerly awaited 4X game Sword of the Stars is now available for download!

And it has multiplayer :)

Fredrik

Looking at 2007

2006-08-09T03:30:00.000-04:00

2006 has been quite a good year for Paradox. Our publishing has picked up some really great titles and our NY office is working very well. Looking at 2007, I can see many interesting things ahead.

First of all Europa Universalis 3 our biggest and most costly project to date due for January 2007. In the months to follow we have 3 more games planned for release. One of the games is from a developer well-known for their strategy games and is a great partnership for Paradox. The other ones are aimed to be the best in their niche.

Things are just getting better!

Fredrik

Perimeter: ET update

2006-07-25T04:22:00.000-04:00

There are lots of complaints about the video games business lacking innovation and new ideas. Yet, the previews of Perimeter: Emperor's Testament says quite the opposite:

Taken from the Gamespot preview:
"Emperor's Testament is an expansion to one of the most innovative--and underappreciated--real-time strategy games of 2004"

The IGN preview is using the same words:
"We finally get a look at the long awaited follow-up for K-D Lab's innovative RTS."

Just when you thought that you couldn't create innovative RTS games; or innovative sci-fi games for that matter...

Fredrik

PC gaming strikes back - part IV

2006-07-18T03:56:00.000-04:00

A recent article in the New York Times points out that Microsoft has seen the need to push PC games harder in order to sell more computers (thus more Windows Vista).

Click here to read the full article.

Fredrik

More MMOs

2006-07-17T05:01:00.000-04:00

Finally we have a really warm summer in Sweden. However this only increases the working speed :)

After my blog on MMOs, I have had several people contacting me with different suggestions on who we can contact for cooperation. I would be very surprised if Paradox does not go into a cooperation with an MMO company within a year.

Thanks to everyone who sent me e-mails with tips on MMO companies.

Fredrik

Victoria: Revolutions on a CD

2006-07-06T15:29:00.000-04:00

Due to a massive lobby campaign for a CD version of Victoria: Revolutions we decided to make a CD of the game available through our own web shop in addition to the download version. This project is going to be really interesting to evaluate for future releases.

Several partners have contacted Paradox and expressed an interest to release a boxed version of the game... we will keep you updated.

Fredrik

More heroes...

2006-06-28T08:05:00.000-04:00

Did you ever play the title Soldiers: Heroes of World War II? The Gamespot review gave it 79% and the following quote:

"Soldiers: Heroes of World War II is a very good game that should appeal most to hardcore strategy fans, due to its intricate, challenging gameplay and great presentation."

Sounds like something for Paradox, right? This is exactly why we signed a game based on the same engine. In Silent Heroes you play a special operations squad during WW2. SRP is set to $19.99 and release is scheduled for September.

Fredrik

New NY office

2006-06-26T05:04:00.000-04:00

We have a new office in New York, located at Union Square. If you ask nicely, maybe we can convince Susana to post a few pictures from the office :)

Fredrik

New titles

2006-06-21T04:22:00.000-04:00

We are about to sign more titles for this fall. Now we're checking whether we should release a download only game or if we will release it in a box. We'll let you know more on this.

The positive reactions for Victoria: Revolutions has been overwhelming and it's great to read the forum to see the engagement for the game. So why did we choose Victoria for the expansion? Well, it's not our greatest commercial success, but I believe Victoria, for some reason perhaps have the most active fan base of all our games (per sold title that is). This is our way of saying "keep up the good work" to the people in the Victoria forum who so far created 17,013 threads and 243,245 posts since the release late 2003.

If this works out well we will of course look into working with this model for more games.

Fredrik

Soccer...

2006-06-14T03:18:00.000-04:00

The football (what Americans refer to as "Soccer") World Cup has not started that well from Swedish point of view. For everyone who wants a happy Paradox Interactve, keep your fingers crossed when Sweden is playing Paraguay on Thursday.

Reviews keeps coming in on Rush for Berlin:
Game Vortex 88%.
Jolt Gaming 80%.

From the GameVortex reivew:
"If you’re a fan of strategy games, especially WWII –based ones, you can’t go wrong with Rush for Berlin."

Fredrik

A revolution...

2006-06-08T06:45:00.000-04:00

The latest addition to the Paradox portfolio is called Victoria: Revolutions. One of the coolest new features is that you can upload finished games from V:R into Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday.

This opens new possibilities to both games. Imagine using Victoria: Revolutions simply as a random map generator for HoI2: Doomsday? That would be interesting...

Victoria: Revolutions will only be released as download through Gamers Gate and be released in August. Price is set to $9.99 or equivalent.

Fredrik

Independent games

2006-06-05T03:11:00.000-04:00

There are more and more interesting developers out there, many of them focusing on strategy games. Since PC is the only channel where small independent developers can make themselves heard, we will continue to see good games coming from these companies. As you already know, we released Take Command: 2nd Manassas from MadMinute Games previously this year and now we increase the portfolio by publishing the two games Birth of America and Mount & Blade on Gamer's Gate.

Do you know any good independent developers that we haven't heard of? E-mail me at fredrik.wester [a] paradoxplaza.com.

Fredrik

PC gaming strikes back - part III

2006-05-25T06:36:00.000-04:00

When reading through IGN, I spotted their E3 2006: The Final Word on PC article.

Among other things IGN is writing:
"This year's show was proof positive that the PC's pulse is pumping strong"

"The percentage of titles that looked at least good (if not excellent) was higher than I can remember it ever being"

"Looking at the show it's easy to see a near future that's very bright for the PC"

It looks like 2006 and 2007 are going to be a great years for PC games.

Fredrik

MMO games

2006-05-23T04:18:00.000-04:00

Call me crazy, but I think that the market for MMOs is still wide open. What I hope for is an MMO strategy game where you play against thousands of players at the same time. Recently I've been looking for cooperations in the MMO area, if you have any ideas of companies e-mail me at fredrik.lindgren (a) paradoxplaza (dot) com.

Pls also give me feedback on my thoughts.

Fredrik

Perimeter: ET

2006-05-18T06:02:00.000-04:00

The past few days I have received a few e-mails with questions regarding Perimeter: Emperor's Testament. In time we will let you know more about this game, but the reasons we picked it for our portfolio are simple:

1. Who doesn't love sci-fi? Seriously.
2. The first Perimeter was celebrated by Gamespot, IGN and other media as actually an innovative RTS (!)

When you try it, you will understand what they mean.

To all you Take Command players out there, did you see the new Mod tool for the game? If not, check it out!

Fredrik

Wii like it :)

2006-05-17T08:13:00.000-04:00

E3 last week was supposed to be the Clash of the Titans. Everyone expected Sony and Microsoft to dominate the show with their next-gen consoles. To be honest, the thing people talked the most about was the name of the new Nintendo console. Smart PR or just a crazy name, "Wii" really took everyone by surprise...

In all it was a good show, but squeezing in 35 meetings in three days isn't good for your health. Hopefully those meetings will result in things you will be able to read here within soon. :)

Fredrik

Paradox at E3

2006-05-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

The show is now well on its way and Fredrik and I have been running around as always, trying to match our super packed schedule with at least a few looks of what's hot and not. I have been showing off our upcoming titles to the press and the first ever preview of Europa Universalis III has been posted by the Wargamer here .

It's been great to receive such positive feedback and I know the team back home are anxious to hear what has received most attention and comments. I have worked with several of our releases over the past couple of years and I even though I have felt excited about each and every one of them, I have never felt as proud to represent Paradox as I have with this title. Can't wait til next year!

- Susana

Europa Universalis III - first looks

2006-05-03T12:15:00.000-04:00

E3 is drawing closer and our preparations for the show are better than ever before. We are really looking forward to show in-game features of Europa Universalis IIIfor the first time. How is it REALLY possible to start at ANY date in history? Soon you'll all know :)

You should have an update on what to expect from the game 1-2 weeks after E3.

Fredrik

The Paradox Empire

2006-04-29T00:18:00.000-04:00

Players continue to flock to Gal Civ II, especially after the latest v1.1 update, providing players with a massive new amount of content! The Paradox players are making their mark on the Gal Civ II playing community by ranking #8 on the Galactic Metaverse . Keep up the good work!

Gamer's Gate

2006-04-28T08:12:00.000-04:00

We just opened a new service... Gamer's Gate. We will offer our own games for download together with games from other publishers and developers.

Initially we are presenting games from Ascaron Entertainment. More partners will be presented in the following weeks.

Fredrik

More GalCiv2...

2006-04-26T04:15:00.000-04:00

Stardock keeps on working on GalCiv2 and are releasing an impressive list of new features in their latest update of the game. GalCiv2, anyone?

Fredrik

Rushing for Berlin

2006-04-25T07:54:00.000-04:00

We have had a lot of praise for the upcoming title Rush for Berlin lately. What fascinates me the most is the 5 different multiplayer modes.

The most recent preview can be found on Gamespot.

Finally - distributor in France!

2006-04-20T08:22:00.000-04:00

We are very happy that we can finally present our French distributor of Galactic Civilizations 2, Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday and Take Command: 2nd Manassas. We will work with Atari on the French market to get the games out in stores.

Downloads

2006-04-19T02:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we released Take Command: 2nd Manassas for download on Paradox On Demand. Since doing the same with Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday, we have had good success.

If you use this service, or have any ideas on how we should make it better, pls contact Paradox. Our most important focus is service to our customers.

Fredrik

PC gaming strikes back - part II

2006-04-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

I read a recent article on Gamespot where NPD reports a 16% decline of games related retail revenue. At the same time, the NPD newsletter reports a 19.8% increase in retail sales for PC games when comparing March 2005 and March 2006. When comparing Jan-Mar 2005 and Jan-Mar 2006 NPD reports an 8.8% increase in PC games sales.

With the increase of direct downloads through Paradox On Demand, our direct sales channels and the recent sales reports from different markets, we are looking forward to a great 2006.

Soon I'll have more news for you, we're just about to sign some new titles :)

Fredrik

E3 preparations

2006-04-12T15:57:00.000-04:00

A year has passed and that crazy time is here again, E3 is around the corner and everybody that is anybody in this industry is scrambling to get things ready for the BIG event of the year.

For those of you who are not familiar with E3, it's a crazy show for the games industry where developers, publishers, retailers etc meet to see what's new and interesting and all the big publishers and developers try to outdo each other in order to stand out among the rest. Think lots of flashing lights, loud noise, booth babes, huge screens everywhere etc.

For us who work with people all over the world it's also a great way to have meetings in one location rather than spend all waking hours on an airplane (which we do often enough anyway!). I will also be meeting members of the press to show off our new flagship Europa Universalis III which I'm really excited about.

E3 will be covered on all the major gaming sites (in some cases even via live feed) so if you are interested in the show, don't forget to check it out online from May 10 - May 12.

- Susana

Moscow

2006-04-11T04:45:00.000-04:00

Just came home from Moscow where I spent two days at the KRI show looking at new Russian teams as well as experienced companies like Nival and 1C. Rumour says that 1C has 50+ ongoing projects for the PC platform. Will be very interesting to see how this will impact the market next year.

Russia is really an interesting place with some great developers. Will report more on this within soon.

Most impressive project at KRI? Well... Nival's Heroes of Might & Magic V looks really good...

Fredrik

Doomsday is near

2006-04-04T13:26:00.000-04:00

Today Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday is shipping to stores in the US and Canada. In Germany, the UK and Scandinavia the game is shipping April 7. Most other territories are releasing close to April 7 as well. If you can't find the game at your local retailer, ask again. And again. And again.

If you still can't find it you can buy it from our online store or download it directly from us. This is our first ever simultaneous release in retail and download.

Fredrik

Boxes

2006-03-31T04:38:00.000-05:00

Our boxes are getting better looking which every new game. The Doomsday box have a manual the same size as the DVD case. Wow! And it's all shining... Mmm

Someone answered my call for cool GalCiv2 ship designs. Click here to check them out. From what I understand you can download them to your own game and use them as well.

Thanks, now I can continue my galactic conquest...

Fredrik

Design decisions...

2006-03-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

Have you tried to create a cool space ship in GalCiv2 lately? The problem is that my design sucks. Honestly. If you have any cool ship designs, pls send it to me at fredrik.l [at] paradoxplaza.com. I need something like a Star Destroyer to clean up the universe.

On a completely different note, aren't you all longing for a cool MMO RTS game? I surely do.

I also saw that people have started posting HoI2 Doomsday AARs on the forums. I know you won't easily believe my biased view that it's a great game, but you'll get a good idea what to expect from the game by reading the AARs.

Fredrik

Take Command 2nd Manassas demo

2006-03-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

By now I'm sure you haven't missed that the demo for Take Command 2nd Manassas is out.

The demo includes The Gibbon scenario, the Brigade Commander Tutorial and the Division Tutorial.

To download visit Gamspot download

- Susana

French GalCiv2

2006-03-21T11:03:00.002-05:00

I get a lot of e-mails regarding the French release of GalCiv2. We have just found a good distributor and will update you with release date early next week. So to all French people who want the game: hang in there, more information coming up.

New super weapons!

2006-03-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Our big May release is Rush for Berlin and we've just been informed that the game contains several super weapons! Read below:

· Maus: Weighing in at 188 tons, this was the Germans' mightiest tank. Hitler verbally placed an order for the Maus tank with Ferdinand Porsche on 8 June 1942. Two prototypes of the Maus tank were supplied to the Wehrmacht in 1944, but both were destroyed on the testing grounds before they could fall into the hands of the advancing Red Army. A reconstruction made up of parts from both destroyed prototypes is now on display in the Russian museum of Kubinka.

· Goliath: This was a light remote-control demolition vehicle (816 lb) which could steer explosives into enemy positions. Its original purpose was to blow up enemy positions or even tanks from a safe distance. Since the explosive charge could not be dropped, the entire vehicle was blown up in the process. In the game, the German Goliath destroys tanks.

· Messerschmitt 262: The Me 262 was the first jet fighter in the world to be used in battle against other machines. Its wings were of a revolutionary design and made it faster than any Allied plane. The German construction was the world's first jet-powered plane. The game features a whole mission focusing on the first jet plane in the world.

· T-28/T-95: The American Super Heavy Tank was intended to assert itself in attacks on heavy fortifications and be safe from any other tanks previously produced. A newly developed 105 mm quick firing cannon was to be its main armament. Though this vehicle was originally called the T-28, it was renamed T-95 after the decision was made to mount the gun on the front of the hull rather than on a turret.

· Rheintochter: A German anti-air missile that was to support their AA guns. It was radio-controlled from the ground.

· Sturmtiger: A combination assault gun and artillery vehicle. The lack of a rotating turret made the tank look like an assault gun. It was initially used as a supporting unit for bombarding fortifications and bunkers, and later in support of regular tank units.

Susana

A popular steel book

2006-03-15T04:23:00.000-05:00

It seems like the GalCiv2 steel book limited edition was very popular among the gamers. We are printing new units for all markets already and in Germany, where GalCiv2 will be released March 24, we already have problems fulfilling retail demand. Great news indeed, we hope you enjoy GalCiv2 as much as we do.

A few weeks back I promised a Doomsday AAR. We actually had an MP session recently, but I was too occupied trying to defend my ComChina to write an AAR. I'll see if we can an AAR from someone else at the team.

Fredrik

Patience...

2006-03-09T03:03:00.000-05:00

Played Take Command: 2nd Manassas yesterday. After getting my a** kicked by the CS, I only have one one advice for all people planning to play the game: Patience! (and some strategic thinking wouldn't be too bad either...).

If you're playing an artillery Captain (like I did), do not run to the front just to get some action. Wait for it to come to you :)

It all ended with my brigade being overrun and the confederates capturing my three remaining cannons. I'll report back when I have actually won anything in the game...

Fredrik

Raking in the Editor Choice Awards

2006-03-07T15:25:00.000-05:00

Galactic Civilizations II is receiving praise all over the place and has already received several Editors Choice Awards. Great to see that so many reviewers and gamers are enjoying the game!

Gamespy EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Read full review

"Stardock took a real chance in 2003 when they released an old-school turn-based strategy game, a genre most other game companies have given up on. If that game wasn't perfect, it can be seen in retrospect as a necessary stepping stone to the gameplay wonder that's currently running on my desktop computer. Master of Orion is dead. Long live Galactic Civilizations II!"

Gamespot EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Read full review

"Galactic Civilizations II is a strategy gamer's dream, boasting a rare mix of depth, customizability, humor, and replayability."

"The Good: Extremely customizable gameplay provides superb replayability; the best ai in strategy gaming; very cool ship designer that significantly contributes to gameplay; truly viable variable victory conditions; will keep you up all night playing "just one more turn".

Firing Squad EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Read full review

"Galactic Civilizations II is a worthy sequel, improving the franchise significantly in many ways without losing sight of what made it great. We’re impressed with how simple the game has stayed while adding so much depth."

Ic-games EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Read full review

"Fun and enjoyment wise nothing has touched Galactic Civilization II this year and we'll be surprised if that stance changes in December. Stardock and Paradox have without doubt created a hugely enjoyable and highly customizable space simulation that deservers every ounce of your attention. Immersive and addictive, Galactic Civilization II is the perfect compliment for the megalomanic Galactic Commander desperate for that extra control."

Publisher interview

2006-03-06T13:34:00.000-05:00

Curious to see what the future holds for Paradox? Check out this publisher interview on the Wargamer where Jim Zabek digs deep into the mind of Director of Publishing Fredrik W Lindgren.

Susana

Hong Kong... and GalCiv2

2006-03-03T07:45:00.000-05:00

Just came back from a trip to Hong Kong. It was impressing to see how far they have come in online gaming concepts. We would really like to try online games to see how strategy games would do in this area.

An hour ago I visited our local EB Games store in Stockholm and they were sold out on the first shipment of GalCiv2. For those who are interested in getting the steelbook limited edition it is time to hurry up...

PC gaming strikes back

2006-02-27T19:54:00.000-05:00

While journalists continue to report about the death of PC gaming, Forrester Research recently presented an interesting report named North American Video Gaming: Surviving A Midlife Slowdown.

Forrester points out that the PC is not only the gaming platform with the biggest installed base, it also has the highest number of people playing online and Forrester predicts that PC gaming will grow significantly in the next couple of years. While the consoles will go through a midlife crisis, the PC market share will be boosted by better broadband solutions and the introduction of gaming PCs.

Fredrik

1st Editors Choice Award

2006-02-27T14:23:00.000-05:00

It's official, Gal Civ II is not only the players favorite, the reviews are starting to trickle in and the verdict so far is unanimous. Gal Civ II is currently listed under "Most popular" games on Game Rankings and has a review average of 92.7%.

IC-games 93% Editors Choice Award
"Fun and enjoyment wise nothing has touched Galactic Civilization II this year and we’ll be surprised if that stance changes in December. Stardock and Paradox have without doubt created a hugely enjoyable and highly customizable space simulation that deservers every ounce of your attention. Immersive and addictive, Galactic Civilization II is the perfect compliment for the megalomanic Galactic Commander desperate for that extra control."
Read complete review

Next Level Gaming 95%
"The replay on this game is gigantic; I have rarely seen games that offer so much to the return player."
Read complete review

Susana

In-game footage TC2M

2006-02-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

This Civil War title will give every gamer out there the chance to really Take Command and affect the outcome of this great battle. History fans, strategy fans and wargamers will be able to immerse themselves in this RTS that prides itself on it’s detail and challenging gameplay.

See what others are saying about it:
Wargamer preview

See what the developers are saying about it:
Developers interview Game Zone

Judge for yourself by watching the new in-game video footage on Gamers Hell or Gamespot .

Susana

GalCiv2 box

2006-02-23T06:25:00.000-05:00

When I came out of a meeting this morning, the GalCiv2 box (limited edition) was on my desk. Without saying too much, the box looks GREAT.

Fredrik

Awards

2006-02-22T06:03:00.000-05:00

When Wargamer.com presented their Readers Choice Awards - 2005, Paradox and partners did very well. The following categories and awards are in some way connected to Paradox:

The Readers' Choice Awards - Strategy. Hearts of Iron 2 - Silver award.

The Readers' Choice Awards - Wargame. Civil War: Bull Run by Mad Minute Games - Gold award (MMG is the team behind upcoming Take Command: 2nd Manassas, to be published by Paradox in April 2006).

The Readers' Choice Awards - Developer. Silver award to Mad Minute Games and Bronze award to Paradox Interactive.

The Readers' Choice Awards - Publisher. Silver award to Paradox Interactive.

Looking at our upcoming titles, we really look forward to seeing the outcome of the Readers Choice Awards of 2006.

Fredrik

That first review...

2006-02-21T06:24:00.000-05:00

Every time we release a game we are nervously awaiting the first reviews to be published. Will the reviewers really think the game is as good as we think?

With the first review of Galactic Civilizations 2 published on PC Game World there are no doubts at least this reviewer shares our opinion of GalCiv2.

The next nervous wait for the first review is now just a month away with the release of Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday...

Fredrik

Doomsday for Japan

2006-02-20T04:44:00.000-05:00

Although Japan is not a big market when it comes to PC games, you will be able to find Doomsday on the shelves at least in some stores in Nippon. The release of Hearts of Iron 2 on the Japanese market turned out to be a success so our partners Cyberfront decided to release the expansion pack as well.

Fure fure Nihon!

Fredrik

Flower power!

2006-02-17T03:39:00.000-05:00

With the annoucement of EU3, flowers where sent to our office from one of the fans of EU2. This came together with a promise to buy 10 copies of the game. I don't know if we're supposed to be scared or overwhelmed... :)

Fact remains: If all our fans decide to buy 10 copies of EU3; we'll get that well deserved vacation on Bahamas.

Fredrik

Europa Universalis 3

2006-02-15T02:44:00.000-05:00

It is always great waking up the morning after sending out those "big" press releases. With the annoucement of Europa Universalis 3 yesterday we are looking forward to the biggest project in Paradox history.

Johan reveals some game details in a Gamespot Q&A and this time we even have a lot of concept art one year before release. I'm impressed :)

Fredrik

Update from Budapest

2006-02-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Just came home from Budapest after a meeting with Stormregion. The game (Rush for Berlin) looks great and is in the hands of one of the best RTS teams in the world. The cover art is ready within a few weeks and we will keep you updated on demos and other goodies from the game.

On the Rush for berlin homepage you can now participate in a Pimp My Tank competition. All participants have the chance to win a Königstiger or Panzer IV replica tank.

Today I saw a Gamespot preview on GalCiv2. I guess fans of the 4X sci-fi games will only need to read the headline "Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords Hands-On - The Spiritual Heir to Master of Orion II?" to make up their minds... :)

Fredrik

The Buzz on Paradox

2006-02-07T03:24:00.000-05:00

2005 has been the best year in Paradox' history and it looks like we will be able to look forward to an even better 2006. We are still growing and developing our business in an industry that is suffering from a hangover after several years of what looked like never-ending growth. Not only do we sign titles from experienced and well-known teams, but we are also learning to be better in our own publishing and production efforts.

It is also great to see that others appreciate what we do. I found one example browsing through Gamespot last week, where a gamer posted a comprehesive list of all promising PC games slated for 2006 release". By "promising" the author meant games with big chances of scoring at least AA, while extremely small chances of scoring below 7.

Out of the five games Paradox will publish during the first 6 months 2006, all five made it on to the list. Lists like these and feedback from many other parties in the industry are indicators that we are constantly strengthening our position as one of the leading strategy games publishers. However, it is important to stress that we are not striving to be the biggest publisher out there, our main goal is to publish the games we like and that we know our fans will like.

An extract from the list (with user comments):

Rush for Berlin
From Stormregion (makers of Panzers, which got 8.8 here)

Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday
An add-on to 8.3 game

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords
Sequel to best space-based 4X game in recent years (8.4 from GS)

Heart of Empire: Rome
A city-building game by DeepRed(makers of Monopoly Tycoon, also a city-builder (which scored 8.5 at GS)

Take Command:2nd Manassas
Sequel to Bull's Run. Which is considered the best civil war game ever made. It got Wargamer's 5 stars and award of excelence, Gamezone rated it 8.5. ComputerGamesMagazine called it "one of the most dramatic wargames you'll ever play".

Keeping in mind that we have have only presented titles for the first six months so far, it looks like we will have a great 2006 indeed...

Fredrik

Historically correct vs politically incorrect

2006-02-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

Recently we have received lots of inquiries about our upcoming Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday expansion. Questions vary from what features will be added to the title to why the Paradox Interactive development team decided to go from games with accurate historical information to a "what-if" World War III scenario where we may freely interpret history our own way, thus possibly walking into a politically sensitive area.

Initially we can say that the Doomsday scenario (1945+) will not be for those looking for a historically correct game. However, if you belong to those who have ever wondered about what a war between the allies in late 1945 might have turned out like, the game is definitely something you should look into.

In brief, our reason for choosing to develop Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday can be described in three bullets:

- World War III - we wanted to put a lot of effort into what could have happened in a war between the allies. Pure speculation mixed with all historical data for the time period and techs that cover the time period until 1953.

- Intelligence features. The extra tab in Doomsday will add an extra meta-level of gameplay where nations in peace will be able to have their own "invisible" conflicts. This opens for new and cool ways of playing, especially in multiplayer.

- Perfection. When Hearts of Iron 2 was released we were very happy with the result and we still consider it one of our best titles ever released. However, much like anything we could have perfected a few things even more and we took time to add things like automatic sliders in Doomsday, thus perfecting the gameplay of the series even further.

Mixing the three bullets above with lots of new historical information, events, scenarios and a brand new graphical scenario editor, the result is spelled Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday. Did I mention the pre-orders start today?

To summarize you could say that Doomsday is leaning more towards the politically incorrect than the historically correct.

The first multiplayer AAR from inside the Paradox office should reach you within a few weeks. Don't miss the latest screens from the game, published here

Fredrik

Take Command 2nd Manassas

2006-01-29T04:56:00.000-05:00

Working with the Paradox development team has made me accustomed to games that hold incredible historical depth and detail. However, I still find it fascinating to see the approach that the guys from MadMinute Games have taken to this in Take Command 2nd Manassas.

The 5 gigantic battle maps in the game are all made based on reasearch from the Library of Congress and I've seen numerous screenshots placed next to photos of actual places and in comparison they are almost identical. Now that's realism!

This title has the potential to become huge in the US for obvious reasons but with the great and challenging gameplay as well as the replayability of carryover techtrees, 48 scenarios and more this is definitely something for strategy fans anywhere. I have already been getting e-mails from players anxious to get a hold of their own copy.

We'll keep you posted on this one, don't forget that our newsletter is the best way to get our latest news delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up newsletter

Susana

New York

2006-01-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

Paradox Interactive has been a global publisher for a few years now and North America is one of the markets where we are particularly strong. Our publishing business world-wide has increased from a couple of titles each year to a fantastic 5 title line-up, and that's just for the first half of 2006!

As PR and Marketing manager I have traveled to the US quite extensively to meet with writers for the bigger sites and magazines like Gamespot and PC Gamer but also specialist media like the Wargamer and Armchair General. It's great to meet all these dedicated people who have turned their passion into careers, and showing our games in person, games which are often very rich in detail and scope, allow for interesting discussions and questions.

So when Paradox asked me if I wanted to move to New York to set up a fully functioning US office, I did not have to think about it very long. While I'll continue to work with PR and Marketing, my focus this year will be to ensure this New York office is around long after I've returned to Sweden. So in a few weeks I'll make the transition across the Atlantic and continue to strengthen Paradox Interactive's position in North America. I can't wait!!

Susana

Galactic Civilizations II

2006-01-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

We are getting closer to a release of Galactic Civilizations II and the anticipation in the office is mounting! I know we have mentioned it before but our limited edition DVD Steelbook is shaping up to become a real collectors item and it's great to be premiering this format on such a fitting title.

Now that we know so many of you enjoy the extra material we have started putting in our boxes, we have managed to pull some strings and will pack this box with goodies. A big 4 color poster with the tech tree on both sides, a 4 color manual filled with all you need to know as well as an introduction to all our surrounding services like the forum, the web shop, the download site etc.

Now we just have to keep our graphics designer on the correct side of sanity while we introduce our ideas for coming titles :-).

Susana

A New Year!

2006-01-02T05:17:00.001-05:00

A New Year and new challenges to conquer! With our busiest line-up yet for 2006, we have spent most of the holidays creating plans for the months to come.

Galactic Civilizations II (Europe) Gal Civ II website
Hearts of Iron II Doomsday (Worldwide) Doomsday
Take Command 2nd Manassas (Worldwide) Mad Minute Games
Rush for Berlin (North America) Rush for Berlin website
Heart of Empire Rome (North America)

All are titles we are very excited to be publishing but I keep dreaming about Drengin Lords and Civil War heroes - does that mean I'm taking my job a bit too seriously?

A New Year requires New Year resolutions and the team has made a few. Developers all over will claim that as long as a game is good enough it will sell and market itself, however having worked in the industry for a while, I've seen that packaging/marketing/sales is quite significant. If gamers do not know about your game, it does not matter how fantastic it is. So these are our resolutions for the year:

1. We will sign at least 2 new and exciting titles for 2006, current line-up not included.
2. We will have 75,000 members on our forums by the end of 2006. Currently we have 51,000.
3. We will update this blog once a week, holidays excluded.

See ya!

Kind regards
Susana Meza

A New Title!

2005-12-29T08:19:00.000-05:00

We finally signed Take Command: 2nd Manassas with Mad Minute Games! We've been watching the company for over a year and after playing their first game (Bull Run) we wanted to sign their upcoming title. Now we're there and the game is to be released on April 18 in most markets.

I have been playing the beta of Take Command: 2nd Manassas during the Christmas holiday and I have to confess I had problems defeating the AI.

OK, I am not the greatest strategy gamer in the world but I am quite sure this game will be a challenge to the fans of our games. The level of detail on the commanders and troops is amazing. I'll keep you updated on the progress of the game and its release.

Fredrik

Welcome!

2005-12-29T04:10:00.000-05:00

Paradox Interactive is a leading publisher and developer of strategy games for the PC platform and we are best known for games like the Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron series. We have more than 50.000 members on our forums http://forum.paradoxplaza.com
and now it's time to connect to an even wider audience.

This blog will mainly feature updates and behind the scene observations from the Paradox publishing team, but we might be able to convince our development team to post something occasionally.

You will meet Fredrik Lindgren, Director of Publishing and Susana Meza, PR and Marketing manager at Paradox. We will keep you updated on new titles, publishing plans, what is happening on the development side, gossip and much more.

If you want to find out more about Paradox Interactive and our portfolio, please visit our website: http://www.paradoxplaza.com
To receive news automatically, sign up for our newsletter: http://www.paradoxplaza.com/newsletter.asp

See you soon!

Kind regards
Fredrik and Susana