| Dungeon Keeper | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Real-time strategy,god game,dungeon management game |
| Developers | Bullfrog Productions,Mythic Entertainment |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Platforms | DOS,Microsoft Windows,iOS,Android |
| Original release | 1997–1999, 2014 |
| First release | Dungeon Keeper June 26, 1997 |
| Latest release | Dungeon Keeper January 30, 2014 |
Dungeon Keeper is a series ofstrategy video games released byElectronic Arts. Two games were developed byBullfrog Productions for thePC in the late 1990s, and a third was in development but was cancelled before release. A Chinese MMO was in development from 2008–2013 and achieved open beta release, but was cancelled before full launch. A free-to-play game forAndroid andiOS was developed byMythic Entertainment and released in 2013.
Dungeon Keeper was released in June 1997. It used a modified version of theMagic Carpet game engine.
Dungeon Keeper 2 was released in June 1999. It used a new game engine that natively supportedhardware acceleration. Its predecessor supportedDirect3D but only with an alternative executable. The sequel also used full-3D models for the creatures and enemies, rather thansprites.
In August 2013, EA andMythic Entertainment announced that they were creating a "twisted take" onDungeon Keeper for bothAndroid andiOS mobile devices with a release date set for winter of the same year.[1]
On 10 October 2013,Dungeon Keeper Mobilesoft-launched onGoogle Play andiOS App Store.[2] The game has facedcriticism due to its use of microtransactions and wait times, withPeter Molyneux, the original creator, even saying that it ruined the fun aspects ofDungeon Keeper. The game has also faced controversy due to EA's habit of censoring reviews that are lower than 5 stars.
Dungeon Keeper 3 was in development in 2000, but was cancelled later that year. SomeDungeon Keeper 2 CDs contained a trailer showing some features ofDungeon Keeper 3; among them were above-land battles. One member ofBullfrog Productions stated on his personal website thatDungeon Keeper 3 was going to be namedWar for the Overworld. The project was discontinued because, according to developerErnest W. Adams, Bullfrog had decided not to make any other real-time strategy games. The decision was, in effect, the end of Bullfrog as a brand; the company had already been owned byElectronic Arts for several years. EA laid off some employees and put the remainder onto other projects such as theHarry Potter line.
On 1 December 2008, NetDragonWebsoft Inc., a Chinese online game developer, announced it had partnered withElectronic Arts to develop amassively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the Dungeon Keeper license.[3] The game was slated to appear only inChina,Taiwan,Hong Kong andMacau.[4] A closed beta for the game was launched in 2011, followed by an open beta in 2012.[5] The game never reached full release however, and the servers were closed down on December 20, 2013.[6]