Pioneering Mobile MMORPG TibiaME Turns 20
Released way back in 1997, Tibia is one of the longest-running MMORPGs. Back on May 12, 2003, Tibia: Micro Edition (or TibiaME ) was released, and is regarded as the first mobile MMORPG. Now, CipSoft is celebrating its two-decade old mobile MMO with some anniversary rewards.
In the past 20 years, the game has gotten over 10 million global users. Back in 1997, mobile data was ridiculously expensive, and it wasn't like there was a smartphone in almost everyone's pocket. TibiaME was officially released through a partnership with T-Mobile, for phones that had the Symbian operating system. If you aren't used to the trajectory that mobile gaming has taken over the past two decades, and more specifically even within the last decade, then this might be hard to imagine.
CipSoft co-founder Ulrich Schlott reflected on this long history. “We just bet that the market would continue to evolve. Smartphones with touch displays or apps weren't even talked about back then,” he says in the anniversary announcement. With TibiaME still running today, having been increasingly supported by many subsequent mobile platforms and devices, it’s a little bit of MMORPG history that everyone can still explore on live, official servers. Along with the original Tibia , of course.
TibiaME got some polish in time for the celebrations. There’s a new UI and an overhauled starting area. For those who prefer to keep things classic, one of the islands you can go to is still a place you can visit in its classic look that is just like the early days and offers daily tasks and rewards. The developers also hop into the game as bosses in TibiaME , so if you're looking for a challenge, hundreds of still active players, and maybe a chance to
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