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About SpiritWars What is SpiritWars? Frequently Asked Questions Member Version Free vs. Pay Version Storyline Product Description "Just Like Chess..." Quotes Marketing Information Technology Summary Code of Conduct
Tutorials In-Depth Tutorial Beginner's Guide 1 Beginner's Guide 2 Beginner's Guide 3 Beginner's Guide 4 Tips for Beginners
Online Game Manual About This Manual Introduction to SpiritWars Introduction to Spirits Playing Pieces Spirit Classes Class Relationships Spirit Attributes The Energy Phase Resurrection Population Events Population Event List Player Ratings
Design Philosophy Design Philosophy Intro True Internet Design Level Playing Field No Free Lunch
Reviews: Gamer's Pulse Review gamezone gamgaz
About the Developer Developer Info Credits


General Marketing Information


SpiritWars is no longer affiliated  with Havas and the World Opponent Network,  and we are open to discussions for new publishing partners. This set of web pages is designed to provide some general information about the game's history and the underlying technology.

Established Online Strategy Game:

SpiritWars was first launched on the World Opponent Network on Dec. 20, 1998. To date, the free version has been played by over 19,000 players logging in excess of 238,000 games. (Combined with the member version and the extensive online private beta before the launch, approximately 400,000 games of SpiritWars have been played to date despite the lack of any commercial affiliation since the split with Havas/WON.)

Game Summary:

SpiritWars is a two-player online strategy game that effectively combines the traditional features of classic board games (like Chess or Stratego®) with the dynamic design model normally found only in collectable trading card games (like Magic: The Gathering®). One of the game's greatest attractions is the repeated play appeal. We have many gamers now who have played over 3,000 games and our most active players have nearing the 7,000 game mark.

Demographic Appeal:

SpiritWars is a fundamentally simple game, drawing heavily on the proven designs of traditional board games.  The long-term appeal comes from the dynamic elements that introduce an infinite variety of playing variations.

The most common description of SpiritWars by our players is that it combines the best features of Chess and Magic: The Gathering.  

The use of traditional mythology and classical fine art give the game a rich and elegant look; and also have been a key factor in the game's ability to attract female players.   The heavily moderated G-rated atmosphere of the online community also is frequently cited by women players as another major attraction for them.

The minimal bandwidth requirements for game play have proven popular both with players using slow Internet connections and with foreign players who frequently have significant problems playing many games with opponents located on the other side of the globe.

Key marketing demographics for SpiritWars are the traditional board and strategy game players, fans of the collectable trading card games and traditional war gamers.

Dual Version Model:

SpiritWars was developed in a dual version model as part of our long-term marketing plan developed with our soon-to-be former business partner.

(While we still think this is the most viable business model for this particular game design, we are certainly open to discuss other possible options and marketing plans. We have had some conversations with potential partners about making the entire game free - including the pay-to-play features - and with the right business deal, this is still a possibility.)

In the current delivery system, there is a free version of the game available. This is not a "stripped" demo model. The free game offers substantial long-term replay value. We have players who have logged well over 5,000 games playing only the free version.  And we have many players who have been playing the game for over three years, with no noticeable decline in the number of games they play.

The member (pay) version includes some enhanced features. These include owning individual playing pieces (spirits, in our world; comparable to "cards" in the CTCG world). In the free version, all players share a common spirit population. If you wish to evaluate the member version of SpiritWars, please contact Randy Chase to get a house account created for your use.

Technology Review:

SpiritWars represents a rich featured mature online game environment.

This includes client-side applications, full functioning server configurations that support both the free and "pay to play" versions of the game, an auto-update system, player behavior controls and tools, a sophisticated moderator and "helper" system for the SpiritWars chat environment, supporting web sites, message boards, mailing lists, a versatile and dynamic tournament feature, support for league play and e-commerce functionality. None of this existing technology relies on any of the World Opponents Network services and the game can easily and quickly be moved to any new server location with a minimal interruption of online game play.

A brief review of supporting technology and features of the SpiritWars environment can be found that this link:  Technology & Feature Summary.


SpiritWars™ is a registered trademark of Kellogg Creek Software.