14 DAY TRIAL // Paradox Entertainment has just announced having picked up the publishing rights for East India Company, which is described as a naval strategy by developer Nitro Games Ltd. The game aims to tell the story of the fierce battle waged between nations, through East Indian Companies, in order to secure the trade routes to the subcontinent.
The game is right up the Paradox alley, with a lot of different facets that the player can control. There is a trading aspect, which is central to bringing in revenue, there are diplomacy actions dealing with different nations, and many wars take place, especially for the control of the trade lanes.
Players can choose to act as the mind managing the whole business of the East India Company but they can also choose to select and control a single ship that is engaged in combat.
Gamers will be able to choose from nations such as the British, Dutch, French, Danish, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish and Holy Roman Empire, each with its own experience and specificities. Nitro aims to simulate more than ten types of ships that were used in trade with India. Commanders can be hired to influence the outcome of battles and there are also a lot of options that can used in the diplomacy mode, in order to limit the influence of the other European powers.
Fredrik Wester, who is the executive vice president of Paradox Interactive, said that “East India Company is an excellent addition to the Paradox portfolio of quality games. With a combination of challenging gameplay and outstanding production value, East India Company is sure to impress the most demanding gamers.”
It's quite clear why Paradox decided to pick the game up. It has striking similarities with its own titles, like Europa Universalis III, and it focuses on an aspect of history that Paradox has not directly tackled in its releases. There's no clear launch window for East India Company at the moment.