Bigpoint Launches Silverlight-Powered MMO Warstory

German online game publisher Bigpoint today announced the launch of Warstory: Europe in Flames, one of the first browser-based MMOs built on Microsoft's Silverlight development platform. Developed by Munich-based Chimera Entertainment, Warstory is a free-to-play strategy title set during World War II. Chimera said the Silverlight development platform it used for the game was similar to the kinds of environments the company was used to using for classic PC games. The studio went on to describe the development platform's tools as "efficient," and praised Microsoft for early support in adopting the technology. Bigpoint, which claims over 140 million registered users through its network of free-to-play titles, said it intends to release more games built atop the Silverlight platform in early 2011. "Bigpoint's leadership stems from our willingness to support innovative technologies that improve the quality of graphics and game play in browser games," said Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz. Hubertz continues, "Being early to market with a multiplayer title that takes advantage of the wide range of features and capabilities in Silverlight was a major factor in our decision to license and add this game to our global network."