<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
(	O
WBM	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
basketball	B-Application
management	O
simulation	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
originally	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Greek	O
studio	O
Icehole	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
began	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Basketball	B-Application
Manager	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
renamed	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latest	O
version	O
,	O
titled	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
X	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
23	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Basketball	B-Application
Manager	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
created	O
by	O
an	O
internal	O
development	O
team	O
at	O
Volax	O
Interactive	O
calling	O
themselves	O
"	O
icehole	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
2	O
people	O
,	O
who	O
have	O
since	O
cited	O
football	O
management	O
simulation	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Championship	B-Application
Manager	I-Application
,	O
Player	B-Application
Manager	I-Application
and	O
Premier	B-Application
Manager	I-Application
as	O
their	O
main	O
influence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Basketball	B-Application
Manager	O
featured	O
only	O
the	O
Greek	O
League	O
and	O
2	O
European	O
tournaments	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Greek	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
,	O
improved	O
and	O
expanded	O
version	O
of	O
Basketball	B-Application
Manager	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
included	O
6	O
European	O
basketball	B-Application
leagues	O
(	O
by	O
adding	O
the	O
French	O
,	O
German	O
,	O
Italian	O
,	O
Spanish	O
and	O
Israeli	O
leagues	O
to	O
the	O
existing	O
Greek	O
one	O
)	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
every	O
international	O
European	O
tournament	O
held	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
featuring	O
new	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
latest	O
Basketball	B-Application
Manager	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
behind	O
the	O
BM	O
project	O
at	O
Volax	O
left	O
the	O
company	O
and	O
founded	O
Metal	O
Fin	O
,	O
but	O
insisted	O
on	O
keeping	O
"	O
icehole	O
"	O
as	O
the	O
collective	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
behind	O
the	O
next	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
securing	O
funding	O
,	O
which	O
enabled	O
developers	O
to	O
work	O
full-time	O
on	O
the	O
next	O
title	O
,	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
featured	O
65	O
international	O
basketball	B-Application
tournaments	O
and	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
94	O
countries	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
only	O
basketball	B-Application
management	O
game	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
to	O
include	O
basketball	B-Application
teams	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
WBM	O
featured	O
gameplay	O
inspired	O
by	O
football	O
management	O
simulation	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Championship	B-Application
Manager	I-Application
,	O
and	O
became	O
well-known	O
for	O
its	O
realistic	O
match	O
simulation	O
and	O
challenging	O
AI	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
a	O
genetic	B-Algorithm
algorithm	I-Algorithm
and	O
deterministic	O
logic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2007	O
was	O
the	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
WBM	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
an	O
international	O
release	O
on	O
22	O
February	O
2007	O
,	O
with	O
BHV	O
handling	O
distribution	O
in	O
Germany	O
,	O
Austria	O
and	O
Switzerland	B-Protocol
,	O
while	O
the	O
Greek	O
version	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
MLS	O
in	O
both	O
Greece	O
and	O
Cyprus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
featured	O
an	O
expanded	O
database	O
over	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
with	O
64	O
national	O
and	O
international	O
tournaments	O
,	O
655	O
teams	O
,	O
10.000	O
basketball	B-Application
players	O
and	O
1.000	O
managers	O
,	O
although	O
no	O
improvements	O
were	O
made	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
further	O
featured	O
a	O
new	O
training	O
system	O
with	O
106	O
different	O
training	O
routines	O
,	O
improved	O
AI	O
,	O
faster	O
game	O
progression	O
algorithms	O
,	O
more	O
realistic	O
free	O
agent	O
pricing	O
,	O
improved	O
player	O
creation	O
and	O
career	O
progress	O
and	O
a	O
simulation	O
of	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
draft	O
taking	O
place	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
every	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
feedback	O
system	O
was	O
implemented	O
,	O
including	O
feedback	O
from	O
the	O
press	O
,	O
fans	O
,	O
players	O
and	O
administration	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
receive	O
job	O
offers	O
from	O
more	O
prestigious	O
basketball	B-Application
clubs	O
and	O
even	O
national	O
basketball	B-Application
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2008	O
was	O
the	O
fourth	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
WBM	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2009	O
was	O
the	O
fifth	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
WBM	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
added	O
22	O
new	O
tournaments	O
,	O
raising	O
the	O
total	O
number	O
to	O
89	O
,	O
with	O
852	O
teams	O
,	O
10.000	O
basketball	B-Application
players	O
and	O
1.000	O
managers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2010	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
upgrade	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
previous	O
installment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
would	O
become	O
the	O
standard	O
format	O
for	O
WBM	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
next	O
5	O
years	O
(	O
with	O
season	O
2015	O
being	O
the	O
last	O
update	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
)	O
,	O
until	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
free	O
mini-game	O
,	O
this	O
time	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
2014	O
FIBA	O
Basketball	B-Application
World	O
Cup	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
similar	O
premise	O
to	O
the	O
EuroBasket	O
2009	O
edition	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2014	O
,	O
featuring	O
all	O
24	O
participating	O
teams	O
,	O
tournament	O
venues	O
,	O
drawn	O
Groups	O
and	O
national	O
team	O
rosters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
2	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Icehole	O
announced	O
the	O
release	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
2	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
WBM	O
series	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
to	O
be	O
available	O
on	O
Mac	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
database	O
included	O
over	O
13.500	O
players	O
,	O
1.100	O
basketball	B-Application
teams	O
and	O
more	O
than	O
100	O
Club	O
and	O
National	O
Team	O
tournaments	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
game	O
featured	O
support	O
for	O
12	O
languages	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
X	O
is	O
the	O
latest	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
WBM	O
series	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
23	O
,	O
2019	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
with	O
a	O
MacOS	B-Application
version	O
following	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
4	O
,	O
2013	O
Icehole	O
Games	O
announced	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
first	O
(	O
and	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
,	O
only	O
)	O
spin-off	O
title	O
,	O
World	B-Application
Basketball	I-Application
Manager	I-Application
Tycoon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
departure	O
from	O
the	O
strict	O
management	O
simulation	O
format	O
established	O
by	O
the	O
other	O
WBM	O
games	O
,	O
instead	O
opting	O
for	O
a	O
mixture	O
between	O
the	O
former	O
and	O
a	O
tycoon	B-Application
game	I-Application
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WBM	O
Tycoon	O
features	O
over	O
100	O
national	O
and	O
international	O
competitions	O
,	O
1000+	O
clubs	O
(	O
including	O
national	O
teams	O
)	O
,	O
12.500	O
+	O
basketball	B-Application
players	O
and	O
over	O
1200	O
managers	O
,	O
sharing	O
the	O
same	O
database	O
and	O
match	O
AI	O
with	O
the	O
regular	O
WBM	O
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maintaining	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
managerial	O
aspects	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
WBM	O
Tycoon	O
players	O
are	O
further	O
tasked	O
with	O
successfully	O
building	O
and	O
maintaining	O
a	O
basketball	B-Application
franchise	O
through	O
business	O
ownership	O
as	O
an	O
entrepreneur	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
community-maintained	O
database	O
has	O
been	O
created	O
by	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
called	O
the	O
Real	O
Names	O
&	O
Images	O
Project	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
real	O
team	O
logos	O
,	O
player	O
and	O
manager	O
photos	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
9600	O
real	O
names	O
of	O
basketball	B-Application
players	O
,	O
650	O
actual	O
team	O
names	O
and	O
1000	O
actual	O
manager	O
names	O
from	O
194	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
