Video Game Development
We design and engineer immersive multiplayer and single-player experiences from the ground up — blending original storytelling with cutting-edge tech to create worlds players never want to leave.
What We Do
Four Pillars of Vision
From concept art to live servers, we cover the full spectrum of interactive entertainment — and fight to keep games alive.
Publishing
We partner with indie creators to bring their games to market — handling distribution, marketing, QA, and community building so developers can focus on making great games.
Software Development
Beyond games, we build robust tools, backend infrastructure, launcher platforms, and analytics systems — the invisible engineering that makes online gaming seamless and scalable.
Saving At-Risk Games
When publishers pull the plug on beloved online titles, we step in. Through acquisition, reverse engineering, and community-driven revival, we ensure gaming history isn't erased.
Portfolio
Featured Projects
A selection of games we've developed, published, or preserved — each one a testament to our passion for interactive entertainment.
Preserved & Actively Developed
Pirates of the Burning Sea
The former Sony Online Entertainment MMORPG set in a swashbuckling 1720 Caribbean. Command your ship in tactical broadside naval combat, engage in cutlass-and-rapier boarding duels, manage a player-driven production economy, and fight for control of ports across the high seas. Originally developed by Flying Lab Software (2002–2008), published by SOE, then Portalus Games — now preserved & actively enhanced by Vision Online Games since October 2018.
Vision-Era Enhancements
- Tactical ship-to-ship naval combat with ~55 unique vessels, 11 cannon shot types, and a durability/insurance system
- Swashbuckling melee combat — four fighting styles (Dirty Fighting, Fencing, Florentine, Brawling) with deep skill trees
- Player-driven production economy — lumbermills, shipyards, trade routes, and port contention PvP battles
- Society (guild) system, user-created ships/sails/flags, and up to 6 characters per account
- DICE Award nominee (Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year, 2009) — 76% GameRankings score
- Codebase modernized: VS2005 → VS2019, new Advanced Installer & patching system replacing BitRaider
- Graphics overhaul: enhanced LOD, max default settings, FOV slider, adjustable camera height
- Network rebuilt: full UDP→TCP migration, multi-threaded patch downloads, keepalives & auto-reconnect
- Economy reformed: NPC market seeding overhaul, Trade Goods return, all-region Auction House visibility
- Multi-language: automatic chat translation (EN/FR/DE/ES/RU) in-game & on Discord, multi-language newsletters
- Legacy Server: v2.10 classic experience, subscription-based, with restored ship diversity & original rules
- Major bug fixes: Open Sea Battle Marker, ship-switching glitches, Auction House lock-ups, and 7+ more critical issues
January 2020 — 12th Anniversary Codebase & Infrastructure
Vision begins modernizing the entire development pipeline after taking over operations.
- Upgraded codebase from Visual Studio 2005 to Visual Studio 2019 — first Vision-derived server-side build tested with only 3 bugs
- Resurrected internal Development Environment and Build System after years of dormancy
- Set up multiple performance-monitoring and -enhancing servers in Vision's datacenter
- 5-Language Automatic Translation System deployed on Discord (EN/FR/DE/ES/RU)
- User-Generated Flag & Sail Content restored (Stage 1) — long-absent custom flags and sails return
- Legacy Server announced — older version with classic rules, different ships, fresh start for all players
- Vision's Discord equipped as direct connection to Dev Team & Support, society recruitment hub
- 12th Anniversary in-game content live on docks at each nation's starting port
May 2020 — Mid-Year Update Events & Build Pipeline
- Daily Item Giveaways launched (May 10–17) — gifts awarded by character level tier
- Mardi Gras content extended through end of May
- v2.17 build preparation nearly complete — launcher issues resolved, deployment processes restored
October 2020 — v2.17 Rollout & New Installer Major Infrastructure
- New Game Installer & Launcher based on Advanced Installer — full replacement for BitRaider, eliminating "Malicious Software" false-positive errors
- New Patching System deployed — Build Pipeline fully restored for ongoing updates
- Staged Rollout of PotBS v2.17 begins across all servers (Test → Antigua & Roberts)
- Windows 7 becomes minimum supported OS (up from XP/Vista)
- New burningsea.com website launches with screenshots, videos, and multi-language support
- New PotBS Wiki at wiki.burningsea.com — Vision-hosted, super-fast, ad-free replacement
- 2020 Hardware Refresh: 96-Core Dell PowerEdge R830 with 768 GB RAM, RAID-60 SSD array, 40 Gbps InfiniBand, 10 Gbps fiber
- New 48-port 10 Gbps XFP Fiber Switch added to rack
- Halloween Event content launched — ghost ship theme with ghouls, monsters, and spirits
December 2022 — Legacy Server Launch 🏴☠️ New Server
- Legacy Server launches Dec 23, 2022 — fresh-start based on v2.10 build with Society Warehouses, classic rules, diverse ship roster
- Legacy requires Active Subscription — benefits apply account-wide across all servers
- Automatic Chat Translation System integrated into game — real-time translation between EN/FR/DE/ES/RU captains
- Subscription benefits defined: 6 character slots, Dry Dock, insurance compensation, +10% XP/loot/faction, +20% BSP discount
- Classic ship diversity restored on Legacy — more traditional array of vessels vs. Live's modernized roster
January 2023 — 15th Anniversary Hardware & Community
- PotBS marks 15 years since original January 2008 release by Flying Lab Software / SOE
- 2023 Tech Refresh: Dell EMC PowerEdge R740xd + two Dell R640 servers with dual Gold CPUs, 768 GB RAM each
- 100 Gbps network upgrade planned — rolling from 40 Gbps (QSFP+) to 100 Gbps (QSFP28)
- Bounty Hunter System announced — rewards players for reporting exploitable bugs with BSN, ships, rare items, titles
June 2023 — Graphics & Systems Overhaul Visuals & Network
- Enhanced default graphics settings — game now defaults to highest possible engine settings (FLS-era low defaults unchanged for 15+ years)
- Increased Level of Detail (LOD) across all areas — distant ships, buildings, and objects render with full rigging and visible crew
- Field-of-View (FOV) Control Slider added to Graphics Preferences — close-up to panoramic view for modern widescreen monitors
- Adjustable Camera Height control — new default is eye-level with characters, slider available for existing installs
- Newly-tradable items on Auction House: all Writs, Bonus Doubloon/Experience/Faction/Loot Books, Level 50 Advances
- New Port Battle Scheduling System — dynamically adjusts to peak population curve for optimal battle timing
- PATCH tool upgraded to multi-threaded slice downloads with 32 download threads and dedicated 10 Gbps CDN feed
- Complete migration from UDP to TCP — eliminates rubberbanding, non-responsive sailing, stuttering AvCom, and unexpected disconnects
- Antigua server repair completed after database corruption — Engineering rebuilt missing data using reference databases
- Arcadia Mastercraft Ship Level increased 44→45; Defiant Mastercraft Combat Level increased 40→50
September 2023 — Economy & Combat Reforms Major Gameplay
- "Set Sail" 90-Day Subscription Bonus — all accounts that ever subscribed receive +90 days of active subscription time
- First Rate build cost reduced from 200 LSB to 48 LSB on Legacy; Second Rate from 150 LSB to 24 LSB
- Royal Lineships Recipe Book BSP price reduced by 50% on Treasure Aisle
- NPC Market Seeding System overhaul — NPC Auction Agents no longer have unlimited supplies; pricing fluctuates based on player activity
- Trade Goods return to the Burning Sea — locally-manufactured goods sold to Traders with dynamic pricing
- Unrest Bundle Redemption enabled — obsolete bundles can be sold to Junk Merchant for cost recovery
- Instant Skill Cooldown Timer reset deployed across all servers — skills reset at start of fights (PvP and PvE)
- Port Battle Timer Recalibration aligns battles with peak online population times
- Governorship Election Recalibration — elections adjusted to match highest-population server times
- Titles return to Treasure Aisle — missing "Accolades" tab restored after disappearing years ago
- Flags & Sails fully restored (Stage 1 complete) — new selection appears monthly in Treasure Aisle
- First & Second Rates return to Legacy: Invincible, Prince, Trinity, Triumphant with full gun counts
- Group Strength removed on Legacy — any number of attackers can engage any defenders; Reinforcement Window extended 3→5 min
- Redundant items removed from Legacy Treasure Aisle to prevent accidental purchases
- Greater Clarity on Suspension Durations — clearer communication of suspension types and durations
April 2026 — Bug Fix Sweep & Unified Launcher Largest Release
- 30-Day Subscription Token activation fixed for accounts offline extended periods
- "Unclickable Open Sea Battle Marker" bug finally resolved — traced to automatic compiler optimization silently applied during build
- W+S Accelerate/Decelerate key lock-ups fixed when system notifications pull focus
- Society Warehouse visibility glitch fixed — AFK captains no longer block warehouse access for members
- Mini-Map Red Zone visibility glitch fixed at all zoom levels
- Ship hulls disappearing when zoomed out fixed — LOD system corrected for new camera controls
- Skirmish fallen body collision glitch fixed — captains no longer get "stuck" on bodies
- Switching ships outfitting glitch fixed — mods apply correctly on ship switch without color changes
- Society "Assign Role" button crash bug fixed — double-click no longer crashes client
- Roberts Auction House lock-ups fixed — periodic issues resolved permanently
- Translation Server upgraded: new AI/Neural server with 64 GB VRAM, 256 GB RAM, 14,336 CUDA cores
- Comma separators on number values added — auction listings, loot displays, trade dialogs
- Active Mission Target Tracking added — map direction indicator with "Set Active" button for mission switching
- Society Warehouse Renaming Function added — long-requested ability to rename after creation
- "Create Society Anywhere" button added to Social Menu's Society Tab
- Auction House Command Bar button added — accessible directly from docks of any port
- Dockyard Command Bar button added — ship-swapping and outfitting from any port dock
- Auction House price field improvements — K/M notation for large values prevents buying/selling mistakes
- Unified Launcher deployed — single launcher installs, updates, and launches Legacy + Live + Test simultaneously
- Nvidia PhysX upgraded to latest version — auto-installs on upgrade or fresh installation
- All-Region Auction House visibility enabled — all prices across all regions visible to all captains
- Auction House direct-buy from sellers — see specific listings, quantities, and prices in advance
- Auction House service-specific Buy Orders — see how many items are needed and exact prices offered
- Network stability improvements — keepalives, enhanced connection handling, auto-reconnection, far fewer disconnects
- Minimum Auction Listing Price enforced — prevents 1-doubloon buy orders; minimum is Junk Merchant price
- Multi-language newsletter support added — first newsletter in all six game languages with flag-based navigation
- 30% Auction House listing fee discount for subscribers
- Seller names visible in Auction House — identify who bought out stock and re-listed at higher prices
- Behind-the-scenes infrastructure: new 100 Gbps/25 Gbps switches, 150 TB iSCSI backup subsystem, enhanced build system
Our Mission
No Game Left Behind
Every year, dozens of online games are shut down forever — their communities scattered, their worlds erased. We believe that's unacceptable.
Vision Online Games was founded on a simple principle: the games people love deserve to live on. We work with original publishers when possible, and build from scratch when necessary, to keep servers running, communities thriving, and gaming history intact.
Whether it's negotiating licensing deals, rebuilding server infrastructure, or rallying a community of volunteers — we do whatever it takes to keep the lights on.
0Games Preserved
0Players Reunited
0Server Uptime
24/7Community Support
Our Journey
Preservation Milestones
Key moments in our mission to save at-risk games and keep gaming history alive.
June 3, 2010
Vision Online Games Founded
Vision Online Games is established with a clear mission: preserve at-risk online games and keep gaming communities alive.
October 2018
Pirates of the Burning Sea Rescue
Vision takes over operations of the former Sony Online Entertainment MMORPG after Portalus Games announced closure, preserving its naval combat systems and reuniting thousands of captains across the high seas.
January 2020
Codebase Modernization Begins
Upgraded entire codebase from Visual Studio 2005 to VS2019, resurrected the dormant Development Environment and Build System, deployed 6-language automatic translation on Discord, restored user-generated flag & sail content, and announced the Legacy Server project.
October 2020
v2.17 Rollout & Infrastructure Overhaul
New Advanced Installer replaces BitRaider (eliminating "Malicious Software" false positives), new patching system deployed, v2.17 staged rollout across all servers, 96-Core Dell PowerEdge R830 server added with 768 GB RAM and RAID-60 SSD array, new burningsea.com website and ad-free wiki launched.
December 23, 2022
🏴☠️ Legacy Server Launches
Community-requested Legacy Server goes live based on v2.10 build — classic subscription-based experience with older rules, diverse ship roster, original ship stats, historical tactics, automatic chat translation across 6 languages, and full subscription benefits including Dry Dock, insurance compensation, and bonus XP/loot/faction gains.
January 2023
15th Anniversary & Tech Refresh
PotBS marks 15 years since original release. Dell EMC PowerEdge R740xd and two Dell R640 servers added to infrastructure. 100 Gbps network upgrade planned. Bounty Hunter System announced — rewarding players for reporting exploitable bugs with BSN, ships, rare items, and titles.
June 2023
Graphics & Systems Overhaul
Massive visual upgrade: enhanced LOD across all areas, max default graphics settings (unchanged for 15+ years), FOV control slider, adjustable camera height. Complete UDP→TCP network migration eliminates rubberbanding and disconnects. Multi-threaded patch downloads with 32 threads. Antigua server rebuilt after database corruption. New Port Battle Scheduling System deployed.
September 2023
Economy & Combat Reforms
Largest gameplay update: NPC Market Seeding overhaul, Trade Goods return, instant Skill Cooldown reset across all servers, Port Battle and Governorship Election recalibration, Titles restored to Treasure Aisle, Flags & Sails fully restored, First & Second Rates return to Legacy, Group Strength removed on Legacy, 90-day subscription bonus for all former subscribers.
April 2026
Bug Fix Sweep & Unified Launcher
Largest bug-fix release (10+ critical fixes including the infamous Open Sea Battle Marker), Unified Launcher supporting Legacy + Live + Test simultaneously, Nvidia PhysX upgrade, all-region Auction House visibility, direct-buy from sellers, network stability improvements, AI/Neural Translation Server with 64 GB VRAM deployed, multi-language newsletter support, and behind-the-scenes infrastructure upgrades with 100 Gbps switches and 150 TB backup subsystem.
2026 — Present
Expanding the Vision
Growing our team, exploring new preservation projects, and keeping the lights on for games that matter. PotBS continues active development with 95+ improvements delivered since Vision took over in October 2018.
Community Voices
What People Say
From players whose worlds were saved to developers who found a home with us.
I thought Pirates of the Burning Sea was gone forever when Portalus announced closure. Vision saved it and kept our crews sailing. The Legacy Server is everything we hoped for.
The preservation team's dedication is remarkable. They kept the servers running, fixed bugs, and even added new features that honor the original game while keeping it alive for today's players.
The preservation team's technical skill is remarkable. They reverse-engineered server protocols that hadn't been documented in over a decade.
Under the Hood
Our Tech Stack
The tools and technologies that power our games, servers, and preservation efforts.
Unreal Engine 5
Unity
C++
Rust
Go
Python
Node.js
Kubernetes
Docker
PostgreSQL
Redis
AWS / GCP
Terraform
WebRTC
gRPC
Blender
The Team
People Behind the Vision
A small, dedicated crew of developers, designers, and preservationists who believe games matter.
Darrell Benvenuto
Founder & CEO
Software Development Executive with 20+ years in game development and server architecture, with a lifelong passion for keeping online worlds alive.
Morgan Reed
Creative Director
Award-winning game designer who brings narrative depth and visual identity to every project Vision touches.
Sam Kim
Publishing & Partnerships
Former publisher-side exec who bridges the gap between indie creators and global distribution channels.
Taylor Nguyen
Community & Preservation Lead
Spearheads our at-risk games program — coordinating with communities, publishers, and volunteers worldwide.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you want to know about our work, process, and preservation efforts.
Game preservation means keeping online games alive after their original publishers have shut them down. This involves reverse-engineering server protocols, rebuilding infrastructure, securing assets and data, and maintaining active communities — essentially giving these games a second life so players can continue enjoying them.
We work within legal frameworks wherever possible. Many preservation projects involve direct partnerships with original rights holders, licensing agreements, or working with games whose intellectual property has entered a gray area. We always consult with legal experts and prioritize ethical, transparent operations.
If you're a community leader, former developer, or passionate player of an at-risk game, reach out through our contact form. We evaluate each case based on community interest, technical feasibility, and legal considerations. Every preservation project starts with a conversation.
Not at all. While many early preservation targets were browser-based due to their vulnerability, we work with any type of online game — including PC titles, console games with always-online requirements, and mobile multiplayer experiences. Our engineering team adapts to whatever platform the game requires.
We're always looking for talented indie developers. If you have a game ready for market or in development, send us a pitch through our contact form. We handle distribution, marketing, QA testing, localization, and community management — so you can focus on what you do best: making games.
Pirates of the Burning Sea is fully operational and actively supported by Vision Online Games. Since taking over in October 2018, we've delivered 95+ improvements including a complete codebase modernization (VS2005→VS2019), graphics overhaul with FOV slider and adjustable camera height, full UDP→TCP network migration, economy reforms, a community-requested Legacy Server (v2.10 classic experience), automatic chat translation across 6 languages, a Unified Launcher supporting all server variants, and extensive bug fixes. We run both a free-to-play Live server and a subscription-based Legacy Server. The community is vibrant, with regular updates, events, and ongoing development. Visit burningsea.com to download the game, create an account, or join our Discord.
Yes, Vision Online Games is a California State LLC, established back in 2010. Vision was founded by a senior game developer with over 20 years of game development experience and more than 25 shipped games to his credit, including a Sony "Greatest Hits" title. Vision is a City, State and Federal Contractor as well, providing a global array of online services.
Get in Touch
Let's Build Something Together
Whether you're an indie dev looking for a publisher, a community fighting to save a game, or a business in need of software expertise — we'd love to hear from you.
- contact@visiononline.games
- visiononline.games
- Remote-first — worldwide