Software:Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun

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Short description: 2007 video game
This page is about the video game. For the novel, see Evil Under the Sun.
Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun
Developer(s)AWE Productions
Publisher(s)The Adventure Company
Director(s)Scott Nixon
Designer(s)Lee Sheldon
Programmer(s)Jamie Nye
Artist(s)Kris Creco
Composer(s)Joshua Nosley
SeriesAgatha Christie series
Platform(s)Windows, Wii
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: October 15, 2007[1]
  • EU: November 23, 2007
Wii
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun is a video game by AWE Productions released for the Windows and Nintendo Wii, and is the third installment of The Adventure Company's Agatha Christie series based on Agatha Christie's 1941 novel Evil Under the Sun. The Windows version was released in 2007,[4] and the Wii version one year later.[2]

Evil Under the Sun features Hercule Poirot as the protagonist,[5] unlike the previous game in the series, Software:Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express, which had featured Poirot as a non-playable character. It also features numerous improvements and expanded gameplay elements, with a new inventory system, dialogue choices, and more environments.[5] While players take the role of Poirot, they are actually playing as Captain Hastings playing as Poirot, in an interactive scenario designed by Poirot in order to allow his long-time friend a chance to solve the mystery in the way Poirot would.[6]

Plot

The game's plot follows Poirot as he investigates the murder of a noted actress on an island.[5] It is divided into two sections: story-time, in which Poirot uncovers the secrets of Seadrift Island, and real-time, in Poirot's office in London, in which the player, as Captain Hastings, can request hints, review information and consult the locations of the suspects on a wall map.

Despite the fact that the murderer remains the same, new plot aspects are included, such as new characters, a slight change of location, and the fact that Hastings becomes a part of the plot. Poirot's voice is performed by actor Kevin Delaney.[6]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCWii
Adventure GamersStarStarHalf star[7]N/A
GameSpot5/10[8]N/A
GameZone7/10[9]N/A
IGN6/10[10]4.6/10[11]
ONMN/A43%[12]
PC Gamer (US)58%[13]N/A
Aggregate scores
GameRankings68.94%[14]49%[15]
Metacritic66/100[16]46/100[17]

Reviews of Evil Under the Sun ranged from mixed to negative. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 69% and 66 out of 100 for the PC version,[14][16] and 49% and 46 out of 100 for the Wii version.[15][17]

References

  1. ↑ "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun now shipping to retail" (in en). October 15, 2007. https://www.gamingnexus.com/News/6141/Agatha-Christie-Evil-Under-the-Sun-now-shipping-to-retail. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun Release Information for Wii". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/954043-agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun/data. 
  3. ↑ "Shippin' Out Nov. 16-22: Left 4 Dead, Animal Crossing" (in en-US). November 18, 2008. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/shippin-out-nov-16-22-left-4-dead-animal-crossing/1100-6201218/. 
  4. ↑ "Evil Under the Sun - The Next PC Game in the Agatha Christie Series". The Adventure Company. March 22, 2007. http://www.adventurecompanygames.com/tac/press/releases/pdf/euts_pr_2007mar22.pdf. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Emma Boyes (March 22, 2007). "Poirot investigates again on PC". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/poirot-investigates-again-on-pc/1100-6167865/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Matthew Morrison (October 25, 2007). "Review: Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun". Game Almighty. http://www.gamealmighty.com/game-review/review/Agatha_Christie_Evil_Under_the_Sun_Review/1/. 
  7. ↑ Rob Michaud (December 5, 2007). "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun review (PC)". Adventure Gamers. http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18124. 
  8. ↑ Brett Todd (October 22, 2007). "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun Review (PC)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun-review/1900-6181480/. 
  9. ↑ Anise Hollingshead (November 1, 2007). "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun - PC - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/agatha_christie_evil_under_the_sun_pc_review. 
  10. ↑ Emily Balistrieri (October 22, 2007). "Agatha Christie Evil Under the Sun Review (PC)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/22/agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun-review-2. 
  11. ↑ Aaron Thornton (December 19, 2008). "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun Review (Wii)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/20/agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun-review. 
  12. ↑ "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun Wii Review". Official Nintendo Magazine: 84. February 2009. 
  13. ↑ "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun". PC Gamer: 80. January 2008. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun for PC". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/938729-agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun/index.html. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun for Wii". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/954043-agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun/index.html. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/agatha-christie-evil-under-the-sun/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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