Software:Air Warrior III

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Air Warrior III
Developer(s)Kesmai
Publisher(s)
  • NA: Interactive Magic
  • EU: Midas Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Combat flight simulator
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Air Warrior III, known as Air Warrior 3 in Europe, is a video game developed by Kesmai Studios and published by Interactive Magic and Midas Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows in 1997. The game had been scheduled to be released in January 1998,[2] before being pushed forward for December 15, 1997.[1]

Gameplay

Air Warrior III screenshot

Air Warrior III had as one playing area a map of northern Europe, besides many small playing fields with some real-life features labeled. Berlin, the Kiel Canal, and Peenemünde were unmarked in the game. There was also a playing area map that included a hodgepodge of Pacific islands and the coast of Australia. The player could design custom missions on any of these playing fields. Fans of the online competition developed a tool that enabled the players to paint their own aircraft. Screenshots could be taken in combat, and even videos, which could be distributed over the Internet. Douglas C-47s could be used to carry paratroops to take enemy air bases.

There were many ships and a few buildings to attack, including V-2s at Peenemünde, a bridge near Westminster's Parliament House, and the Brandenburg Gate of Berlin. However, targets that were destroyed soon re-appeared. Besides aircraft, the player could control a Jeep, a tank, a truck, or a Flakpanzer. The player could also drive through the fence surrounding after destroying it with a tank. The aircraft carriers and other ships were fixed at their places.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings76%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[4]
CGSPStarStarStar[5]
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameRevolutionC[7]
GameSpot7.3/10[8]
GameStar65%[9]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[11]
PC Gamer (US)86%[12]
PC Zone80%[13]

The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Next Generation was generally positive to the game despite noting a few minor technical issues within the game.[11]

Air Warrior III was named as a finalist by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Online Action/Strategy Game of the Year" at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which ultimately went to Starsiege.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ocampo, Jason (1997). "Air Warrior III flies out ahead of schedule". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/008/088/air_warrior_3.html. 
  2. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (1997). "Online World War II sim to take off in January". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/005/188/air_warrior_3.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Air Warrior III for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/196569-air-warrior-iii/index.html. 
  4. ↑ House, Michael L.. "Air Warrior III - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11678&tab=review. 
  5. ↑ Ingram, Greg (February 20, 1998). "Air Warrior III". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/093/air_warrior_3_review.html. 
  6. ↑ Nolan, John (May 1998). "Something Old, Something New (Air Warrior III Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (166): 177–78. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_166.pdf. Retrieved November 22, 2021. 
  7. ↑ Anderson, Tom (January 1998). "Air Warrior III Review". CraveOnline. http://www.game-revolution.com/games/pc/sim/air_warrior_iii.htm. 
  8. ↑ Dunkin, Alan (February 19, 1998). "Air Warrior III Review [date mislabeled as "April 29, 2000""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/air-warrior-iii-review/1900-2537913/. 
  9. ↑ "Air Warrior III" (in de). GameStar (Webedia). February 1998. 
  10. ↑ Rodriguez, Luc-Santiago (March 1998). "Air Warrior 3" (in fr). Génération 4 (108): 170–72. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Air Warrior III". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (40): 104. April 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_40/page/n105/mode/2up. Retrieved November 22, 2021. 
  12. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (May 1998). "Air Warrior III". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (5). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1197.html. Retrieved November 22, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Presley, Paul (April 1998). "Air Warrior III". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (62): 86. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_62_April_1998/page/85/mode/2up. Retrieved November 22, 2021. 
  14. ↑ "Second Interactive Achievement Awards - Online". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_online.html. 
  • 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 lengthy 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]

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. 
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