Software:Alien Front Online

From HandWiki
Short description: 2001 video game
Alien Front Online
Developer(s)Wow Entertainment
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Makoto Uchida
Kevin Klemmick
Gerardo Sprigg
Designer(s)Makoto Uchida
Composer(s)Howard Drossin
Makito Nomiya
Platform(s)Arcade, Dreamcast
ReleaseArcade
Dreamcast
Genre(s)Vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemSega NAOMI

Alien Front Online is a 2001 video game released for the Dreamcast. It is an online version of the arcade game Alien Front, where it was bundled with the Microphone accessory. It was only released in North America.

The game was brought back online by fans through private servers in 2016.[4][5][6][7]

Gameplay

The Microphone accessory, which is compatible with the game

In the game, players use armored vehicles to fight battles staged in arenas. Players can choose which side to fight for; the Triclops or the military. Players can also choose one of three different vehicles, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Although the game is fully playable for one person, it was primarily designed as an online game in which up to 8 players (up to 4 on each side) can play. Players move around the arena attempting to shoot each other, while also looking for power-ups for their vehicles. The game is played for a set number of minutes, after which the team with the most kills are declared the winners.

Development

Art director Gerardo Sprigg was working at Acclaim's struggling coin-op division on Magic: The Gathering: Armageddon, and before the studio closed, Sega employees paid a visit looking to buy arcade projects or people to recruit. Several months passed, when Sprigg received an email from Makoto Uchida, who had a small Japanese development team that were living in the US and working at Sega of America. Uchida's boss had mandated him to find some Americans to work with, with the idea to make their titles feel more American. Sprigg and Uchida met, where it was decided that the old Acclaim art team would reunite and join Wow Entertainment in the US to work on a new project that would appeal to American audiences. Uchida was a big fan of Tokyo Wars which was popular in arcades, and wanted to create a vehicle game as he noticed that people enjoyed cabinets with steering wheels and pedals. In contrast to Tokyo Wars, Uchida was adamant on including destructible environments. During development, someone had suggested a premise of the US military fighting off an alien invasion, which the Americans liked but the Japanese were somewhat sceptical. Once a functional demo was running, testing for the Alien Front arcade game began in several California locations, and the game was brought to E3 2000, where it appeared to be fairly popular, despite being in the back corner of the Sega booth. Following the success of the cabinet, a home port was planned. New levels were added to the Dreamcast version, and online connectivity between the arcade and Dreamcast versions was even considered, but because the arcade never released outside Japan, the feature was scrapped.[8][9]

Release

Alien Front was released exclusively in Japanese arcades on January 23, 2001, and Alien Front Online was released on the Dreamcast exclusively in North America August 7, 2001. It was originally slated for release in Japan, but was cancelled.[10] Copies of Alien Front Online were packaged with the Microphone accessory due to poor sales of Seaman.[8] A related game, simply titled Alien Front, was announced by Sega for the N-Gage in 2004, but was eventually cancelled.[11] A prototype ROM image of the N-Gage version was leaked online in 2019.[12]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic76/100[13]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM6.5/10[14]
Game Informer8/10[15]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[16]
GameRevolutionB−[17]
GameSpot7.6/10[18]
GameSpy7.5/10[19]
IGN8.5/10[20]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[21]
X-PlayStarStarStarStar[22]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[13] Rob Smolka of Next Generation said that the game was "not terribly original, but the basics are solid enough to make it fun, especially when you can taunt your foes and coordinate your attack with teammates online".[21]

References

  1. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 39. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n39/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 132. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n133/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ "Alien Front Online". http://sega.com/games/dreamcast/post_dreamcastgame.jhtml?PRODID=802. 
  4. ↑ pcwzrd13 (November 6, 2016). "Alien Front Online Resurrected!". Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171109025102/http://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/Alien-Front-Online-Resurrected/. Retrieved November 8, 2017. 
  5. ↑ pcwzrd13 (December 12, 2016). "Game Night Highlights: Alien Front Online 12/7/2016". Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171109024835/http://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/Game-Night-Highlights-Alien-Front-Online-12-7-2016/. Retrieved November 8, 2017. 
  6. ↑ petter3k (November 6, 2016). "Game resurrected – Alien Front Online". http://www.dcserv.org/?p=348. 
  7. ↑ "Alien Front Online". September 2022. http://segaretro.org/Alien_Front_Online. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wallace, Mitch (July 2017). Jones, Darran. ed. "The Making Of: Alien Front Online". Retro Gamer (Future) (169): 86–89. 
  9. ↑ "Alien Front Online E3 2000 Impressions" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-front-online-e3-2000-impressions/1100-2571640/. 
  10. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (June 29, 2001). "Sega cancels two Dreamcast games in Japan". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sega-cancels-two-dreamcast-games-in-japan/1100-2781615/. Retrieved January 5, 2014. 
  11. ↑ IGN staff (February 9, 2004). "Two New Sega Titles". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/09/two-new-sega-titles. Retrieved January 5, 2014. 
  12. ↑ "Alien Front (found cancelled Nokia N-Gage port of action game; 2004) - The Lost Media Wiki". 2019. https://www.lostmediawiki.com/Alien_Front_(found_cancelled_Nokia_N-Gage_port_of_action_game;_2004). 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Alien Front Online for Dreamcast Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/alien-front-online/critic-reviews/?platform=dreamcast. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  14. ↑ EGM staff (October 2001). "Alien Front Online". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (147): 150. 
  15. ↑ Kato, Matthew (September 2001). "Alien Front Online". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (101). http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200109/R03.0805.1834.28552.htm. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  16. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (August 9, 2001). "Alien Front Online Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on December 22, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041222001608/http://www.gamepro.com/sega/dreamcast/games/reviews/16001.shtml. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  17. ↑ Liu, Johnny (September 2001). "Alien Front Online Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908075630/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/alien-front-online. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  18. ↑ Torres, Ricardo (August 8, 2001). "Alien Front Online Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/alien-front-online-review/1900-2802598/. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  19. ↑ Vash T. Stampede (August 15, 2001). "Alien Front Online". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124054555/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/afo/. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  20. ↑ Chau, Anthony (August 3, 2001). "Alien Front Online". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/03/alien-front-online-2. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Smolka, Rob (October 2001). "Alien Front Online". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (82): 80. https://archive.org/details/NextGen82Oct2001/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  22. ↑ Keil, Matthew (September 28, 2001). "'Alien Front Online' (DC) Review". TechTV. Archived from the original on February 17, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020217061625/http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3348086,00.html. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  • Alien Front at the Killer List of Videogames
  • 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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