Software:Aliens Online

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Aliens Online
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Developer(s)Mythic Entertainment
Kesmai
Publisher(s)Fox Interactive
Director(s)Paul Provenzano
Producer(s)Matt Firor
Jason Bell
Nick Laiacona
Designer(s)Mark Jacobs
Programmer(s)Rob Denton
Artist(s)Bob Frizzell
Missy Castro
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Aliens Online was a 1998 massively multiplayer first-person shooter video game released for Microsoft Windows. It was based on the science fiction horror film Aliens.[2][3]

Gameplay

Aliens Online included asymmetric teams, teams consisting of more players than found in most first-person shooters of its era, job/class specialization, and RPG elements. Players could fight on either the side of the United States Colonial Marines or on the side of the Aliens.[4] Scenarios were played in one of six different maps, with three more added over the game's lifespan.

  • The Colonial Marine faction had the Medic, Scout, Soldier, and Heavy Weapons classes. More advanced weaponry were available when grouping as a "fireteam," and increased hit points became available as a character progressed in rank. Marines' equipment included the motion detector from the film Aliens, which was their sole method to locate Aliens, but would not locate Aliens which were not moving. In later versions of the game, the Marines could also drop proximity mines.
  • The Hive Alien faction had the Face Hugger, Drone, Queen, and Empress classes. Their capabilities included leaping easily to vents and speeding through cramped ducts, and radar of the entire map, representing the aliens' greater awareness and hive-like mentality. They attacked only at close range using tail strikes and with claws. Each map allowed one alien player to fill the role as Queen or Empress, and that player could freely swap from drone to drone. Players gained points for killing Marines and lost them by dying, except when playing as a face hugger, which loses no points for dying.

Development

The game was announced in June 1997.[5] The budget for the game was $450,000 United States dollar .[6]

Release

The software was free to download and was automatically updated. Joining GameStorm for $9.95 per month was required to play the game.[7][8] Online play was shut down in 2000 after the GameStorm network was sold to Electronic Arts.[9]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[10]
GameSpot7.2/10[8]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[11]

Aliens Online was well received upon its release. Chris Gregson of GameSpot said, "With so much to gain and absolutely nothing to lose, any self-respecting Aliens fan should give Aliens Online a try."[8] Brooks Peck and Craig E. Engler from Science Fiction Weekly gave the beta version the perfect A score. Noting the game's bugs, they nevertheless opined, "It's clear that Kesmai has what it takes to satisfy both the Aliens fan and the hardcore gamer. This is one of those titles that cashes in on some of the Internet's promises of multiplayer action, and it's sure to be a hit with SF lovers."[12] However, Next Generation called it "a wonderful addition to GameStorm. We just wish there was more variety so the thrill could last."[11]

According to a retrospective by Stephen Kleckner of GamesBeat, "Aliens Online, unfortunately, was riddled with balancing issues and bad level design. (...) Ancient ’90s computing technology and Internet infrastructure and these issues worse, resulting in incredibly laggy connectivity."[13]

During the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, Aliens Online received a nomination for "Online Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences;[14] the award ultimately went to Ultima Online.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Mullen, Micheal (April 16, 1998). "GameStorm Launches Aliens Online". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestorm-launches-aliens-online/1100-2463509/. 
  2. ↑ "Aliens Merchandise". http://www.jamescamerononline.com/AliensMerch.htm. 
  3. ↑ Broady, Vince (August 21, 1997). "Kesmai Readies Aliens Online". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kesmai-readies-aliens-online/1100-2467219/. 
  4. ↑ Action Grrl (November 1997). "Aliens Online: In Cyberspace, No One Can Hear You Scream". GamePro (IDG) (110): 36, 38. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_110_Volume_09_Number_11_1997-11_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n37/mode/2up. Retrieved September 8, 2023. 
  5. ↑ "Fox Interactive And Kesmai Introduce Aliens Online". June 19, 1997. http://www.gamestorm.com/company/press/1997_06_19.html. 
  6. ↑ Jacobs, Mark (30 May 2014). "Former Mythic boss eulogises the fallen Warhammer studio". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-30-former-mythic-boss-eulogises-the-fallen-warhammer-studio. 
  7. ↑ "Aliens Online Update". GamePro (IDG) (113): 32. February 1998. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_103_February_1998/page/n33/mode/2up. Retrieved September 8, 2023. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Gregson, Chris (April 16, 1998). "Aliens Online Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/aliens-online-review/1900-2537932/. 
  9. ↑ Correia, Alea Ray; Riendeau, Danielle (October 3, 2014). "From Atari to Isolation: A video and written history of Alien games". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/2014/10/3/6892091/history-of-alien-games-aliens. 
  10. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (June 29, 1998). "Aliens Online". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/012/173/aliens_online_review.html. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Aliens Online". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (43): 120. July 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_43/page/n121/mode/2up. Retrieved September 8, 2023. 
  12. ↑ Peck, Brooks; Engler, Craig E. (1998). "Science Fiction Game Reviews: Aliens Online". http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue75/games.html. 
  13. ↑ Kleckner, Stephen (October 6, 2014). "Games of the Alien franchise, Part 1: The bad, the canceled, and the weirdly cool". https://venturebeat.com/games/games-of-the-alien-franchise-part-1-the-bad-the-canceled-and-the-weirdly-cool/. 
  14. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details: Aliens Online". https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=1998&idGame=802. 
  15. ↑ "The Award - Winners". http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardwin98.htm. 
  • 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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