Software:Anvil of Dawn

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Short description: 1995 video game
Anvil of Dawn
Developer(s)DreamForge Intertainment
Publisher(s)New World Computing
Designer(s)Thomas J. Holmes
Christopher L. Straka
Programmer(s)Thomas J. Holmes
Artist(s)Jane Yeager
Frank Schurter
Composer(s)Jamie McMenamy
Platform(s)MS-DOS
ReleaseOctober 31, 1995
Genre(s)Role-playing, dungeon crawl
Mode(s)Single-player

Anvil of Dawn is a 1995 fantasy role-playing video game developed by DreamForge Intertainment and published by New World Computing.[1] Anvil of Dawn was named the best role-playing game of 1995 by Computer Gaming World and Computer Game Review.

Gameplay

The game was released 1995 for MS-DOS and was one of the last dungeon crawl RPGs with blockstep movements and semi-3D environment. The game presents a real-time, three-dimensional view from the character's perspective. It was released on CD and features fully spoken dialogue and several pre-rendered cutscenes. The player controls only one character throughout the game, which is chosen at the beginning from 5 different heroes.[2] The other characters can then be met in the game also trying to fulfill the quest. The game is mostly action oriented but also contains some puzzles. There are no experience points as the character gets better through using his abilities and spells. It also features several different endings.

Plot

The game plays in the world of Tempest. The civilization had been overrun by an evil warlord and the last castle of the good is under siege. The player's character is then teleported in the already occupied and devastated land, where he strives to fulfill his quest to defeat the warlord and his minions.

Development

Anvil of Dawn was developed by DreamForge Intertainment. In the concept stage, the team chose to focus the game on atmosphere and player immersion, which led to the decision to pre-render the game's environments via three-dimensional (3D) graphical models. While real-time 3D graphics were used by certain other dungeon crawl games at the time, DreamForge believed that their environments looked "flat and pixellated", and sought greater realism through pre-rendering. For the outdoor scenes, the team lined 3D models of each environment with "movement nodes", and pre-recorded "mini-cinematics" to animate transitions from one node to another. Their objective was to make the game feel seamless, whether the player was stepping through an area or moving between dungeons.[3]

The goal of uninterrupted immersion led them to simplify the game's interface, to reduce the number of heads-up display icons and to include automatically updated quest logs, spellbooks and maps. According to the company's Chris Straka, the team "made every effort to bridge the gap between the novice and the expert player", without automating too much of the gameplay. So that players could immediately understand and play Anvil of Dawn, DreamForge chose to make the game completable with only the left mouse button. This decision in turn inspired the team to limit the game to a single player character, instead of a party-based system. Straka explained, "In this way, we didn't have to worry about multiple characters, multiple faces, multiple inventories, etc., and how all the possible combinations can be made functional with a simple left click."[3]

Several months were dedicated to the conception and implementation of magic, and a pseudo-turn-based system was devised to handle fighting. Enemies attack at set intervals, which DreamForge tried to make long enough that players did not "feel overly rushed" during combat. However, enemies are also programmed to counterattack each of the player's strikes, after which they return to the waiting interval. This allows the player to set the pace of combat: attacking rapidly increases enemies' attack speed in turn, while attacking slowly decreases it.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PC Gamer (US)73%[4]
Arcane8/10[5]
Computer Game Review89/92/93[6]
PC EntertainmentStarStarStarStar[7]

According to PC Accelerator, Anvil of Dawn was "critically acclaimed".[8] It was named the best role-playing game of 1995 by Computer Gaming World and Computer Game Review,[9][10] and received a nomination for Computer Games Strategy Plus's "Role-Playing Game of the Year" award, which went to Stonekeep.[citation needed] The editors of Computer Gaming World singled out Anvil of Dawn's "playability and balance" as the reasons for their decision, while those of Computer Game Review summarized the title as "an excellent job all the way around."[9][10]

Writing for PC Gamer US, Trent C. Ward called Anvil of Dawn an "attractive and enjoyable RPG that doesn't stretch the boundaries very far."[4] In Computer Gaming World, Scorpia summarized the game as "a dungeon romp with several points of interest, and a couple of pleasant surprises."[2] Andy Butcher reviewed Anvil of Dawn for Arcane magazine, rating it an 8 out of 10 overall.[5] Butcher comments that "As with nearly all computer RPGs, this is still limited to hack-and-slash; but it's hack-and-slash raised to an art form. Anvil Of Dawn is ultimately limited, but it's so easy to get into that it hardly matters."[5] Computer Games Strategy Plus was less positive: the magazine's Steve Wartofsky argued that "there are both faster and deeper games already on the market or shortly on the way."[11]

In his book Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games (2008), the video game historian Matt Barton declared Anvil of Dawn "one of the best of the Dungeon Master-inspired games". He cited the game's "careful pacing, splendid music, and ... superior interface" as high points.[12]

Reviews

  • Australian Realms #27[13]

Legacy

In 1999, a writer for PC Accelerator reported that New World Computing initially planned to use Anvil of Dawn as the start of "an ongoing franchise" after its release. However, these plans were dropped in favor of focusing on Might & Magic titles.[8]

In 2013, the game was re-released via GOG.com with Microsoft Windows support.

References

  1. ↑ Anvil of Dawn Manual. New World Computing. 1995. p. 3. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Scorpia (February 1996). "Champions of Might and Magic: New World's Anvil of Dawn casts quite a spell". Computer Gaming World (Ziff-Davis Publishing C.) 139: 107–111.  See also the advert on pp. 8–9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Straka, Chris (December 1995). "Design Notes; Anvil of Dawn". Computer Games Strategy Plus (61): 40, 41. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ward, Trent C. (March 1996). "Anvil of Dawn". PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on November 12, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991112030350/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1295.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Butcher, Andy (February 1996). "Games Reviews". Arcane (Future Publishing) (3): 71. 
  6. ↑ "Forging Ahead". Computer Game Review. January 1996. Archived from the original on December 21, 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/19961221183543/http://www.nuke.com/cgr/reviews/9601/anvil/anvil.htm. 
  7. ↑ Klett, Steve (February 1996). "Anvil of Dawn". PC Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 18, 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/19961018124140/http://www.pcgamesmag.com/games/Feb96/anvil296.html. Retrieved May 24, 2019. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Staff (May 1999). "Developer Spotlight: DreamForge Intertainment". PC Accelerator (9): 121. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Staff (April 1996). "CGR's Year in Review". Computer Game Review. Archived from the original on October 18, 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/19961018151714/http://www.nuke.com/cgr/features/9604/yir1995.htm. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Staff (June 1996). "1996 Premiere Awards". Computer Gaming World (Ziff-Davis Publishing C.) 143: 55–67. 
  11. ↑ Wartofsky, Steve (February 1996). "Adventure Review; Anvil of Dawn". Computer Games Strategy Plus (63): 74. 
  12. ↑ Barton, Matt (February 22, 2008). Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K Peters. pp. 247–248. ISBN 978-1568814117. 
  13. ↑ "Australian Realms Magazine - Complete Collection". June 1988. https://archive.org/details/australian-realms-magazine/Australian%20Realms%20%2327%20FebruaryMarch%201996/page/8/mode/2up. 
  • Official site (archived)
  • 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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