Software:Armada (video game)

From HandWiki
Armada
Developer(s)Metro3D
Publisher(s)Metro3D
Director(s)Mark Jordan
Designer(s)Mark Jordan
Roger Fang
Platform(s)Dreamcast
Release
Genre(s)Shooter, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Armada is a video game developed and published by Metro3D. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast in North America on November 26, 1999. Armada is a shooter role-playing game (RPG) that allows up to four players to fly about the universe, fighting the enemy, performing missions and improving their ship.

Plot

Earth has been destroyed by the unfathomable Armada, giant space aliens of unknown origin with an unknown purpose. Fleeing in whatever was available, humanity took to the stars in a desperate attempt to survive. Eons later, humans have split into six distinct groups who maintain a shaky alliance against the Armada.

Development

Armada was developed by Metro3D, (formerly Metropolis Digital, Inc.) and was announced in mid-1998 as an online game.[2] The company had previously developed a space-themed, real-time strategy game titled Star Command.[3] In May 1999, the game was revealed to be a massively multiplayer online role-playing game in development for the Sega Dreamcast.[4][5] The game was planned to be released as a launch title for the console on September 9, 1999, but was delayed until late September or early October of that year.[6] The game was delayed again with a projected shipment the week of November 19.[7] Armada was finally made available at retail on November 26, 1999, the day following Thanksgiving.[1] At one time Armada had been scheduled to be released in Japan along with Dark Angel in 2000,[8] but both games never made their release in Japanese stores for reasons unknown.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings76%[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[10]
EGM5.875/10[11][lower-alpha 1]
Game Informer6.5/10[13]
GameFan81%[14]
GameRevolutionB+[15]
GameSpot7.8/10[16]
GameSpy9/10[17]
IGN9.1/10[5]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[18]
RPGamer2/5[19]

The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[9] Greg Orlando of NextGen said, "As a solitary experience, Armada's RPG elements make the game worth a look – and maybe a second one, too. These unfriendly skies (and galaxies), however, are really meant to be traversed in the company of others."[18]

The D-Pad Destroyer of GamePro said that the game was "a Dreamcast shooter fan's dream, and it recalls the classics of the genre, like Asteroids, Xevious and a touch of R-Type. Hardcore shooter fans might be put off by its wide-open, non-level-based structure, but anyone who likes a little bad-guy-blastin' action should at least give Armada a rent."[20][lower-alpha 2] In another GamePro review, Lamchop said that the game "features passable sound and adequate control, though it doesn't take advantage of the Dreamcast's power in many areas. Still, Armada is compelling enough to keep you up until 2:00 am [sic] trying to finish the next mission."[21][lower-alpha 3]

The game was a nominee for "Console Action Game of the Year" during the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which ultimately was given to Crazy Taxi.[22]

Legacy

Armada F/X Racers for the Game Boy Color, a racing game which takes place in the same universe as Armada, was developed by Metro3D and released in 2000.[23] A direct sequel to Armada was under development, originally for the Dreamcast, then for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 under various titles including Armada II, Armada's Revenge, Armada 2: Exodus, and Armada 2: Star Command.[24][25][26][27] However, due to repeated delays and redesigns along with limited resources, the game was canceled after spending over four years in varying degrees of development.[28]

In early 2005, EvStream, an independent game development studio formed by former Metro3D members, purchased the rights for Armada. An online continuation titled Armada Online has been announced and is under development by Roger Fang and Mark Jordan.[3] An alpha of the game was released.[28]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the game, one critic gave it 6.5/10, two others gave it each a score of 6/10, and the other gave it 5/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game 4/5 for graphics, and three 4.5/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor in one review.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the game 2.5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, 3.5/5 for control, and 4/5 for fun factor in another review.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gantayat, Anoop (November 23, 1999). "Armada Ships to Stores". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/23/armada-ships-to-stores. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (June 30, 1998). "News Archives: Week of June 28, 1998". Independent. http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/archive/19980628.shtml. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sikora, Drew (January 25, 2007). "Interviews: EvStream". https://www.gamedev.net/tutorials/_/business/interviews/evstream-r2336/. 
  4. ↑ IGN staff (May 14, 1999). "First Impressions: Armada". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/05/14/first-impressions-armada. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Justice, Brandon (December 2, 1999). "Armada". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/03/armada. 
  6. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (August 23, 1999). "Armada Misses DC Launch". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/23/armada-misses-dc-launch. 
  7. ↑ Justice, Brandon (November 3, 1999). "Armada to See Slight Delay". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/03/armada-to-see-slight-delay. 
  8. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (December 9, 1999). "Metro 3D's Titles Set for Japanese release". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/10/metro-3ds-titles-set-for-japanese-release. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Armada for Dreamcast Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/dreamcast/196628-armada/index.html. 
  10. ↑ Licata, Jonathan. "Armada - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18677&tab=review. 
  11. ↑ Boyer, Crispin; Smith, Shawn; Hsu, Dan "Shoe"; Davison, John (February 2000). "Armada". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (127): 173. https://retrocdn.net/images/3/37/EGM_US_127.pdf. Retrieved October 17, 2023. 
  12. ↑ Lopez, Miguel (January 8, 2000). "Armada". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/reviews_article.php?article=1845. 
  13. ↑ McNamara, Andy (February 2000). "Armada - Dreamcast". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (82). http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3246. Retrieved November 15, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus" (February 2000). "Armada". GameFan (Shinno Media) 8 (2): 43. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_02/page/n43/mode/2up. Retrieved November 15, 2020. 
  15. ↑ Colin (December 1999). "Armada Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32199-armada-review. 
  16. ↑ Bartholow, Peter (December 9, 1999). "Armada Review [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/armada-review/1900-2540037/. 
  17. ↑ Bowen, Kevin (January 3, 2000). "Armada". IGN Entertainment. http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/armada/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Orlando, Greg (February 2000). "Armada". NextGen (Imagine Media) (62): 92. https://archive.org/details/NextGen62Feb2000/page/n93/mode/2up. Retrieved November 14, 2020. 
  19. ↑ Moehnke, Mike (2012). "Armada - Staff Retroview". CraveOnline. https://archive.rpgamer.com/games/other/dc/armada/reviews/armadastrev1.html. 
  20. ↑ The D-Pad Destroyer (December 14, 1999). "Armada Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://www.gamepro.com/sega/dreamcast/games/reviews/3622.shtml. Retrieved November 15, 2020. 
  21. ↑ Lamchop (February 2000). "Armada". GamePro (IDG) (137): 112. https://retrocdn.net/images/b/bc/GamePro_US_137.pdf. Retrieved October 17, 2023. 
  22. ↑ "Third Interactive Achievement Awards: Console". http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_console.html. 
  23. ↑ Harris, Craig (February 29, 2000). "Armada F/X Racers (Preview)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/01/armada-fx-racers-2. 
  24. ↑ Chau, Anthony (March 20, 2001). "Metro3D Cancels Dreamcast Titles". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/20/metro3d-cancels-dreamcast-titles. 
  25. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (April 6, 2000). "Metro 3D Brings Armada 2 to PS2". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/07/metro-3d-brings-armada-2-to-ps2. 
  26. ↑ "In Development". http://www.metro3d.com/products2.html. 
  27. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (January 19, 2001). "Metro 3D Discusses Next-Gen Development Plans". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/metro-3d-discusses-next-gen-development-plans/1100-2676703/. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Goldstein, Hilary (February 1, 2007). "Missing in Action: The Lost Games of Xbox". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/02/missing-in-action-the-lost-games-of-xbox. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Armada_(video_game)&oldid=791278"