Software:CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder

Short description: 2006 video game

CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder
Developer(s)	Telltale Games
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Producer(s)	Chris Ferriter
Designer(s)	Greg Land
Programmer(s)	Karen Peterson
Artist(s)	David Bogan
Writer(s)	Max Allan Collins Greg Land
Composer(s)	John M. Keane
Engine	Telltale Tool
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
Release	Microsoft Windows NA: March 14, 2006 AU: March 2006 EU: March 31, 2006 PlayStation 2 NA: September 25, 2007 EU: October 5, 2007 AU: October 11, 2007
Genre(s)	Adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder is a computer game based on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation television series. Unlike the previous CSI games, this game was developed by Telltale Games, rather than 369 Interactive. It was published by Ubisoft, and was released for Microsoft Windows in March 2006.

The game uses a new 3D engine, which changes the gameplay and graphical look of the game, in comparison to 369 Interactive's CSI games.

This game, like the previous CSI games CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami, follows a distinct pattern of five cases, with the fifth case tying together the previous four.

A PlayStation 2 version of this game was released on the September 25, 2007 in the United States. This version was made by Ubisoft's studio in Sofia, Bulgaria. The PlayStation 2 version is not the same as the Microsoft Windows version. The player has free movement and control of the view, which was required by Sony America. This change created extraordinary difficulties for the developer.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}

The Cases

Case 1: Pictures at an Execution

Rich out-of-towner Rachel Maddox is bludgeoned to death in a posh art gallery the day before her wedding to Mark Stock. The suspected murder weapon? An expensive hawk statue that's flown the coop. You work with Warrick Brown on this case. The evidence points to her hot-tempered fiancé Mark, Nathan Ackerman, the owner of the art gallery, and Patrick Milton, a reclusive artist commissioned to paint a portrait of the victim. It is discovered that Patrick killed Rachel after her constant criticism and nit-picking of his portrait pushed him over the edge.

Cast

Nathan Ackerman: James Monroe

Mark Stock: David Collins

Patrick Milton: Bob Sarlotte

Case 2: First Person Shooter

The CEO of a video game company on the verge of a high-profile release is shot dead at the biggest gaming trade show of the year. Life imitating art, or something more sinister? The only suspects are Maya Ngyuen, a marketing woman who was trained with guns as a child, Andy Penmore, another co-worker, also the victim's roommate, and Craig Landers, an ex-employee who might've given the guy a good swing. The player works with Nick Stokes on this case. Eventually, the investigation reveals Andy murdered the victim because he wanted to sell out.

This case is a dramaticized, humorous send-up of the cancellation and subsequent fan reaction surrounding Software:Sam & Max: Freelance Police, a game many Telltale employees had worked on pre-cancellation.

The 3 Dimensions of Murder demo features a portion of this case.

Cast

Maya Nguyen: Sumalee Montano

Craig Landers: David Collins

Andy Penmore: Andrew Chaikin

Gun Shop Clerk: Sydney Ramin

Case 3: Daddy's Girl

Casino heiress Carrie Canelli has been victimized in her apartment. The crime scene is crawling with blood spatters, fibers, and fingerprints — all that's missing is the body. The only suspects are the victim's twin sister Lucy, her abusive fiancé Michael, and Alex, a mysterious male nurse. In this case the player works with Sara Sidle. It turns out Carrie did not want her father's fortune and agreed with Lucy that she deserved it more, so Carrie and Alex faked her death so Lucy would get everything.

Michael Dubios: Andrew Chaikin

Alex Porterson: David Collins

Lucy Canelli: Sumalee Motano

The character of Carrie Canelli is seen but not heard at the end of the case

Case 4: Rough Cut

The son of a prominent real estate developer is found dead in a remote area of the Nevada desert. Is he a victim of poison, politics, or promiscuity? Evidence points to his wife, his wealthy mother, and a sleazy contractor. You work with Greg Sanders on this case.

Cast

Carla Mitchell: Sally Clawson

Emily Hanson: Sydney Rainin

Lou Astor: Bob Sarlottte

Case 5: The Big White Lie

A sleazy private investigator has been shot to death in an alley, and the body is found by one of CSI's own, Doc Robbins. Retracing his final steps reveals a web of deceit, lies, and corruption. Who — and how many — pulled the trigger? You work with Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows on this case. This case ties the first, and third cases together.

Case 6: Rich Mom, Poor Mom (PlayStation 2 Exclusive)

A casino waitress is found stabbed in her home and is rushed to the hospital, where she survives. It is found out in the investigation that she is pregnant, and later miscarries, the child of a prominent Texas oilman, who happens to be in town for the week, with his young wife. Did he stab the victim, did the wife do it, or did the victim's live-in boyfriend do it? You work with Catherine Willows on this case.

• Note: This case is Case 2 in Software:CSI: Hard Evidence.

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score PC PS2 Adventure Gamers N/A GameSpot 6/10 4.5/10 GameSpy N/A IGN 8.6/10 7/10 OPM (UK) N/A 6/10 PC Gamer (UK) 55% N/A PC Gamer (US) 79% N/A PC Zone 62% N/A X-Play N/A Aggregate scores GameRankings 68.65% 58.33% Metacritic 67/100 58/100

The game was met with mixed reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 69% and 67 out of 100 for the PC version, and 58% and 58 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version. The game's global sales combined with those of its two predecessors—Software:CSI: Dark Motives and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation—reached roughly 2.4 million copies across all platforms by December 2006.

External links

• Official CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder website
• Immersed in the World of CSI - Developer's diary by CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder writer/designer Greg Land
• CSI: Dimensions of Murder Game Help
• 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. 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". This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months. 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. A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.

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. 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. 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.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount. This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign. 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). Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel, and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million. The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager. 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. This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue. Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.

See also

• IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions