Software:Conqueror (video game)

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Conqueror
Developer(s)Jonathan Griffiths, David Braben, Chris Sawyer
Publisher(s)Superior, Acornsoft, Rainbow Arts
Designer(s)Jonathan Griffiths
Platform(s)Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS
Release
(Archimedes)
(Amiga/ST/DOS)
Genre(s)Third-person shooter, strategy
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Conqueror is a video game released as the follow-up to Zarch (also known as Virus), using the same landscape engine. It is a third-person shooter with strategy elements in which the player controls a fleet of tanks. It was originally developed and released on the Acorn Archimedes by Superior Software in 1988 and ported to other home computers in 1990 by Rainbow Arts. The game was well received, particularly for its blend of strategy and arcade action.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot (Amiga)

The game is set in the Second World War era and in a 3D polygonal environment. The player controls a fleet of tanks from either the American, German or Russian army. There are various tanks available with different abilities from light, fast tanks that are easily damaged to heavy, slow tanks with high firepower.

The player controls an individual tank from a third-person perspective with computer AI controlling the other friendly tanks as well as the enemy tanks. By switching to a map screen, the player can change which tank they control and also direct tanks to different places on the map. The game carries on in real-time while the player is looking at the map. Control can be split so that two players can cooperate to control the tank so one player drives the tank while the other controls the gun. Single players can choose for the computer to take the role of the second player or control both together.

There are three types of game; 'Arcade', 'Attrition' and 'Strategy'. In the 'arcade' version, the player controls just one tank and faces a never-ending stream of enemy tanks that becomes progressively more difficult and cannot be 'won'. The object of the game is simply to survive as long as possible. The 'attrition' game gives the player a set fleet of tanks which are pitted against a similar set of enemy tanks. The 'strategy' version is the full game. The player begins with limited funds which are used to buy a fleet of tanks. Extra funds are gained by completing missions which can then be used to add to the fleet with up to fifteen tanks being available. Other extra features in this version of the game include artillery bombardment which can be ordered to strike at a specific point on the map and spotter planes which can be used to find out where the enemy tanks are on the map. Both of these actions use up funds. Tanks are damaged when hit but if they can be driven away from the combat area, they can be repaired. Missions are generally won either by destroying all enemy tanks or by occupying a specific point on the map for a set time without coming under attack.[1][2]

Development and release

Conqueror was designed and coded by Jonathan Griffiths using the Zarch game engine which was created by David Braben (co-author of Elite). Like Zarch, it was originally developed and released on the 32-bit Acorn Archimedes. It was published in 1988 by Superior Software.[3]

Following the success of Virus, the name given to Zarch for its multi-format release in 1988, Conqueror was also ported to the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS. The Amiga and ST ports were carried out by Griffiths (with graphics by Torsten Zimmerman), while the DOS version was ported by Chris Sawyer. These versions were released by Rainbow Arts in 1990.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
ACE931/1000 (Archimedes)[4]
925/1000 (Amiga)[2]
920/1000 (Atari ST)[2]
The Games Machine87% (Archimedes)[1]
80% (DOS)[6]
80% (Atari ST)[6]
Amiga Format93% (Amiga)[5]
Power Play69% (Atari ST)[7]
Amiga Joker63% (Amiga)[8]

The game was well received by critics, generally comparable to Zarch/Virus. The Archimedes version was given a score of 931 (out of 1000) by ACE magazine[4] and 87% by The Games Machine who viewed it as an improvement over Zarch; "With more depth than Superior's previous Archimedes game, Conqueror is a change towards the more strategic style of game and as such is a change for the better - a product that is addictive and challenging in both the arcade and strategy sense of the word".[1]

The later versions generally scored slightly lower in the multi-format magazines with ACE giving the Amiga and ST versions 925 and 920 respectively,[2] while The Games Machine gave both the ST and DOS versions 80%.[6] Amiga Format called the game "first-class", and said it "will appeal to everyone who likes a good blast but also likes to think they can master a situation by good tactical planning", awarding a score of 93%.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Braben, David (September 1988). "I Came, I Saw - Conqueror". The Games Machine (Newsfield) (10): 30–31. ISSN 0954-8092. https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-10/page/n29/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Screentest - Conqueror". ACE (Future Publishing) (30): 34–35. March 1990. ISSN 0954-8076. https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue30Mar90/ACE_Issue_30_Mar_90/page/n33/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ Conqueror at The Centre for Computing History
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 King, Arthur (June 1988). "Conqueror". ACE (Future Publishing) (9): 54–55. ISSN 0954-8076. https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-09/page/n53/mode/2up. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Smith, Andy (April 1990). "Screenplay - Conqueror". Amiga Format (Future Publishing) (9): 32–33. https://archive.org/details/AmigaFormat009Apr90/page/n31/mode/2up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lapworth, Warren (April 1990). "Reviews - Conqueror". The Games Machine (Newsfield) (29): 52. ISSN 0954-8092. https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-29/page/n51/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ Hengst, Michael (February 1990). "Computerspiele - Conqueror" (in German). Power Play (Markt&Technik): 22. ISSN 0937-9754. https://archive.org/details/Power.Play.N23.1990.02-kultpower/page/n21/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ Borgmeier, Carsten (March 1990). "Conqueror" (in German). Amiga Joker (Joker Verlag): 68. ISSN 0933-8713. https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Joker_1990-03_Joker_Verlag_DE/page/n67/mode/2up. 
  • 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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