Software:Constructor (video game)

From HandWiki
Constructor
PC box art
Developer(s)System 3
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
System 3 (re-released & HD)
Designer(s)Phil Thornton (English version)
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Real-time strategy, Construction and management simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Constructor is a 1997 video game released originally for MS-DOS computers and later ported to the PlayStation, macOS and Microsoft Windows-native DirectX 3. It was developed by System 3 and published by Acclaim Entertainment.

In the game, packed with humorous undertones, the player controls a construction company in a map split between several estates, and must deal with other teams to win the game.

On July 31, 2015, System 3 announced that Constructor was getting an HD re-release on consoles and PC in 2016,[3] but it was delayed to May 26, 2017.[4]

Gameplay

The player controls a construction company, and aim to drive the other players out of business. Using teams of workers and foremen, the player must build facilities to manufacture building materials (a sawmill, concrete works, etc.), in order to build houses (ranging from simple wooden cabins to large mansions) in which to house tenants who pay rent and thus fund the company, as well as producing new workers, tenants and other characters. Along the way, the player can build homes for undesirables such as gangsters and hippies, who work to undermine the enemy.

Development

Constructor's development was first revealed in a January 1991 issue of The One, where the player's role was described as "You play an architect on a planet subject to freak weather conditions. Like Jupiter it has a huge red spot which revolves every hundred years flattening everything in its path. While not being good news for most of the inhabitants of the planet it is very good news for you and your fellow architects ... From your sophisticated office console you control the planning and building of building of new properties and then attract the right sort of tenants to them."[5] More information regarding Constructor was to be announced in the first quarter of 1992, but its development was delayed.[5]

Fergus McGovern of Probe Entertainment said in 1997, "[Constructor] was a project that we'd been after for a long time, but it was originally with Warner. When they were going through some problems, we jumped in and snapped it up. We've been working on it ever since."[6]

Releases

The game was originally released for MS-DOS computers in 1997.

Ports

The game was later ported to the PlayStation, Mac OS and Windows-native DirectX 3.

On January 14, 2010, System 3 Software re-released Constructor for Sony PSP and PS3 systems in Europe via the PlayStation Network.[7]

A remake of the original was heading to tablets and other platforms in 2013. On March 29, 2013, it was announced that Constructor would make a return and also debut on tablets.[8]

A HD version of Constructor was announced by System 3 on July 31, 2015. It was originally planned to be released on January 29, 2016, but was delayed six times. It was first delayed until April 29, 2016, then postponed to late summer 2016, January 31, 2017,[9] February 28, 2017, April 28, 2017 with a new projected date of May 26, 2017, on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch version to be released later in the year. The delays with the release were attributed to new features being added to enrich the gameplay, as the game's development progressed.[10][11]

The Nintendo Switch version, Constructor Plus, was eventually released in 2019.[12]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
PC PowerPlay84%[13]

Sequel

Constructor II was announced in April 1998; it would have players visiting the wasteland of an alien planet.[14] The sequel maintained the style of humor present in the original, bringing back a cast of characters from the first game.[14] New characters based on the alien theme were also added, including the Alien Egg which impregnates victims, later causing their guts to explode.[14] Constructor Space was previewed years after the game was announced but was never completed. It was mentioned on June 29, 2016, as a possible sequel to Constructor if the HD re-release was successful[citation needed].

The sequel Constructor Plus was released on May 27, 2019, and features planets as playable maps alongside missions.

Mob Rule (known as Constructor: Street Wars or Street Wars: Constructor Underworld in some regions) was released in 1999, but failed to achieve the same success of the first game[citation needed].

References

  1. ↑ "Constructor Construction Complete". October 3, 1997. Archived from the original on February 21, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990221143910/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/03_construct/index.html. Retrieved August 7, 2022. 
  2. ↑ Staff (October 3, 1997). "Now Shipping". PC Gamer. http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-09-29.html. Retrieved December 5, 2019. 
    "Acclaim's Constructor hits the stores today..."
  3. ↑ "Constructor HD Announcement". Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150804005233/http://www.system3.com/games/constructor-hd/. Retrieved July 31, 2015. 
  4. ↑ "Constructor HD pushed back to 2017". August 25, 2016. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828072557/http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/constructor_hd/news/constructor_hd_pushed_back_to_2017.html. Retrieved August 25, 2016. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Systematic Software: Under Construction". The One (emap Images) (28): 22. January 1991. https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-28/page/n21. 
  6. ↑ Rider, David; Semrad, Ed (April 1997). "Probe Has the Games to Bring Acclaim Back to Life!". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (93): 88. 
  7. ↑ "'Heads-Up' PlayStation Store Update". Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20120129125351/http%3A//blog.eu.playstation.com/2010/01/14/%25e2%2580%2598heads%2Dup%25e2%2580%2599%2Dplaystation%2Dstore%2Dupdate%2D14th%2Djanuary%2D2010/. Retrieved January 14, 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Constructor, California Games being re-mastered for tablets in 2013". April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130407042216/http://www.vg247.com/2013/04/04/constructor-california-games-being-re-mastered-for-tablets-in-2013/. Retrieved April 4, 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Syberia 3, Valhalla Hills, Constructor HD and Vikings: Wolves of Midgard Release Date Announced". January 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170105184754/http://gametransfers.com/syberia-3-valhalla-hills-constructor-hd-and-vikings-wolves-of-midgard-release-date-announced/. Retrieved January 3, 2017. 
  10. ↑ "Constructor HD: Still under Construction…". Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160612110627/http://www.system3.com/constructor-hd-still-under-construction/. Retrieved April 11, 2016. 
  11. ↑ "Why System 3 is rebuilding Constructor". http://www.mcuk.com/news/read/why-system-3-is-rebuilding-constructor/. Retrieved June 29, 2016. [yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  12. ↑ "Constructor Plus". https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/constructor-plus-switch/. 
  13. ↑ Jones, Gareth (August 1997). "Constructor". PC PowerPlay (15): 58, 59. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Bricks in space". PC Zone (62): 15. April 1998. ISSN 0967-8220. OCLC 173325816. 
  • 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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