Software:Contraption Zack

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Short description: 1992 video game
Contraption Zack
Developer(s)Presage Software[1]
Publisher(s)Mindscape
Platform(s)MS-DOS,[1] Amiga[1]
Release1992: MS-DOS
1993: Amiga

Contraption Zack is a video game from California-based[2] developer Presage Software. It was published by Mindscape for MS-DOS in 1992, then the Amiga in 1993. The game involves the player, as Zack, fixing broken machines.[3][4][5]

Gameplay

Contraption Zack casts the player as a rookie repairman at Gadgetco, thrust into chaos on the player's very first day. With tools mysteriously "borrowed" and malfunctions rampant, the player's mission is to outwit the workplace and assert control. The game unfolds across a sprawling six-level, 60-room maze, but navigation alone will not suffice—each room presents a logical puzzle that demands careful sequencing and deduction. No special gear is needed; instead, the player must decipher interactions like buttons that raise or lower colored cones, crafting solutions from deceptively simple mechanics. The modular structure lets the player tackle puzzles one at a time, saving progress between breakthroughs.[6]

Development

The game was developed by Presage Software, a company founded in 1986.[2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Aktueller Software Markt8/12[7]
Computer Game Review87%[3]
PC Joker66%[8]
PC Player63%[9]
Power Play59%[10]

PC World said "Contraption Zack is highly appealing, particularly for short coffee breaks".[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Presage Products - Contraption Zack". Archived from the original on June 14, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970614014743/http://www.presage.com/pCZack.html. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Overview". Archived from the original on June 14, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970614015351/http://www.presage.com/overview.html. Retrieved February 9, 2025. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Contraption Zack". January 1993. p. 64. https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-issue-018-january-1993/page/64/mode/2up. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  4. ↑ Lynch, Dennis (April 30, 1993). "Brain Busters". p. 146. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250512065305/https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/172203648/. Retrieved May 12, 2025. 
  5. ↑ Schwabach, Bob (March 29, 1993). "DOS serves as Boss". p. 21. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250512065823/https://www.newspapers.com/article/indian-river-press-journal/172203728/. Retrieved May 12, 2025. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Goodwin, Michael (June 1993). "Underground, in a maze, and on the green". Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20250125230707/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA13876913&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-GPS&asid=9b5a57bf. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  7. ↑ "Contraptions" (in de). March 1993. p. 25. https://archive.org/details/Aktueller_Software_Markt_-_Ausgabe_1993.03/page/n23/mode/2up. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  8. ↑ "Contraptions" (in de). February 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411015842/https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=11533. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  9. ↑ "Contraptions" (in de). March 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411011108/https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=15654. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  10. ↑ "Contraptions" (in de). February 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411020725/https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=7720. Retrieved January 26, 2025. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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