Software:Corruption (interactive fiction)

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Short description: 1988 video game
Corruption
European Cover art
Developer(s)Magnetic Scrolls
Publisher(s)Rainbird Software
Platform(s)Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Archimedes, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Macintosh, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum.[1]
Release1988
Genre(s)Interactive fiction
Mode(s)Single-player

Corruption is an interactive fiction game by Magnetic Scrolls released in 1988. In this game, a successful stockbroker suddenly finds himself embroiled in a world of crime and danger.

Gameplay

The game is a standard text adventure with static graphics in all versions but the Apple II and Spectrum +3 ones. It focuses primarily on character interaction instead of object interaction. The Amiga version has a "speech mode", though Computer Gaming World noted it only as a novelty.[2]

Development

The working title of the game was "Upon Westminster Bridge".[3]

Reviews

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG9 out of 10[4]
Your Sinclair7 out of 10[5]
ACE920/1000[6]
Sinclair User90%[5]

The game was voted Best 8-bit Adventure Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.[7]

ACE's reviewer The Pilgrim called it "a game that combines powerful programming, wry humour, and a compelling plot all at once. No doubt about it, Corruption is [Magnetic Scrolls'] best yet."[6] In Computer & Video Games, Keith Campbell wrote that "the game has very much the same feel as the Infocom mysteries, like Suspect, although I found this plot to be far more interesting." He remarked that Corruption will provide "hours of enjoyable frustration", and he praised its graphics, noting that "an adventure set in offices in the city, doesn't sound particularly exciting graphically, yet Magnetic Scrolls have made it so."[4]

Sinclair User's Sarah Sharkey summarized, "[T]his game is good. The text is well written, the characters are very realistic and the storyline is believable." She highlighted the game's "super interaction with characters" and "absorbing and realistic game world".[5] Mike Gerrard of Your Sinclair wrote, "All in all, I enjoyed Corruption far more than I thought I would... but not quite as much as the previous Magnetic Scrolls games."[8]

Computer Gaming World in 1989 praised the game's menu features, such as the ability to reveal exits.[2] Charles Ardai in 1992 wrote in the magazine that Corruption was "the one clear winner" in the Magnetic Scrolls Collection. While criticizing the short length of gameplay, he stated that "a game this powerful deserves the widest possible audience".[9]

References

  1. ↑ Meier, Stefan. "Magnetic Scrolls Fact Sheet". http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/magnetic-scrolls/info/msfact.txt. Retrieved 17 June 2015. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eva, Frank (Feb 1989), "On The Eve of "Corruption"", Computer Gaming World: 18, http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1989&pub=2&id=56 
  3. ↑ 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

    References

    <references></references>
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    Template:Atari


  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Campbell, Keith (July 1988). "Corruption". Computer & Video Games (81): 92, 93. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sharkey, Sarah (October 1988). "Corruption". Sinclair User (79): 48. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Pilgrim (August 1988). Corruption: Rainbird/Magnetic Scrolls' inside deal. pp. 73, 74. 
  7. ↑ "Golden Joystick Awards 1989". Computer and Video Games (Future Publishing) (92): 62–63. June 1989. https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_092_1989-06_EMAP_Publishing_GB/Computer__Video_Games_Issue_092_1989-06_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n61/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ Gerrard, Mike (November 1988). "Corruption". Your Sinclair (35): 104. 
  9. ↑ Ardai, Charles (November 1992). "Virgin Software's Magnetic Scrolls Collection". Computer Gaming World: pp. 64-64. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=100. Retrieved 4 July 2014. 

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  • Corruption at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
  • Corruption at Lemon 64
  • Corruption at Lemon Amiga
  • 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






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