Software:Creatures (1996 video game)

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Creatures
Windows cover art
Developer(s)Creature Labs
Elo Interactive (GBA)
Publisher(s)Windows/Macintosh
PlayStation/Game Boy Advance
Designer(s)Toby Simpson
SeriesCreatures
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance
ReleaseWindows, Macintosh
PlayStation
  • EU: 2001
  • NA: 18 May 2002
Game Boy Advance
  • EU: 8 February 2002
Genre(s)Artificial life
Mode(s)Single-player

Creatures is an artificial life simulation packaged as a video game developed by British studio Creature Labs for Windows, and was ported to Macintosh, PlayStation, and Game Boy Advance. It is the first game in the Creatures series.

Gameplay

Creatures is a game in which the player can hatch and raise anthropomorphic creatures known as Norns.[2]

Notably, the environment was actually a physically constructed model, carefully photographed. This was to keep graphics costs low.[3]

Creatures is an artificial life simulation where the user hatches small furry animals and teaches them how to behave, or leaves them to learn on their own. These "Norns" can talk, feed themselves, and protect themselves against vicious creatures called Grendels. It was the first popular application of machine learning in an interactive simulation. Neural networks are used by the creatures to learn what to do. The game is regarded as a breakthrough in artificial life research, which aims to model the behavior of creatures interacting with their environment.[4]

According to Millennium, every copy of Creatures contains a unique starting set of eggs, whose genomes are not replicated on any other copy of the game.[5] An expansion pack, called "Life Kit #1" was released for purchase later.[6]

Development

The game was in development for four years.[7]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBAMacintoshPCPS
CGSPN/AN/AStarStarHalf star[6][9]N/A
CGWN/AN/AStarStarStarStar[10]N/A
Game InformerN/AN/A8.25/10[12]N/A
GameRevolutionN/AB[13]B[13]N/A
GameZoneN/AN/AN/A8.5/10[14]
IGNN/AN/AN/A2.6/10[15]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[16]N/AN/A14/20[17]
Next GenerationN/AN/AStarStarStarStarStar[2]N/A
Aggregate score
MetacriticN/AN/AN/A43/100[8]

The PlayStation version received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8] However, Next Generation said that the PC version "offers one of the most obsessive and entertaining experiences anyone can have in front of the computer."[2] The Electric Playground gave the same PC version universal acclaim, over a month before it was released Stateside.[11]

The PC version sold 100,000 units by November 1997. At the time, John Moore of Mindscape explained that the company "expect[s] to sell more than 200,000 Creatures by the end of the year."[19] Global sales of the game neared 400,000 units by February 1998.[20][21]

Legacy

The model built during development and photographed as the game's backdrop, is held at The Centre for Computing History, where it is on permanent display.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Helen (May 1, 1997). "Mindscape Brings Creatures to the US". Archived from the original on December 5, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19981205071207/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/01_creatures/index.html. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Power of Life (Creatures Review)". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (35): 206. November 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_35/page/n207/mode/2up. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Creatures Model". http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/42694/Creatures-Development-Model/. 
  4. ↑ Champandard, Alex J. (2007). "Top 10 Most Influential AI Games". Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090706131529/http://aigamedev.com/open/highlights/top-ai-games/. 
  5. ↑ "Artificial Life - Evolving - Millenium Interactive". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (23): 56–58. November 1996. ISSN 1078-9693. https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration23Nov1996_2400/page/n57/mode/2up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Smith, Peter (31 January 1998). "Creatures Life Kit #1". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 5 July 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030705043628/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/034/lifekit_review.html. Retrieved 8 December 2012. 
  7. ↑ "Creatures Wins International Emma Award". October 9, 1996. Archived from the original on January 10, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970110042223/http://www.cyberlife.co.uk:80/press_release01.htm. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Creatures for PlayStation". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/creatures/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  9. ↑ Smith, Peter (26 January 1998). "Creatures". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 4 July 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030704230904/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/013/creatures_review.html. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  10. ↑ Jepsen, Dawn (November 1997). "It's Alive (Creatures Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (160): 314–15. ISSN 0744-6667. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_160/page/n317/mode/2up. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 James, Bonnie (11 June 1997). "Creatures (PC)". Greedy Productions, Inc.. Archived from the original on 1 August 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970801040044/http://www.elecplay.com/pc/creatures.html. Retrieved 10 November 2021. 
  12. ↑ Reppen, Erik (September 1997). "Creatures (PC)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (53). 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hubble, Calvin (August 1997). "Creatures Review (Mac, PC)". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 13 June 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613205424/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/mac/creatures.htm. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  14. ↑ Parrotta, Dylan (30 June 2002). "Creatures Review - PlayStation". Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071102184243/http://psx.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r10572.htm. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  15. ↑ Roper, Chris (23 September 2002). "Creatures Review (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/23/creatures-review. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  16. ↑ Romendil (10 January 2002). "Test: Creatures (GBA)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00001858_test.htm. 
  17. ↑ Pilou (8 December 2001). "Test: Creatures (PS1)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00001788_test.htm. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  18. ↑ Tafel, Kathy (October 1997). "Creatures". MacADDICT (Imagine Media) (14): 70. https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-014-199710/page/n71/mode/2up. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  19. ↑ Anderson, Jill (3 November 1997). "Mindscape Sells 100,000 Creatures [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 20 May 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000520041544/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_11/03_creature/index.html. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  20. ↑ Jebens, Harley (11 February 1998). "Creatures Multiply [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 18 April 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000418083851/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_02/11_creature/index.html. Retrieved 9 November 2021. 
  21. ↑ "Mindscape Signs Deal to Publish Creatures 2". February 11, 1998. Archived from the original on February 3, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990203085216/http://www.cyberlife.co.uk:80/creatures/creatures2_press_release.htm. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  • 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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