Software:Curse of Dragor

From HandWiki
Short description: 1995 role-playing video game
Curse of Dragor
Developer(s)Banshee Software
Publisher(s)Domark
Platform(s)Macintosh
Release1995
Genre(s)Role playing game
Mode(s)Single Player

Curse of Dragor is a 1995 fantasy role playing video game for the Macintosh, developed by Banshee Software and published by Domark.[1]

Gameplay

The game has many features in common with other dungeon crawlers of its type. Players are first tasked with creating a party of four characters from a variety of classes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The plot involves a group of adventurers seeking to free the land of Xorinth from the curse laid upon it by the evil Prince Dragor. Battles take place in real-time (as opposed to turn-based combat) with a set number of experience points awarded for each monster slain. Additional experience can also be gained by solving the various puzzles scattered throughout the game. As the characters level up, their abilities improve, and they will be able to equip stronger weapons.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Next GenerationStarStar[2]
PC GamesB[3]

Next Generation reviewed the Macintosh version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Once you're past the game itself (unfortunately, we mean it) Curse is an impressive product. Graphics, sound, and control are all excellent, and the game has enough twists and turns to keep a player who does like the basic nature of the product playing for hours. In the end, while it's by no means a bad game, Curse of Dragor is a holdover from a genre that has run out of steam."[2] Writing for PC Games, Steve Klett concluded, "[I]f you have the patience, Curse of Dragor brings a compelling fantasy experience to a Macintosh world without many role-playing options."[3] The Macintosh Bible recommended Curse of Dragor to "very serious role-players" due to its combination of intuitive interface and challenging gameplay.[4]

The Hartford Courant called Curse of Dragor a game for "people who spend hours upon hours on the computer" and for fans of Dungeons & Dragons. To make any progress requires a substantial amount of time "to submerge yourself sufficiently in the atmosphere, the complex story line and the vast number of options for action." The review criticized the game's "mystifying" interface, praised its graphics in spite of the small size of the playing screen, and noted its "gruesome" and "sometimes morbid fixation on death."[5]

Computer Player magazine rated Curse of Dragor 5 out of 10, saying its "only plus is its rich storyline." The review called the game "extremely dull" with minimal sound effects, no music, and "too few puzzles for a game that tries to be a graphic adventure." Micromanaging the well-being and progress of the party was "an arduous responsibility that quickly becomes tedious". The review concluded that the game was "a strange mix of RPG and graphic adventure that ultimately doesn't provide enough interactivity and sheer entertainment to make it a worthy investment."[6]

Inside Mac Games rated Curse of Dragor 3 out 5, praising the game's auto-mapping feature and calling the storyline "much more interesting than the usual 'There's a bad guy who lives in this tower' approach." The review criticized the esoteric puzzles, save game and install size given the relatively short game length, and the frequent bugs resulting in crashes.[7]

Reviews

  • Mac Game Gate (1999)[8]

References

  1. ↑ Curse of Dragor at MobyGames
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (15): 85. March 1996. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Klett, Steve (April 1996). "Curse of Dragor". PC Games. http://www.pcgamesmag.com/games/Apr96/dragor496.html. 
  4. ↑ Judson, Jeremy (1996). The Macintosh Bible (6th ed.). Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. p. 622. ISBN 0-201-88636-7. 
  5. ↑ Dunne, Susan (1996-01-11). "Blood-soaked 'Dragor' not for the impatient". Hartford Courant: p. E3. 
  6. ↑ Lane, Ethan (May 1996). "Curse of Dragor". Computer Player (Air Age Publishing) 2 (12): 76–77. 
  7. ↑ Jahnel, Bill (January–February 1996). "Review: The Curse of Dragor". Inside Mac Games 4 (1&2). 
  8. ↑ "MGG - Curse of the Dragor". http://www.macgate.torget.se/Games/reviews/Cursedragor.html. 
  • Official site (archived)
  • 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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