Software:Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas

From HandWiki
Short description: 1999 video game
For the 1984 video game of the same name, see Cutthroats (video game).
Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas
Developer(s)Hothouse Creations
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Composer(s)Allister Brimble
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: September 17, 1999[1]
  • EU: September 30, 1999
Genre(s)Strategy
Mode(s)Single-player

Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas, also known as simply Cutthroats, is a real time strategy game developed by Hothouse Creations and published by Eidos Interactive in 1999.

Gameplay

The game is set in the 17th century in the Caribbean and unlike most pirate games, it is mostly historically accurate. The game world is covered with settlements according to the time period the player picks at the start (and evolves accordingly as the game progresses) and each settlement is ruled by one of the five new world powers, Spain, England, France, The Netherlands and Denmark. Also some settlements are ruled at certain times by independent rulers, e.g. Tortuga and Belize. These settlements can be attacked by the player, meaning his crew, with weapons the player chose, will land at the town and can then be controlled to burn and pillage it. Other than this the player controls a ship unit upon a map of the Spanish Main and can plot courses to pins which represent towns; however, if an NPC ship is close enough to the player (these ships spawn at the settlements with goals such as trade between towns or to find pirates), the player will be alerted and go into a smaller bird's-eye map in which they can raise flags to either enter diplomacy with the ship such as asking for information, raise nation flags to avoid them, or obviously raise the Jolly Roger to attack them. Ship combat is worked much as town combat with the player controlling his ship(s) with advanced controls such as where to aim cannon, and what type of shot, right down to scuttling the ship or setting it ablaze.

Between battles the player is forced to sail places to maintain his ship; once at a town the player has a great deal of options such as buying supplies, buying new ships, making repairs, and visiting the governor. Sequences with the governor allow the player to gain fame with a nation and ultimately become a privateer; the player can also receive missions and treasure maps. The player also has the option of landing at beaches visible on the bird's-eye screen where they can bury their own treasure and carry out repairs or wait for an enemy ship to sail past.

Cutthroats' goal is for the player to amass enough loot to be able to split it between him and his crew, so that they may retire wealthy; however, after this the player can continue to take other voyages with his infamy or fame intact, which go up due to the player's acts: for example, killing all the civilians of a captured town gets a lot of infamy where winning battles gets fame. Fame is a benefit, causing some weak opponents to surrender without a fight. Infamy tends to attract the attention of pirate hunters. The player can also technically "lose" the game by having their fleet sunk in battle or themselves be arrested in a town. There is also the possibility of a ship's crew mutinying against you.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings56%[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[3]
CGSPStarStar[5]
CGWStarStar[6]
GameProStarStarStarStar[7]
GameRevolutionB[8]
GameSpot5.6/10[9]
GameSpy37%[10]
IGN6.2/10[11]
PC Gamer (UK)40%[13]
PC Zone68%[14]

The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[2]

IGN said of the game's lasting appeal, "It's got near infinite replayability but after a while the bugs will get to you and the game will seem a little flat. The lack of any multiplayer element only makes matters worse."[11]

GameSpot said, "If you're into micromanagement and can stand simplified combat and poor graphics, Cutthroats should provide you with enough to keep you happy for a while. But if you're looking for a game that re-creates the drama and violence of 17th-century pirating, you won't find it here."[9]

GameRevolution said, "The game as a whole is a complex one. But the designers did a very good job of integrating the complexity seamlessly and fairly invisibly. You do have to micro-manage your ships and cargo, and the interface to do so could use a bit of streamlining. But other than that, Cutthroats offers a rewarding take on buccaneering."[8]

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (September 17, 1999). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/18/news-briefs-106. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas for PC". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190602203958/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197017-cutthroats-terror-on-the-high-seas/index.html. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  3. ↑ Woods, Nick. "Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115112033/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19287&tab=review. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  4. ↑ Schuytema, Paul (November 9, 1999). "Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas". CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000816170911/http://gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-3380,00.html. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  5. ↑ Lund, Carl (October 21, 1999). "Cutthroats". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on July 9, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030709115513/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/023/146/cutthroats_review.html. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  6. ↑ Todd, Brett (January 2000). "Planksters (Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (186): 130. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_186.pdf. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  7. ↑ Brenesal, Barry (1999). "Cutthroats Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050209234116/http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/2560.shtml. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Larka, Lance A. (November 1999). "Cutthroats - Terror on the High Seas Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080012/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/cutthroats---terror-on-the-high-seas. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Poole, Stephen (October 22, 1999). "Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cutthroats-terror-on-the-high-seas-review/1900-2538483/. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Fargo (October 14, 1999). "Terror on the High C:/'s". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 21, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20001121033400/http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/cutthroats_a.shtm. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Butts, Steve (October 4, 1999). "Cutthroats". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130710010759/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/05/cutthroats. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  12. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (December 1999). "Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (16): 94. https://archive.org/details/PCXL16Dec1999/page/n97/mode/2up. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Pierce, Matthew (December 1999). "Cutthroats". PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing) (76): 82. https://archive.org/details/pcg-076/page/82/mode/2up. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  14. ↑ Mallinson, Paul (December 1999). "Cutthroats". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (83): 89. Archived from the original on January 13, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070113174451/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=2869. Retrieved June 2, 2021. 
  • 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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