Software:Dementium: The Ward

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Short description: 2007 video game

Dementium: The Ward
Developer(s)Renegade Kid
Atooi (Switch, PS)
Publisher(s)Nintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
Renegade Kid[1]
Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows
Atooi[citation needed]
Director(s)Jools Watsham
Designer(s)Jools Watsham
Programmer(s)Bob Ives
Artist(s)Gregg Hargrove
Composer(s)Jools Watsham
Gareth Vilday
Platform(s)Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
ReleaseNintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: October 12, 2023
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
  • WW: April 19, 2024
Windows
  • WW: October 27, 2025
Genre(s)Survival horror, first-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Dementium: The Ward is a survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by Renegade Kid for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America on October 31, 2007, published by Gamecock Media Group. After Renegade Kid gained back the rights to the title, an enhanced version of the game was announced under the title of Dementium Remastered for the Nintendo 3DS. The remastered version was released in North America on December 3, 2015, and Europe on February 11, 2016, with the company's successor Atooi developing remasters for additional platforms.

Gameplay

In Dementium: The Ward, the player takes the role of William Redmoor, a man with amnesia, and has to venture through a hospital's rooms and hallways in order to find the exit and escape the establishment. The game uses a first-person view. In order to advance in the game, the player has to resolve puzzles and defeat monsters. At the beginning, William only has access to a nightstick that he can use to defend himself against enemies in addition to a flashlight. As the game progresses, he finds more weapons, such as a revolver.[4] The console's touch screen is used to move the character's vision, to change weapons and to interact with some nearby elements. It also displays the health bar and can show a map or the player's inventory.[5] In addition, the player is also equipped with a notebook in which they can jot down clues with the stylus.

Plot

The protagonist, William Redmoor, wakes up in a medical ward with amnesia. Equipped with a flashlight, he discovers that the hospital he is in is abandoned and crawling with unspeakable creatures. As he makes his descent from the seventh floor, Redmoor collects more weapons in his effort to make progress.

Throughout the game, Redmoor discovers newspaper clippings and staff notes about a man who brutally murdered his wife, and that authorities believe that Redmoor is the killer. He also sees visions of his daughter Amanda running in the corridor as well as a man dressed in black who calls himself 'The Doctor.'

After battling his way through the derelict hospital, Redmoor encounters the Doctor in the basement, who possesses supernatural powers. Defeating him triggers an ending where Redmoor is seen reuniting with his wife and child in a well lit room. However, this appears to be only a dream as it immediately cuts to a scene where Redmoor is being lobotomised by the Doctor. The Doctor then concludes that the patient has successfully completed phase 1 and is now ready for phase 2.

Development

The first game to be developed by Renegade Kid, a studio formed from Iguana Entertainment alumni, Dementium: The Ward was originally planned as a Silent Hill game for the Nintendo DS. In meetings with multiple publishers, Konami turned down their pitch, causing the team to create an original game instead when Gamecock agreed to publish the game.[6]

Renegade Kid developed a Nintendo 3DS remaster to fix problems with the original release. After the company was closed on 2016, the intellectual property of the game was acquired by Gregg Hargrove's studio Infitizmo, with Jools Watsham's studio Atooi acquiring the intellectual property after Hargrove's death from pancreatic cancer in 2018. Atooi developed remasters of the game for modern consoles.[7]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
3DSDS
Destructoid1/10[8]8.5/10[9]
EdgeN/A5/10[10]
EurogamerN/A7/10[11]
FamitsuN/A30/40[citation needed]
Game InformerN/A5.75/10[12]
GameProN/AStarStarStarStar[13]
GameRevolutionN/AC+[14]
GameSpotN/A7.5/10[15]
GameSpyN/AStarStarStarHalf star[16]
IGNN/A8/10[4]
Nintendo Life7/10[17]7/10[18]
Nintendo PowerN/A8.5/10[19]
Nintendo World Report7.5/10[20]7/10[21]
411ManiaN/A8.4/10[22]
The A.V. ClubN/AB[23]
Aggregate score
Metacritic57/100[24]72/100[25]
Awards
PublicationAward
IGNBest First-Person Shooter[26]
IGNBest Graphics Technology[27]

Dementium and Dementium Remastered received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[24][25]

Craig Harris of IGN said that the visuals were "outstanding: the lighting effects and texture work in Dementium: The Ward are pretty special when you consider the Nintendo DS' capabilities." He also noted "the flashlight effect might not match what other developers have done on more powerful systems" but "it's a believable technique that's pulled off better than anything seen on same-level hardware."[4] Pete Sellers of Deeko was more positive, commenting on the DS version's many pros and few cons in a parody of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: "Visually, Dementium's divine and every facet is designed / To create a sense of ambience that offers frights galore. ... / If you've the guts to enduring gaming in which you do lots of playing / All the while softly praying, preying on some churlish horde, / Go out and buy this game now quickly! Preying on churlish horde / Within Dementium: The Ward!"[28] The DS version was criticized most prominently for its short length and lack of replayability; but also for its save system, and that most of the in-game enemies respawn on revisit, leaving a player short on items and ammunition and discouraging exploration.

In Japan, where the DS version was ported and published by Interchannel-Holon on June 26, 2008, Famitsu gave it a score of two eights, one six, and one eight, for a total of 30 out of 40.[citation needed] On September 22, 2008, the Japanese Association of Psychiatric Hospitals published a protest against the DS version,[29] asking it to be taken off the shelves because "the game uses the tradition of psychiatry in name but uses imagery of attacking patients".[30]

The DS version sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.[31]

Legacy

Following the release of the sequel Dementium II, Renegade Kid lost the rights to the intellectual property due to licensing agreements with the publisher. The studio created a spiritual successor, Cult County, which it attempted to fund through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.[32] The campaign, started in 2014, failed to meet its funding goal of US$580,000.[33]

Renegade Kid regained the rights to Dementium in September 2014.[1] The studio released a remaster of the game, Dementium Remastered, in 2015 with enhancements including checkpoints and improved graphics.[34] Watsham later announced a remaster of Dementium II as well as the third entry in the series.[34] When Renegade Kid was dissolved in 2016, co-founder Gregg Hargrove retained the rights under his company Infitizmo.[35] Hargrove died from pancreatic cancer in 2018.[36] In April 2023, Watsham tweeted that his company Atooi had retained the rights to Dementium, hinting of potential sequels and ports.[37] On September 28, Atooi announced a port for the Nintendo Switch and it will be released on October 12 the same year,[citation needed] with versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 releasing the following year on April 19, 2024.[38] On October 25, 2025, Atooi released a Windows version on Steam.[39]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 McFerran, Damien (September 17, 2014). "Renegade Kid Now In A Position To Produce More Dementium Games". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/09/renegade_kid_now_in_a_position_to_produce_more_dementium_games. Retrieved December 15, 2014. 
  2. ↑ East, Tom (April 9, 2009). "Win! DSi and Dementium". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120314100432/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/7894/competitionswin-dsi-and-dementium/. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Bozon, Mark (2007-10-26). "Dementium: The Ward - Director Diary" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/26/dementium-the-ward-director-diary-3. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harris, Craig (October 31, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/31/dementium-the-ward-review. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  5. ↑ Logan (July 3, 2009). "Test du jeu Dementium : L'Asile sur DS" (in french). Jeuxvideo.com. http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011113-dementium-l-asile-test.htm. Retrieved October 2, 2018. 
  6. ↑ Campbell, Evan (April 27, 2015). "Dementium: The Ward Was Pitched to Konami as a Silent Hill DS Game". http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/27/dementium-the-ward-was-pitched-to-konami-as-a-silent-hill-ds-game. Retrieved April 28, 2015. 
  7. ↑ Reynolds, Ollie (2023-09-30). ""We Wouldn’t Give The Silent Hill IP To A Team Like Yours" - Dementium: The Ward's Origins And Switch Return" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/features/we-wouldnrt-give-the-silent-hill-ip-to-a-team-like-yours-dementium-the-wards-origins-and-switch-return. 
  8. ↑ Whitaker, Jed (December 2, 2015). "Review: Dementium Remastered". https://www.destructoid.com/review-dementium-remastered-323292.phtml. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  9. ↑ Bennett, Colette (October 31, 2007). "Destructoid review: Dementium: The Ward". https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-dementium-the-ward-51798.phtml. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  10. ↑ "Dementium: The Ward". Edge (188): 99. May 2008. 
  11. ↑ Reed, Kristan (April 10, 2009). "Dementium: The Ward". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dementium-the-ward-review. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  12. ↑ Vore, Bryan (December 2007). "Dementium: The Ward". Game Informer (176). http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/698E43FD-CF99-4F3A-BA26-89DF2D11D225.htm. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  13. ↑ Melick, Todd (December 17, 2007). "Review: Dementium: The Ward". GamePro. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080104022246/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/ds/games/reviews/144628.shtml. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  14. ↑ Hudak, Chris (November 19, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910182853/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/dementium-the-ward. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  15. ↑ Anderson, Lark (November 6, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dementium-the-ward-review/1900-6182411/. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  16. ↑ Lewis, Cameron (November 5, 2007). "GameSpy: Dementium: The Ward". GameSpy. http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/the-ward/832793p1.html. Retrieved January 4, 2008. 
  17. ↑ Couture, Joel (November 29, 2015). "Review: Dementium Remastered". http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/dementium_remastered. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  18. ↑ Schreiner, Paul (July 12, 2009). "Review: Dementium: The Ward". http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/07/dementium_the_ward_ds. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  19. ↑ "Dementium: The Ward". Nintendo Power 223: 84. December 25, 2007. 
  20. ↑ Miller, Zachary (December 2, 2015). "Dementium Remastered (3DS 3Shop) Review". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/41592/dementium-remastered-3ds-eshop-review. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  21. ↑ Miller, Zachary (January 17, 2008). "Dementium: The Ward". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/15139/dementium-the-ward-nintendo-ds. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  22. ↑ Aranda, Ramon (November 20, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward (DS) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071121153906/http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/63660. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  23. ↑ Dahlen, Chris (November 12, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward". The A.V. Club. https://www.avclub.com/dementium-the-ward-1798212742. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Dementium Remastered for 3DS Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/dementium-remastered/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Dementium: The Ward for DS Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/dementium-the-ward/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  26. ↑ "Best of 2007 (Best First Person Shooter)". Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080105200253/http://bestof.ign.com/2007/ds/4.html. Retrieved January 4, 2008. 
  27. ↑ "Best of 2007 (Best Graphics Technology)". Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080104163550/http://bestof.ign.com/2007/ds/12.html. Retrieved January 4, 2008. 
  28. ↑ Sellers, Pete (November 6, 2007). "Dementium: The Ward - Review". Deeko. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071109163955/http://www.deeko.com/nintendo_ds/reviewDetail.asp?id=924. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  29. ↑ "Letter of Protest". Japanese Association of Psychiatric Hospitals. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081008001727/http://www.nisseikyo.or.jp/home/about/05teigen/2008/2008_12.html. Retrieved October 5, 2008. 
  30. ↑ Ellison, Blake (October 1, 2008). "Japan Psychiatric Association Wants Survival Horror DS Game Pulled". Shacknews. http://www.shacknews.com/article/55040/japan-psychiatric-association-wants-survival. Retrieved April 27, 2017. 
  31. ↑ Prell, Sophie (January 3, 2013). "Hackers claim to have gained entry to the 3DS - developers sound off on possible homebrew and piracy". Penny Arcade. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130106013059/http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-3ds-has-been-hacked-homebrew-and-piracy-are-looming-is-this-good-or-bad. Retrieved January 3, 2013. 
  32. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (2 April 2014). "Renegade Kid launches Kickstarter for survival horror game Cult County". Eurogamer.net. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-02-renegade-kid-launches-kickstarter-for-survival-horror-game-cult-county. 
  33. ↑ Burleson, Kyle (3 May 2014). "Renegade Kid's Cult County Kickstarter project fails". https://www.destructoid.com/renegade-kids-cult-county-kickstarter-project-fails/. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 McFerran, Damien (December 15, 2014). "Renegade Kid Is Bringing Survival Horror Title Dementium To The Nintendo 3DS". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/12/renegade_kid_is_bringing_survival_horror_title_dementium_to_the_nintendo_3ds. Retrieved December 15, 2014. 
  35. ↑ Watsham, Jools. "Unfortunately, that is very unlikely as Atooi does not own the rights to either game.". https://twitter.com/JoolsWatsham/status/1352997955586945026. 
  36. ↑ Watsham, Jools. "It saddens me to share the news that we have lost a great friend. Gregg Hargrove passed away yesterday after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. The world is a better place because Gregg was in it. I will miss him dearly and cherish our friendship.". https://twitter.com/joolswatsham/status/1042056762906566656?lang=en. 
  37. ↑ Watsham, Jools. "I am ecstatic to announce that AtooiLLC now has the rights to create Dementium sequels (and ports)! EXCITE!!". https://twitter.com/JoolsWatsham/status/1650317105789652992. 
  38. ↑ Ferdinand, Pam K. (April 18, 2024). "Classic Nintendo DS Horror Game Coming Soon to PS4 and PS5". https://gamerant.com/dementium-the-ward-nintendo-ds-horror-game-ps4-ps5-version. 
  39. ↑ "Save 40% on Dementium: The Ward on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/3909960/Dementium_The_Ward/. 
  • 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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