Software:Detroit (video game)

From HandWiki
Detroit
Cover art showing a 1958 Ford Edsel
Developer(s)Impressions Games
Publisher(s)Sierra On-Line
Designer(s)David Lester
Programmer(s)Dale Campbell
Composer(s)Christopher J. Denman
Jason P. Rinaldi
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Amiga
Release
Genre(s)Business simulation
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer (hotseat)

Detroit is a turn-based business simulation game that puts one in charge of a fledgling automobile company starting in 1908 (the year the Ford Model T was introduced). The player is responsible for the financing, research and development, design, testing, production, and marketing of automobile product lines. The aim of the game is to be the most profitable automobile business in the world after 100 years.

The game is named after the American city of Detroit which is nicknamed "Motor City" due to the concentration of American automobile manufacturers in the city during the 20th century.

Gameplay

The player starts off with a factory and a number of distributors. The player is always set against three competitors, which can be either human or computer. The game tends to follow common steps in a project lifecycle which involves the planning of a product, development of a product, testing of a product and its release to the public. The player is expected to follow this process whenever they wish to develop a new automobile.

Each turn is one month, and the game lasts approximately 100 years. At the start of each month, the player is presented with a money ledger showing the prior month's business. At this time newspapers also announce if cars are doing well or if there are special world events. World events that vastly effect gameplay are: World War I, The Great Depression, World War II, and the energy crisis of the 1970s. Most of these events negatively affect demand for all cars, with the exception of the energy crisis which targets low-mileage vehicles.

If at any time the player is bankrupt for long enough, the game ends with a scene of the player's avatar jumping out of a window.

The different aspects of the business are covered by different buildings at the factory (which is actually a pictorial representation of the main menu). Clicking on one of these buildings will bring up the following departments:

Manager's office

The manager's office acts as the player's interface to the numbers end of the business. Available from here is financial data concerning car models, factory production numbers, competition information, car reviews, and more. The player can manage the number of employees at factories, hire and fire new employees for factories, manage salaries (especially important to keep workers from striking), and commission reports to find out more about their automobiles.

A unique feature available in the manager's office is the ability to print most reports to the computer's printer.

Research and development

The research and development screen allows the player to invest their researchers into fields of development. These fields range from aesthetic changes such as body shape) to more technical ones such as new engines, suspension, brakes, safety and luxury features. The game references many real-world auto features as the fields progress, such as "drum brakes", "windshield wipers", and more.

Design and testing

One of the core parts of the gameplay is the ability to design new vehicles. Designing the body involves choosing what type of automobile (car, truck, etc.) and then three main sections of the car: the front, middle, and rear. Color can also be specified but has no discernible impact on the sales or reviews of the car.

As the player's research and development team develops more advanced features for the car, they become available on the design screen. However, all the parts have an associated cost and drive up the cost of the vehicle. They also affect the test results of the car. As time progresses, the public will demand different styles of car. For example, in the energy crisis, consumers will demand more fuel efficient cars. Ultimately it can be a game of trial-and-error finding a vehicle that the public likes.

During the testing phase the car is tested and then given a rating for handling in a corner, braking, acceleration, capacity (cargo and passenger), fuel economy, and safety. Generally, the better performance of the car, the more likely its success, especially if it conforms to the demands of the time or excels against the competition.

Manufacturing and sales

The manufacturing and sales screen allows the player to manage the production and distribution of vehicles. A world map of territories is displayed, whereby the player can click individual territories to display the factory and showroom in a territory. Here one can open or close down new factories and showrooms or upgrade the level of factories to make them more productive. Supply routes between factories and showrooms are also set and prioritized on this screen. The price of vehicles in each territory can also be set here.

Marketing

Here the player can invest funds into marketing of vehicles through various forms of media. Some will be more effective than others depending in which year the player is at in the game. Examples of media one can advertise with include billboards, newspapers, women's magazines, radio and television.

Reception

Computer Gaming World rated Detroit two stars out of five. Describing it as "a puzzle game rather than a true strategy game", the magazine criticized the fixed demand values, repetitive gameplay, and unrealistic depiction of historical events.[1]

See also

  • Car Tycoon, a 2003 computer game by Vectorcom Development
  • Automation, an in-Beta descendant of Detroit
  • Gearcity, a descendant of Detroit

References

  1. ↑ Emrich, Alan; Schlunk, Petra (August 1994). "'What's Good for GM is Good for America'". Computer Gaming World: 122–123. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=121. 
  • 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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