Software:Echelon (2001 video game)

From HandWiki
Echelon
Developer(s)MADia Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseMay 2001.[1]
Genre(s)Action, simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Echelon (Russian: «Шторм») is a 3-D science fiction flight simulator video game developed by Saint Petersburg developers MADia Entertainment. It was published in Russia by Buka Entertainment, and in all other territories by Bethesda Softworks.

Gameplay

Screenshot of gameplay

It involves flying futuristic fighters in combat scenarios. The game can be played locally or on a local area network with up to 32 players. The Russian version of the game is called "Шторм" ("Storm"). Operation (also developed by MADia) takes place in the same continuity as Echelon.

Plot

In the game, you decide the fate of the entire Galactic Federation. The aggressors from the planet Velian, having new weapons that make them almost invincible, are trying to destroy the Federation and capture all of its colonies. The Velians are ruthless to those who are trying to get in their way. They calmly burn entire planets if they show resistance. The player will have to go from the cadet of the Training Center of the Air Force of the Federation to one of the best Air Force aces, who is assigned the most difficult tasks.

Development

The game went gold on April 27, 2001.[2] The game was originally called Storm but that name later proved unavailable. Pete Hines(Bethesda's director of marketing and public relations) and Bethesda's Todd Vaughn were given the task of renaming the game. One morning Todd came to Hine's desk and said, 'How about Echelon?' They liked the military reference and it just sounded cool, so they went with it, hoping there would be no conflicts. The name idea was sent to Brent Erickson, who was VP of development at Bethesda West the company's subsidiary that developed the Bethesda racing titles for a number of years. Erickson liked the name.[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic70/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer70/100[8]
GameSpot7.0/10[7]
GameSpy7/10[6]
IGN7.2/10[5]

Echelon received mixed reviews from critics. The game holds a 70% rating on Metacritic.[4]

Jim Preston reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Credit to Buka for trying to combined two genres, but predictably it neither soars nor crashes."[9]

Steve Butts of IGN rated the game a 7.2 of 10 saying "In all Echelon is a very welcome addition to the flight sim genre. It takes an approach that most other developers have neglected. Still, the execution and design aren't entirely up to the possibility of the concept. You'll play it, you'll enjoy and, ultimately, put it aside for more traditional games that offer a lot more sparkle."[5]

GameSpot rated the game a 7 of 10 saying In spite of its problems, Echelon does hit close enough to the mark to offer some fast and flashy, but ultimately shallow, thrills.[7]

Awards

Echelon was nominated as "Sci-Fi Simulation Game of the Year" by GameSpot, 2001.[10]

The game was awarded game of the month by the company Matrox.[11]

Sequel

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic63/100[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot5.3/10[13]
PC Gamer (US)79%[14]

A sequel, Echelon: Wind Warriors, was released in 2002.[15] The game received mixed reviews on Metacritic.[12]

Controversy

There was controversy regarding the U.S release of the game in which Bethesda refused to pay MADia for boxed sales of the game.

References

  1. ↑ "News Briefs". May 12, 2001. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/11/news-briefs-133. Retrieved October 18, 2022. 
  2. ↑ "News Briefs". April 27, 2001. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221018123529/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/04/26/news-briefs-144. Retrieved October 18, 2022. 
  3. ↑ Bruce Geryk (July 24, 2000). "Echelon Preview". Archived from the original on May 8, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010508040415/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/previews/0,10869,2606891-3,00.html. Retrieved February 19, 2023. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Echelon PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/echelon/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Butts, Steve (June 29, 2001). "Echelon Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/28/echelon. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  6. ↑ William "Creamy Smooth" Harms (June 6, 2001). "Echelon Review". Archived from the original on June 30, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010630153402/http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/June01/echelon/. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Osborne, Scott (May 23, 2001). "Echelon Review". Archived from the original on August 1, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010801174509/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2764567-2,00.html. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  8. ↑ Taylor, Martin (October 11, 2001). "Echelon Review". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_echelon. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  9. ↑ Preston, Jim (August 2001). "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) 4 (8): 90. 
  10. ↑ GameSpot Readers' Choice: The Best and Worst of 2001
  11. ↑ "Шторм - игра месяца по мнению Matrox" (in russian). May 22, 2001. http://www.igray.ru/?news=262. Retrieved May 3, 2020. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Echelon: Wind Warriors Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/echelon-wind-warriors/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved May 4, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Osborne, Scott (May 28, 2004). "Echelon: Wind Warriors Review". Archived from the original on June 10, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040610162035/https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/echelonwindwarriors/review.html/. Retrieved May 4, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Mahood, Andy. "Echelon: Wind Warriors Review". Archived from the original on July 9, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060709094757/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/echelon_wind_wa.html. Retrieved May 4, 2020. 
  15. ↑ "Echelon: Wind Warriors In Development". August 2, 2001. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/02/echelon-wind-warriors-in-development. Retrieved May 11, 2019. 
  • 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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