Software:Escape from Monster Manor

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Short description: 1993 video game
Escape from Monster Manor
Developer(s)Studio 3DO
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
  • JP: Electronic Arts Victor[1]
Producer(s)Stewart Bonn
Trip Hawkins
Programmer(s)Leo Schwab
Artist(s)Stefan Henry-Biskup
Composer(s)Robert Vieira
Platform(s)3DO
Release
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Escape from Monster Manor is a first-person shooter video game developed by Studio 3DO and published by Electronic Arts exclusively for the 3DO.

The game was released as Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). in Japan.

Gameplay

Escape From Monster Manor is a first-person shooter where the player character explores a haunted mansion in a 3D environment, and must defeat spiders, ghosts, and other menaces to escape.[2]

The objective of the game is to collect pieces of a sacred talisman in each stage, then make it through twelve levels to the exit to escape. Rather than having a HUD, the player's health is visible as damage to the on-screen hand and the ammunition is listed as a bar on the gun sprite.

Development and release

The game's main developer was Leo Schwab.[3] A computing and programming prodigy, Schwab was best known for his Amiga screen hacks and animations during the mid-late 1980s[4] and for developing Disney Presents: The Animation Studio for Silent Software in 1990.[5][6] Schwab joined Electronic Arts head Trip Hawkins when the latter founded The 3DO Company for the release of the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.[7] For Escape from Monster Manor, Schwab has cited Wolfenstein 3D as the chief inspiration for the game. After some months working on a different 3DO game, Schwab and his team abandoned that project and switched to the less ambitious Escape from Monster Manor so that they could have a demo to present at that year's Consumer Electronics Show.[8] The game's source code was released onto GitHub under the MIT License on August 7, 2022,[9] with an accompanying live stream on YouTube by original developer Leo Schwab.[10]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarHalf star[11]
Edge5/10[12]
EGM6.75/10[13]
Famitsu30/40[1]
GamePro18.5/20[14]
3DO MagazineStarStarStar[15]
Game Zero Magazine30.5/50[16]
Génération 468%[17]
Joystick73%[18]
MAN!AC73%[19]
Video Games67%[20]
VideoGames8/10[21]

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 6.75 out of 10, mentioning some minor issues with the control but overall recommending the game for its well-rendered graphics and genuinely creepy audio.[13] GamePro praised the game's frightening graphics and audio, nerve-wracking challenge, and strafing ability.[14] A review in Edge praised the "look and feel" of the game, but criticized the simplicity of the game design and gameplay. The game was compared unfavorably to DOOM and given a score of 5/10.[12] The game was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #204 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 2 out of 5 stars.[2]

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Famitsu staff (April 29, 1994). "新作ゲームクロスレビュー" (in ja). Weekly Famicom Tsūshin (ASCII Corporation) (280): 75. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DragonEfMM
  3. ↑ Matthews, Will (December 2013). "Ahead of its Time: A 3DO Retrospective". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (122): p. 26. 
  4. ↑ Skelton, Mindy (March 1988). "Leo Schwab Is Just Having Fun". .info (Info Publications Ltd) (19): 47–9. https://archive.org/details/Info_Issue_19_1988-03_Info_Publications_US/page/n45/. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  5. ↑ Schenck, Ben (March 1991). "Graphics". .info (Info Publications Ltd) (37): 20–3. https://archive.org/details/info_Issue_37_1991-03.info_Publications_US/page/n19/. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  6. ↑ Means, Ben and Jean (December 1990). "Interview with Leo Schwab, Creator of Disney's The Animation Studio". Compute! (ABC Publishing) (124): A8. https://archive.org/details/1990-12-compute-magazine/page/n133/. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  7. ↑ Times Roman (April 1994). "The Outside World". Amiga News (Portable Computing International) 2 (3): 8. https://archive.org/details/Amiga_News_Vol._02_No._03_1993-04_Portable_Computing_International_US/page/n7/. Retrieved July 16, 2022. 
  8. ↑ Schwab, Leo (September 24, 2012). Let's Play – Monster Manor, YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  9. ↑ Escape from Monster Manor - GitHub
  10. ↑ Schwab, Leo (August 7, 2022). Escape from Monster Manor: A Source Code Walkthrough (Podcast). YouTube. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  11. ↑ Smith, Geoffrey Douglas (1998). "Escape From Monster Manor – Review". AllGame. All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17102&tab=review. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Testscreen – Escape from Monster Manor". Edge (Future Publishing) (7): 79. April 1994. https://archive.org/stream/Edge_UK_007#page/n78/mode/1up. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Williams, Ken (March 1994). "Review Crew – Monster Manor". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (56): 38. https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_56#page/n37/mode/1up. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Tommy, Toxic (April 1994). "ProReview: Escape from... Monster Manor". GamePro (IDG) (57): 58–59. https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994#page/n59/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ Wynne, Stuart (1995–1996). "Review: Escape from Monster Manor – A laughing skull, howling ghosts and a hanged man make for an extraordinairly packed haunted house". 3DO Magazine (Paragon Publishing) (1): 38. https://archive.org/stream/3-do-gold-01#page/38/mode/1up. 
  16. ↑ Otto, Dr.; R.I.P. (March 1995). "The Final Word game review – Escape from Monster Manor – Electronic Arts". Game Zero Magazine. Game Zero. https://www.gamezero.com/team-0/final_word/3do/escape_monster_manor.html. 
  17. ↑ "Tests Express... Escape from Monster Manor (Electronic Arts)". Génération 4 (Computec Media France) (63): 75. February 1994. https://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Generation%204/generation4_numero063/G%C3%A9n%C3%A9ration4%20063%20-%20Page%20075%20%28f%C3%A9vrier%201994%29.jpg. 
  18. ↑ Lord Casque Noir (February 1994). "CD Tests: Escape from Monster Manor – Trop peu d'action, pas assez de décors mais une ambiance réussie". Joystick (46): 162. https://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joystick/joystick_numero046/Joystick%20046%20-%20Page%20162%20%28f%C3%A9vrier%201994%29.jpg. 
  19. ↑ Forster, Winnie (September 1995). "Spiele-Tests – Monster Manor". MAN!AC (Cybermedia) (23): 50. https://archive.org/stream/MANIAC.N023.1995.09/MANIAC.N023.1995.09-DURiAN_Searchable#page/n49/mode/1up. 
  20. ↑ Schneider, Ulf (April 1995). "Real 3DO – Reviews: Escape from Monster Manor". Video Games (Future-Verlag) (41): 79. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=15920. 
  21. ↑ Davila, Mike (April 1994). "Power Reviews: Escape from Monster Manor". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine (Larry Flynt Publications) (63): 75. https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_63_April_1994#page/n76/mode/1up. 
  • 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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