Software:Extractors

From HandWiki

Extractors The Hanging Worlds Of Zarg, also known as Diggers 2, is a puzzle video game developed by Millennium Interactive. It was published in 1995 for DOS by Psygnosis in Europe and by Nova Spring in North America. It is the sequel to 1993's Diggers. A version for the Amiga CD32 was produced but never released.

Gameplay

Extractors is a science-fiction puzzle game in which three different races seek to overthrow the evil Quarriors.[1]

Development and release

Extractors was developed by the Cambridge-based studio Millennium Interactive. Work was initiated in September 1993, shortly after the release of the game's predecessor Diggers.[2] Initially announced as Diggers 2, the project was led by designer and programmer Toby Simpson, who served the same role on the first game.[3][4] Simpson wished to distinguish Extractors from just being a simple sequel to Diggers by establishing a more complex lore and storyline.[5] Graphically, Extractors utilized over 300 colors on the main interface with the "base" graphics, panels, and backgrounds all having unique pallettes of 256 colors each.[5] While digging was the primary gameplay focus of Diggers, Simpson felt players overlooked its "really stunning" maps by completing objectives too quickly. He described digging in Extractors as "a side thing" to locating fuel and deactivating machines, which the designers placed the fuel and machines on opposites ends of its maps to effectively force players to fully appreciate them.[5] The CD32 version was set to be released in March 1995.[3][6][7] However, despite being completed and receiving numerous final reviews, it was cancelled.[8] While there were rumours that the cancellation was due to RAM issues, the actual reason, according to Simpson, was the declining market.[9]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Next GenerationStarStar[1]
PC Gamer (US)73%[13]
Amiga CD32 Gamer88%[14]
CU Amiga75%[15]
PC Joker56%[16]
Power Play58%[17]
Score3/10[18]
The One75%[19]

Extractors received mixed reviews. Next Generation gave the game two stars out of five, and stated that "A couple of flaws keep Extractors from being as entertaining or addictive as the other puzzle games it imitates. It's extremely repetitive, and it suffers from an awkward interface - a real liability in a game like this. Only the patient need apply."[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Next Generation staff (July 1995). "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (7): 70. ISSN 1078-9693. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_07/page/n73/mode/1up. 
  2. ↑ Broughton, Matt (January 1995). "Work in Progress: Ace of Spades". The One (EMAP) (76): 32–3. ISSN 0955-4084. https://archive.org/details/the-one-amiga-january-1995-optimized/page/n31/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maddock, Jonathan (March 1995). "System Preview: Extractors". Amiga Computing (Europress) (84): 114–5. ISSN 0959-9630. https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-084/page/n113/mode/2up. 
  4. ↑ Byron, Simon (January 1994). "Work in Progress: Into the Crystal Ball...". The One (EMAP) (64): 48. ISSN 0955-4084. https://archive.org/details/The_One_Issue_064a/page/17/mode/1up. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 CU Amiga staff (May 1994). "Work in Progress: Digging Deeper". CU Amiga (EMAP) (51): 59. ISSN 0265-721X. https://archive.org/details/cuamiga-magazine-051/page/n58/mode/1up. 
  6. ↑ Sharp, Andy (March 1995). "Blue Print: Extractors". Amiga Action (Europress) (68): 54–5. ISSN 0957-4050. https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Action_Issue_68_1995-03_IDG_Media_GB/page/n53/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ Génération 4 staff (March 1995). "Reportage: Millennium – Extractors" (in fr). Génération 4 (Pressimage) (75): 39. ISSN 1624-1088. https://archive.org/details/generation4-magazine-075/page/n38/mode/1up. 
  8. ↑ Day, Ashley (January 2007). "Retroinspection: Amiga CD32". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (33): 20. ISSN 1742-3155. https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20033/page/20/mode/1up. 
  9. ↑ Gasking, Frank (2023-05-17). "Extractors (Amiga CD32)" (in en-GB). https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2023/05/extractors-the-hanging-worlds-of-zarg/. 
  10. ↑ McNally, Steve (April 1995). "Amiga Review: Puzzle – Extractors". Amiga Action (Europress) (69): 29. ISSN 0957-4050. https://archive.org/details/amiga-action-69/page/29/mode/1up. 
  11. ↑ Maddock, Jonathan (April 1995). "System Spotlight: Extractors". Amiga Computing (Europress) (85): 100–1. ISSN 0959-9630. https://archive.org/details/AmigaComputing056Jan93/AmigaComputing/AmigaComputing085-Apr95/page/n99/mode/2up. 
  12. ↑ Winstanley, Mike (June 1995). "Game Reviews: Extractors". Amiga Power (Future plc) (50): 36–7. ISSN 0961-7310. https://amr.abime.net/review_1671. 
  13. ↑ Vaughn, Todd (July 1995). "Reviews: Extractors". PC Gamer (Future plc) (14): 120–1. ISSN 1059-2180. https://archive.org/details/UneditedPCGamer_marktrade/PC_Gamer_014u/page/n121/mode/2up. 
  14. ↑ Guttery, Miles (April 1995). "CD review: Extractors". Amiga CD32 Gamer (Paragon Publishing) (11): 30–1. ISSN 1353-484X. https://archive.org/details/amiga-cd-32-gamer-issue-11/page/n29/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ Collins, Lisa (April 1995). "Game Review: Extractors". CU Amiga (EMAP) (62): 67. ISSN 0265-721X. https://archive.org/details/cuamiga-magazine-062/page/n66/mode/1up. 
  16. ↑ Schnelle, Martin (September 1995). "Extractors" (in de). PC Joker (Joker-Verlag): 78. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=19069. 
  17. ↑ Weitz, Volker (August 1995). "Test: Extractors" (in de). Power Play (Future Verlag): 44. ISSN 0937-9754. https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1995-08/page/n43/mode/1up. 
  18. ↑ Henzi, Vladmir (August 1995). "Recenze: Extractors" (in cs). Score (Omega Publishing Group) (20): 43. ISSN 1210-7522. https://score.cz/1.808.aktuality.clanek-score-20. 
  19. ↑ Broughton, Matt (April 1995). "Review: Extractors". The One (EMAP) (79): 42–3. ISSN 0955-4084. https://archive.org/details/the-one-amiga-april-1995-optimized/page/n41/mode/2up. 
  • 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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