Software:Fairlight (video game)

From HandWiki
Fairlight
Developer(s)The Edge
Publisher(s)The Edge
Designer(s)Bo Jangeborg
Programmer(s)Bo Jangeborg (Spectrum)
Trevor Inns (C64, Amstrad)
Artist(s)Jack Wilkes
Composer(s)Mark Alexander[1][2][3]
Platform(s)ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Commodore 64
Release20 August 1985: Spectrum[4]
1986: C64, Amstrad
Genre(s)Arcade adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Fairlight is an isometric projection arcade adventure video game developed by Bo Jangeborg and Jack Wilkes and released in 1985 on Softek's The Edge label. Developed in seven months, Jangeborg created the "Worldmaker" graphic development system[4] to replicate the Filmation system used by Ultimate's Knight Lore.[5] The game used code from a graphics utility he had developed in 1983, called Grax, which had also been the foundation of graphics package The Artist, published on Softek's SofTechnics label.[6] Jack Wilkes contributed art assets towards the game, including enemy sprites and the title screen. A sequel, Fairlight II, was released in 1986.

Gameplay

The player controls an adventurer named Isvar, on his quest to find the Book of Light to escape from Castle Avars which is displayed in an isometric view. Each object has its own physical properties and resultant characteristics in terms of how much else can be carried alongside it. Certain objects have special uses (e.g. keys open certain doors), and there is a puzzle element to the game to discover how some of these objects relate to the world in order to help the player solve the game.

In addition to carrying objects, they could also be stacked on top of each other to enable Isvar to climb up to rooms above him or to reach objects otherwise out of reach. There are also a number of secret areas in the castle that are not visually obvious to the player and can only be discovered through exploration.

During Isvar's exploration of the castle he is accosted by its guards and monsters - trolls, monks, guards, tornadoes, man-eating plants, bubbles, etc. all of which drain Isvar's energy. The castle also contains food and magical potions which will restore his health. In addition, certain game objects can affect the enemies by either killing, distracting, or freezing them - depending on the object and the type of enemy they are used upon.

Once defeated, a guard disappears leaving only his helmet behind. Helmets can be picked up and carried by Isvar, and placed out of harm's way or into the path of a tornado, that destroys any object it touches. Should Isvar leave and re-enter the room, the guard will regenerate from the helmet.

Reception

The game was well received critically and commercially, selling over 50,000 copies[citation needed] and reaching the number one position on the ZX Spectrum charts.[7] The game won the 1985 awards for best arcade adventure, graphics, music and the "state of the art" award according to the readers of Crash magazine.[8][9]

Jangeborg claimed Softek withheld royalty payments for Fairlight unless he signed up to produce further titles.[6] Continuing legal disputes led to the sequel, Fairlight II, being released without Jangeborg's approval and in an unfinished state with a number of bugs, one of which meant the game could not be completed.[6]

Inside Outing (also known as Raffles[10]), released in 1988, also used Worldmaker as a game engine, but without Jangeborg's input.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Heavy on the Mockery". Your Sinclair (Dennis Publishing) (7): 55. July 1986. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=228&page=55. Retrieved 11 November 2022. 
  2. ↑ "Games, Utilities and Music written by Mark Alexander for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum". http://www.atowers.u-net.com/mark/spectrum/spectrum.htm. 
  3. ↑ "Mark Alexander". https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?label_id=9138. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Coming Close to The Edge". Crash (Newsfield) (20): 36. 29 August 1985. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=987&page=36. Retrieved 7 February 2022. 
  5. ↑ "Knight Lore – A 30 Year Legacy". Retro Gamer (Imagine) (126): 20-27. 4 March 2014. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Fairlight I and II". Retro Gamer (Imagine) (127): 74-77. 27 March 2014. 
  7. ↑ "The Hit List". Your Sinclair (1): 14. 6 December 1985. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=222&page=14. Retrieved 7 February 2022. 
  8. ↑ "CRASH 27 - Readers' Awards". http://www.crashonline.org.uk/27/awards.htm. 
  9. ↑ ttela: Bo banade vägen med datorspelet Fairlight
  10. ↑ Change Yer Name. Newsfield. 25 May 1989. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1032&page=32. Retrieved 8 February 2022. 
  11. ↑ Inside Outing back cover (Media notes). The Edge. 1988. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  • Fairlight at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
  • 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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