Software:Forever Growing Garden

From HandWiki
Short description: 1993 video game
Forever Growing Garden
CD Cover art
Developer(s)Communication Wave
Publisher(s)Media Vision
Composer(s)Dennis Hysom (Music)
Jeff Essex (Sound Effects)
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh
Release
  • NA: December 31, 1993
[1]
Genre(s)Educational (Botany)
Mode(s)Single-player

Forever Growing Garden is an educational video game developed by Communication Wave and published by Media Vision in 1993. The game has a simple interface for easy seeding, watering and growing of plants in three locations. The game is programmed so that the growing process can continuously occur even when the computer is off.[2] A French version of the game was also released with the title "Le Jardin Enchanté".

Gameplay

The player does botany in the game first by going to a gardening shop to get some seeds. Some of the plants in the game are entirely fictional, but fun to grow. Each seed type can be planted in an open hole in the ground, then watered with a watering can. The player may choose the time settings for plants to grow, from realistic timing (1 day per growing stage) to very fast timing (1 second per growing stage). Plants can also be removed with the trowel tool. There is also a minigame to catch a gopher and avoid the skunk. Finally, the player can save the garden and create a new one at any time.

There are three scenes where the player can grow plants. The first scene is a Suburban Home, where flowers can be grown. When they are fully bloomed, they can be cut with the shears tool and taken to the Flower Shop to be neatly arranged in a jar. The second scene is a Farming Field, where vegetables and a few flowers can be grown. When the vegetables are ripe, they can be harvested and taken to the Market to be weighed and sold. The third scene is a Medieval Castle, where flower rows and bushes can be grown. When the bushes are fully grown, they can be cut into interesting shapes with the shears tool.[3]

Availability

  • "Forever Growing Garden" was released on a compilation CD along with "Always Arthur", "Who Wants Arthur", and "Buster's First Thunderstorm".[4]

Reception

In April 1994, Computer Gaming World said that "this garden simulator will provide much soil-spading fun".[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Forever Growing Garden - Gamelogs". http://www.gamelogs.org/game/Forever_Growing_Garden.html. Retrieved January 11, 2016. 
  2. ↑ "Forever Growing Garden - PicClick UK". http://picclick.co.uk/Forever-Growing-Gardens-Age-3-To-7-Years-291993083322.html. Retrieved January 11, 2016. 
  3. ↑ "The Age from Melbourne, Victoria - Page 30". 8 March 1994. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/122861782/. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  4. ↑ "Forever Growing Garden Bonus Pack (PC)". https://www.google.com.mt/search?q=%22Forever+growing+garden%22&biw=1366&bih=638&ei=3Fp2WNviFc_xwAL4qLiYBA&start=20&sa=N. Retrieved January 11, 2016. 
  5. ↑ "Invasion Of The Data Stashers". Computer Gaming World (117): 32. April 1994. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117. 
  • 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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