Software:Future Cop: LAPD

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 video game
"Futurecop" redirects here. For the electronic music group, see Futurecop!
Future Cop: LAPD
Developer(s)EA Redwood Shores
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Composer(s)Dave O'Neal
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation
Windows, Mac OS
  • NA: November 25, 1998[2]
  • EU: 1998 (Windows)
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Future Cop: LAPD is a third-person shooter developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts and released first for the PlayStation, then Mac OS and Windows. Future Cop was originally developed as an installment of the Strike series.

In the game, players assume the role of a pilot for the X1-Alpha, a robot designed to fight in the "Crime War" in Los Angeles in the year 2098. The X1-Alpha is a police vehicle that can transform between a fast, hovering pursuit vehicle, and a slower, full-fledged combat mecha.

Gameplay

There are two modes of play in the game, Crime War and Precinct Assault (both modes can be played either as single player or two player). Precinct Assault is a strategy mode that is similar to Herzog Zwei (except the player can actively help their armies get to the other base) and is well known for inspiring MOBA games like DotA and League of Legends.[3][4]

Crime War Mode

Crime War is a story mode, following a day in the life of an LAPD X1-Alpha pilot. The story events range from rogue lunatics arming observatories with weapons, to a malfunctioning supercomputer. Players begin in a futuristic Griffith Park, but as they advance through the game they may unlock areas such as Venice Beach, LAX and Long Beach. Crime War also supports a second player in cooperative play. Cooperative play features the unique feature that the life bars of the two players are intertwined; if either player is destroyed, it counts as a failure for both players.

Precinct Assault Mode

Considered an early form of the MOBA genre by some, Precinct Assault is an arena battle mode in which each player starts with a single base and can capture automated Turrets or Outposts across the map. The objective is to defeat one's opponent by purchasing and deploying Hovertanks to invade their main base. The game ends when one player's base is breached by either a standard or super-sized "Dreadnought" Hovertank. Players may also deploy defensive Helicopters or the "Flying Fortress" Superplane to assist in securing their perimeter, shooting down enemy tanks that come near the base. Single-player mode consists of fighting a computer opponent named "Sky Captain", whose in-game avatar is a Superplane, more powerful and advanced than the X1-Alpha. Two player mode is a competitive battle between two X1-Alpha robots. There are five different precinct assault areas with 10 difficulty settings (for single player); however the level "La Cantina" was not on the original PlayStation release, only being added later for the computer versions. There is also a bonus area, known as 'Bug Hunt', which is the same as the 'Proving Ground' level, except all objects have been made into creatures such as worms and butterflies, instead of Hovertanks and Helicopters. The Flying Fortress is now a bat, and the Dreadnought is a large, armored caterpillar. The level features an up-beat music track in comparison to the game's normal dark military music and "Sky Captain" is a dragonfly.

The PC version also allowed for online competitive play,[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
MacintoshPCPS
CGSPN/AStarStarStarHalf star[10]N/A
CGWN/AStarStarStarHalf star[11]N/A
EGMN/AN/A7/10[12]
FamitsuN/AN/A29/40[13]
Game InformerN/AN/A8.5/10[14]
GameProN/AStarStarStarHalf star[15][lower-alpha 1]StarStarStarStarStar[16][lower-alpha 2]
GameRevolutionN/AN/AB+[17]
GameSpotN/AN/A7/10[18]
IGNN/A7.8/10[19]8.3/10[20]
OPM (US)N/AN/AStarStarStarHalf star[22]
PC Gamer (US)N/A76%[24]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankingsN/A80%[6]79%[7]

The game received favorable reviews on both platforms, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[6][7] In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported and published by Electronic Arts Square under the name Sōkō Kidōtai L.A.P.D. (装甲機動隊L.A.P.D.) on August 5, 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40.[13]

AllGame gave the PlayStation version four stars out of five, saying, "Fun? You bet! The bottom line is that Future Cop is the ticket for fans of the Strike series and those longing for a third person shooter with personality."[25]

The Macintosh version was nominated for Best Macintosh Game at the 1998 CNET Gamecenter Awards, which went to Unreal.[26]


Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the PC version 4.5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, and two 3.5/5 scores for control and overall fun factor.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the PlayStation version three 4.5/5 scores for graphics, sound, and control, and 5/5 for overall fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ GameSpot staff (September 16, 1998). "Now Shipping to Stores [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/now-shipping-to-stores/1100-2464864/. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (November 25, 1998). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/26/news-briefs-240. "Now Shipping: Electronic Arts is shipping Future Cop: L.A.P.D...." 
  3. ↑ Lopuszanski, Stefan (July 2019). It's Mods All The Way Down. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.25818.08644. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335566159. 
  4. ↑ McCarthy, Caty (October 19, 2017). "The Rise and Fall of Visceral Games". Gamer Network. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-visceral-games. 
  5. ↑ "Future Cop: LAPD". May 23, 2014. https://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2014/05/23/future-cop-lapd/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197412-future-cop-lapd/index.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197411-future-cop-lapd/index.html. 
  8. ↑ Rausch, Allen (December 31, 1998). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PC)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2372,00.html. 
  9. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (September 29, 1998). "Future Cop: LAPD (PS)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Futurecop/. 
  10. ↑ Hunter, Scott (January 6, 1999). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D.". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/123/future_cop_review.html. 
  11. ↑ Nguyen, Thierry (March 1999). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D.". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (176): 163. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_176.pdf. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  12. ↑ EGM staff (October 1998). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D.". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (111). 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "装甲機動隊L.A.P.D. [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=18808&redirect=no. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  14. ↑ Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (November 1998). "Future Cop [L.A.P.D. - PlayStation"]. Game Informer (FuncoLand) (67): 57. http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=nov98&doc=futcop. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  15. ↑ Morris, Daniel (1999). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/765.shtml. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  16. ↑ Scary Larry (October 1998). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PS)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (121): 164. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_111_October_1998/page/n163/mode/2up. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  17. ↑ Dick, Kevin (September 1998). "Future Cop L.A.P.D. Review (PS)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34006-future-cop-lapd-review. 
  18. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (September 25, 1998). "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/future-cop-lapd-review/1900-2548085/. 
  19. ↑ Blevins, Tal (December 14, 1998). "Future Cop: LAPD (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/15/future-cop-lapd. 
  20. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (September 16, 1998). "Future Cop: LAPD (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/09/17/future-cop-lapd-2. 
  21. ↑ Ho, Jennifer (March 1999). "Future Cop: LAPD". MacADDICT (Imagine Media) (31): 42. https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-031-199903/page/n43/mode/2up. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  22. ↑ "Future Cop: L.A.P.D.". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 2 (1). October 1998. 
  23. ↑ Lee, John (February 1999). "Future Cop [L.A.P.D."]. PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (6): 94. https://archive.org/details/PCXL06Feb1999/page/n93/mode/2up. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  24. ↑ Williamson, Colin (February 1999). "Future Cop L.A.P.D.". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (2). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/7.html. Retrieved April 23, 2021. 
  25. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Future Cop: L.A.P.D. (PS) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14103&tab=review. 
  26. ↑ Gamecenter staff (January 29, 1999). "The CNET Gamecenter.com Awards for 1998! (Macintosh Nominees 1)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards98/ss04.html. 
  • 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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