Software:Gravity Force

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Gravity Force
Screenshot of Gravity Force 2
Genre(s)Multidirectional shooter
Developer(s)Kingsoft GmbH (original)
Jens Andersson and Jan Kronquist (sequels)
Publisher(s)Kingsoft GmbH
Amiga Power
Platform(s)Amiga (all in series)
Atari ST, DOS (original only)

Gravity Force is a video game series for the Amiga. The first game in the series was published commercially by Kingsoft GmbH in 1989,[1] as a Thrust-clone. The aim is to pilot a spacecraft through caverns avoiding enemy fire. The ship is subject to gravity and inertia and colliding with terrain or the walls of the cave results in destruction of the ship.

Gravity Force 2 and Gravity Power

GF2 logo

In 1994, fans Jens Andersson and Jan Kronquist obtained permission from creator Stephen Wenzler at Kingsoft to release a sequel, Gravity Force 2. They collaborated on the graphics with Christer Masmanidis, Niklas Ivarsson, and Jan Warner (of Amiga demoscene group Nexus). The game was released onto the Blekinge Institute of Technology's student BBS, hosted at the Soft Center [sv; sv] business park in Ronneby. The game was re-distributed to the Datormagazin [sv; sv] BBS, and at this point the creators published an update making the game shareware. Subsequent contributions from fans include a level editor by Richard Franks, and many unofficial levels.[1][2][3]

As a complete rewrite, sharing no code with the Kingsoft original, Gravity Force 2 added destroyable walls, single player missions and a 2-player multiplayer mode, both split-screen and over a null modem cable. Sound effects were homemade recordings such as hitting a cord against a radiator and dropping fruit into water. [1][3]

In 1994, Gravity Force 2 attracted the attention of British computer game magazine Amiga Power, who released it on the coverdisk of issue 39, and the following year ranked it the second best Amiga game of all time (behind Sensible Soccer). Their endorsement continued in 1995 through the commissioning of Gravity Power, a slightly enhanced version which was published on the coverdisk of issue 50. Amiga Power had asked for a 4-player mode, but this did not make it into the final version as it would have required substantial rework to the codebase.[1]

Reception

The original Gravity Force was reviewed in 1989 by German game magazine ASM, receiving 75/100 points, and by Power Play in the same year, receiving 72/100.

In 1995, Amiga Format praised Gravity Force 2, identifying the non-commercial nature of the game as a critical factor in its success: "The programmers didn't have to succumb to the creative restraints of anxious publishers and deadlines. And that, more than anything else contributes to the game's beauty."[4]

In 2011, Gravity Power was named one of the 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die.[5] In 2016, the book Swedish video game development from the 50s to the 90s was published, featuring an interview with Andersson and Kronquist, and in 2017 another interview featured in the book Generation 500, in which the game was described as "one of the Amiga platform's most loved titles".[1][3]

Legacy

A planned sequel to Gravity Force 2, to be called gf2k was abandoned at an early stage in 2001.[6] The developers did eventually release a multi-platform sequel in 2015 named Gravity Force 20, built using the Unity engine.[7]

On September 21, 2008 the developers of Gravity Force 2 released the Amiga Motorola 680x0 assembly language source code for "nostalgic interest" without specified license.[8] In April 2017 the authors clarified the game and source code license as CC BY-SA 4.0.[9]

Many similarly titled clones have since appeared.[10][11][12][13][14][15] These games are generally freeware and position themselves as direct descendants of Gravity Force and Gravity Power rather than Thrust.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sunhede, Thomas (2016). Svensk videospelsutveckling : från 50-tal till 90-tal. pp. 508–511. ISBN 9789198112047. 
  2. ↑ "INTERVIEW WITH JENS ANDERSSON and JAN KRONQUIST". https://www.amigapd.com/interview-jens-andersson--jan-kronquist.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wilhemsson, Jimmy (2017). Generation 500. Bokfabriken. pp. 158–161. ISBN 9789176293706. 
  4. ↑ McGill, Steve (April 1995). "Just because they're cheap...". Amiga Format (Future Publishing) (70). http://amr.abime.net/issue_226. 
  5. ↑ Mott, Tony (2011). Flammarion. ed. 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. Flammarion. p. 261. ISBN 978-2-0812-6217-1. 
  6. ↑ "The Gravity-Force 2 Homepage". http://www.lysator.liu.se/~jensa/gf2/. 
  7. ↑ "Gravity Force 20". https://www.gravityforce20.com/. 
  8. ↑ "The Gravity-Force 2 Homepage". lysator.liu.se. 2008-09-21. http://www.lysator.liu.se/~jensa/gf2/. Retrieved 2013-10-13. "Jan made an archaeological expedition and recovered the GF2 source code from a dusty old floppy disc! We do not pretend it is a wonder in coding style (in fact, it is a complete disaster!), but for primarily nostalgic interest we publish it here." 
  9. ↑ gf2 on lysator.liu.se "The screenshots, the GF2 source code, and the actual Amiga game (v1.10, v1.20) are released for use under the CreativeCommons CC-BY-SA license." (April 26, 2017)
  10. ↑ "Gravity Jam". http://www.gravityjam.co.uk/. 
  11. ↑ "Gravity Power 2". 8 May 2013. http://sourceforge.net/projects/gp2. 
  12. ↑ "Gravity Fight". http://www.anastasei.co.uk/Gravity.htm. 
  13. ↑ "Gravastar". 29 November 2015. http://sourceforge.net/projects/gravastar. 
  14. ↑ "Galaxy Forces". http://www.galaxy-forces.com. 
  15. ↑ "Complex Gravity". http://www.complexgravity.com/us/index.htm. 
Gravity Force
  • Gravity Force entry at Hall of Light
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



Gravity Force 2
  • The Gravity-Force 2 Homepage
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





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