Software:Hi-Octane

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Hi-Octane
Developer(s)Bullfrog Productions
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Producer(s)Sean Cooper
Designer(s)Barry Meade
Alex Trowers
Programmer(s)Sean Cooper
Mark Huntley
Composer(s)Russell Shaw
Platform(s)MS-DOS, PlayStation, Saturn
ReleaseMS-DOS
  • NA: August 1995
  • EU: March 1996
PlayStation
  • NA: December 29, 1995
  • EU: December 1995
Saturn
Genre(s)Racing, vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hi-Octane is a vehicular combat and racing video game published in 1995 for MS-DOS compatible operating systems, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn. It was developed by Bullfrog Productions based upon their earlier Magic Carpet game code.

The tracks are wider and more open than most racing games. Hi-Octane was not as well received as the thematically similar Wipeout by Psygnosis and was criticized for the short view distance.

Bullfrog released an expansion pack with three new tracks and new game modes.

Gameplay

Saturn version

The game offers a choice of six hovercraft vehicles differentiated by their top speed, armour, firepower, weight and appearance: KD-1 Speeder, Berserker, Jugga, Vampire, Outrider, and Flexiwing. There are six tracks to race on, with names like New Chernobyl which hint at a dystopian futuristic world (although the game does not feature a backstory). The tracks offer different difficulties, various textures and types of landscape like wastelands and city streets. Certain parts of the track allow to recharge vehicle's fuel, shields or ammo, although the vehicle has to slow down in order to fully benefit of the recharge. There are also power-ups on the tracks, recharging fuel/shield/ammo (10, 100 or 200%) or upgrading the car's minigun, missile or booster, for more power. Other parts of the tracks changed in the course of racing, opening shortcuts or places with scattered upgrades for a short time.

The different vehicles display different handling values in the front end but these are just for show, the underlying stats are the same for all the vehicles. Due to the dimensions of models the vehicles appear different sizes but in fact the collision volumes are all identical meaning that you are just as likely to hit something with the Outrider as you are with the Jugga.

There are four camera views, switched while playing: three of them are from behind the vehicle with one being further away than the other, and the fourth view is from the front of the car, with no parts of the car obscuring the sight.

Development

Developer Peter Molyneux stated that in May 1995, EA set Bullfrog under pressure to release Dungeon Keeper in six and a half weeks. "Because I wasn't prepared to sacrifice Dungeon Keeper, I wrote and designed a game from scratch in six weeks: Hi-Octane," Molyneux recounted.[2] To allow the development of the game in such a short time, the Magic Carpet engine was used.[3] Producer Sean Cooper's account is slightly different, stating that the game was developed in eight weeks, as a way to "fill a quarter that didn't have enough revenue".[4] Due to time constraints, all the vehicles actually have the same speed, despite what their stats say in the game.[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStar (PS1)[13]
StarStar (SAT)[14]
EGM8.2/10 (PC)[6]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar (PC)[7]
StarStar (SAT, PS1)[8][9]
MaximumStarStar (SAT, PS1)[10][11]
Sega Saturn Magazine90% (SAT)[12]

Mark LeFebvre of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PC version an 8.2, praising the selection of vehicles, the well-balanced challenge, the secret areas, and the networked eight-player racing, though he did remark that there should have been more than six tracks.[6] A critic for Next Generation also considered the small number of tracks to be the game's one shortcoming, and gave it overall approval for its use of texture mapping and Gouraud shading, sense of speed, and overall fun gameplay.[7]

Maximum deemed the Saturn version "a mildly entertaining but graphically impoverished title for fans of the original only." They criticized the port's many graphical shortcomings, particularly the jerky frame rate, heavy slowdown in two-player mode, lack of texture mapping on enemy craft, and clipping polygon scenery which can cause the player's craft to become stuck. They also took issue with the control configuration and bizarre "hot seat" multiplayer mode, though they praised the additional courses and selection of cars.[10] In contrast, Rad Automatic of Sega Saturn Magazine called it "a brilliant title", applauding the varied abilities and handling of the vehicles, the combat elements, the assortment of multiplayer modes, and the hover vehicle physics. While noting that the conversion was not as outstanding as Sega's arcade ports, he nonetheless found it of acceptable quality.[12] GamePro concurred with Maximum that the game has a strong selection of cars and tracks but poor graphics. They also criticized the loose, unresponsive controls and the sounds.[15] Next Generation likewise commented that "With its blocky graphics, devilishly slow frame-rate, and nebulous controls, Hi-Octane simply lacks the focus of most console games." He added that the game was very similar to, but clearly inferior to, its contemporaries Cyber Speedway and Wipeout. However, he also stated that "One truly awesome concept introduced ... is the realtime morphing tracks which add a great deal to the game's challenge and is sure to be a feature copied in future racing titles."[8]

Reviewing the PlayStation version, GamePro said the game is "crippled by gummy controls and slow, repetitive gameplay. Flat, unimaginative graphics and sounds cause further problems. Stick with Wipeout - Hi-Octane runs out of gas."[16] Maximum criticized that the drop in frame rate when using the new split screen multiplayer makes the game "virtually unplayable" and, like GamePro and Next Generation, they compared the game unfavorably to Wipeout: "Whereas WipeOut required genuine skill to master its cornering and overtaking, the courses in Hi-Octane have less involving [sic] and, with the exception of the odd shortcut, there's very little else to surprise. ... WipeOut and Ridge Racer have shown the potential for PlayStation racers, and the Bullfrog offering comes across as little more than a weak PC port."[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Saturn Review". Mean Machines (EMAP) (39): 62. January 1996. 
  2. ↑ "Molyneux Returns to EA". Next Generation (34): 23. October 1997. 
  3. ↑ "Yogscast video interview". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6-grRsTupA&list=UUH-_hzb2ILSCo9ftVSnrCIQ&index=2. Retrieved December 7, 2019. 
  4. ↑ Wallis, Alistair (April 26, 2007). "Playing Catch Up: Flood's Sean Cooper". http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13676. Retrieved December 7, 2019. 
  5. ↑ Hi-Octane (with Peter Molyneux) | Reviewing Every U.S. Saturn Game | Episode 46 of 246. PandaMonium. December 7, 2019. Event occurs at 17:31. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 LeFebvre, Mark (October 1995). "PC Review: Hi-Octane". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (75): 130–132. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Hi-Octane". Next Generation (10): 117. October 1995. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Hi-Octane". Next Generation (17): 91. May 1996. 
  9. ↑ "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation (25): 58. January 1997. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Maximum Reviews: Hi-Octane". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (EMAP) (2): 142. November 1995. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Maximum Reviews: Hi-Octane". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (EMAP) (3): 149. January 1996. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Automatic, Rad (December 1995). "Review: Hi-Octane". Sega Saturn Magazine (EMAP) (2): 76–77. 
  13. ↑ Baize, Anthony. "Hi-Octane (PlayStation) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2138&tab=review. 
  14. ↑ Ottoson, Joe. "Hi-Octane (Sega Saturn) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7721&tab=review. 
  15. ↑ "ProReview: Hi-Octane". GamePro (IDG) (91): 88. April 1996. 
  16. ↑ "ProReview: Hi-Octane". GamePro (IDG) (90): 75. March 1996. 
  • 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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