Software:Hitman: Codename 47

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Short description: 2000 video game

Hitman: Codename 47
Developer(s)IO Interactive
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Writer(s)
  • Peter Gjellerup Koch
  • Morten Iversen
Composer(s)Jesper Kyd
SeriesHitman
EngineGlacier
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: 19 November 2000[1]
  • EU: 1 December 2000
Genre(s)Stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Hitman: Codename 47 is a stealth video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive exclusively for Microsoft Windows in November 2000, and the first entry in the series. In the game, players control Agent 47, a genetically enhanced human clone who is rigorously trained in methods of murder. Upon escaping from his testing facility, 47 is hired by the International Contract Agency (ICA), a global contract killing organization. His missions take him to locations in Asia, Europe, and South America to assassinate wealthy and decadent criminals, at first seeming to share no connections with each other (beyond passing mentions to the service of each in the French Foreign Legion), but who are soon revealed to have all played a role in a larger conspiracy. The gameplay revolves around finding ways to stealthily reach and eliminate each target; to this end, players can make use of various tools, including disguises and suppressed weaponry. However, some levels are more action-focused and do not feature stealth as a possibility, instead playing like a traditional third-person shooter.

Codename 47 received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the unique approach to stealth gameplay, considered revolutionary at the time, but criticised its difficulty, controls, and technical issues. It sold over 500,000 units by 2009.[2] The game went on to launch the Hitman video game franchise, beginning with the first sequel, Software:Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, in 2002.

Gameplay

Hitman: Codename 47 is presented from the third-person perspective, but the control setup is similar to a first-person shooter as 47's movements are restricted to turning, strafing and moving forward and backward. Each level takes place in a semi-open world environment which is populated with non-player characters such as civilians and armed guards. Although mission criteria may vary, the goal is generally to find 47's assigned target and kill them by any means possible. Though the path may appear linear, it is possible through various ways to accomplish the mission and approach a target directly without eliciting a violent reprisal. The game essentially emphasises stealth and silent kills without raising alerts, giving the player a higher financial reward for doing so. Penalties in the form of financial deductions are given, for example if the player kills civilians, but none of the guards or other enemies are slain. As the money is used to purchase weapons and ammo during the course of the game, this pressures the player to utilise stealth, disguise, and melee based mechanics for the most cost-effective method to take out targets.

The player can peek around corners by using the lean function, which prompts 47 to tilt slightly to one side. 47 is able to climb ladders, but cannot defend himself with a weapon while doing so. In addition, he is only able to jump from one balcony to another. There is an on-screen cursor to indicate in which direction 47 will attack. The heads-up display includes a life bar which measures 47's health, ammo capacity, kevlar durability, and the current item selected. Alert messages sometimes appear next to the health readout. These occur whenever enemies discover a body on the map, or if 47 falls under suspicion. 47's weaponry consists of various short and long-range firearms, a garrote wire, and a knife. Handguns generally have excellent range, while automatic rifles and machine guns decrease in accuracy the farther away 47 is from his target. 47 can also equip himself with a sniper rifle, including one concealed in a special suitcase, which must be reassembled before he may use it. Once he is finished with the rifle, 47 can take it apart and place it in the suitcase once more.

Disguise plays a large role in gameplay. Any time a male non-player character is killed – aside from targets and some unique characters – 47 may take their clothes and impersonate them. This is necessary to access restricted areas where only guards may enter. At the start of each level, 47 begins in a default costume. This costume is his trademark suit and red tie which is folded and left on the ground whenever 47 changes clothes. The player may replace 47's outfit with a previous one by simply approaching them and selecting the option to change. If anyone on the map spots a body lying on the ground, it will create unwanted attention for 47, such as base alarms, calls for back-up, and reports to their boss, usually the target. In the event that 47 adopted the clothes of someone he has slain, his disguise will be compromised as soon as the body is discovered. 47 creates sound while walking which will alert any hostile characters in the facility. To move without being detected, the player can use the sneak function, which causes 47 to crouch and move in a stalking manner. Sneaking also allows 47 to retrieve a weapon from his inventory without anyone hearing it; if 47 is standing upright when the player pulls out a weapon, it will alert nearby characters. Characters who are dead may be dragged at any time. When dragging, 47 lifts up the closest available leg or arm and begins to hoist it away as movement is directed by the player. Naturally, being spotting dragging a dead body also garners unwanted attention.

Plot

The game opens in 1999, as a mysterious man code-named "Project 47" awakens in the basement of a sanatorium to an unidentified man talking over a loudspeaker. Under the man's guidance, 47 completes a training course that tests his athletic, firearms, and assassination skills, before killing the guards and escaping from the sanatorium, much to his observer's joy. A year later, 47 has joined the International Contract Agency (ICA) – a global organization that specializes in performing assassinations for various clients – and has been assigned the identity of "Agent 47" and a handler, Diana Burnwood. It is not explained precisely how his recruitment took place.[lower-alpha 1]

Over the course of the year, 47 completes contracts that see him killing Triad crime boss Lee Hong in Hong Kong, after weakening his position by provoking a gang war; cocaine trafficker Pablo Belisario Ochoa in Colombia, through a staged drug raid; Austrian mercenary Frantz Fuchs in Budapest, who was planning to detonate a bomb during an international conference; and Kazakh gunrunner Arkadij Jegorov in Rotterdam, who was paranoid about the imminent arrival of 47 and had activated a nuclear warhead on his ship. After each successful assassination, 47 finds letters on his targets talking about himself, a project about an "experimental human", and a man named Professor Ort-Meyer.

The target details in each assassination mission briefing noted that all four targets served in the French Foreign Legion. Diana soon contacts 47 with news that they all in fact served in the same FFL unit in Vietnam during the First Indochina War, and that the assassinations were requested by the same client, which goes against the ICA's rules. 47 is then sent on a final mission: to assassinate a doctor in a sanatorium in Romania, which he recognizes as the same facility he escaped from a year prior. As Romanian special forces raid the building, 47 eliminates the target, whom he recognizes as Ort-Meyer's assistant, and discovers the truth of his existence: he is the product of a cloning experiment that combined the DNA of Ort-Meyer, Hong, Ochoa, Fuchs, and Jegorov to create the perfect assassin.

With the help of a fairly inept CIA agent named Carlton Smith, whom he had first encountered and rescued in Hong Kong, 47 locates Ort-Meyer in a hidden lab under the sanatorium. He learns that the professor orchestrated his escape a year prior to test his performance in the real world, and arranged his former partners' deaths because they each wanted 47 for themselves. Ort-Meyer then reveals that he has since created more skilled and easier to control clones, dubbed "Subjects 48", and dispatches them to kill 47. After killing all the clones with his superior training, 47 poses as one of them to reach Ort-Meyer, shooting him when the latter realizes the deception. Before dying, Ort-Meyer regrets that he was unable to recognize "his own son" and accepts his death at 47's hands, who proceeds to snap his neck.

Development

Hitman: Codename 47 was created by Danish developer IO Interactive. Early on, the team conceptualised a fantasy massively multiplayer online game (MMO) entitled Rex Dominus; however, Danish film studio Nordisk Film, which IO Interactive was partnered with at the time, asked the team to cease production on Rex Dominus and "test [themselves]" by developing a "simple shooter" instead.[3] As such, the team opted for a run-and-gun action game, as it took less time to develop compared to an MMO, drawing inspiration from John Woo films, such as Hard Boiled and The Killer.[3] They turned to develop for personal computers (PCs), because they were unable to acquire development kits for consoles, and had also found interest in the steady increase of PCs' 3D graphics capabilities.[3]

A part of the development on the game, which would later become Hitman: Codename 47, was the creation of the Glacier, the studio's proprietary game engine that fit their needs; co-founder Andersen stated: "Since killing was the main theme of the game, we wanted to do something special. [...] Standard 'death animations' just looked too static so some of the coders tried to see if they could use real-time inverse kinematics for the falling bodies. The first versions ran terribly slowly until one of the programmers figured out a way to fake the whole calculation."[3] This led to the first use of advanced ragdoll physics in a video game.[3][4] This physics system caught the eyes of British publisher Eidos Interactive, and especially staff member Jonas Eneroth, who thought that the system could greatly benefit Codename 47's gameplay.[3] Following six months of negotiations, a publishing deal was signed between IO Interactive and Eidos Interactive.[5] Eneroth became executive producer on the project.[3]

As executive producer, Eneroth encouraged the development team to stray away from the run-and-gun gameplay, and instead focus on a "methodical experience", including dragging dead bodies around the scene to create tension.[3] He had previously worked on Deus Ex and Software:Thief: The Dark Project, which had heavily exposed him to the stealth game mechanics he wished to see in Codename 47.[3]

Jesper Kyd composed the game's soundtrack, basing it on urban soundscapes and ethnic instrumentation. Kyd had previously been a member of IO Interactive's precursor, Zyrinx, but moved to Manhattan and became a freelance video game musician. He would subsequently return to compose the soundtracks of the first three sequels to Codename 47: Silent Assassin, Contracts, and Blood Money.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStar[8]
CGWStarStarHalf star[9]
Edge5/10[10]
Eurogamer8/10[12]
Game Informer6.75/10[13]
GameRevolutionB[14]
GameSpot5.2/10[15]
GameSpy80%[16]
IGN7.5/10[17]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[18]
PC Gamer (US)75%[19]
X-PlayStarStarStarStar[20]

The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6] Jim Preston of NextGen called it "A deeply flawed masterpiece that will, nonetheless, reward forgiving gamers."[18] Jake The Snake of GamePro said, "Though Rambo wannabes will feel pinned down by the game's realism, this captivating title oozes with enough seedy atmosphere and tense action to satisfy the most jaded gamer."[21][lower-alpha 2] Michael Lafferty of GameZone gave it seven out of ten, saying that "The violence is a little excessive."[22]

The game received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[23] indicating sales of at least 100,000 units in the UK.[24] In April 2009, Square Enix revealed that Hitman had surpassed half a million sales globally.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ 47's recruitment is later depicted in Hitman (2016)
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, and two 4/5 scores for sound and control.

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Trey (19 November 2000). "Hitman Hits Stores". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-hits-stores/1100-2656802/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Corporate Strategy Meeting (Eidos Integration)". 22 April 2009. http://www.square-enix.com/eng/pdf/news/20090422_02en.pdf. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Love, Edward (17 May 2018). "The Making Of: Hitman: Codename 47". Retro Gamer (Future Publishing) (181): 86–89. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20180517/281681140513757. Retrieved 10 June 2018. 
  4. ↑ Jakobsen, Thomas (20 January 2003). "Advanced Character Physics". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/advanced-character-physics. 
  5. ↑ Reilly, Luke (19 February 2013). "Killing Them Softly: The Hitman Story, Part 1". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/19/killing-them-softly-the-hitman-story-part-1. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Hitman: Codename 47". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hitman-codename-47/. 
  7. ↑ Bub, Andrew S. (19 December 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0%2C6%2C0-5111%2C00.html. 
  8. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (26 December 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/031/070/hitmancode-01-r.html. 
  9. ↑ Price, Tom (March 2001). "Whack-Job (Hitman: Codename 47 Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (200): 99. https://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_200.pdf. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  10. ↑ Edge staff (January 2001). "Hitman [Codename 47"]. Edge (Future Publishing) (93): 96. https://retrocdn.net/images/e/e0/Edge_UK_093.pdf. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  11. ↑ Harris, Neil (20 December 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=4769&full=1. 
  12. ↑ Goldsmith, Linda "Bloomers" (12 December 2000). "Hitman : Codename 47". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/r-hitman. 
  13. ↑ Brogger, Kristian (February 2001). "Hitman: Codename 47". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (94). http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200102/R03.0806.1147.46080.htm. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  14. ↑ Sanders, Shawn (December 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47 Review [title mislabeled as 'Hitman Preview'"]. CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32742-hitman-codename-47-review. 
  15. ↑ Osborne, Scott (28 November 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47 Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/hitman-codename-47-review/1900-2658770/. 
  16. ↑ Schwartzman, Cary (12 December 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47". GameSpy Industries. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december00/hitman/index.shtm. 
  17. ↑ Adams, Dan (30 November 2000). "Hitman: Codename 47". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/01/hitman-codename-47. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Preston, Jim (March 2001). "Hitman: Codename 47". NextGen (Imagine Media) (75): 91. https://archive.org/details/NextGen75Mar2001/page/n91/mode/2up. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  19. ↑ Kuo, Li C. (March 2001). "Hitman: Codename 47". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 8 (3): 96. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/hitman_codename.html. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  20. ↑ Flores, Alex (4 January 2001). "Hitman: Codename 47". TechTV. http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0%2C23008%2C3304317%2C00.html. 
  21. ↑ Jake The Snake (March 2001). "Hitman: Codename 47 [author mislabeled as "The Freshman""]. GamePro (IDG) (150): 58. https://retrocdn.net/images/3/37/GamePro_US_150.pdf. Retrieved 3 May 2024. 
  22. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (14 December 2000). "Hitman: Code Name 47 [sic Review"]. http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r14121.htm. 
  23. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver". http://www.elspa.com/?i=3942. 
  24. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/elspa-i-wii-fit-mario-kart-i-reach-diamond-status-in-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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