Software:In Memoriam (video game)

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In Memoriam
Developer(s)Lexis Numérique
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Mac OS
Release
Genre(s)Adventure, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

In Memoriam (released as Missing: Since January in the US) is an adventure video game for Windows and Mac OS developed by French studio Lexis Numerique. It uses alternate reality-style gameplay, in which the player receives emails from other in-game characters, including the game's main antagonist. The player needs to find information and clues to the games' puzzles on the Internet, both from real websites, and from specially-created websites that have been mixed in with other "real-world" domains. According to director Eric Viennot, the game was a commercial success, with sales above 300,000 units worldwide by late 2006.

Plot

The game centers around the disappearance of journalist Jack Lorski, and his young female companion, Karen Gijman, in Europe while investigating a series of bizarre murders. Some weeks later, the agency they work for receives a package containing a CD-ROM. On this CD-ROM is a mixture of disturbing footage and reports made by Jack, but also some other data including puzzles and messages, created by someone referring to themselves only as "The Phoenix."

The agency then decides to release the CD-ROM to the public in the hope of finding out what happened to Jack and Karen. This is where the player comes in.

In 1975, a beach goer accidentally witnesses the murder of Peter Volker, a German professor of epigraphy. Years later, Jack Lorski randomly purchases the video camera with the film still inside. He tracks down Karen, the daughter of the cameraman who went missing the same year, presumably in connection to the murder. The two decide to track down the killers. It turns out a group called Manus Domini, a solar cult, murdered Volker to prevent him from releasing the "cursed codex" of the Nag Hammadi. The Phoenix in turn, is murdering the members of Manus Domini, in order to fulfill the initiation ritual of Giordano Bruno, whom he claims to be the reincarnation of. After realizing he is being tracked by Karen and Jack, he kidnaps them both in order to bring attention to the murders, and reveal the existence of Manus Domini.

Upon completing the primary games, the player is given the opportunity to play a game with the Phoenix for Karen's and Jack's life. Regardless of the outcome, a member of SKL, the paper investigating Jack's disappearance, hacks the Phoenix's site and locates Jack and Karen, who are found and rescued.

Development

In Memoriam was developed by Lexis Numérique and directed by Eric Viennot. This group had previously created the successful Uncle Albert's Adventures game series for children, whose three entries had reached combined sales above 500,000 units. In Memoriam cost €1 million to develop, a budget that Lexis Numérique paid by itself.[3] The game took four years to create.[4]

Reception

Sales

In Memoriam was a commercial success.[5][3] The game sold 15,000 units in its initial 15 days of release in Europe, which the French newspaper Libération described as a favorable sign.[3] To combat software piracy in the European market, the game retailed at a price of €30, as Lexis Numérique believed that a lower price would encourage purchases rather than theft. However, piracy remained a problem in Europe. Just Adventure's Randy Sluganski reported that In Memoriam had reached 85,000 registered users by the time its European sales hit 35,000 units, and that certain registrants were based in countries where the game was not available for purchase. In Memoriam nevertheless became profitable and "a hit" for Lexis in Europe by mid-2004, according to Sluganski, but profits lost to piracy slowed the developer's growth.[6] The game reached 100,000 registered players by September 2004, following its release in the United States.[7]

In December 2006, Eric Viennot announced that In Memoriam's sales had reached 300,000 units worldwide. Of this number, France accounted for 30,000 units and the United States for 80,000. Viennot noted that the game's audience was 40% female, and that 50% of players were below the age of 25.[5]

Critical reviews

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic76/100 (In Memoriam)[8]
75/100 (Missing: Since January)[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarStar[10]
X-PlayStarStarStar[11]

The review aggregation website Metacritic reported its critical reception as "generally positive".[8][9]

The editors of Computer Gaming World named In Memoriam their 2004 "Adventure Game of the Year". They wrote, "Missing: Since January isn't just Majestic done right, it's Majestic done."[12] In 2011, Adventure Gamers named In Memoriam the 56th-best adventure game ever released.[13]

Legacy

An expansion, titled The 13th Victim, was produced and released in late 2005. On July 14, 2006, The Adventure Company announced it was to bring the sequel, In Memoriam 2, to the US under the name Evidence, and it was released on October 17, 2006. In September 2006, the sequel was released in France under the title In Memoriam: Le Dernier Rituel.

References

  1. ↑ Apache (2004-06-24). "MISSING: Since January Ships" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/06/24/missing-since-january-ships. 
  2. ↑ "In Memoriam sur PC" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00010782-in-memoriam.htm. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Icher, Bruno (November 14, 2003). "In Memoriam Au-Dela du Virtuel" (in French). Libération. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180717143109/http://next.liberation.fr/culture/2003/11/14/in-memoriam-au-dela-du-virtuel_451758. 
  4. ↑ "The Lounge; Interview with Eric Viennot creator of In Memoriam". The Inventory (Just Adventure) (9): 25–31. October 2003. Archived from the original on 2006-08-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20060813153740/http://www.justadventure.com/TheInventory/TheInventory.shtm. Retrieved 2018-10-07. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cabibbo, Herve (December 22, 2006). "In Memoriam, le jeu sombre et Net" (in French). 01net. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180715202430/https://www.01net.com/actualites/in-memoriam-le-jeu-sombre-et-net-336498.html. 
  6. ↑ Sluganski, Randy (June 2, 2004). "Preview; Missing". Just Adventure. Archived from the original on 2009-05-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20090524030915/http://justadventure.com/Previews/Missing/Missing.shtm. 
  7. ↑ "[afjv] - Sortie de " in Memoriam - la treizième victime" en novembre". http://www.afjv.com/press0409/040927_in_memoriam.htm. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "In Memoriam (pc: 2003): Reviews". Archived from the original on July 26, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070726081253/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/inmemoriam. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Missing: Since January (pc: 2004): Reviews". Archived from the original on July 24, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070724130401/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/missing. 
  10. ↑ Gladstone, Darren (October 2004). "Reviews; Missing". Computer Gaming World (243): 78. 
  11. ↑ Bemis, Greg (September 8, 2004). "Missing: Since January Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060105101446/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/47951/Missing_Since_January_Review.html. 
  12. ↑ ((Editors of CGW )) (March 2005). "2004 Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World (249): 56–67. 
  13. ↑ AG Staff (December 30, 2011). "Top 100 All-Time Adventure Games". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20120604021011/http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18643. 
  • 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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