Software:John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles

From HandWiki
John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles
Developer(s)Legend Entertainment
Publisher(s)Red Orb Entertainment
Designer(s)Bob Bates
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles: An Adventure in Terror is a 1998 computer adventure game developed by Legend Entertainment and published by Red Orb Entertainment, a Mindscape subsidiary.

The game is based on serial novels that were written by John Saul, titled Blackstone Chronicles.

A sequel to the novels, the game takes place several years after the sixth book, and continues the story of Oliver Metcalf, his family, and the town of Blackstone.

Plot

The game starts with Oliver arriving at the Blackstone Asylum, which has been purchased and is being turned into a Museum of Psychiatric History. That doesn't sit well with Malcolm Metcalf, Oliver's father and last superintendent of the Asylum, who died some forty years before. All of the activity involved in transforming the Asylum has awakened its residents. For reasons not yet known to Oliver or the player, his father's spirit has taken his son, Joshua, and hidden him somewhere in the Asylum, apparently to coerce Oliver there.

Exploring the mansion, Oliver encounters several spirits of patients who are bound to the asylum by their possessions, including a teenage girl with hysterical pregnancy, a schizophrenic who believes she's English royalty, and a depressed woman who was treated with steam baths and hydrotherapy. Oliver discovers that his father psychologically tortured to suicide or allowed several of his patients to be killed under the guise of accidents during treatment. This is counterpointed by the sterile and rose-tinted explanations from the museum equipment for the same procedures or implements (lancets are described as an attempt to bring the bodies humours into balance, where the spirit of a patient with Alzheimer's disease declares they were used liberally so patients could not defend themselves). Disheartened by the failure of traditional medicine, Oliver's father gradually turned to more and more extreme methods, including totally dismembering and vivisecting an 8-year-old boy to cure his illness. Eventually his treatments turned to outright torture, as a punishment of undesirable behaviors to eventually remove them.

Over the course of the game, Oliver collects several personal items that influence him, causing him to nearly kill himself in several psychiatric methods (ECT, self-injecting neuro-toxins, locking himself in a steam box). His father Malcolm implies this is caused by the inherent evil contained within the items, although its heavily implied that Oliver developed these traps himself while under Malcolm's control, through a long, complicated sequence of post-hypnotic suggestions.

Oliver's father eventually reveals his plan. While Oliver has been trapped in the asylum and continued to refuse Malcolm's demands that Oliver take vengeance on Malcolm's enemies, Malcolm returned Joshua home, and instructs him to murder his mother with a straight razor, as a punishment of Oliver for his disobedience to his father and to make Joshua a monster with Malcolm's similar outlook. With the help of the spirits trapped in the asylum, Oliver destroys the artifacts of his father throughout the asylum, banishing his father's spirit.

Development

Production of Blackstone Chronicles' audiovisuals was outsourced to Presto Studios, creators of the Journeyman Project series.[2]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings70%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStarStarStar[4]
AllGameStarStarStarStar[5]
CGSPStarStarStar[7]
CGWStarStarStarStarHalf star[8]
Game Informer6/10[9]
GameSpot5.5/10[10]
IGN7/10[11]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[12]
PC Gamer (UK)3%[13]
PC Gamer (US)79%[14]

The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] In Computer Gaming World, Allen Greenberg summarized, "Blackstone Chronicles is definitely a unique piece of work with a gripping storyline, wonderful graphics, and a most talented cast. It should not be missed."[8] John Altman of Computer Games Strategy Plus considered the game "recommendable, if not rave-worthy." He found the graphics middling, and felt that the game's heavy reliance on written text bogged down the experience. However, he wrote that Blackstone Chronicles has "good atmosphere, well-integrated puzzles, and the occasional truly memorable scene."[7]

Reviewing the game for PC Gamer US, T. Liam McDonald called it "the kind of narrative-driven, atmospheric adventure game we see too little of in these days of soulless Myst clones." While he disliked its visuals and lack of character interaction, he felt that Blackstone Chronicles offered "enough to recommend it to many adventure-starved gamers."[14] Next Generation said, "Even with the horror setting, the game may not have emotional charge to hook most players. And the subject matter is very mature, ruling it out for younger kids. Still, it's a good story with enough spooky flavor to keep adventure fanatics entertained."[12]

The game was a finalist for Computer Gaming World's 1998 "Best Adventure" award, which ultimately went to Grim Fandango and Sanitarium (tie).[15] In 2011, Adventure Gamers named it the 43rd-best adventure game ever released.[16]

Reviews

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dunkin, Alan (November 13, 1998). "The Blackstone Chronicles Ships [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-blackstone-chronicles-ships/1100-2465484/. 
  2. ↑ Bergerud, John (January 27, 1999). "Beneath: Michel Kripalani, President and CEO, Presto Studios". Gamer's Alliance, Inc.. http://www.ga-source.com/interviews/beneath.shtml. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/70396-john-sauls-blackstone-chronicles/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Allin, Jack (October 8, 2004). "Blackstone Chronicles review". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17509. 
  5. ↑ House, Matthew. "John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14588&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ Dembo, Arinn (November 19, 1998). "John Saul's The Blackstone Chronicles [sic: An Adventure in Terror"]. CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2284,00.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Altman, John (November 25, 1998). "The Blackstone Chronicles [sic"]. Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/015/155/blackstone_review.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Greenberg, Allen (February 1999). "Chronicle of Terror (John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (175): 210, 212. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_175.pdf. Retrieved April 10, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Bergren, Paul (April 1999). "Blackstone Chronicles". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (72). 
  10. ↑ Dulin, Ron (December 2, 1998). "The Blackstone Chronicles [sic Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]"]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-blackstone-chronicles-review/1900-2538177/. 
  11. ↑ Butts, Steve (January 21, 1999). "Blackstone Chronicles". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/22/blackstone-chronicles. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (51): 91. March 1999. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_51/page/n91/mode/2up. Retrieved April 10, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Nash, Jonathan (May 1999). "Blackstone Chronicles". PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing) (69). http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=138. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 McDonald, T. Liam (February 1999). "Blackstone Chronicles". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (2). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/12.html. 
  15. ↑ CGW staff (April 1999). "Computer Gaming World's 1999 Premier Awards (Best Adventure)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (177): 96. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_177.pdf. Retrieved April 10, 2021. 
  16. ↑ AG staff (December 30, 2011). "Top 100 All-Time Adventure Games". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18643. 
  17. ↑ "The Duelist # 36". April 1999. https://archive.org/details/the-duelist-36/page/n89/mode/2up. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:John_Saul%27s_Blackstone_Chronicles&oldid=688052"