Software:KKND2: Krossfire

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 video game
KKND2: Krossfire
Developer(s)Beam Software
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Windows, PlayStation
ReleaseWindows
  • GER: June 1998
  • EU: August 24, 1998[1]
  • NA: October 19, 1998[2]
  • AU: October 23, 1998
PlayStation
  • EU: October 1998
  • UK: April 15, 1999
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

KKnD2: Krossfire is the sequel to KKnD in the KKnD series developed by Beam Software and published by Melbourne House in 1998 for Microsoft Windows. It was released on PlayStation in Europe in late 1998 to early 1999 as KKnD: Krossfire. It is set in the year 2179, 100 years after the Nuclear World War. After spending another four decades underground, the Survivors rose up to a new enemy: the Series 9. The Series 9 robots are machines that have advanced from their farming origins (having the original programming damaged by the nuclear radiation) and taken up arms against the humans, Evolved and Survivor, who destroyed their precious crops, their one and only reason for functioning.

Gameplay

Gameplay takes place after a worldwide nuclear war, on three map-types over land and water: a barren desert terrain, forest areas, or urban jungles. All three areas provide artifacts from the nuclear war, namely decrepit buildings and polluted water.

Like other real-time strategy games such as the Command and Conquer or Starcraft franchises, the primary objective of the game is to eradicate all other factions on a particular playing map. This is done usually through resource management—oil reserves acting as a power source—and maintaining a base of operations while trying to destroy everything else. Fortifications and turrets can be used to protect a base, as well as making use of natural features such as cliffs or buildings. Unlike in KKnD, now each faction has buildings that can provide a little more resource units at a constant rate, helping to gather resources, should there be a shortage of oil or if all oil runs out.

There are two methods of gameplay: a campaign mode and a multiplayer mode. The campaign mode allows you to play one of three factions, fighting through a triangle-shaped map in order to eradicate all other enemies. Occasionally there can be multiple factions. Multiplayer mode allows for connection through LAN (IPX or TCP/IP), serial cable or modem, or a soloplay mode where one can choose between a variety of maps and settings to play a practice game against one or more AI opponents.

Factions

Survivors

The Survivors are the remnants of normal mankind that hid in underground bunkers during the first war for the surface. Once they saw how badly the first war for the surface was going, they returned to their shelters and have since been digging and building new weapons, new structures, new technologies and new ways to wage war. Determined to exterminate the "Evolved" and shut down the "Series 9", they must use their new technologies and units to overcome, overpower and overwhelm the enemy.

Evolved

The Evolved were on the surface during the Nuclear War, and mutated because of the radiation. While nowhere near as technologically advanced as their enemies, they have learned to herd and utilize the power of other mutated creatures, such as large wasps and scorpions. The mutants are very religious and believe that their gods (also known as the Scourge) were punishing them for their ignorance, use of technology, politics and the repeated use of TV. The Evolved are trying to eliminate the "symmetrics" (the "Survivors") and the "soulless ones" ("Series 9") in order to appease their gods. Notably, whereas the other two factions have parallel units, The Evolved have a special "Scourge Demon" unit, at the highest tech level, which can be constructed by sacrificing five infantry units.

The Series 9

The Series 9 are advanced farming robots that have become sick of the Survivors destroying their crops and have taken it upon themselves to destroy all organic life, so they can finally farm in peace. When the Series 9 finally gained their own conscience, they became aware that the earlier robots (Series 1-8) were still following their last orders from the humans. The Series 9 robots decided to shut down the other model lines in order to complete their goal. They were active during the first war, but realized that pitchforks and wheelbarrows weren't going to do much against tanks and mutant Mastodons. They took the time to research Earth's old weapons and wars from history in order to adapt their tools to become formidable armaments. They are farming robots, and as such much of their weaponry resembles farm tools, like the Seeder, Weed Killer, and Spore Missile. This faction is new to the franchise.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS
CGSPStarStarStar[5]N/A
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[6]N/A
Game Informer7.5/10[7]N/A
GameSpot5.7/10[8]N/A
GameStar74%[9]N/A
Jeuxvideo.com15/20[10]12/20[11]
OPM (UK)N/A6/10[12]
PC Gamer (UK)76%[14]N/A
PC Gamer (US)80%[15]N/A
PC Zone66%[1]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings64%[3]N/A

The PC version received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3]

Sequel/Spin-Off

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shoemaker, Richie (September 1998). "KKND 2: Krossfire". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (67): 103. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_67_September_1998/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved December 11, 2020. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (October 19, 1998). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/20/news-briefs-286. "KKND 2 Now Available: Melbourne House's KKND2: Krossfire is now being distributed throughout U.S. PC gaming retail outlets." 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "KKND 2: Krossfire for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197736-kknd-2-krossfire/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Rausch, Allen (October 22, 1998). "KKND2: Krossfire". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2197,00.html. 
  5. ↑ Brush, Ryan (November 20, 1998). "KKND[2: Krossfire"]. Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/015/139/kknd2_review.html. 
  6. ↑ Chick, Tom (February 1999). "Not Too Special K (KKnD2: Krossfire Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (175): 235. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_175.pdf. Retrieved December 10, 2020. 
  7. ↑ Bergren, Paul (November 1998). "KKND Krossfire [sic]". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (67): 74. 
  8. ↑ Krol, Scott (December 3, 1998). "KKND 2: Krossfire Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kknd-2-krossfire-review/1900-2535625/. 
  9. ↑ "KKND2: Krossfire" (in de). GameStar (Webedia). June 1998. 
  10. ↑ lightman (November 28, 1998). "Test: KKND2: Krossfire (PC)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00000210_test.htm. 
  11. ↑ lightman (April 30, 1999). "Test: Kknd [sic: Krossfire (PS)"] (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00000211_test.htm. 
  12. ↑ Gillen, Kieron (May 1999). "KKND: Krossfire". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Future Publishing) (45): 102–3. https://archive.org/details/opm045/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved December 11, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Lindstrom, Bob (November 1998). "KKND2 Krossfire". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (3): 103. https://archive.org/details/PCXL03Nov1998/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved December 29, 2020. 
  14. ↑ "KKND2: Krossfire". PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing). 1998. 
  15. ↑ "KKND2 Krossfire". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (2). February 1999. 
  • Official website
  • 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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