Software:KKnD (video game)

From HandWiki
KKND: Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy
Developer(s)Beam Software
Publisher(s)Melbourne House
Electronic Arts
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Windows
ReleaseMarch 5, 1997[1]
October 30, 1997 (Xtreme)[2]
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

KKnD, or Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy is the first of three real-time strategy games in the KKnD series, released on March 5, 1997 in the United States and Australia and March 21, 1997 in Europe.[3] The game was an Australian project from Melbourne-based developer Beam Software.

Gameplay

KKnD takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, where two factions are fighting for control over the few natural resources left. The single-player campaign chronicles a futuristic war in 2140 from the perspective of one of two factions chosen by the player: humans (the 'Survivors') and mutants (the 'Evolved'). Each faction has its own campaign consisting of 15 missions each. KKnD also features a multiplayer mode which allows up to 6 people to play via LAN or modem/serial connection.

Release

Launch

Beam Software reported that anticipation for the game was high. A demo, released December 1996, ranked third in international software download charts.[4] KKnD was released in the United States and Australia on March 5, and in Europe on March 21.

Sales

Beam Software reported the game shipped over 200,000 units in 1996, well in excess of anticipated figures.[5] KKnD met considerable success in international markets. The game was released with localisation for French, German, Spanish and Mandarin-speaking countries, and licensed through Electronic Arts to several international publishers.[6] Beam Software reported that the game was the best-seller in Media Markt German retails sales charts for the week of 21 March 1997.[7] The game was reportedly the third-highest selling computer game in Korea in July 1997.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVGStarStarStar[9]
Edge8/10[10]
GameSpot6.2 (KKnD)[11]
5.5 (KKnD: Extreme)[12]
PC PowerPlay90%[13]
PC Zone85%[14]

Contemporary reviews

Reviews of the game upon release were generally positive. David King of PC PowerPlay highly praised the "varied strategy, frenetic action, gorgeous visuals and handy AI" in the game.[13] Edge Magazine stated the game "distinguishes itself as a ubiquitous classic...by virtue of a subtle sense of humour and a superb one-player game, thanks to some brilliantly written AI routines", with the units being "some of the best of the genre".[10] Andy Mitchell of PC Zone praised the "well-produced" nature of the game", with "well designed" levels and more challenging gameplay due to the "speed at which things take place".[14]

Some reviewers were less positive, with many comparing it to the recently-released Command & Conquer. Steve Key of Computer & Video Games Magazine dismissed the game as a "blatant Command & Conquer rip off", with identical variations on the same game mechanics.[9] Kraig Kujawa of GameSpot also noted the game followed the "same stale story" as its competitors, and would have "benefited from a little more polishing".[11] Whilst positive in his review, Andy Mitchell of PC Zone noted the game "begs every comparison to Command & Conquer" given that "the basic game structure is almost identical".[14]

Retrospective reception

Retrospective assessments of the game have varied. Tim Ansell of The Creative Assembly remarked that the game was an "absolute piece of crap" and an example of low-quality clones of Command & Conquer that were outperforming other games in the market. This trend influenced Ansell to enter the real-time strategy genre and develop Shogun.[15] However, Alex Walker for Kotaku Australia praised the game as "one of the best strategy games to come from Australia and "maybe even a little better than Command & Conquer: Red Alert, singling out its sense of humour, user interface and mission design.[16]

Reviews

Sequels

KKnD: Extreme

KKnD: Xtreme was a revised version of KKnD released on October 14, 1997.[18] Extreme featured new content, including twenty new missions and a 'skirmish mode' ('KAOS') allowing the player to play against the computer on custom maps. It also featured technical improvements, including an improved user interface, expanded network support and tweaks to the AI.[12] In a review of Extreme, Kraig Kujawa of GameSpot argued that whilst the game "fixes some of the original's shortcomings, unfortunately, its improvements prove to be nothing more than a cheap face-lift of a rapidly aging game".[12]

KKnD2: Krossfire

A sequel, KKND2, was released in 1998.[19]

Open source remake

A fan project aims to make the originals compatible with modern systems while improving online functionality, modding capabilities, support for a broader range of resolutions and operating systems by using the OpenRA engine.[20] The game is openly developed at GitHub. It requires the original assets, which can be bought at online stores like GOG.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Staff (March 5, 1997). "KKND Ships". http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-03-03.html. 
  2. ↑ Staff (October 30, 1997). "Now Shipping". http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-10-27.html. 
    Now Shipping: "Electronic Art's KKND Extreme."
  3. ↑ "Beam announces Release Date For KKnD". February 26, 1997. Archived from the original on June 7, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970607085659/http://www.beam.com.au/2602971.htm. Retrieved March 16, 2022. 
  4. ↑ "Beam International Ltd - Summary of News for February 1997". Beam Software. February 1997. http://www.beam.com.au/0303971.htm. 
  5. ↑ "Beam International Releases Half Yearly Financial Results". Beam Software. March 11, 1997. http://www.beam.com.au/1103971.htm. 
  6. ↑ "Beam Announced Release Date for KKnD". Beam Software. February 26, 1997. http://www.beam.com.au/2602971.htm. 
  7. ↑ "KKnD Shows Early Success in International Markets". Beam Software. March 26, 1997. http://www.beam.com.au/2603971.htm. 
  8. ↑ Lawrence, Mark (September 16, 1997). "Opening Korean doors". p. 58. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97754348/the-sydney-morning-herald/. Retrieved March 16, 2022. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Key, Steve (April 1997). "Krush, Kill 'N' Destroy". Computer & Video Games (185): 85. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "KKND". Edge Magazine (43): 52–53. March 1996. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kujawa, Kraig (1 May 2000). "KKND Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kknd-review/1900-2535543/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Kujawa, Kraig (1 May 2000). "KKND Xtreme Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kknd-xtreme-review/1900-2535635/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 King, David (November 1996). "KKND". PC PowerPlay (7): 52–53. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-007-1996-11. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Mitchell, Andy (March 1997). "Krush, Kill 'N' Destroy". PC Zone (48): 74–75. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_48_March_1997. 
  15. ↑ PC Zone Staff (May 7, 2004). "Games That Changed The World: Shogun: Total War". PC Zone. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070715060840/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=104147. 
  16. ↑ Walker, Alex (20 August 2020). "There's A New Trademark for Aussie RTS Classic Krush Kill 'n Destroy". https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/08/theres-a-new-trademark-for-aussie-rts-classic-krush-kill-n-destroy/. 
  17. ↑ "Backstab Magazine (French) Issue 06". https://archive.org/details/backstab-magazine-french-06/page/n41/mode/2up. 
  18. ↑ "KKnD Extreme - Latest News". Beam International. October 1997. https://melbournehouse.kknd2.com/kkndxtreme/latest_news.html. Retrieved 21 July 2022. 
  19. ↑ "KKND 2: Krossfire - PC - IGN". Pc.ign.com. 1998-10-31. http://pc.ign.com/objects/003/003564.html. Retrieved 2015-06-06. 
  20. ↑ Alex Walker: One Of Australia's Greatest RTS's Is Getting A Fan Remake, Kotaku, Dec 17 2018
  21. ↑ The KKnD remake using the OpenRA engine has a first release out
  • Official site
  • 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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