Software:Labyrinth: The Computer Game

From HandWiki
Short description: 1986 video game
Labyrinth: The Computer Game
Developer(s)Lucasfilm Games
Publisher(s)Activision
Designer(s)David Fox
Douglas Adams[1]
Programmer(s)David Fox
Artist(s)Gary Winnick
Ken Macklin
Composer(s)Russell Lieblich
Platform(s)Apple II, Commodore 64/128, MSX2, PC-88
Release
Genre(s)Graphic adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Labyrinth: The Computer Game is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published in 1986 by Activision. Based on the fantasy film Labyrinth, it tasks the player with navigating a maze while solving puzzles and evading dangers. The player's goal is to find and defeat the main antagonist, Jareth, within 13 real-time hours. Unlike other adventure games of the period, Labyrinth does not feature a command-line interface. Instead, the player uses two scrolling "word wheel" menus on the screen to construct basic sentences.

Labyrinth was the first adventure game created by Lucasfilm. The project was led by designer David Fox, who invented its word wheels to avoid the text parsers and syntax guessing typical of text-based adventure games. Early in development, the team collaborated with author Douglas Adams in a week-long series of brainstorming sessions, which inspired much of the final product. Labyrinth received positive reviews and, in the United States, was a bigger commercial success than the film upon which it was based. Its design influenced Lucasfilm's subsequent adventure title, the critically acclaimed Maniac Mansion.

An unrelated game based on the same movie, Labyrinth: Maō no Meikyū ("Maze of the Goblin King"), was released in Japan for the Famicom and MSX in 1987, developed by Atlus and published by Tokuma Shoten.

Overview

A goblin guard corners the player character. The "word wheels" and gray "radar" bar appear in the bottom section of the screen. On the wheels, the player has combined the verb "ask" with the noun "wall", resulting in a comedic message at the top of the screen.

Labyrinth: The Computer Game is a graphic adventure game in which the player maneuvers a character through a maze while solving puzzles and evading dangers.[3] It is an adaptation of the 1986 film Labyrinth, many of whose events and characters are reproduced in the game.[4][5] However, it does not follow the plot of the film.[6] At the beginning, the player enters their name, sex and favorite color: the last two fields determine the appearance of the player character.[6][7] Afterward, a short text-based adventure sequence unfolds, wherein the player enters a movie theater to watch the film Labyrinth. The game then changes to a graphic adventure format. Jareth, the main antagonist, appears on the projection screen and transports the protagonist to a labyrinthine prison.[7][8]

The player's goal is to locate and destroy Jareth within 13 real-time hours; otherwise, the protagonist will be trapped in the maze forever.[7][8] While traveling the maze, the player passes through a series of scrolling hallways that contain doors, enemies and other things.[7] A "radar" bar on the screen allows the player to see each hallway in miniature form: the locations of all doorways, items and characters in a given hallway are displayed.[7][9] Unlike other adventure games of the period, Labyrinth does not feature a command-line interface. Instead of typing commands, the player selects them from two scrolling "word wheels", one for verbs and one for nouns.[1][6][10] For example, the verb "congratulate" may be selected in one wheel, and the noun "Jareth" in the other: this inputs the command "congratulate Jareth".[1] Based on the player's items and location, the available verbs and nouns change context-sensitively.[6]

Development

Lucasfilm Games began to design Labyrinth: The Computer Game in 1985.[11] Company head George Lucas had requested a tie-in video game for the movie of the same name, which was under production at Lucasfilm.[10] As was common with Lucasfilm Games projects, Lucas himself provided very little direction to the team.[12] Labyrinth was the first licensed game developed by the company: earlier products, such as Rescue on Fractalus! and The Eidolon, had been original intellectual properties. According to project leader David Fox, working with a license "frees you up in some ways and restricts you, too".[13] With their adaptation, the team was not pressured to reuse events and characters from the Labyrinth film, but they "felt obligated" to follow the source material.[5][14] Because they saw the film as an adventure story, they chose to set their adaptation in the adventure game genre. Fox conversely disliked the genre's then-reliance on text parsers and syntax guessing, and so he created the word wheel menus as a replacement. They were meant to supply "a limited set of words that still let you do a lot of things", in order to streamline the game without hampering the player's freedom.[5] The game's visual design was shared by Lucasfilm's Habitat, a massively multiplayer online game under production at the time.[12][15]

Douglas really liked the word "adumbrate", meaning "to prefigure indistinctly or foreshadow", so it ended up on the verb list[.] ... You had to "adumbrate the elephant" when you were stuck in a prison, and an elephant would come and break a hole in the wall, freeing you. Definitely one of those things that was far funnier in the brainstorming session than in the game.

David Fox on the influence of Douglas Adams[16]

Early in development, the game's team was screened a rough cut of the film. Afterward, they were sent to London by Lucasfilm management for a one-week brainstorming session with Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[5][11] Adams had worked previously with Infocom, during the development of his book's 1984 video game adaptation.[16] Also present at the meetings were writer Christopher Cerf (a friend of the film's director, Jim Henson) and Brenda Laurel of Activision, the game's publisher.[13] The team worked extensively with Adams during this period. Laurel later wrote: "Every day a fresh blast of his wild and intelligent humor stoked up the creativity of the team". In her view, the pinnacle of the meetings was Adams' idea for the opening sequence.[11] He suggested a reference to The Wizard of Oz's famous transition from black-and-white to color: a transition from a text-based format to a graphical one.[13]

Fox was given the job of taking notes during the trip. Although he had hoped for a complete design to emerge from the meetings, he returned from London with only "sheets and sheets of ideas", through which he sifted to find usable concepts.[5] All of the material influenced the game, and many of Adams' suggestions were used.[5][16] Retrospectively, Fox felt that the opening sequence was a mistake: he called it "tedious" and believed that it alienated potential fans.[13] Labyrinth was released in 1986 for the Commodore 64, Apple II and MSX.[1][3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Zzap!6450%
Commodore User5/5
Computer & Video Games7/8/10/9

Commodore Magazine's Mark Cotone lauded the game's puzzle design, detailed graphics and newcomer-friendly interface. He believed that experienced players would enjoy its depth and challenging puzzles.[8] Keith Campbell of Commodore User praised its animation and dubbed it "a superb game"—which he found unusual, given its status as a tie-in product. Nevertheless, Campbell hesitated to call it an adventure game, and he wrote that the word wheels were "rather tedious" for genre veterans.[17] Roy Wagner of Computer Gaming World summarized Labyrinth as a "very well done [game] with an excellent user interface".[15]

Writing for Computer & Video Games, Matthew Woodley praised the game's variety and interface. While he disliked its long loading times, he believed that they were "a small price to pay for such a brilliant game".[6] However, Labyrinth was criticized by the three reviewers of Zzap!64. Although he praised its visuals, co-reviewer Paul Sumner called the game too slow-paced for an action title and too simplistic for an adventure. Co-reviewer Julian Rignall considered it to be boring and "a real disappointment", given Lucasfilm's strong track record.[9]

Legacy

Labyrinth was the first adventure game produced by Lucasfilm, which became a critically acclaimed and commercially successful developer in the genre.[3][4] The game's technology and mechanics influenced the company's subsequent title Maniac Mansion, whose "SCUMM" engine was reused in many Lucasfilm adventure games.[12][18] The word wheels were a predecessor to that game's point-and-click interface.[4][12] Gary Winnick, an artist for Labyrinth, went on to lead the production of Maniac Mansion with Ron Gilbert.[19] Fox contributed to Maniac Mansion as well, and he later directed Lucasfilm's Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders.[5] A retrospective feature by Australian video game talk show Good Game regarded Labyrinth as a solid first attempt, but as inferior to "the real classics" made afterward by Lucasfilm.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lewis, Clovice (1986). Labyrinth: The Computer Game Player's Guide. Activision Entertainment Software. 
  2. ↑ "Computer Entertainer issue 5-10". January 1987. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-5-10/page/4/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Backwards Compatible: Classic LucasArts Adventures". Good Game. July 27, 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2637374.htm. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Andreadis, Kosta (March 16, 2014). "Maniac Mansion: Revisiting a LucasArts Point and Click Classic". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/17/maniac-mansion-revisiting-a-lucasarts-point-and-click-classic. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Andreadis, Kosta (January 21, 2015). "An Adventure Through the Early Days of LucasArts with David Fox". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/22/an-adventure-through-the-early-days-of-lucasarts-with-david-fox. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Woodley, Matthew (March 1987). "Labyrinth". Computer and Video Games (65): 68. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Addams, Shay (March 1987). "Mapping Made Simple: Labyrinth and Amnesia". Commodore Magazine (West Chester, PA: Commodore Magazine, Inc.): 80, 98. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Cotone, Mark (June 1987). "Software Reviews; Labyrinth: The Computer Game". Commodore Magazine (West Chester, PA: Commodore Magazine, Inc.): 32, 93. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Summer, Paul; Rignall, Julian; Penn, Gary (March 1987). "Zzap! Test; Labyrinth". Zzap!64 (Ludlow: Newsfield Publications) (23): 18. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "20th Anniversary". LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC. http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Laurel, Brenda (2013). Computers as Theatre: Second Edition. Boston: Addison-Wesley Professional. pp. 122, 123. ISBN 978-0321918628. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Rignall, Julian (November 27, 2014). ""I actually was hunting Ewoks". The Original Lucasfilm Games Team Talk About Life at Skywalker Ranch.". USgamer. Gamer Network Ltd.. http://www.usgamer.net/articles/i-actually-was-hunting-ewoks-lucasfilm-games-the-early-years. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Barton, Matt (2013). Honoring the Code: Conversations with Great Game Designers. Natick, MA: A K Peters, Ltd.. pp. 144, 145. ISBN 978-1466567535. 
  14. ↑ "Interviews: David Fox / Lucasfilm Games". C64.com. December 28, 2013. http://www.c64.com/gt_display_interview.php?interview=32. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Wagner, Roy (February 1987). "A Preview of Habitat". Computer Gaming World (Anaheim, CA: Golden Empire Publications) (34): 39. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Simpson, M. J. (2003). Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams. Boston: Justin, Charles & Co.. pp. 224–226. ISBN 1932112359. 
  17. ↑ Campbell, Keith (January 1987). "Into the Valley; Labyrinth". Commodore User (Peterborough: EMAP) (40): 90. 
  18. ↑ "Behind the Scenes: Maniac Mansion + Day of the Tentacle". GamesTM (Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing) (63): 22–27. 2007. 
  19. ↑ Hunt, Stuart (September 2011). "The Making Of Maniac Mansion". Retro Gamer (Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing) (94): 24–33. 
  • 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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