Software:Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche

From HandWiki
Short description: 2001 video game
MagnaCarta
Developer(s)Softmax[1]
Publisher(s)Softmax[1]
Director(s)Yeon-Kyu Choi
Producer(s)Young-Hee Jeong
Joo-Hwan Lee
Designer(s)Yeon-Kyu Choi
Programmer(s)Kyoung-Il Kim
Chang-Geun Lim
Artist(s)Seok-Hwan Jeon
Hyung-tae Kim[2]
Ki-Nam Kim
Writer(s)Yeon-Kyu Choi
Rae-Yeon Lee
Composer(s)Sung-Woon Jang
Sang-Ho Lee
Hyung-Woo Noh
SeriesMagna Carta
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseDecember 28, 2001[3]
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single player

MagnaCarta: The Phantom of Avalanche (마그나카르타 ~눈사태의 망령~), also known as just MagnaCarta (마그나카르타), is a Korean role-playing video game developed and published by Softmax for Windows in 2001. It is the predecessor to the PlayStation 2 title, Software:Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata, and the first installment in the Magna Carta series. It was never released outside of Korea.

Gameplay

The game's Carta (眞名) system, which takes on a similar method as Final Fantasy VIII's junction system, relies on the usage of hanja (Han characters) to represent various energy patterns as every living thing carries a distinct energy pattern and may rely upon the use of Carta to manipulate this energy for various purposes. In application, these patterns are individually assigned to each character attribute to directly affect character growth. Some Carta may be more effective when assigned to a specific attribute due to the compatibility between the character's own personal energies in compliance with the Carta's unique energies. The available stock of the particular Carta also plays a role in determining its effectiveness.

Magna Carta employs a turn-based battle system based on the conditional usage of TP (Turn Points). When a character achieves his or her turn, the player is given the options of moving the character around and / or executing a skill. (The turn automatically ends upon executing a skill, regardless of any other conditions present.) Both the movement range of the character, as well as any skills she or he executes, costs a specific number of Turn Points to be accomplished. While moving, free roaming is allowed around the battle field during one's turn, but within a limited range which is indicated by an aura. The size of the aura, like many elements of battle, may be affected by the turn range, so characters who have TP left over from previous rounds may find a slight range advantage in the next.

Plot

Calintz, once having been a high-ranking royal guard, has left his home of Shudelmir many years ago to seek adventure elsewhere. Though having left his home in a peaceful state, Calintz decided to return home years later only to find Shudelmir in chaos. The sheer growth of monsters, as well as the rise of two important factions, have left Calintz with no choice but to join the Schwarz Strum as the 7th Squad Leader. Rumors have surfaced about the origin of the monsters. Particularly, the monster growth has been attributed to the enthroning of the new Emperor, Shulenlord. Many people believe that Vermillion, one of the two rising factions, is releasing the creatures in hopes of dethroning the new Emperor, and that the Emperor is retaliating against Vermillion in this same fashion. Amidst this conflict, political struggles between the fallen Princess, Juclecia, and the new Empress, Leona, have contributed a fair share to the chaos of Shudelmir. Having lost her mother to a senseless crime of murder, Juclecia was stripped of her royal authority and cast out into the rural district to conscribe to the lifestyle of a mere commoner. Though Juclecia was entitled to inherit her mother's throne, she held no say in the enthronement of the new Empress nor the Empress' decision to abolish Juclecia's royalty. Rallying the support of other nobles, Juclecia hopes that she can achieve Empress Leona's dethronement and restore peace to her kingdom.

Cliave, father to Princess Juclecia and Emperor Shulenlord, invaded and destroyed the prosperous Kingdom of Krios many years ago. This invasion was thought to take place in order to preserve the integrity of Cliave's power, as he feared that Krios had grown too strong. Ironically, Krios was Cliave's homeland, and his own uncle was its ruler. Still, Cliave would regard his own family as a political enemy and carry on his back the shame of hailing ruthless destruction against Krios. Krios' remaining citizens, reduced to mere slaves, had risen up against their adversity and formed the Vermillion faction. Heading up this group were two mysterious figures—the ominous Ferenan, and the strange outsider, Tristan. Though Vermillion intently sought to rebuild Krios, their violent methods were often put into question, and have earned the group a fearful reputation with the public. Focusing their attention on Shudelmir's political presence, Vermillion has met much resistance from the Schwarz Strum.

Reception

On release, Magna Carta impressed with its graphics, but quickly gained infamy for being extremely buggy, resulting in the publisher's recall of the game.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche - PC". IGN. http://www.ign.com/games/magna-carta-the-phantom-of-avalanche/pc-495616. Retrieved 2016-03-20. 
  2. ↑ Brian Ashcraft (2009-04-30). "Group". Kotaku.com. http://kotaku.com/5235340/hey-that-magna-carta-2-sure-took-a-long-time. Retrieved 2016-03-20. 
  3. ↑ "SOFTMAX". 2002-02-03. http://www.softmax.co.kr/kr/news/view.php?tbl=notice&page=1&uid=7. 
  4. ↑ "겜툰-카툰으로 보는 재미있는 게임이야기". Gamtoon.com. http://www.gamtoon.com/new/gs/focus/view.gam?num=1010&sele=spedit. Retrieved 2016-03-20. 
  5. ↑ Kim, Jaeeun (2004-11-22). ""게임 韓流는 내가 책임진다"". The Chosun Ilbo. https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2004/11/20/2004112070043.html. Retrieved 2016-07-20. 
  • 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 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. 
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