Software:MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail

From HandWiki
MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail
Macintosh cover art
Developer(s)MECC
Publisher(s)MECC
Producer(s)Greg Holey
SeriesThe Oregon Trail
Platform(s)Macintosh, Windows 3.x
Release1995
Genre(s)Educational
Mode(s)Single-player

MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail (also known as "MayaQuest Trail") is an educational computer game created by MECC and inspired by the actual MayaQuest Expedition.[1] It is a spin-off title of The Oregon Trail series, featuring cities of the Classical Mayan civilization. While travelling across the lands by bicycle, the player learns all about the ancient culture and history of the indigenous people. The game also contains some Spanish language for additional learning.

Plot

For many years the Earth has been protected from incoming meteors by a space network. An incoming meteor in a satellite's path causes a shuttlecraft to be accidentally shot down to the Mexican jungles on Earth with only part of the new laser firing codes transmitted to the Meteor Defense Network. The player is sent to cycle through the jungles to find and recover the code pieces with a limited time before a meteor shower impact.

Gameplay

The game has two modes: Adventure mode and Explore mode. In the Adventure mode, the player has a limited number of days to find four code pieces for the Meteor Defense Network before a meteor shower impact can occur. The player will receive objectives from the Mexican station commander and has to complete them as quickly as possible. In the Explore mode, the player travels around the Mayan ruins to answer the questions of interested contacts before the rainy season begins.

When traveling around Mexico, the player will cycle on a road to the chosen destination. The player must maneuver the bike in a 3D scrolling road environment without going off the edge while avoiding pot holes, logs and other obstacles along the way. Otherwise the player suffers an injury or breaks the bike. If the bike is damaged, the player has the option to get it fixed for a price in one or two places, or else the player must walk, which takes more time. If the player is injured, there are options to rest (which takes up time) or continue in one or more ways.

In a destination, the player can move around by clicking the mouse pointer where it changes to an arrow icon. If the player finds something interesting, the pointer will change into a magnifying glass. The player can also use an overworld map of the destination to travel around quicker. In some places, the player will navigate a maze-like area with a compass and a map. The player also has the option to immediately escape from the maze.

Development

The game makes use of over 1,500 photos and videos that were taken during Dan Buettner's expedition.[2] His team consisted of his brother Steve, two anthropologists and a photographer. By February 1995, users could log into the Internet or Prodigy to vote where the team should go. The expedition followed a route based on the popular chosen routes and places and worked with scientists at the historic sites. Online users also got access of the team's progress thanks to the high-tech equipment they brought with them. They updated their website with their daily findings. The expedition was carried out in three months. The product was eventually released by Fall that very same year.[3][4] MECC used the team's video and photographs to produce the visual assets in the educational adventure game.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
GameSpot6.5/10[5]

According to surveys carried by Classroom Connect Inc. to over 165 educators around the US, MayaQuest was highly praised for its rich features, high curriculum value and the Spanish content for bilingual teaching.[6] Electronic Entertainment compared it to Exploring the Lost Maya, noting that they do not focus on the collapse of the Mayan civilization, instead exploring the intriguing life and culture of the civilizations through the ruins they left behind.[7] The Computer Museum deemed it an "authentic...intriguing simulation".[8] Macs for Teachers deemed it "probably the hottest new software title in the world".[9] The game has been recommended for children with special needs.[10] School Library Journal identified a weakness of having to have an intimate knowledge of the user manual before being able to competently understand the game mechanics.[11]

Other quests were also carried out, including AustraliaQuest, IslandQuest, AfricaQuest, AsiaQuest, AmericaQuest, GalapagosQuest, and, GreeceQuest.[12][13][14][15]

The paper Making Connections: Building Family Literacy through Technology conducted research that found parents who experience MayaQuest recommended that their kids instead play a game based on the Aztec civilization due to the perception that they contributed more to contemporary culture.[16]

Sourcewell Technology (Formerly known as TIES) incorporated the MayaQuest material into Minnesota school websites.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Newton's Apple. "Maya Bike Trek". 3M Innovation. http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/newton/maya.html. Retrieved June 9, 2017. 
  2. ↑ "MayaQuest - MECC". February 25, 2015. http://www.mecc.co/mac--pc-products/trails/mayaquest.html. Retrieved June 9, 2017. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Grech, Christine (January 1995). "Hi Ya, Maya". Electronic Entertainment (Infotainment World) (25): 11. https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicEntertainment13Jan1995/Electronic_Entertainment_13_Jan_1995#page/n11. 
  4. ↑ "The World Wide classroom - Down Mexican way". The Computer Paper (Hebdo Mag International) 10 (9): 30. September 1997. https://archive.org/stream/issuu_dougalder_1997-09_the_computer_paper_bc-ocr#page/n29. 
  5. ↑ Shmoe82 (December 15, 2007). "MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail Review - GameSpot". https://www.gamespot.com/mayaquest-the-mystery-trail/reviews/. Retrieved June 11, 2017. 
  6. ↑ Classroom Connect (June 18, 2001). "Classroom Connect's MayaQuest Wins High Marks From Educators". PRNewsWire. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/classroom-connects-mayaquest-wins-high-marks-from-educators-72210572.html. Retrieved June 9, 2017. 
  7. ↑ Marcus, Ann M. (December 1995). Electronic Entertainment 24 Dec 1995. https://archive.org/stream/ElectronicEntertainment24Dec1995/Electronic_Entertainment_24_Dec_1995#page/n13. 
  8. ↑ Miranker, Cathy; Elliott, Alison; Computer Museum (Marlborough, Mass (1995). The Computer Museum guide to the best software for kids: more than 200 reviews for Windows, Macintosh & DOS computers including the best CD-ROMs. The Computer Museum Archive. New York : HarperPerennial. ISBN 9780062733764. https://archive.org/details/computermuseumguid00mira. 
  9. ↑ Macs for Teachers 3rd Edition 1997. https://archive.org/details/mac_Macs_for_Teachers_3rd_Edition_1997. 
  10. ↑ Alberta. Special Education Branch (1995). Programming for students with special needs. University of Alberta Libraries. Edmonton, AB : Alberta Education. https://archive.org/details/studentgiftedtalent95albe. 
  11. ↑ Anonymous (June 1996). "MayaQuest". School Library Journal 42 (6). ProQuest 211681369. 
  12. ↑ "Rollin' Down the River: Connecting Students to Global Cultures | Edutopia" (in en). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/rollin-down-river. 
  13. ↑ "GalapagosQuest" (in en-US). Washington Post. 1999-04-12. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/04/12/galapagosquest/e47a2f36-4cba-48fd-a1f5-ec17560f6870/. 
  14. ↑ "CNN - GalapagosQuest: Journey to the heart of a volcano - March 16, 1999". http://edition.cnn.com/NATURE/9903/16/galapagosquest/. 
  15. ↑ "CNN.com - Nature - AmericaQuest - Why go to Chaco?". http://edition.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/03/14/america.quest.day7/index.html. 
  16. ↑ ERIC (2004) (in en). ERIC ED481646: Making Connections: Building Family Literacy through Technology.. https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED481646. 
  17. ↑ "MayaQuest Theme-based School Projects". http://www.ties.k12.mn.us:80/~mayatch/mq96/mq95.html. 
  • 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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