Software:MissionForce: CyberStorm

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
MissionForce: CyberStorm
Developer(s)Dynamix
Publisher(s)Sierra On-Line
Producer(s)Graeme Bayless
Designer(s)John Garvin
Graeme Bayless
Don McClure
Robert Kraft
Stephen Cordon
Programmer(s)Stephen Cordon
Artist(s)John Garvin
Mike Jahnke
Shawn Sharp
Writer(s)Robert Kraft
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

MissionForce: CyberStorm (commonly referred to as CyberStorm) is a turn-based strategy game developed by Dynamix and published in 1996 by Sierra On-Line. The game is set in the Metaltech universe created by Dynamix, and the player control units of HERCULANs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation): bipedal warmachines of varying size and construct, more commonly known as HERCs. Although CyberStorm was a limited commercial success, it sold well enough to spawn a 1998 sequel called Software:CyberStorm 2: Corporate Wars. It was digitally released by Activision on July 23, 2019 on GOG.com.[2]

Plot

The player starts as an employee of the Unitech Corporation, serving as a commander of a private military taskforce to fight a race of mechanical beings mankind created long ago called Cybrids. The game's fictional universe is via messages and text between missions. The corporate environment is cold and ruthless, with military decisions being controlled by a computer system called the Main Synthetic Intelligence (MSI). Early on in the game, one of the corporate communiques implies that Unitech can and will execute any of its military officers if they fail to deliver profits. This is confirmed if the player ever loses the game by having his or her forces eliminated down to the last HERC without having enough credits to replace them.

The player's soldiers are "BioDerms", short-lived, artificially-created humanoids designed to pilot the HERC war machines. The BioDerms are supposedly used because of their genetically engineered reflexes, their ability to be directly "linked" to the HERCs, and their obedience. The instructions and early parts of the game indicate that these BioDerms are sub-human, more like trained dogs, but later communiques show that they are intelligent, can think independently (and even rebel), and even think of one model as a "messiah". Thus, the BioDerms are actually slaves: disposable synthetic humans to be used on the battlefield and "recycled" for a few credits or blown up in kamikaze attacks by corporate officers when they are no longer useful. BioDerm templates are created using the genetic material of past HERC pilots and commanders; one early communique describes the horror of having one's genes taken to create BioDerms, and if the player wins the game, Unitech makes it clear that they will in fact do that with the player's avatar, that it is an "honor", and there is no choice.

Gameplay

Command screen showing hexagon based movement path

By completing missions and progressing, the player gains rank in order to get access to more advanced equipment and hardware, as well as being able to control more HERCs. Missions can be selected from a list of Cybrid-controlled planets within a specified system.

The game is played from a top-down isometric view-perspective typical for turn-based strategy games. The player gets credits for every enemy they destroy as well as a mission bonus dependent on the difficulty of the mission. However, in the beginning of the game, the primary source of income is through mining ore, which can be found scattered across the maps. All HERCs can be outfitted with an "ore extractor" which, when activated, collects all mineable ore in the hexagon where the machine is standing.

All maps and enemy locations are randomly generated, meaning no two playthroughs will be the same. The campaign as a whole, however, is not dynamic; player success or failure does not affect upcoming battles beyond the strength of the player's forces.

In between missions, the player manages HERCs and pilots in the HERC Base. From here, the player can create, train, assign or "recycle" BioDerms. The player also has the opportunity to purchase, repair, customize and upgrade HERCs with a wide range of equipment, for instance by adding more advanced life-support to increase BioDerm survival rate, better shields, different armor, or fitting more powerful weapons to the chassis.

Reception and legacy

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
GameSpotStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[3]

The game was generally well received by reviewers and gamers alike.[4] GameSpot wrote: "Sierra has taken a basic, turn-based strategy game and added some beautiful graphics, fantastic sound, and great network play" and gave it the rating "great" with a score of 8.9 out of 10.[3] In 1996, Computer Gaming World listed "the flesh burning off the bioderms" as #12 on its list of "the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming".[5] Strategy Plus Magazine wrote a positive review, and a line from it: "Early contender for best Strategy game of 1996" is cited on the game's packaging. In late 1996 a patch released by Sierra added two new game modes: Hotseat and Play-by-EMail.

Andy Butcher reviewed MissionForce: CyberStorm for Arcane magazine, rating it an 8 out of 10 overall, and stated that "CyberStorm is excellent, and will be a tough act to follow for any other strategy-based 'big robot' game. Fans of BattleTech, Heavy Gear and Mekton Z will find lots to enjoy here, as will anyone with a PC and an interest in strategy or wargames."[6]

MissionForce was named the 53rd best computer game ever by PC Gamer UK in 1997. The editors called it a "compelling strategy game".[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Online Gaming Review". 1997-02-27. http://www.ogr.com/news/news0696.html. 
  2. ↑ "Release: MissionForce: CyberStorm". CD Projekt. 23 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190802012042/https://www.gog.com/news/release_missionforce_cyberstorm. Retrieved 2 August 2019. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ward, Trent (1996-08-01). "MissionForce: CyberStorm review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/missionforcecyberstorm/review.html. Retrieved 2006-10-03. 
  4. ↑ Giovetti, Al (1996-09-01). "MissionForce: CyberStorm review". http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/reviews/cyberstorm.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-03. 
  5. ↑ "The 15 Best Ways To Die In Computer Gaming". Computer Gaming World: 107. November 1996. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148. Retrieved 25 March 2016. 
  6. ↑ Butcher, Andy (September 1996). "Games Reviews". Arcane (10): 66-67. 
  7. ↑ Flynn, James; Owen, Steve; Pierce, Matthew; Davis, Jonathan; Longhurst, Richard (July 1997). "The PC Gamer Top 100". PC Gamer UK (45): 51–83. 
  • 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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