Software:Neuromancer (video game)

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Neuromancer
The game's cover art
Developer(s)Interplay Productions
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions[lower-alpha 1]
Producer(s)Brian Fargo
Troy P. Worrell
Designer(s)Bruce Balfour
Brian Fargo
Troy A. Miles
Michael A. Stackpole
Programmer(s)Troy A. Miles
Artist(s)Charles H. H. Weidman III
Composer(s)Kurt Heiden
David Warhol
Platform(s)Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Commodore 64, MS-DOS
Release1988
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Neuromancer is an adventure video game developed by Interplay Productions and published by Mediagenic (a brand name of Activision). It was released in 1988 for the Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. It was loosely based on William Gibson's 1984 novel of the same name and set within both the fictional "real world" and the extensively realized and detailed world of cyberspace. It has a soundtrack based on the Devo song "Some Things Never Change" from their album Total Devo.[1] Writer Timothy Leary had sub-contracted the rights to a video game adaptation of the novel, and eventually brought the project to Interplay to develop.[2]

Gameplay

The gameplay was split between a traditional adventure setting, where a player could interact with "real world" inhabitants within Chiba City, and a 3D grid representation of cyberspace once he'd managed to regain access. Different "real world" locations led to different grid sectors, thus developing the plot and enriching the immersion.

Cyberspace combat was also simulated in the game as the player attempted to breach ICE (Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics) to gain entry to database nodes and potentially face the formidable AIs (Artificial Intelligences) that hide behind them. "Combat" with ICE consisted of the ICE and the player doing damage to each other (the former through a built-in attack form, the latter based on what programs the player ran; some programs did one-time damage, some did damage over time for a while, and some had other effects such as slowing down the ICE) until either the ICE "cracked" or the player was kicked out of cyberspace. Combat with AIs was similar, except that AIs were damaged primarily with skills rather than programs; were invulnerable until hit at least once with a specific skill or program; and the result of "losing" was character death. Neuromancer was somewhat forgiving of even "death", as a deceased character would be reanimated for the price of whatever money was in his credit chip at the time of death - although remaining logged into cyberspace at some points required credit payment.

Skills and abilities can be purchased as "skill chips" that can be used in a brain jack implanted in the protagonist's head, giving him an edge in a variety of situations. Skills could also increase with successful completion of a difficult task.

The game also used a code wheel as a form of copy protection. The code wheel was necessary to access the PAX terminals in the game at certain points and without it the player hits a dead-end in the plot.

Plot

The game is loosely based on the events of the novel Neuromancer by William Gibson. Locations, characters, items and nuances of cyberspace from the novel appear.

Taking place in the year 2058 in Chiba, Japan , the plot centered on the protagonist attempting to discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of his friends as well as other, less friendly cyberspace cowboys. Unfortunately, the player's character has fallen on hard times and has had to pawn his cyberspace deck. He awakes in a plate of Ratz' famous spaghetti, and the first order of business is to find some way to retrieve his old deck from the nearby pawnshop.

After obtaining the deck and upgrading the software to enable cyberspace access, the character finds that users of the Matrix are being killed or flatlined by a group of AIs led by a renegade named Greystoke. After destroying Greystoke, the player meets Neuromancer who explains that he has manipulated the player into killing the other AIs, and traps him on a virtual island. However, the player can use their skills to escape and destroy Neuromancer, making the Matrix safe again.

Some other aspects of the book are included in the game as red herrings. For example, the character Armitage can contact the player at one point, but if the player accepts his mission, he and Armitage are immediately arrested.

Reception

Computer Gaming World gave Neuromancer a very favorable review, citing the game's pacing and wit, as well as the use of Gibson's setting. Combat was also praised, as was the reward of information for winning combat. The only complaints it had about the game were the predetermined responses in conversation, and the excessive use of disk swapping.[3] The magazine awarded it a title of "Adventure Game of the Year",[4] and in 1996 included it on lists of the "150 Best Games of All Time"[5] and "15 best ways to die in computer gaming".[6] Compute! also favorably reviewed the game, citing the graphics, user interface, and the Devo soundtrack, and only criticizing the "adolescent jokes".[7] The magazine named the game to its list of "nine great games for 1989".[8] In 2004, Neuromancer was inducted into GameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time.[9]

Reviews

  • Challenge #42 (1990)

References

  1. ↑ Distributed in North America by Mediagenic and licensed in Europe by Electronic Arts
  1. ↑ Maher, Jimmy (11 November 2016). "Turning on, Booting up, and Jacking into Neuromancer". https://www.filfre.net/2016/11/turning-on-booting-up-and-jacking-into-neuromancer/. 
  2. ↑ Robertson, Adi (1 October 2013). "Timothy Leary's 'Neuromancer' video game could have been incredible". https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/4791566/timothy-learys-neuromancer-video-game-could-have-been-incredible. 
  3. ↑ Seacat, Douglas (March 1989), "Cyberspace Rider", Computer Gaming World (57): 40, 51 
  4. ↑ "Game of the Year Awards", Computer Gaming World: 8, October 1989 
  5. ↑ "150 Best Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World: pp. 64–80. November 1996. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148. 
  6. ↑ "The 15 Best Ways To Die In Computer Gaming". Computer Gaming World: p. 107. November 1996. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148. 
  7. ↑ Farrell, Keith (April 1989). "Neuromancer". Compute!: pp. 62. https://archive.org/stream/1989-04-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_107_1989_Apr#page/n63/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ Gutman, Dan (July 1989). "Nine for '89". Compute!: pp. 19. https://archive.org/stream/1989-07-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_110_1989_Jul#page/n19/mode/2up. 
  9. ↑ "The Greatest Games of All Time: Neuromancer". http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-37.html. 
  • Neuromancer at Hall of Light Amiga database
  • 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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