Software:Opera Fatal

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
Opera Fatal
French cover art
Developer(s)Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH
Publisher(s)Heureka-Klett, index+
Platform(s)Mac OS Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Graphic adventure, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Opera Fatal is a 1996 educational graphic adventure puzzle video game developed by Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH and published by Heureka-Klett. The game's plot follows maestro Angelo, the orchestra director, on the night before the premiere of Beethoven's Fidelio. A mysterious thief has stolen the musical scores; to retrieve them, Angelo must solve a series of music-themed riddles that have been scattered throughout the opera house.[1][2]

Gameplay

The gameplay of Opera Fatal consists of first-person exploration as Angelo finds his way through the opera house. The player can interact with some specific objects by clicking or dragging them. Some items can be carried by Angelo to be used to solve a puzzle elsewhere in the opera house. The primary goal is to find the numbered questions left by the thief and to write down the correct answers in a book in the office. As more sets of questions are answered, more parts of the opera house become accessible. To aid the player in answering the questions, an interactive virtual library on music theory, musical instruments, the lives of several composers, and music history is available inside the game itself.[3][4]

Reception

Opera Fatal was first released in German in 1996; later versions were released in Italian, English, French, and Dutch.[3][5][6][7]

Opera Fatal won several awards, including the 1997 Digita award for educational games[8] and the 1996 Macromedia People's Choice Awards. It was also nominated for the 1997 Milia D'Or in Cannes.

References

  1. ↑ Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH (1996). Opera Fatal. Windows. Heureka-Klett. "Maestro Angelo has a problem. Mysteriously, important scores and his personal notes have disappeared. One speculates that a thief is involved." 
  2. ↑ Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH (1996). Opera Fatal. Windows. Heureka-Klett. "Finally, after years of waiting, Beethoven's only opera was to be presented to the music-loving public in a unique production." 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Opera Fatal review". GameBoomers Group. http://www.gameboomers.com/reviews/Oo/Operafatalbyjenny100.htm. Retrieved 18 July 2016. 
  4. ↑ "IBI: Projekte - digita 97 - Privates Lernen, Über 10 Jahren" (in German). Archived from the original on 12 June 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020612145951/http://www.ibi.tu-berlin.de/projekte/digita/digita97/privat2.htm. Retrieved 18 July 2016. 
  5. ↑ "Opera Fatal (1996) Windows release dates". http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/opera-fatal/release-info. Retrieved 18 July 2016. 
  6. ↑ "Museo videogiochi: Opera Fatal" (in Italian). http://minah.it/museo/34-Opera%20Fatal. Retrieved 18 August 2016. 
  7. ↑ Bolling, Ron. "Software" (in Dutch). http://static.digischool.nl/mu/community/software.htm. Retrieved 31 October 2018. 
  8. ↑ "IBI: Projekte - digita 97" (in German). Archived from the original on 6 September 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020906180300/http://www.ibi.tu-berlin.de/projekte/digita/digita97/d_97.htm. Retrieved 18 July 2016. 
  • Official Website, opera-fatal.de
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari




Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Opera_Fatal&oldid=4142231"