Software:Queen: The Eye

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Short description: 1997 video game
Queen: The Eye
Developer(s)Destination Design
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
EngineBRender
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Windows
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Queen: The Eye is an action-adventure electronic video game that was released in 1997-1998 by Electronic Arts, and featured music by the rock group Queen which was remixed exclusively for The Eye by Joshua J. Macrae at Roger Taylor's studio in Surrey. The game is set in the future where the world is ruled by an all-seeing machine called "The eYe" which has eradicated everything that promotes creative expression. The player takes the role of Dubroc, a secret agent of The eYe who in the course of his duties has re-discovered a database of popular rock music, and is sentenced to death in "The Arena", a live television show broadcast through satellites to the world in which the contestant battles fighting arena champions called the Watchers. From there Dubroc goes on a quest to destroy The eYe. Many elements of the story were adapted into the Queen musical We Will Rock You.

Queen: The Eye came on five CDs, each of which includes several of the Queen tracks in the Red Book audio format used by audio CD players, though some songs can only be heard by playing the game.[1] The game suffered poor sales due to weak gameplay, very little promotion and graphics that already seemed dated at release due to the game's unusually long development time.

Development

The game uses pre-rendered backgrounds and polygonal characters which were animated using motion capture.[2] Visual concepts and artwork associated with Queen, such as their album covers, were incorporated into the environments.[2]

Track listing

Disc 1 - "The Arena Domain"

  1. Data track (includes "Arboria") - 22:22
  2. "Made in Heaven" (loop) - 1:08
  3. "I Want It All" (instrumental, remix) - 4:43
  4. "Dragon Attack" (instrumental, remix) - 4:23
  5. "Fight From The Inside" (instrumental) - 3:03
  6. "Hang On In There" (intro) - 0:57
  7. "In The Lap of the Gods...Revisited" (edit, vocals) - 0:32
  8. "Modern Times Rock'n'Roll" (instrumental) - 1:44
  9. "More Of That Jazz" (instrumental) - 4:30
  10. "We Will Rock You" (commentary mix) - 0:58
  11. "Liar" (intro) - 1:26
  12. "The Night Comes Down" (intro) - 0:48
  13. "Party" (instrumental) - 2:26 (not on the English version of the game)
  14. "Chinese Torture" (usual version) - 1:44
  15. "I Want It All" (instrumental, remix) - 4:53

Disc 2 - "The Works Domain"

  1. Data track - 25:45
  2. "Mustapha" (intro, vocals) - 0:26
  3. "Mother Love" (instrumental) - 4:16
  4. "You Take My Breath Away" (instrumental) - 3:15
  5. "One Vision" (intro) - 0:32
  6. "Sweet Lady" (edit, vocals) - 1:03
  7. "Was It All Worth It" (instrumental, edit) - 1:57
  8. "Get Down, Make Love" (instrumental, remix) - 3:49
  9. "Heaven For Everyone" (instrumental) - 5:36
  10. "Hammer To Fall" (instrumental) - 4:22
  11. "Tie Your Mother Down" (intro) - 0:39
  12. "One Vision" (instrumental, remix) - 2:27
  13. "It's Late" (edit, vocals) - 1:08
  14. "Procession" (usual version) - 1:14
  15. "Made in Heaven" (instrumental, remix) - 5:24

Disc 3 - "The Theatre Domain"

  1. Data track - 21:53
  2. "It's A Beautiful Day" (remix) - 1:38
  3. "Don't Lose Your Head" (instrumental) - 1:59
  4. "Princes Of The Universe" (instrumental, remix) - 1:08
  5. "A Kind Of Magic" (instrumental) - 4:25
  6. "Gimme The Prize" (remix, vocals) - 4:03
  7. "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" (edit, vocals) - 0:27
  8. "Ha Ha Ha, It's Magic!" (vocal sample) - 0:06
  9. "You Don't Fool Me" (instrumental) - 5:58
  10. "Let Me Entertain You" (instrumental, intro) - 0:49
  11. "Khashoggi's Ship" (instrumental) - 1:37
  12. "Forever" (usual version) - 3:21
  13. "Don't Try So Hard" (edit, vocals) - 1:35
  14. "Was It All Worth It" (intro) - 0:37

Disc 4 - "The Innuendo Domain"

  1. Data track - 25:40
  2. "Brighton Rock" (intro) - 0:13
  3. "I'm Going Slightly Mad" (instrumental) - 2:40
  4. "Bijou" (instrumental, edit) - 1:27
  5. "Khashoggi's Ship" (instrumental) - 1:37
  6. "The Show Must Go On" (instrumental, remix) - 4:26
  7. "The Hitman" (instrumental, edit) - 1:07
  8. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (edit, vocals) - 1:50
  9. "I Can't Live With You" (instrumental, remix) - 4:40
  10. "Love Of My Life" (harp intro only) - 0:04

Disc 5 - "The Final Domain"

  1. Data track - 21:48
  2. "Death On Two Legs" (intro) - 0:40
  3. "Death On Two Legs" (instrumental) - 3:07
  4. "Ride The Wild Wind" (instrumental, remix) - 4:45
  5. "Headlong" (instrumental) - 4:53
  6. "Breakthru" (instrumental) - 2:07
  7. "Hammer To Fall" (instrumental) - 4:32
  8. "Gimme The Prize" (instrumental, remix) - 4:12
  9. "The Hitman" (instrumental, remix) - 2:40
  10. "Don't Lose Your Head" (usual version) - 4:40
  11. "Gimme The Prize" (vocals, remix) - 4:11

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[3]
GameStar64%[4]
PC PowerPlay60%[5]
PC Zone56%[6]

Queen: The Eye met with mixed reviews. Several reviewers described the fight sequences as frustrating, due to unresponsive controls and confusing camera angles.[6][5] PC Zone found the game's graphics unimpressive,[6] although PC PowerPlay considered them "absolutely stunning".[5]

In a 2012 retrospective article, Richard Cobbett of PC Gamer rated the game negatively, considering it drab and boring. He concluded that "the only real reason people played this game at all was to hear the music".[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Queen: The Eye". http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/Songs/eye.htm. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NG Alphas: Queen: The Eye". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (24): 163. December 1996. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_24/page/n163/mode/2up. Retrieved 24 January 2021. 
  3. ↑ Edge staff (April 1998). "Queen: The Eye". Edge (Future Publishing) (57): 99. https://archive.org/details/edgeuk057/page/n83/mode/2up. Retrieved 24 January 2021. 
  4. ↑ "Queen: The Eye" (in de). GameStar (Webedia). December 1997. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Boxer, Steve (June 1998). "QUEEN: The Eye". PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (25): 88–89. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-025-1998-06/page/n87/mode/2up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Rose, Paul (May 1998). "Queen: The Eye". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (63): 102. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_63_May_1998/page/n101/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ Cobbett, Richard (2 June 2012). "Saturday Crapshoot: Queen: The Eye". Future plc. https://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-queen-the-eye/. 
  • 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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