Software:Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure

From HandWiki
Short description: 2006 video game
Safecracker The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure
Developer(s)Kheops Studio[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)The Adventure Company[lower-alpha 2]
Platform(s)Windows, Wii, Nintendo DS
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: August 2, 2006
  • EU: October 27, 2006
  • AU: December 12, 2006
Wii
  • NA: December 3, 2008
  • EU: January 23, 2009
Nintendo DS
  • NA: December 3, 2009
  • EU: March 19, 2010
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure is a 2006 puzzle adventure game developed by Kheops Studio and published by The Adventure Company. It is the spiritual successor to Daydream Software's 1997 title Safecracker.

Safecracker was also released on Steam on August 29, 2007.[1] It was included in Humble Bundle's Humble Weekly Sale: The Adventure Company and Friends.

Gameplay and plot

The game is a first-person puzzle adventure game, where the player moves through 3D environments, to find the safes to crack. The safes themselves vary in style and design, from safe to safe.

The games story revolves around a safe cracker, being hired by the family of a recently deceased billionaire and oil magnate, Duncan W. Adams. The player has been employed to find the will of Duncan W. Adams, by cracking the 35 safes that were in his possession.

Development

Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure was first conceived in early 2006, when DreamCatcher Interactive queried Kheops Studio about developing a game in the style of Daydream Software's Safecracker.[2] According to Kheops' Benoît Hozjan, the idea arose because the original had been a hit for the publisher.[3] Kheops responded with a pitch for the game and suggested a plot based on locating a will.[2][3] The puzzle-based design was a departure for the team: Hozjan wrote that Kheops had previously focused on "exploration and story" in addition to puzzles, in titles such as Return to Mysterious Island and Software:Voyage: Inspired by Jules Verne.[4] The transition proved difficult.[3]

DreamCatcher's Adventure Company announced the game in April 2006.[5] The game was reported to be a spiritual sequel to Daydream's title, rather than a strict follow-up.[6] In May, Hozjan estimated that it would be finished in July and "released in late summer or fall" thereafter.[7] After going gold in July 2006, the game reached store shelves in the U.S. in August.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSPCWii
Adventure GamersN/AStarStarStarStar[12]N/A
EurogamerN/A5/10[13]N/A
GameSpotN/A6.5/10[14]N/A
GamezeboN/A70/100[15]N/A
GameZoneN/A7/10[16]7/10[17]
IGNN/A6.9/10[18]N/A
Jeuxvideo.com13/20[19]12/20[20]N/A
NGamer45%[21]N/A28%[22]
Nintendo Life3/10[23]N/AN/A
Nintendo World ReportN/AN/A6/10[24]
ONM32%[25]N/AN/A
PC Gamer (US)N/A83%[26]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic43/100[9]69/100[10]56/100[11]

The PC and Wii versions received "mixed or average reviews", while the DS version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[9][10][11]

IGN reviewer Charles Onyett thought the music, voice acting, and plot were limited, though he felt the puzzles were engaging.[18]

The PC version won the award for "Best Puzzle Game" at the 13th Annual PC Gamer Awards.[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ DS version developed by Firehazard Studio.
  2. ↑ DS version published by DreamCatcher Interactive in North America and by Tradewest in Europe.

References

  1. ↑ "Now on Steam - Safecracker: The Ultimate Adventure". Valve Corporation. August 29, 2007. http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=news&id=1178. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dahlberg, Chris (2006). "Personal Computer: Kheops Studio Interview". http://www.cosmosgaming.com/articles.php?id=48&articletype=feature. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sluganski, Randy (October 4, 2006). "Interviews: Benoit Hozjan of Kheops Studio". Just Adventure. http://www.justadventure.com/Interviews/BenoitHozjan/Hozjan.shtm. 
  4. ↑ Walter, Johann (November 14, 2006). "Kheops Studio - Benoît Hozjan". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17997. 
  5. ↑ Sanders, Kathleen (April 20, 2006). "Practice Larceny Legally". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/04/20/practice-larceny-legally. 
  6. ↑ Morganti, Emily (April 23, 2006). "New Safecracker game in production". https://adventuregamers.com/news/view/20045. 
  7. ↑ Fallen Angel (May 22, 2006). "Interview with Kheops Studio "The Secrets of Da Vinci"". https://adventureadvocate.gr/interviews/eng-interviews/item/interview-with-kheops-studio-the-secrets-of-da-vinci-eng-vers. 
  8. ↑ Allin, Jack (July 19, 2006). "SAFECRACKER turns up gold". https://adventuregamers.com/news/view/20094. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure critic reviews (DS)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/safecracker-the-ultimate-puzzle-adventure/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure critic reviews (PC)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/safecracker-the-ultimate-puzzle-adventure/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure critic reviews (Wii)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/safecracker-the-ultimate-puzzle-adventure/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  12. ↑ Michaud, Rob (August 23, 2006). "SAFECRACKER: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure review (PC)". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17977. 
  13. ↑ Allen, Darren (July 23, 2007). "PC Roundup (Page 2)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/pc-roundup-review?page=2. 
  14. ↑ Todd, Brett (August 23, 2006). "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure Review (PC)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/safecracker-the-ultimate-puzzle-adventure-review/1900-6156351/. 
  15. ↑ Brodie, Joel (August 31, 2007). "Safecracker Review (PC)". https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/safecracker-review/. 
  16. ↑ Hollingshead, Anise (September 6, 2006). "Safecracker – PC – Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/safecracker_pc_review/. 
  17. ↑ Hollingshead, Anise (January 8, 2009). "Safecracker – WII – Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/safecracker_wii_review/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Onyett, Charles (August 30, 2006). "Safecracker Review (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/30/safecracker-review. 
  19. ↑ pixelpirate (February 17, 2010). "Test: Safecracker : Expert en Cambriollage (DS)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00012340-safecracker-expert-en-cambriolage-test.htm. 
  20. ↑ Superpanda (November 25, 2006). "Test: Safecracker : Expert en Cambriollage (PC)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00007095_test.htm. 
  21. ↑ "Review: Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure (DS)". NGamer (Future plc): 68. March 2010. 
  22. ↑ "Review: Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure (Wii)". NGamer (Future plc): 70. April 2009. 
  23. ↑ Newton, James (March 17, 2010). "Safecracker Review (DS)". Hookshot Media. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/03/safecracker_ds. 
  24. ↑ Red, Carmine (March 23, 2009). "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure (Wii)". NINWR, LLC. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/18012/safecracker-the-ultimate-puzzle-adventure-wii. 
  25. ↑ "Safecracker Review (DS)". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc): 85. May 2010. 
  26. ↑ "Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure". PC Gamer (Future US) 13 (11): 120. November 2006. 
  27. ↑ "The 13th Annual PC Gamer Awards Reveals The Best Of The Best For 2006". South San Francisco, California. February 2, 2007. http://www.futureus-inc.com/archives/2007/02/the_13th_annual_1.php. 
  • 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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