Software:Sanity: Aiken's Artifact

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Sanity: Aiken's Artifact
Developer(s)Monolith Productions
Publisher(s)Fox Interactive
Producer(s)Gary Sheinwald
Derek Fialho
Designer(s)Kevin Lambert
Garrett Price
Programmer(s)Toby Gladwell
Brad Pendleton
Artist(s)Matthew Allen
Writer(s)Kevin Lambert
Garrett Price
Composer(s)Guy Whitmore
EngineLithtech 2.0
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: September 26, 2000
  • EU: November 3, 2000
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Sanity: Aiken's Artifact is an action video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive exclusively for Microsoft Windows. The game's lead character, Agent Nathaniel Cain, was voiced by Ice-T. A Dreamcast version had been in development, but it was eventually cancelled.[1]

Gameplay

Sanity used a 3D engine to create a top-down view similar to Gauntlet. Instead of weapons, the main character used various "psychic" abilities, called Talents, both offensive and defensive. The abilities were represented by individual "cards"; the game shipped with a poster showing over 100 individual ability "cards".

A crate puzzle

The talents are categorized in to 8 different groups, or 'Totems' in which, each talent behaves like their respective totems. For example, Sun totem has Star blast, Star shower and Sand Pit abilities, which can be linked to the Sun.

Each totem has a Shield ability, which were stronger from the top to bottom, the Shield of Truth being the strongest. There are a total of 80 Talents, which can be gathered along the span of the Single-player game. The multiplayer game has some more talents added to it.

"Booster Pack" expansion

Sanity: Aiken's Artifact had the option to purchase/download add-on various "booster packs" from Monolith's website to unlock additional in-game ability cards, a concept inspired by collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering. Free "booster packs" were also included with various game magazine CD-ROMs shortly after the release of the game.

Plot

Several decades before the game starts, a world-renowned genetic engineer named Doctor Joan Aiken discovered a way to utilise the unused portion of the human brain via a serum. The serum would give the user psychic abilities, or "talents", which could manipulate the world around them, for example levitating or shooting a bolt of lightning. Talents were split into collections called totems, and each Psionic specialised in the use of one totem, others even founding their own. Aiken became the founder of the Science totem.

When the game starts, Cain has just been suspended from the DNPC following an incident with Priscilla Divine, leader of the Eye of Ra (a radical organisation who wish to destroy the CoT project for ethical reasons) and founder of the Sun totem. He is eventually recruited back and tasked with infiltrating the Eye of Ra, who have been operating under the guise of a psychic hotline, and apprehend Divine.

He returns to the DNPC to find that they are protecting another CoT, Bobby (no reason is given for this, but Bobby claims that it's because he has exceptional psionic powers). Abel breaks in and tries to kidnap Bobby, but Cain manages to hold him off until the DNPC arrive and use Talent - suppressors, forcing him to flee.

Cain is later told that a shipment of Aiken's test serum from when the labs tried to make the serum suitable for adults was stolen. The magician Adrian Starr, founder of the Illusion totem, is a suspect, and Cain is instructed to visit and question him.

Once Elijah is dead, Cain leaves the mansion to be rewarded with a baseball bat over the head by one of the Bone Priest's men. Now, Cain must find the head and stop Golgotham from destroying it, or the Sanity Devourer will be called and consume the world.

Development

The game was announced at E3 2000[2] and was originally scheduled to release in late summer 2000.[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[5]
CGSPStarStarStar[7]
CGWStarStarHalf star[8]
Edge5/10[9]
Game Informer5.25/10[10]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[11]
GameSpot6.6/10[12]
GameSpy83%[13]
GameZone8.4/10[14]
IGN8.3/10[15]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[16]
PC Gamer (US)81%[17]

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] Jim Preston of NextGen called it "A colorful game that starts out fun then slowly grows routine."[16]

References

  1. ↑ Kollin, Mike (September 14, 2000). "The Dreamcast Loses Its Sanity". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/15/the-dreamcast-loses-its-sanity. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  2. ↑ "Fox Interactive Announces Two New Titles for Sega Dreamcast; 'Alien Resurrection' and 'Sanity, Aiken's Artifact' Join an All-Star Lineup of Fox Titles". Berkshire Hathaway. May 11, 2000. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190411042228/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fox+Interactive+Announces+Two+New+Titles+for+Sega+Dreamcast%3b+%27Alien...-a062019194. Retrieved July 26, 2021. 
  3. ↑ Antonucci, Mike (May 30, 2000). "To boost a music career, get in the game". The Record (Gannett Company): p. 49. https://www.newspapers.com/image/499270716/?terms=Sanity%20Aiken%27s%20Artifact%27&match=1. Retrieved July 26, 2021. closed access(Subscription content?)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sanity-aikens-artifact/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  5. ↑ Woods, Nick. "Sanity, Aiken's Artifact [sic - Review"]. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117043709/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20895&tab=review. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  6. ↑ Hicks, Cliff (September 7, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". CNET. Archived from the original on October 17, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20001017113211/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-4714,00.html. Retrieved January 19, 2022. 
  7. ↑ McElveen, Nick (October 2, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on May 22, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030522160146/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/195/sanity_review.html. Retrieved October 27, 2020. 
  8. ↑ Nguyen, Thierry (November 2000). "Not Playing With a Full Deck (Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (196): 160. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_196.pdf. Retrieved October 27, 2020. 
  9. ↑ Edge staff (December 2000). "[Sanity: Aiken's Artifact"]. Edge (Future Publishing) (91): 109. https://archive.org/details/edgeuk091/page/n97/mode/2up. Retrieved November 16, 2020. 
  10. ↑ "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (91). November 2000. 
  11. ↑ Wright, Brian (September 28, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on November 9, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041109122750/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/6897.shtml. Retrieved October 27, 2020. 
  12. ↑ Wolpaw, Erik (September 22, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sanity-aikens-artifact-review/1900-2631399/. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Wu, Jonathan (September 9, 2000). "Sanity [Aiken's Artifact"]. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090922112152/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/september00/sanity/. Retrieved September 14, 2008. 
  14. ↑ Lambert, Jason (November 3, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Review". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081201130033/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r12720.htm. Retrieved October 27, 2020. 
  15. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (September 25, 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/26/sanity-aikens-artifact. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Preston, Jim (November 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". NextGen (Imagine Media) (71): 142. https://archive.org/details/NextGen71Nov2000/page/n143/mode/2up. Retrieved October 26, 2020. 
  17. ↑ Poole, Stephen (November 2000). "Sanity: Aiken's Artifact". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 7 (11): 138. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315144938/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/sanity_aikens_a.html. Retrieved October 27, 2020. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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