Software:Skynet (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 first-person shooter computer game
Skynet
European cover art
Developer(s)Bethesda Softworks
MediaTech West
Publisher(s)Bethesda Softworks
Designer(s)Todd Howard
Morten Mørup
John Pearson
Composer(s)Andy Warr
EngineXnGine
Platform(s)MS-DOS
ReleaseNovember 16, 1996[1][2][3]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Skynet (known in Europe as The Terminator: Skynet − stylized as SkyNET) is a computer game based on the Terminator media franchise. It was intended as an expansion pack for the predecessor The Terminator, but was adapted into a standalone product.

It received mostly positive reviews, praising its advanced high-resolution graphics for the time, as well as the fact that Bethesda included a multiplayer mode in contrast of its predecessor.

Gameplay

Skynet is played in the first-person perspective. Each of the eight levels in the game require the player to solve a number of objectives before continuing to the next level, while fighting enemy terminators with a wide variety of guns and grenades. Another obstacle in each level is the harsh terrain, as many areas contain too much radiation for the player character to remain alive. The terrain is navigated in three ways, 'on foot', in a jeep with a mounted cannon, or in an HK fighter (a modified terminator robot that flies). Before each mission, the player is briefed via a full-motion video cutscene.[4]

Skynet features a deathmatch mode, which allows players to fight in a number of maps as either a human or a Terminator. Human players move quickly and silently, but are relatively fragile and can only carry lightweight weapons. Terminators, on the other hand, move slowly and make loud hydraulic noises when they walk, but are very resilient to damage and can carry heavy weapons. Players are able to change various options including time limits and the time of day.

Development

Skynet was developed by Bethesda Softworks and MediaTech West[5][6] and used Bethesda's XnGine.[7][2][8] While the majority of the game uses textured polygons to display structures and enemies, many of the items, weapons, and level decorations are still shown using older sprite technology. The game went gold on November 11, 1996.[9][3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStar[11]
CGWStarStarHalf star[12]
GameRevolutionB+[13]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStarStar[4]
PC PowerPlay72% (PC)[14]

A reviewer for Next Generation said the game fixed the problems with the "revolutionary" The Terminator: Future Shock by enabling "high resolution SVGA graphics", adding a multiplayer mode with maps designed specifically for deathmatch, and including an involved storyline. He concluded, "The sheer beauty of the game, combined with the incredible amount of flexibility of the engine, means Terminator: SkyNET could be the best first-person shooter of the new year."[4] Scary Larry of GamePro found that the high resolution mode runs choppy even on high-end PCs, and had a more measured reaction to the game in general, concluding, "Although not as intense as Final Doom or as attitude-filled as Duke Nukem [3D], SkyNET will keep you blasting into the wee hours of the next apocalypse." He was most pleased with the mission objectives which involve riding vehicles and the intuitive, easy-to-remember controls.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Online Gaming Review". 1997-02-27. http://www.ogr.com/news/news1196.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "First true 3-D computer game environment in two new products". November 22, 1996. p. 101. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211228195051/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91323042/standard-speaker/. Retrieved December 28, 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Goble, Gordon (November 11, 1996). "SkyNet goes gold!". http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-227,00.html. Retrieved July 18, 2019. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Future Perfect". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (26): 132. February 1997. 
  5. ↑ Neary, Walter (May 19, 1997). "Media Tech West, based in Lacey is an industry leader at creating high-tech fun and games". p. 33. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220803001616/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106837138/the-olympian/. Retrieved August 3, 2022. 
  6. ↑ "Games". May 19, 1997. p. 34. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220803001615/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106836834/the-olympian/. Retrieved August 3, 2022. 
  7. ↑ "Skynet". December 1996. p. 163. https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration24Dec1996/page/n163/mode/2up?q=bethesda+softworks+SlapShot. Retrieved July 20, 2021. 
  8. ↑ "About Skynet". http://www.bethsoft.com/html/skynet.html. Retrieved July 11, 2019. 
  9. ↑ "The Terminator - SkyNET für PC - Steckbrief | GamersGlobal.de". https://www.gamersglobal.de/spiel/65132/the-terminator-skynet. 
  10. ↑ Goble, Gordon (January 28, 1997). "SkyNet". http://gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-489,00.html. 
  11. ↑ Bauman, Steve (1997). "SkyNET: A slightly improved Future Shock". http://www.cdmag.com/articles/001/079/skynet_review.html. 
  12. ↑ Nguyen, Thierry (March 1997). "Review: SkyNET". Computer Gaming World (United States) (152): 120-123. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130513043558/https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_152.pdf. 
  13. ↑ "SkyNET - PC". June 5, 2004. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/skynet. 
  14. ↑ Wildgoose, David (May 1997). "The Terminator: Skynet". PC PowerPlay (12): 50–51. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-012-1997-05/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ "PC GamePro Review: Skynet". GamePro (IDG) (101): 53. February 1997. 
  • 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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