Software:SoulTrap

From HandWiki

SoulTrap is an action-adventure video game by Microforum for the Windows 95 platform.

Gameplay

The game is a third-person action adventure that requires the player to perform precise platforming and to shoot down baddies while also taking part in highly accurate jumping. The view from the third to the first person perspective and back can be changed anytime by pressing a single key. It is convenient in certain places throughout the dangerous journey.

The game features a quicksave option, making it a lot easier to complete specific sections that would otherwise could have been much more frustrating.

Plot

The plot centres on Malcolm West, an executive director who has suffered nightmares since childhood. The nightmares have now come back even worse and the only way to defeat his phobias is to fight his way through obstacles and mazes defeating various enemies to win back his soul.[1]

Release

The game was released on November 20, 1996.[2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Computer Games Magazine2/5[3]
The Windsor Star7/10[4]
PC Player3/5[5]
Quad-City Times3/4[6]

Computer Games Magazine said "With suitably spooky music, a dark tone, a nice assortment of weaponry and a nightmarishly intriguing idea, SoulTrap could’ve been more. As it is, it’s an initially inspirational but repetitive and only marginally entertaining exercise"[3]

Maclean's magazine said "Suffice to say, Soultrap is dastardly difficult-and strangely fascinating"[7]

References

  1. ↑ "SoulTrap Review". Archived from the original on April 16, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970416101618/https://www.csoon.com/issue21/soultrap.htm. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  2. ↑ "Soul Trap". Archived from the original on September 22, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990922150616/http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/reviews/soultrap.htm. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Goble, Gordon. "SoulTrap". Archived from the original on May 29, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030529150915/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/001/081/soultrap_review.html. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  4. ↑ "SoulTrap". December 26, 1996. p. 41. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240916153153/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star/155401795/. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  5. ↑ "SoulTrap" (in de). February 1997. p. 147. https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1997-02/page/n117/mode/2up. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  6. ↑ "Untitled". March 16, 1997. p. 36. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240916155045/https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times/155403015/. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  7. ↑ Chidley, Joe (December 16, 1996). "Preseason games - Ten CD-ROMs that make the grade". Archived from the original on March 30, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970330030715/http://www.microforum.com/products/Entrtain/games/soul/images/B&W_mac.JPG. Retrieved September 16, 2024. 
  • Official website (archived)
  • 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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