Software:Soulbringer

From HandWiki
Soulbringer
Developer(s)Gremlin Interactive
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Patrick Phelan
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Fantasy RPG
Mode(s)Single-player

Soulbringer is a fantasy RPG developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Interplay Entertainment and Infogrames in 2000. It was later packed and shipped in combination with Interplay's Planescape.[2]

Plot

It starts off with the story of a young man arriving in a town called Madrigal to find his uncle Andrus, who is the man's only remaining family member after his father died. However, the protagonist is soon caught in the middle of strange bandit activity around town and then drawn into escalating political and supernatural strife across the world. During the game, it is revealed that the hero is a reincarnation of a powerful being whose purpose is to defeat a group of ancient demons known as Revenants. Even though forgotten, the Revenants are secretly standing behind all major conflicts and problems encountered. The hero has to reawaken his past-life powers, travel to parallel worlds and ultimately trap the Revenants within the mystical Well of Souls.

The game includes both a good and an evil ending.

Gameplay

A player battles a NPC and wins, gaining XP.

The game is 3D with a helicopter POV.

For the combat system, each weapon has a set of possible moves, with more powerful moves becoming available as points are put into the "combat" skill.

The game includes a novel magic system. Rather than having reflexively opposing categories of magic, Soulbringer's magic system is circular: Air suppresses earth, which suppresses spirit which suppresses water, which suppresses fire, which suppresses air. Considerable strategy is thus needed to achieve a desired balance within the elements.

Spells are obtained from spellbooks that are unlocked by runes; more powerful spells become accessible as points are put into the "magic" skill. A spell's power depends on magic skill and on strength within the elements that make up the spell.

Each move and spell requires a certain amount of time to prepare and execute (including drawing the weapon, if necessary). Motion capture was used to display such actions for added realism. Soulbringer also takes terrain and placement into account (e.g. spiders on the ground can only be hit by "low" attacks while an enemy soldier higher up on a hill can only be hit by "high" attacks).

Combinations of attacks and spells can be preset and assigned to a hot key.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings68%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[4]
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[6]
CGWStarStarHalf star[7]
Game Informer6.5/10[8]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[9]
GameRevolutionB−[10]
GameSpot6.6/10[11]
GameSpy55%[12]
GameZone7/10[13]
IGN7/10[14]
Next GenerationStarStar[15]
PC Gamer (US)72%[16]

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Eric Bratcher of NextGen said, "If you've already beaten Diablo II and Icewind Dale, and you simply cannot wait for Baldur's Gate II and Arcanum, this game will keep you from RPG starvation. But it won't taste like steak."[15]

The game was not a great seller for Interplay Entertainment.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ Gentry, Perry (July 7, 2000). "This Week's New Releases". CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000817093619/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-4433,00.html. Retrieved January 20, 2022. 
  2. ↑ "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Planescape Torment & SoulBringer Combo Pack". IGN Entertainment. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/advanced-dungeons-dragons-planescape-torment-soulbringer-combo-pack/. Retrieved February 19, 2014. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Soulbringer for PC". CBS Interactive. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/913680-soulbringer/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Woods, Nick. "Soulbringer - PC - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116150401/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20903&tab=review. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  5. ↑ Harper, Kareem (August 15, 2000). "Soulbringer". CNET. Archived from the original on August 21, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000821032458/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-4560,00.html. Retrieved January 20, 2022. 
  6. ↑ Hunt, David Ryan (August 25, 2000). "Soulbringer". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on April 27, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030427234934/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/084/soulbringer_review.html. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  7. ↑ Green, Jeff (November 2000). "Soulbringer". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (196): 168. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_196.pdf. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  8. ↑ "Soulbringer". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (90). October 2000. 
  9. ↑ Wright, Brian (August 14, 2000). "Soulbringer Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on December 22, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041222000827/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/6369.shtml. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Ferris, Duke (September 2000). "Soulbringer Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924173617/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/soulbringer. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  11. ↑ Park, Andrew (August 4, 2000). "Soulbringer Review". CBS Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/soulbringer-review/1900-2611997/. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  12. ↑ McConnaughy, Tim (July 23, 2000). "Soulbringer". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 14, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020614112902/http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/soulbringer_a.shtm. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (August 9, 2000). "Soulbringer". Archived from the original on February 16, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050216054735/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r12493.htm. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Butts, Steve (July 17, 2000). "Soulbringer". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/18/soulbringer. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Bratcher, Eric (November 2000). "Soulbringer". NextGen (Imagine Media) (71): 142. https://archive.org/details/NextGen71Nov2000/page/n143/mode/2up. Retrieved October 25, 2020. 
  16. ↑ "Soulbringer". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 7 (11). November 2000. 
  17. ↑ Cavner, Brian (July 12, 2002). "Soulbringer". Emerald Shield Media LLC. https://www.rpgfan.com/review/soulbringer/. Retrieved January 20, 2022. 
  • 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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