Software:Spawn: The Eternal

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Short description: 1997 video game

Spawn: The Eternal
Developer(s)Sony Interactive Studios America
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Paul Willman
Russell Shanks
Programmer(s)Brandon Bogle
Tim Monk
Composer(s)Rick Patterson
Rex Baca
Chuck Carr
Joel Copen
Kip Martin
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: December 9, 1997[1]
  • EU: April 10, 1998
Genre(s)
Mode(s)Single-player

Spawn: The Eternal is a beat 'em up developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is based on the comic book character Spawn created by Todd McFarlane and published by Image Comics. The gamer performs as the recently-killed Al Simmons, who is morphed into the titular superhero by the devil, Malebolgia, to traverse three time periods to prepare him for a battle between the two. The game switches between a Tomb Raider-esque adventure game for traversal and a Street Fighter-style side-view fighting game for encountering opponents.

Sony Interactive Studios America, who had only developed sports and racing titles, started developing a Spawn video game in early 1995. In 1996, the design was refurnished into something with the style of the Tomb Raider franchse. Upon its 1997 release, Spawn: The Eternal was considered by some gaming publications one of the worst all-time video games, widely panned for its simple and monotonous gameplay, sluggish controls, and ugly and overly pixelated graphics.

Gameplay

Spawn: The Eternal is a beat 'em up consisting of 15 maze-like levels.[2][3] The player takes on the role of Al Simmons, a former assassin who, after getting murdered by an associate, makes a deal with Malebolgia, the devil from the Eight Sphere of Hell, to reviving him; he will be part of the Devil's Own Army and come back to Earth as the titular superhero.[3] Spawn, to free himself from this fate, goes through three different time periods named Street, Savage and Medieval to get to Tower of Hell to defeat Malebolgia, changing his costume to suit the time period.[3][4][5]

In each stage, Spawn searches for and collects hints, tools, health, and keys to doors leading to other sections in a third-person adventure exploration mode a la Tomb Raider.[3][6][4][7][8] Most of the stages consist of one large flat floor, with a small amount of large platform gaps and stairways to other floors.[9] In the adventure mode, Spawn, with tank controls,[10] can run and jump, with a punch-kick combination used for breaking through doors and crates among other obstacles.[5]

Spawn also fights opponents, including bosses that are also other established villains such as Overtkill, the Redeemer, Violator, Vandalizer and Vaporizer.[5][4][9] In these instances, the game switches to a side-view fighting game mode a la Street Fighter, Tekken and Battle Arena Toshinden.[6][4][7][5] This deviates from the tradition of other adventure games where enemies are fought in the same third-person item-collecting framework.[3] The addition of exploration was also unusual for fighting games up to that point.[9] Spawn only puts on his iconic cape and chains in the fighting mode, and can kick, punch, pull off combos of the two, rip off the opponent's arm and hit with it, and utilize magic Power Orbs he collects in the adventure mode, such as fireballs;[3][4][7][9] however, he cannot jump.[3][7][9]

When played on a CD player, the disc plays a lengthy audio interview with Todd McFarlane.[11]

Development

Development on the game began in early 1995 at Sony Interactive Studios America, who was known at the time for sport games and racing games such as Jet Moto and Twisted Metal. The game's original format was scrapped in 1996 so that it could be redesigned in the same style as the innovative Tomb Raider, leading to the development cycle being stretched out to two years.[12] A release date was announced for August 1997 to be released around the same time the Spawn film was released in theaters,[12] but pushed back to December due to further delays.[13]

All of the character animations were recorded at Sony's in-house motion capture studio in San Diego.[14]

During development, the team regularly sent unfinished copies of the game to Todd McFarlane and his right-hand man Terry Fitzgerald, who would review the game and provide feedback.[14]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG1/5[2]
EGM4.5/10 3/10 4/10 4.5/10[15]
Game Informer4.75/10[9]
GameRevolutionC−[3]
GameSpot1.8/10[7]
IGN2/10[6]
Next Generation1/5[16]
OPM (US)2/5[8]
Play49%[5]

Upon its appearance on store shelves, Spawn: The Eternal was declared by critics one of the worst all-time video games, overall and in the categories of film tie-ins and PS1 games.[2][6][7][5] The game continued to be considered one of the worst video games of all-time in later decades,[10] including for comic book superhero video games.[17][18] The game massively disappointed critics due to the high quality of the comics and its media adaptations and toys.[6][4][8][5]

The graphics were considered by several critics to be ugly, filled with pop-ups, repetitive and sloppy texturing, and excessive pixelation and blockiness.[2][6][4][7][5][10] The texture mapping's pixelation, blockiness and amount of detail was noted by GameSpot and UK's Play magazine to make the positions of characters hard to decipher.[7][5] IGN and the UK's Play magazine perceived Spawn's appearance as similar to an ape.[6][5]

Spawn: The Eternal's overall gameplay was condemned as monotonous, as the player traversed to the next enemy to combat before wandering again to do the same.[2][7] All the opponents were reportedly defeated by a constant repeat of kicking then sidestepping.[6][4]

GameSpot cited poor controls, buggy graphics, dull levels, and a camera which moves far too slow to keep up with the player character.[7] IGN complained of grainy textures, simplistic combat, overly easy puzzles, and general lack of challenge.[6] Next Generation likewise said the puzzles are simplistic to the point of being mindless, and found the transition from over-the-shoulder to side-view perspective when entering combat to be confusing. They also criticized the ugly visuals.[16] Shawn Smith of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the lighting effects, animated textures, and music, but concluded that the gameplay makes Spawn: The Eternal unlikable, and his three co-reviewers were much more negative about the game. Kelly Rickards razed the muddy graphics, awkward fighting engine, and mindless enemy A.I., and Joe Fielder commented, "It fails miserably as both a fighting game and explorative actioneer, with a weak fighting engine, horrible 3-D camera, choppy control and bad graphics. It ranks right down there with Sirtech's Excalibur 2555 and ASC's Perfect Weapon."[15]

GamePro panned the game for the needlessly complex and under-responsive controls, the weak fight music, the repetitive gameplay, and the fact that Spawn only wears his chains and cape during fights. The reviewer gave it 3.5 out of 5 for graphics, 2.5 for control, and 2.0 for both sound and fun factor.[19] Ultra Game Players stated that "Textures are ugly and repetitive, and the resolution is so blocky and pixelated, you'll find yourself longing for the days of eight-bit games."[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Game Informer News". Game Informer. 1998-01-21. http://www.gameinformer.com/news/dec97/120897d.html. Retrieved 2023-04-06. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Huhtala, Alex (May 1998). "Spawn". Computer and Video Games (198): 73. https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a0/CVG_UK_198.pdf#page=73. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Mike D. "Spawn". http://www.gamerevolution.com/games/sony/spawn.htm. 
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 "Spawn". Ultra Game Players (Imagine Media) (106): 50. January 1998. https://retrocdn.net/images/6/6d/UltraGamePlayers_US_106.pdf#page=54&zoom=30,-1570,2200. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 Sargeant, Tom (May 1998). "Spawn: The Eternal". Play (34). https://archive.org/details/play-034/page/n55/mode/2up. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Douglas, Adam (December 9, 1997). "Spawn: The Eternal". http://psx.ign.com/articles/150/150324p1.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 Smith, Josh (March 18, 1998). "Spawn the Eternal Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spawn-the-eternal-review/1900-2546067/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Rybicki, Joe (January 1998). "Spawn: The Eternal". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 1 (4): 76. https://archive.org/details/official_u.s._playstation_magazine/Official%20U.S.%20PlayStation%20Magazine%20Volume%201%20Issue%2004%20%28January%201998%29/page/n75/mode/1up. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Reiner, The Raging Gamer; Andy, The Game Hombre; Jon, The Greedy Gamer (January 1998). "Spawn: The Eternal". Game Informer 8 (1). https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-57-january-1998/page/n41/mode/2up. Retrieved April 30, 2026. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Rivarola, Lucas (July 19, 2019). "My Strange Fondness For a Disastrous Game: Remembering 'Spawn: The Eternal'". https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3573812/strange-fondness-disastrous-game-remembering-spawn-eternal/. 
  11. ↑ DeGayla, ed (30 September 1998). The Big Playstation Book: Prima's Unauthorized Game Secrets. Prima Publishing. pp. 321–323. ISBN 978-0-7615-1645-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=LDmzjoy4l-MC. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Brown, Steve (August 1997). "Junk Drawer: Video Games". Wizard (72): pp. 84–85. 
  13. ↑ Dan Elektro (January 1998). "Sneak Previews: Spawn: The Eternal". GamePro (IDG) (112): 58. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Spawn: Horror Is Coming to the PlayStation". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (95): 70–71. June 1997. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Smith, Shawn; Fielder, Joe; Rickards, Kelly; Sushi-X (February 1998). "Review Crew: Spawn". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (103): 120. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/9e192ae1-e702-4426-abf4-33d1471bd438. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (38): 114. February 1998. 
  17. ↑ Hoggins, Tom; White, Olivia (September 7, 2018). "Beyond Spider-Man PS4 | The best (and worst) comic book superhero games of all time". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/features/beyond-spiderman-ps4-best-worst-comic-book-superhero-games-time/. 
  18. ↑ Haske, Steve (May 6, 2016). "Power Ranking the 9 Worst Superhero Games Ever Made". https://www.inverse.com/article/15269-power-ranking-the-9-worst-superhero-games-ever-made. 
  19. ↑ Bad Hare (February 1998). "PlayStation ProReview: Spawn: The Eternal". GamePro (International Data Group) (113): 88. 
  • Spawn: The Eternal on IGN
  • Spawn: The Eternal on GameSpot
  • 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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