Software:Spider: The Video Game

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Spider: The Video Game
Developer(s)Boss Game Studios
Publisher(s)BMG Interactive
Composer(s)Barry Leitch
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: February 25, 1997[1]
  • EU: April 1997
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Spider: The Video Game, is a 2.5D platform game developed by Boss Game Studios[2] and published by BMG Interactive for the PlayStation. It was the only release published under the BMG Interactive label in the U.S.[3] The player takes the role of a cybernetic spider, within which the mind of its creator, Dr. Michael Kelly, has been implanted.[4]

Plot

Dr. Michael Kelly is inventing a device that can transfer minds into cybernetic insects. One night a nameless brain villain who is head of a company known as Micro Tech infiltrates his lab to steal the technology, During the invasion he gets shot and electrocuted and has his mind transferred inside the cybernetic spider also permanently attaching the head set device to his body. After getting unconscious the raiders take his body with them to detach the device by any means possible and you as the spider must journey through places such as Labs, Factories, The City, Museum, Sewer, to stop Micro Tech and get your body back.

Gameplay

The player must navigate 3D-drawn environments in a strictly 2D manner, traveling to the end of each level using typical platforming game mechanics.[5] The player can use the spider's natural abilities, such as climbing walls and ceilings and using silk to lower itself, in order to overcome certain obstacles.[5] He can also equip up to four of the ten different cybernetic leg attachments found throughout the game, which are used as weapons.[6] When the player loses a life, all the acquired cybernetic attachments are lost except for the default slasher attachment.[6] The obstacles include lab sinks, acid, test tubes and primarily other cybernetic creatures as enemies. After escaping the laboratory, the player goes to a factory, a museum, and various other locales, each infested with strange and malevolent creatures.[6]

Development

According to Boss Game Studios creative director Seth Mendelsohn, they used 2D gameplay for Spider because "We wanted to do a game that plays more like the traditional platform game, because they're fun to play. In full-form 3-D, you can't make a game that plays like a traditional platform game. There are issues about jumping and judging distance."[7]

The team opted to make just three bosses for the game so they could give each one more focus, creating more animations and different behaviors for each one.[7]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings78%[8]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame4/5[9]
Edge5/10[10]
EGM7.5/10, 6.5/10, 8/10, 7.5/10[11]
Famitsu24/40[12]
Game Informer5.5/10[13]
GameFan80/100, 79/100, 78/100[14]
GameRevolutionB[15]
GameSpot7.6/10[16]
IGN6/10[17]
Next Generation3/5[18]
OPM (UK)7/10[19]

Spider: The Video Game received mixed to positive reviews. The most common subject of praise was the use of real spider abilities to crawl on any surface and lower oneself on a thread.[11][16][18][20] Whether or not a critic recommended the game largely hinged on their opinion of the format of 2D gameplay in a 3D environment. As with Pandemonium!, which shares this format, Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly dismissed Spider as a game with good graphics but mediocre gameplay, while his three co-reviewers praised it for its good control and sprawling, non-linear levels, though they complained that the camera occasionally causes problems.[11] Next Generation, while noting that the graphics are good and the gameplay has some unique elements, maintained that the 2D nature of the gameplay makes it overly familiar.[18] IGN was impressed with the realistic animation of the various creatures, but concluded that the game overall, while decent, lacks the excitement of Pandemonium!.[17]

Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot judged it to be a highly enjoyable platformer, and particularly commended how well the spider perspective is handled.[16] GamePro praised the impressive cinematics, unobtrusive music, and long, non-linear levels, and concluded, "You'll need all your spider powers for this game, which can be frustrating (especially when precise leaping is required), but in the end you'll find it's worth it."[20][lower-alpha 1]

The game held a 78% based on five reviews on the review aggregation website GameRankings based on five reviews.[8]

Sales for Spider: The Video Game were seriously inhibited by BMG Interactive's problems with distribution; BMG vice president of product development Don Traeger later estimated that Spider only achieved 40% of the distribution it would have if it had been released by an established publisher.[3] The game sold 200,000 copies.[21]

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game 4.5/5 for graphics, 4.5/5 for sound, 4.5/5 for fun factor, and 4/5 for control.

References

  1. ↑ Thornton Neff, Laurie (February 25, 1997). "BMG Interactive and Boss Game Studios Unveil Spider". http://www.bossgame.com/Boss/Press/Release.htm. 
  2. ↑ "E3: Spider". GamePro (IDG) (95): 40. August 1996. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_095_Volume_08_Number_08_1996-08_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n41/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Fall of BMG". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (41): 44. May 1998. 
  4. ↑ "Protos: Spider". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (90): 38. January 1997. https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a6/EGM_US_090.pdf. Retrieved 2020-08-14. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "NG Alphas: Spider". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (24): 141. December 1996. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_24/page/n141/mode/2up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Spider: This Itsy-Bitsy Hero Ain't Cute". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (91): 122–26. February 1997. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Behind the Screens". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (91): 123. February 1997. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Spider: The Video Game for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198744-spider-the-video-game/index.html. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  9. ↑ Alan Weiss, Brett. "Spider: The Video Game". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7967&tab=review. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Edge staff (May 1997). "Spider". Edge (Future Publishing) (45): 94. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Smith, Shawn; Tsu, Dan; Boyer, Crispin; Sushi-X (March 1997). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Chicago: Ziff Davis) (92). https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/29051fde-9b96-4ce9-8864-0647c2cd0d1e. Retrieved September 29, 2025. 
  12. ↑ "スパイダー [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=16701&redirect=no. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew; Storm, Jon (March 1997). "Spider". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (47). http://www.gameinformer.com/mar97/spider.html. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Halverson, Dave "E. Storm"; Jevons, Dan "Knightmare"; Hobbs, Michael "Substance D" (March 1997). "Spider". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (3): 26. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_03/page/n27/mode/2up. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  15. ↑ Dr. Moo (March 1997). "Spider Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33943-spider-review. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 MacDonald, Ryan (March 11, 1997). "Spider: The Video Game Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spider-the-video-game-review/1900-2546068/. Retrieved February 13, 2018. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 IGN staff (February 14, 1997). "Spider". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/02/14/spider-4. Retrieved October 18, 2020. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Spider". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (28): 120, 122. April 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_28/page/n121/mode/2up. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  19. ↑ OPMUK staff (June 1997). "Spider". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Future Publishing) (20): 111. https://archive.org/details/opm020/page/n109/mode/2up. Retrieved December 28, 2020. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Scary Larry (March 1997). "PlayStation ProReview: Spider". GamePro (IDG) (102): 68. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_102_Volume_09_Number_03_1997-03_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n69/mode/2up. 
  21. ↑ "The Making of a Video Game". October 12, 1997. p. 18. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104795600/casper-star-tribune/. Retrieved July 3, 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



Template:Boss Game Studios



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Spider:_The_Video_Game&oldid=3956391"