Software:Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter

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Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Developer(s)Totally Games
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Designer(s)Lawrence Holland
Composer(s)Peter McConnell
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Space combat
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter is a 1997 space combat game developed by Totally Games for LucasArts. It is the third installment of the X-Wing series.

Featuring several technical advancements over the original releases of its predecessors, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter runs on Windows, requires a joystick, features a CD audio soundtrack, supports high-resolution graphics, and brings texture mapping to the ship models of the in-flight game engine. It includes robust multiplayer options for up to eight players in free-for-all, team-based, and cooperative play modes, and has a sophisticated pilot and mission selection system that tracks the player's points and awards. In addition to selecting what craft they will fly, the player can choose their squadron (and thus role in combat) for each mission.

While all content could be played single-player, it is the only part of the series designed primarily for multiplayer, and it lacked a story-driven campaign. LucasArts later released an expansion called Balance of Power to satisfy popular demand for story-driven campaigns, and to further expand on the multiplayer features.

Expansion pack

Totally Games created an expansion pack called Balance of Power in response to criticism that the game didn't offer enough in single-player mode.[4] Apart from new battles and missions, Balance of Power features a Rebel and an Imperial campaign of 15 missions each. The campaigns supported 8-player cooperative play. The parallel narratives of both campaigns revolve around the same series of events, and feature their own cutscenes, but with alternate endings.

  • "Spreading the Rebellion" — Features the evacuation of a base, an attack against the Empire, and the capture of an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser. The campaign ends with an assault on the Super Star Destroyer Vengeance.
  • "Imperial Task Force - Vengeance" — The player flies as a member of the elite Avenger squadron under the leadership of Admiral Senn. The missions are similar to those from the Rebel campaign. The campaign ends with the destruction of a Rebel factory.

The pack also adds B-wings as a pilot-able craft, along with other vessels that are lacking from the original game.

Collectors edition

A cut-down limited version of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter called Flight School was re-released as part of the X-Wing Collector Series compilation, which also contained special editions of the first two Star Wars space fighter games. In this edition, X-Wing and TIE Fighter were retrofitted with the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter graphics engine, which uses texture mapping instead of Gouraud shading.[5]

Development

X-wing vs. TIE Fighter involved huge technical challenges to deliver a satisfactory multiplayer experience. In contrast with most popular multiplayer shooters such as Doom and Descent, it required far more data tracking and flow. This was due to the typical FPS taking place in a closed environment of rooms and corridors where players have little knowledge about other players' status or whereabouts unless they are looking directly at them. The deep space setting of X-wing vs. TIE Fighter, along with the conventions established in earlier titles, required information about all craft be available to all players all of the time.[6]

Lead mission designer David Wessman took responsibility for the decision to avoid implementing a single-player storyline. "I am primarily to blame for the lack of story in [X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter] because I convinced myself and everyone else that we didn't really need it."[7]

Reception

The May 1997 issue of Edge gave X-wing vs. TIE Fighter 90 out of 100, stating, "LucasArts has finally listened to its legions of fans and developed a multiplayer version of its X-Wing and TIE Fighter games. But what's on offer for the PC owner without a network? Face facts. It's practically impossible for LucasArts to fail with a game like X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. All the design team had to do was take the extremely successful X-Wing game, revamp the graphics (by adding Gouraud shading, texture mapping, dynamic lighting effects and so on), bolt on the critically lauded TIE Fighter (its visuals also suitably beefed up), and give slavering gameplayers the one thing that they've always wanted: a multiplayer option. Good as the original X-Wing and TIE Fighter were, they lacked the option to fly squadrons of Y-Wings and X-Wings against wings of TIE Fighters, bulbous TIE Bombers and Assault Gunboats in the ultimate interstellar deathmatch."[citation needed]

Next Generation gave X-wing vs. TIE Fighter 3 out of 5 stars, stating, "In the end, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter is a good time, especially over a LAN with a bunch of friends, but it's not what it could have, and perhaps should have, been."[8]

Reviews

  • CD-Action (Jun, 1997)[9]
  • The Adrenaline Vault (May 18, 1997)[10]
  • PC Zone (Aug 13, 2001)[11]
  • Coming Soon Magazine (Jun, 1997)[12]
  • Game-Over! (Jul 08, 1997)[13]
  • GameSpot (May 12, 1997)[14]
  • Game-Over! (Sep, 1997)[15]

Remake

In 2009, LucasArts and Transmission Games began work on a high-definition remake of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. Despite reportedly being "quite far down the track," the game was cancelled prior to its release.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "CD ROM Games". Staffordshire Newsletter (Uttoxeter ed.): pp. 25. May 9, 1997. https://www.newspapers.com/image/895935418/?terms=%22X-Wing%20vs.%20TIE%20Fighter%22&match=1. "X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, Redneck Rampage, Need for Speed II, Die Hard, Outlaws, Test Drive Off Road all just in stock!!!!!!" 
  2. ↑ "All the Latest Software - Over 1500 Titles". The Guardian: pp. 12. May 10, 1997. https://www.newspapers.com/image/260669905/?terms=%22X-Wing%20vs.%20TIE%20Fighter%22&match=1. "X-Wing vs TIE Fighter...Out Now - £29.99" 
  3. ↑ "You've seen the movie, now play the game". April 13, 1997. p. 279. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104867964/the-boston-globe/. Retrieved July 3, 2022. 
  4. ↑ "In the Studio". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (36): 24. December 1997. 
  5. ↑ "X-Wing Collector Series Review" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/x-wing-collector-series-review/1900-2532008/. 
  6. ↑ "The Internet Sucks: Or, What I Learned Coding X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter". 3 September 1999. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131781/the_internet_sucks_or_what_i_.php?print=1. 
  7. ↑ Bailey, Kat (16 December 2016). "Before Rogue One: When Games Were Filling in the History of Star Wars" (in en). https://www.usgamer.net/articles/before-rogue-one-when-games-were-filling-in-the-history-of-star-wars/page-2. 
  8. ↑ "Flaw Wars". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (32): 118. August 1997. 
  9. ↑ "CD-Action 06/97". June 1997. https://archive.org/details/CDA0697/page/n57/mode/2up. 
  10. ↑ "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter PC review | the Adrenaline Vault". http://www.avault.com/reviews/pc/xwing-vs-tie-fighter-pc-review/. 
  11. ↑ "GamesRadar+". http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3673. 
  12. ↑ "X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter - PC Review - Coming Soon Magazine". https://www.csoon.com/issue26/xvt.htm. 
  13. ↑ "Game-Over! - Computer Games Magazine". http://www.compulink.co.uk/~go1/reviews/july97/xwvstf.htm. 
  14. ↑ "Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter Review, Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter PC Review - GameSpot.com". https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/xwingvstiefighter/review.html. 
  15. ↑ "Game-Over! - Computer Games Magazine". http://www.cix.co.uk/~go1/reviews/sept97/xvt-h2h.htm. 
  16. ↑ Stead, Chris (9 May 2016). "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter Remake was "quite far down the track"". Finder.com.au. http://www.finder.com.au/x-wing-vs-tie-fighter-remake-was-quite-far-down-the-track. 
  • 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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