Software:Summoner (video game)

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Summoner
PC box art for Summoner
Developer(s)Volition
Publisher(s)THQ
Designer(s)Sandeep Shekhar
Programmer(s)Mark Allender
James Hague
Artist(s)Adam Pletcher
Writer(s)Jason Scott
Michael Breault
Composer(s)Scott Lee
Dan Wentz
Walter Shaw
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • NA: October 26, 2000
  • EU: April 6, 2001
  • AU: April 2001
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: March 20, 2001[1]
  • EU: April 26, 2002
Mac OS
  • NA: July 12, 2001
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Summoner is an action role-playing game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000, and was subsequently ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS the following year. In the game, the player plays the role of Joseph and can assemble a team of compatriots and summon powerful monsters. The game has a world map, involved storyline, and unique hybrid combat system involving real-time and turn-based mechanisms.

A sequel, Summoner 2, was released in 2002.[2] After the bankruptcy of publisher THQ in December 2012, the Summoner franchise was acquired by Nordic Games, who have since published Summoner on GOG.com (February 25, 2014) and on Steam Digital Distribution platform (March 12, 2014).[citation needed]

Plot

The player takes on the role of Joseph and his party of three other individuals: Flece (a professional bandit), Rosalind (a monk in training), and Jekhar (a knight of Lenele's king). Joseph is an ordinary peasant farmer who is also born a Summoner who can control the rings of Summoning. In his childhood, he had summoned a demon to kill off a warding invasion from Orenian soldiers. To his dismay, his demon not only kill the invaders, but also his family, and other members of his village. During this time, he was under the guidance of Yago, a monk who hailed from a sacred island called Iona. He vowed to never use the rings again, until his present situation required it. Joseph attempts to meet Yago at the kingdom of Lenele, where he meets his first companion, Flece. She helps Joseph infiltrate the castle, where they both meet Yago. Yago returns Joseph the Ring of Darkness, the same ring that Joseph used back when he was a child. Yago informs Joseph and Flece that their enemy is Murod of Orenia, who is determined to destroy the Summoner and prevent a prophecy that foretells the end of the Emperor's reign by his hands. The characters must also simultaneously attempt to restore the power of the air god, Urath, and foil the depravations of the disciples of his fire and death goddess nemesis, Laharah.

Gameplay

In addition to the main storyline, there are over twenty side quests that may be completed. Summoner's combat system is a hybrid system incorporating real-time and turn-based combat,[3] with characters essentially "taking turns" to attack during real-time gameplay. Included within this system is a unique "Chain attack" mechanic, in which players can extend their "turn" by performing special melee attacks at the appropriate time. If done correctly, players can "chain" these special attacks into long sequences, inflicting far greater amounts of damage than they might otherwise have. These special attacks can also have special effects such as inflicting status effects, damaging an enemy's action points or inflicting more health damage than normal. Characters can also acquire and use a variety of special abilities and spells, expending "action points" in order to use these abilities. The game's Summoning mechanic allows the player to conjure monsters that will serve as additional party members, allowing the player to have a 5-character party instead of a 4-character party. These monsters have their own spells and abilities that they bring into combat, but will go rogue and attack the player's party if Joseph is defeated in combat.[3]

Music

Scott Lee was the main composer and senior sound designer of Summoner and did most of the game music with Dan Wentz helping on the soundtrack towards the end of development near gold master. Wally Shaw did sound design and some editing of music towards the middle of development. After interplay went bankrupt, Lee provided the first tech demonstration for THQ. During this time Lee and Wentz also worked on the early Descent 4 trailer music, which later rebranded into Red Faction for legal reasons and FreeSpace 2.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[6]StarStarStar[7]
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[9]N/A
CGWStarStarStarStar[10]N/A
EdgeN/A4/10[11]
EurogamerN/A8/10[12]
Game InformerN/A8/10[13]
GameProN/AStarStarStarStar[14]
GameRevolutionN/AC−[15]
GameSpot7.6/10[16]7.7/10[17]
GameSpy82%[18]78%[19]
IGN7.6/10[20]8.3/10[3]
Next GenerationN/AStarStar[21]
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStar[22]
PC Gamer (US)81%[23]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic78/100[4]74/100[5]

The PC version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 2 version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5] Blake Fischer of NextGen said that the problem of the latter version "is that it was clearly shoved out the door prematurely, and doing so has all but killed this promising RPG."[21]

The PlayStation 2 version won GameSpot's award for "Best Game Story" among console games in 2000.[24] The PC version was later nominated for the website's 2001 "Best Single-Player Role-Playing Game" and "Best Story" prize among PC games, but lost to Wizardry 8 and Anachronox respectively.[25][26] The former console version also won the awards for Role-Playing Game of 2000 and Storyline of 2000 at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[27][28]

Sequel

A sequel, Summoner 2, was released in 2002.[29]

On December 19, 2012, THQ filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy[30] and its properties were auctioned off in individual lots.[31][32] The Summoner franchise, among other THQ properties including Darksiders and Red Faction, was sold to Nordic Games.[33][34] Nordic Games have subsequently re-branded and published Summoner to the Steam Digital Distribution Platform.[35]

See also

  • Dead Alewives#Dungeons and Dragons sketch, a comedy sketch, also known as "Summoner Geeks", available in the game's credits

References

  1. ↑ "PR - 03/20/01 - THQ SHIPS SUMMONER FOR PC". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-278.asp. 
  2. ↑ "Summoner 2". http://www.dsvolition.com/games/summoner-2/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Zdyrko, David (October 24, 2000). "Summoner (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/10/25/summoner. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Summoner for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/summoner/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Summoner for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/summoner/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  6. ↑ Allen, Christopher. "Summoner (PC) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22884&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ White, Jason. "Summoner (PS2) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=23504&tab=review. 
  8. ↑ Ham, Tom (November 28, 2000). "Summoner - PlayStation 2 Review". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Ps2/Reviews/Summoner/. 
  9. ↑ Hunt, David Ryan (April 25, 2001). "Summoner". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/032/112/summoner-01.html. 
  10. ↑ Chin, Elliott (July 2001). "Mixmaster Deluxe (Summoner Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (204): 89. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_204.pdf. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  11. ↑ Edge staff (Christmas 2000). "Summoner (PS2)". Edge (Future Publishing) (92): 94. https://archive.org/details/edgeuk092/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved February 7, 2021. 
  12. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (April 5, 2002). "Summoner (PlayStation 2)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_summoner_ps2. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  13. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (December 2000). "Summoner (PS2)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (92): 90–91. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200012/R03.0806.1514.47864.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  14. ↑ Uncle Dust (October 26, 2000). "Summoner Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/7164.shtml. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  15. ↑ Liu, Johnny (November 2000). "Summoner Review (PS2)". CraveOnline. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33645-summoner-review. 
  16. ↑ Park, Andrew (April 5, 2001). "Summoner Review (PC)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/summoner-review/1900-2705277/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  17. ↑ Stahl, Ben (November 3, 2000). "Summoner Review (PS2)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/summoner-review/1900-2650147/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  18. ↑ Fudge, James (April 16, 2001). "Summoner (PC)". IGN Entertainment. http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/april01/summoner/. 
  19. ↑ Rank, Kevin (December 1, 2000). "Summoner". IGN Entertainment. http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/dec00/summoner/. 
  20. ↑ Lopez, Vincent (April 5, 2001). "Summoner (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/04/05/summoner-4. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Fischer, Blake (January 2001). "Summoner (PS2)". NextGen (Imagine Media) (73): 84. https://archive.org/details/NextGen73Jan2001/page/n85/mode/2up. Retrieved February 7, 2021. 
  22. ↑ Rybicki, Joe (December 2000). "Summoner". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (39). http://www.zdnet.com/opm/stories/main/0,11891,2646679,00.html. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  23. ↑ Chronis, George T. (July 2001). "Summoner". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 8 (7): 65. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/summoner.html. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  24. ↑ GameSpot staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Game Story)". CNET. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/p2_05.html. 
  25. ↑ GameSpot staff (2002). "Best and Worst of 2001 (Best Story)". CNET. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2001/p2_03.html. 
  26. ↑ GameSpot staff (2002). "Best and Worst of 2001 (Best Single-Player Role-Playing Game)". CNET. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2001/p3_11.html. 
  27. ↑ IGN staff (January 29, 2001). "Best of 2000 Awards (PS2: Role-Playing Game of 2000)". Snowball.com. http://ps2.ign.com/news/30689.html. 
  28. ↑ IGN staff (January 29, 2001). "Best of 2000 Awards (PS2: Storyline of 2000)". Snowball.com. http://ps2.ign.com/news/30695.html. 
  29. ↑ "Summoner 2". http://www.dsvolition.com/games/summoner-2/. 
  30. ↑ Kohler, Chris (January 23, 2013). "THQ Is Dead. Here's Where Its Games Are Going". Wired (Condé Nast). https://www.wired.com/2013/01/thq-bankrupt/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  31. ↑ Savage, Phil (January 8, 2013). "THQ's franchises and studios to be auctioned off on a 'title by title' basis". PC Gamer (Future plc). https://www.pcgamer.com/thqs-franchises-and-studios-to-be-auctioned-off-on-a-title-by-title-basis/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  32. ↑ Orland, Kyle (April 22, 2013). "Going once, going twice! Gearbox picks up Homeworld in THQ auction". Condé Nast. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/04/going-once-going-twice-gearbox-picks-up-homeworld-in-thq-auction/. Retrieved March 13, 2014. 
  33. ↑ Sliwinski, Alexander (April 22, 2013). "THQ auction results: Nordic Games takes Darksiders, Red Faction; 505 Games is Drawn to Life". Oath Inc.. https://www.engadget.com/2013/04/22/thq-auction-darksiders-red-faction-homeworld/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  34. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (April 23, 2013). "And Everything Else From THQ Went To... Nordic Games?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/23/and-everything-else-from-thq-went-to-nordic-games/. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  35. ↑ "Now Available on Steam - Summoner, 20% off!". Valve. March 12, 2014. http://store.steampowered.com/news/12620/. Retrieved March 13, 2014. 
  • Official website via Internet Archive
  • 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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