Software:Temüjin (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Temüjin:
A Supernatural Adventure
Developer(s)SouthPeak Interactive
Publisher(s)SouthPeak Interactive
Writer(s)Lee Sheldon
EngineVideo Reality
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseOctober 2, 1997[1]
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Temüjin (also known as Temüjin: A Supernatural Adventure and Temüjin: The Capricorn Collection) is a 1997 computer game developed and published by SouthPeak Interactive.

Plot

Based partially on the life of Genghis Khan, the plot involves an unidentified character (controlled by the player) who has appeared in the Stevenson Museum where ancient Mongolian artifacts are being displayed. The protagonist must find out who they and the other people in the museum are and solve the mysteries of unusual events occurring at the museum. Along the way, the player is aided by a ghost girl, Mei, who is freed after the first mission.

Gameplay

The game is a first-person adventure with 360 degree movement and live action graphics. It is a point-and-click adventure (occasionally pixel-hunting). The game consists of seven chapters, spread out over six disks, in each of which the player must fulfill a specific goal in order to clear the act. Most puzzles are solved by examining items and combining them.

Development

The game was the first to use SouthPeak Games's "Video Reality" engine[2] and was also the first game to be made entirely on 35 mm film. Lee Sheldon, best known for the critically acclaimed Ripley's Believe It or Not!: The Riddle of Master Lu, served as the game's writer and designer.[2] During the development stage, the game was advertised heavily in gaming magazines as being a full motion video game with the interactivity that was missing in previous first person adventures.

Development took 18 months.[2] The video sequences were filmed with a production crew of over 180 people using special four-walled sets, which were a challenge for the cameramen.[2]

Reception

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Temujin is a fairly solid first step towards the next generation of point-and-click adventure games, and SouthPeak's Video Reality technology allows developers to bring actual locations to games with ease. However, the games themselves still need a good plot and solid interface, and here's where Temujin lacks something."[3]

At the time, the popularity of adventure and full motion video games had all but vanished and the game was a commercial failure.[citation needed] Critics mostly gave the game less than favorable reviews as the boasted interactivity and realistic graphics were non-existent.[citation needed] The video screen was much smaller than the screen size and contained blurry visuals, and the fact that the main character was both mute and suffering from amnesia severely limited interaction with gameplay characters.[citation needed]

Despite the poor reception, the game was still named a finalist by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering" at the 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[4]

Reviews

  • Electric Games (1997)[5]
  • Quandary (Nov, 1997)[6]
  • GameSpot (Nov 17, 1997)[7]
  • Just Adventure (1997)[8]
  • Just Adventure (1997)[9]

References

  1. ↑ Staff (October 2, 1997). "Now Shipping". http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-09-29.html. 
    "In stores now: Temujin..."
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "NG Alphas: SouthPeak". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (31): 95–97. July 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_31/page/n96. 
  3. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (38): 120. February 1998. 
  4. ↑ "The Award - Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm. 
  5. ↑ "Electric Games Review: Temujin by SouthPeak Interactive". http://www.electric-games.com/reviews/temujin.html. 
  6. ↑ http://www.quandaryland.com/jsp/dispArticle.jsp?index=200
  7. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/temujinthecapricornc/review.html?q=temujin&tag=result;full%20review;0
  8. ↑ http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/Temujin/Temujin_Review2.shtm
  9. ↑ http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/Temujin/Temujin_Review.shtm

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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