Software:There Came an Echo

From HandWiki
There Came an Echo
Developer(s)Iridium Studios
Composer(s)Big Giant Circles
Ronald Jenkees
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
ReleaseWindows
24 February 2015
PlayStation 4
  • NA: 31 May 2016
  • PAL: 1 June 2016
Genre(s)Real-time tactics
Mode(s)Single player

There Came an Echo is a real-time tactics video game developed for Microsoft Windows through Steam in 2015, and for PlayStation 4's PlayStation Network in 2016. It is the sequel to the 2011 video game Before the Echo. The player can use a voice control system to direct their units around the battlefield to ensure a tactical advantage over the enemy. The game features voice actors Wil Wheaton, Ashly Burch, Yuri Lowenthal, Laura Bailey and Cassandra Morris.

The game was crowdfunded via Kickstarter for $115,570 (USD) by 3,906 backers, the requested budget was $90,000.[citation needed] The game received further investment from Intel to implement Intel's RealSense technology.[1]

Development

The developer has shown interest in bringing the game to Linux and SteamOS provided there is sufficient community support to do so.[2] It was also mentioned that the main blocker is the proprietary voice libraries currently used by the game that do not support those platforms, so another library would need to be found that would suit the functional needs of the game.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PS4) 59/100[3]
(PC) 58/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players(PC) 71%[5]
Destructoid(PC) 6/10[6]
Edge(PC) 5/10[7]
GamesMaster(PC) 43%[8]
GameSpot(PC) 4/10[9]
GamesTM(PC) 6/10[10]
GameZone(PC) 7.5/10[11]
Hardcore Gamer(PC) 4/5[12]
OPM (UK)(PS4) 5/10[13]
Push Square(PS4) StarStarStarStarStar[14]

The game received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][4]

Hardcore Gamer said of the PC version, "Iridium Studios has demonstrated how to properly create something fresh and exciting that encapsulates everything that the indie scene is capable of. Sure, its story can get a bit incoherent, its non-voice controls are awkward, and there are moments of spotty voice-recognition, but the good greatly outweighs what little bad there is."[12]

References

  1. ↑ Eric Johnson (4 February 2014). "Intel Invests in Voice-Controlled Indie Game There Came an Echo". Vox Media. Archived from the original on 5 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140205182216/http://recode.net/2014/02/05/intel-invests-in-voice-controlled-indie-game-there-came-an-echo/. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  2. ↑ "Linux / SteamOS support?". Valve Corporation. 4 March 2015. https://steamcommunity.com/app/319740/discussions/0/610574106415599732/#c610574106418488707. Retrieved 4 October 2015. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "There Came an Echo for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/there-came-an-echo/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "There Came an Echo for PC Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/there-came-an-echo/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  5. ↑ Benjamin Schmädig (4 March 2015). "Test: There Came an Echo (PC)" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/35651/81071/0/There_Came_an_Echo.html. Retrieved 11 June 2023. 
  6. ↑ Darren Nakamura (24 February 2015). "Review: There Came an Echo (PC)". Gamurs. https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-there-came-an-echo/. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  7. ↑ Edge staff (April 2015). "There Came an Echo (PC)". Edge (Future plc) (268): 120. 
  8. ↑ "Review: There Came an Echo (PC)". GamesMaster (Future plc): 78. May 2015. 
  9. ↑ Daniel Hindes (12 March 2015). "There Came An Echo Review (PC)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/there-came-an-echo-review/1900-6416052/. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  10. ↑ "There Came An Echo review (PC)". GamesTM (Future plc). 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150317071524/http://www.gamestm.co.uk/reviews/there-came-an-echo-review/. Retrieved 11 June 2023. 
  11. ↑ Matt Liebl (25 February 2015). "There Came an Echo Review (PC)". Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150226102435/https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/there-came-an-echo-review-jska/. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Matt Whittaker (23 February 2015). "Review: There Came an Echo (PC)". Hardcore Gamer. https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-there-came-an-echo/136011/. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  13. ↑ "There Came an Echo". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK (Future plc): 88. August 2016. 
  14. ↑ Liam Croft (2 June 2016). "There Came an Echo Review". Gamer Network. https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/there_came_an_echo. Retrieved 10 June 2023. 
  • Kickstarter page
  • 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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