Software:Ultrabots

From HandWiki
Ultrabots
Developer(s)NovaLogic
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Producer(s)Paul Grace
Designer(s)John Butrovich
David Seeholzer
John A. Garcia
Programmer(s)Scott Cronce
Composer(s)Stewart Perkins
Platform(s)MS-DOS
ReleaseMarch 1993[1]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Vehicle simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Ultrabots (called Xenobots in Europe) is a first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic for MS-DOS and published by Electronic Arts in 1993. The player controls a group of giant robots and battles other giant robots.

Gameplay

thumb|Cockpit view

Gameplay consists of deploying a group of robots to an area and engaging enemy forces. Both sides will typically have a number of robots and a base to protect. Damaged robots can return to the base for repairs. As robots take damage they will become harder to control and use as various systems fail.

The user can take direct control of one of the robots in field at will, or leave them autonomous in field and provide only strategic goal-driven control from the base.

Robots

There are three types of robots available in the game:

  1. Humanoid is the main fighting robot. It is the strongest robot available and can deliver and take the most damage.
  2. Scorpion is the infrastructure maintenance robot. It is slow, fragile, and weak in close combat, but it carries a single-shot missile (its scorpion stinging tail) that is the heaviest weapon in the game. Only Scorpions can lay down or dismantle the power grid.
  3. Scout is the fast agile robot used for recon. It is lightly armed but has the longest range when running on batteries, and is capable of laying mines.

Power grid

A power grid consisting of microwave relays extends power away from the base dome. Robots straying too far from the base dome or relays have to rely on their batteries only, which don't last long and don't offer enough range to reach the enemy base. Much of strategy in the game relies on the power infrastructure, with Scorpions extending lines of relays toward the enemy that Scouts discover far from grid, under protection of Humanoids, to prepare a full attack on the enemy base.

Development and release

Ultrabots was developed by California -based Novalogic. The game was originally announced in early 1992 under the title Ultrabots: Sanction Earth and was to be published by Data East for both the PC and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).[2][3][4] The latter version was cancelled and the publication rights to the PC version were acquired by Electronic Arts later that same year.[5][6]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarHalf star[7]

Computer Gaming World called Ultrabots "a very novel and worthwhile experience".[8] A 1994 survey of strategic space games set in the year 2000 and later gave the game two-plus stars out of five, stating that "Any similarity to Mechwarriors is superficial".[7]

References

  1. ↑ "PC Zone Magazine". PC Zone (1): 11. April 1993. https://archive.org/stream/PC_Zone_Issue_001_1993-04_Dennis_Publishing_GB#page/n9. Retrieved July 5, 2017. 
  2. ↑ C.T. Asian (January 1992). "Super NES Preview". GamePro (International Data Group) (30): 98. ISSN 1042-8658. https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-30-january-1992/page/n101/mode/1up?q=ultrabots. 
  3. ↑ ACE staff (April 1992). "News: Full of Eastern Promise". ACE (EMAP) (55): 10. ISSN 0954-8076. https://archive.org/details/NH2021_ACE_Issue55/page/n9/mode/1up. 
  4. ↑ Nintendo Power staff (April 1992). "Pak Watch: Ultrabots: Sanction Earth". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (35): 109. ISSN 1041-9551. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-035-april-1992/page/109/mode/1up. 
  5. ↑ Walker, Brian (September 1992). "Summer CES: Nova Logic". Strategy Plus (Strategy Plus Inc.) (22): 22. ISSN 1546-5101. https://archive.org/details/CGStrategyPlus_assorted/CG-StrategyPlus-22/page/n21/mode/1up. 
  6. ↑ Wilson, Johnny L. (January 1993). "Stepping Into The Battler's 'Bots". Computer Gaming World (Golden Empire Publications Inc.) (102): 8. ISSN 0744-6667. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_102/page/n7/mode/1up. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Brooks, M. Evan (May 1994). "Never Trust A Gazfluvian Flingschnogger!". Computer Gaming World: 42–58. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118. 
  8. ↑ Greenberg, Allen L. (July 1993). "Electronic Arts' Ultrabots". Computer Gaming World: 120. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=108. Retrieved 12 July 2014. 
  • 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





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Ultrabots&oldid=767608"