Software:Werewolves of London (video game)

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Werewolves of London
Commodore 64 Cover art
Developer(s)Viz Design
Publisher(s)Mastertronic, Ariolasoft
Platform(s)ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64
Release1987
Genre(s)Arcade game
Mode(s)Single-player

Werewolves of London is a video game released in 1987 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and the Amstrad CPC. It was released on a cassette with the Amstrad version on one side and the Spectrum version on the other, this scheme being referred to as "Flippy". The game used the same engine as Viz Design's (consisting of Steve Howard and Paul Smith) other game Frankenstein Junior which was released by Codemasters in the same year. The game was released two years late (and largely unfinished) and was as a budget title, as intended. Publisher Ariolasoft ceased trading and the game was subsequently released by Mastertronic. It was also released in Spain by Dro Soft.

The game is set in London and the plot is to kill each of eight members of an aristocratic family who put a curse on the main character, resulting in his daily transformation into a werewolf.

Gameplay

The game is played from a side-on 45-degree view, letting the player not only move left and right, but up and down. The character can also jump. The player starts off as a human who must roam the streets of London (including the London Underground and Hyde Park), and pick up items which will help the player in certain tasks. When the timer hits midnight, the player character transforms into a werewolf. The player must then track down each of the 8 enemy characters and kill, and optionally, eat their bodies, while avoiding being shot or captured by the police.

The game involved more strategy elements than the traditional 8-bit platform game, as the game changed mechanics and difficulty in response to the player's actions. For example, the more people that are attacked by the werewolf, the more active the police become. The Hyde Park location is locked during the night, and a ticket is needed to enter the subway (although rush gate can be done). When the Werewolf is sent to prison when 'touched' by a police officer with handcuffs. After transforms back to a human, the player is released or the player can escape by finding a crowbar to escape through the sewers (a torch is needed to see in the dark). Eating family members and NPC gives extra health, but being shot results in a constant health drop (in the form of a blood-bag icon). Finding bandages can stem the blood flow. If the blood-bag reaches empty, the game is over.[1]

Audiovisual production

The sound in the game consists of basic sound effects in a single sound channel including footsteps, the dripping of blood, and a crunching sound when the werewolf mauls its victims. While the Spectrum version featured only a simple beeper tune on the title screen, there were three pieces of two channel music on the Amstrad CPC and C64 versions; one for the menu, and two for the human/werewolf stages. The music seamlessly blended with each other when the character morphed between stages. The CPC version of the game used 'Mode 0' resolution (160 x 200) and 16 colours, while the Spectrum used the standard 256×192 resolution. The CPC had up to eight characters (including the player character) on screen at any one time, the Spectrum could have up to five (including the player character) and the C64 could have up to four. The sprites and backgrounds on the Spectrum were completely different from those in the other versions.

Reception

Your Sinclair magazine said it "doesn't work at all – what was envisaged as an atmospheric arcade adventure ... is just an aimless chase-about".[2] It received a front page spread and a full page preview in an earlier release.[3][4]

References

  1. ↑ Kenins, Samuel. "Are Vampires Real?". Immortal Day. https://www.immortalday.com/classicvampiregames.php. Retrieved 29 May 2016. 
  2. ↑ Your Sinclair Preview [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  3. ↑ "Your Sinclair Front Page". Your Sinclair (23). November 1987. http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/ys23.htm. 
  4. ↑ Your Sinclair Preview [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  • 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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