Software:Who Shot Johnny Rock?

From HandWiki
Short description: 1991 video game
Who Shot Johnny Rock?
Developer(s)American Laser Games
Origin Systems (3DO)
Publisher(s)American Laser Games
Philips (CD-i)
Digital Leisure (DVD)
Director(s)David Roberts
Designer(s)Kylene Wing
Programmer(s)Pierre Maloka
Platform(s)Arcade, MS-DOS, Sega CD, CD-i, 3DO, DVD
ReleaseArcade, MS-DOS
Sega CD
3DO
CD-i
DVD
  • NA: November 28, 2001
Genre(s)Interactive movie, light gun shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Who Shot Johnny Rock? is a full-motion video laserdisc video game produced by American Laser Games and released for arcades in 1991. Versions followed for MS-DOS, Sega CD, 3DO and CD-i. Part of a series of similar-styled games released by the company, Who Shot Johnny Rock? introduces a different setting than most of the others, while maintaining almost identical gameplay. The game was re-released by Digital Leisure around 2003 with updated video and sound, in addition to several bonus options.

Plot

The game is set in a Hollywood version of 1930s Chicago, where the player takes on the role of a private detective hired to find out who murdered nightclub singer Johnny Rock. The player must attempt to reach Johnny Rock's killer, shooting villains and interrogating individuals. The game takes the player through the gangs of four gangsters with suggestive names - Measles, Mumps, Smallpox, and Lockjaw Lil, each of whom knew Rock and are suspects in his murder - and locations such as a warehouse, a pool hall, a garage and a casino.

Gameplay

As is the case with other American Laser Games releases, the game is played from a first-person perspective of the player watching the full motion video, listening to the various characters and shooting the right enemies at the right times with a powerful Tommy gun. Most other games produced by the company - with minor exceptions such as The Last Bounty Hunter, where the player can use a shotgun for a limited amount of time - feature no more than a simple pistol, which must be used to eliminate successive foes. The player character narrates the story.

Unlike previous games, such as Mad Dog McCree and Crime Patrol, the player's Tommy gun does not need to be reloaded, but one does need to buy extra ammunition. Also, when health is lost, the player must purchase extra lives from the city doctor. If money runs out, the game is over. The player must also try to avoid hitting innocent bystanders, as doing so results in having to pay funeral expenses. The doctor also gives advice (usually fake) and criticizes the player's actions.

Along the way, the player must collect clues, which will eventually allow the player to determine Johnny Rock's murderer. One of the final sequences takes place in Rock's mansion, where a final clue will point to the killer, who must be defeated and apprehended to win the game. The identity of the killer is determined randomly on each playthrough from one of the four suspected gangsters.

As in most rail shooters by American Laser Games, the MS-DOS and 3DO versions include mouse and light gun support. The Sega CD version supports the Konami Justifier light gun.

Development

Who Shot Johnny Rock? was showcased at the 1991 Las Vegas Amusement Expo, at the time under the title Who Killed Johnny Rock?[1][2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarHalf star (Sega CD)[3]
StarStarHalf star (DVD Video)[4]
StarHalf star (PC)[5]
StarStarHalf star (Xbox)[6]
EGM4.8/10 (3DO)[7]
CD-i82% (CDI)[8]

Sinclair User magazine awarded the arcade version "Best Follow-Up Game" in 1991.[9]

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the 3DO version a 4.8 out of 10. They commented that the game's whodunnit concept is appealing, but that the graphics are poor by 3DO standards, the gameplay is frustrating, and the cursor moves too slow when using the control pad, making it impossible to progress in the game without a Gamegun, which was sold separately.[10] Computer Gaming World said in June 1994 of the PC version that "The storyline and acting are decent for this sort of game, but the gameplay is simplistic to the extreme".[11]


References

  1. ↑ Cook, John (November 1991). "Arcades: American Laser Games". The One (emap Images) (38): 94–95. https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-38/page/n93. 
  2. ↑ "Coin Ops - Best Follow-Up Game". Sinclair User: 62–63. November 1991. https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-117/page/n61. 
  3. ↑ Christopher Michael Baker. "Who Shot Johnny Rock? (Sega CD) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12727&tab=review. 
  4. ↑ Miller, Skyler. "Who Shot Johnny Rock? (DVD Video) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=36929&tab=review. 
  5. ↑ Couper, Chris. "Who Shot Johnny Rock? (PC) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=6256&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ Miller, Skyler. "Who Shot Johnny Rock? (Xbox) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=37760&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ "Review Crew: Who Shot Johnny Rock?". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (61): 36. August 1994. 
  8. ↑ Bateman, Patrick (October 1995). "Who Shot Johnny Rock? (CD-i) Review". CD-i (Haymarket Magazines Ltd) (14): 12–13. https://archive.org/details/cdi-uk-14/page/12/mode/2up. Retrieved April 5, 2022. 
  9. ↑ "Coin Ops". Sinclair User (117): 62–63. November 1991. https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-117/page/n61. 
  10. ↑ "Review Crew: Who Shot Johnny Rock?". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (61): 36. August 1994. 
  11. ↑ "Taking A Peek". Computer Gaming World: 168–172. June 1994. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=119. 
  • 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 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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