Software:Windfall: The Oil Crisis Game

From HandWiki
Short description: 1980 business simulation video game
Windfall
Released Manual for Windfall
Developer(s)David Mullich
Publisher(s)Edu-Ware
Platform(s)Apple II
Release
Genre(s)Business simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Windfall: The Oil Crisis Game is a real-time business simulation game developed by David Mullich and published by Edu-Ware in 1980 for the Apple II. Based upon queuing theory and released after the 1979 energy crisis, the game puts the player in the role of chief executive of Engulf Oil, setting gas prices and worker salaries, monitoring gas station lines, scheduling oil tanker arrivals, and negotiating oil prices with OPEC countries in a race against the clock to maximize profits. As with most Edu-Ware games, Windfall has an educational aspect, demonstrating the delicate balance in complex systems.

Gameplay

The player has six primary choices in this simulation of oil company operations:

  1. Observe Service Stations: A low-resolution graphics display appears, showing six service stations, two of which are under the player's control, while the other four are operated by computer-controlled competitors. Small colored blocks entering the queue at each station represent thousands of cars. The queue length at each station is an indicator of the gasoline demand at the current selling price and the time it takes for each station to service cars.
  2. Observe Dock Yards: Another low-resolution graphics display appears, depicting oil tankers arriving at the docks. The queue length at each dock is an indicator of the oil supply at the current purchase price and the time it takes for each dock to service each tanker.
  3. Service Station Statistics: A table of text information allows players to see such things as the amount of gasoline each station has to sell, how long the waiting queue of cars is, how much the rival stations may be undercutting the player's prices.
  4. Dock Yard Statistics: This text table shows players how much they are paying oil producers, how efficient the oil flow from their suppliers is, how much they are paying their dock workers. Sometimes bad weather may slow down the arrival of ships.
  5. Set Wages, Prices, and Purchases: Here players can change the price of gasoline, wages of their station attendants, and select their oil source from among several fictional OPEC countries.
  6. Financial Status: This screen allows players to see the financial health of their company, buy or sell stock, and make an attempt at price fixing.

Strategy is based upon several simple economic principles. If players pay their employees poorly, the service time will be longer; however, if players pay them too much, prices will need to be raised to maintain a profit, but competitors may steal business away with lower prices. If gasoline prices go too high, the government may step in and set price limits. Occasionally, stockholders will overrule players' decisions.

A clock runs continuously throughout the play of the game. When time expires, the player's performance is evaluated.

Reception

Windfall, like most games from Edu-Ware's zip-lock bag era, sold only a few hundred units.[citation needed] However, it was well reviewed, receiving an "A" rating from Peelings II magazine, which concluded, "Behind the simple displays is (probably) a reasonably sophisticated realtime simulation program synthesized with a realtime display updated. Considering the programming effort involved and the educational value of the program, it is a bargain. And it is great fun to play."[citation needed]

Bruce Webster reviewed Windfall in The Space Gamer No. 31.[1] Webster commented that "If there is a problem with this game, it is that the topic may not be all that interesting to you, or that the treatment may be too simple for your tastes. Beyond that, I can think of no serious objections to the game."[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Webster, Bruce (September 1980). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (Steve Jackson Games) (31): 29. 
  • Product Catalog. Edu-Ware Services. March 1, 1980. 
  • Martellaro, John (1980). "Windfall". Peelings II 1 (2): 11–12. 
  • Windfall (video game) on IMDb
  • 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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