Software:Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire

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Short description: 1990 video game
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire
MS-DOS cover
Developer(s)Origin Systems
Publisher(s)Origin Systems
Pony Canyon (SNES)
Producer(s)Richard Garriott
Jeff Johannigman
Designer(s)Steve Beeman
Writer(s)Aaron Allston
Composer(s)George Sanger
Barry Leitch (SNES)
SeriesUltima
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Super NES, NEC PC-9801, Sharp X68000, Windows, Macintosh
ReleaseMS-DOS
1990
Sharp X68000
1993
Super NES
  • JP: July 28, 1995
Windows & Mac
  • WW: June 18, 2012 (Freeware)
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire is a role-playing video game, part in the Ultima series, published in 1990. It is considered a Worlds of Ultima game, as its setting differs from that of the main series. It uses the same engine as Software:Ultima VI: The False Prophet and Martian Dreams. On June 18, 2012, Electronic Arts released the game as freeware through GOG.com.

Plot

After the events in Ultima VI, the Avatar is transported by a friend's failed experiment with an obsidian "moonstone" to the otherworldly Valley of Eodon, a large jungle-like world filled with various tribes. These tribes have been magically drawn from varying periods and locations in history, such as the aboriginal nations of Mesoamerica and tropical Africa. The valley of Eodon is actually on Earth, but it is inaccessible and unmappable.

At the time of the arrival of the Avatar, the place is under attack from the insect-like Myrmidex. The Avatar needs to understand and master some aspects of their stone-age tribal culture and their "jungle magic" to find a way to bring peace to the valley. The main plot involves getting all thirteen tribes to join in an alliance against the Myrmidex. Each tribe has its own demands before joining, ranging from defeating a Tyrannosaurus rex to recovering their holy statue. This mixture of worlds was created by a huge corrupted moonstone that the Myrmidex possess, which has to be destroyed to prevent it collapsing in instability.

The player commands the Avatar and a party generally consisting of up to four other characters. However, two set events in the game add a character to the party even if this limit has been reached, resulting in a maximum party size of seven characters.

Release

Origin sold a special edition of the game autographed by Lord British. It came with a hint book and T-shirt.[1]

A port of Savage Empire was released in Japan for the Super Famicom, using the game engine from the Super NES version of Ultima VII. The game was localized and planned for a North American release,[2] but that was eventually cancelled.

Reception

Personal computer version

Jim Trunzo reviewed Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire in White Wolf #25 (Feb./March, 1991), rating it a 5 out of 5 and stated that "The game involves numerous quests, puzzles and battles that will enthrall you. It also involves 50+ hours of playing time!"[3]

Dennis Owens reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "compared to any except its own brothers and sisters, The Savage Empire, despite its niggling problems (which show only because of the brilliance with which the entire line shines), must be considered dazzling and successful. Compared to its peers, however, the game presents what may be a disturbing view of a possible trend in the Ultima line: caricature."[4]

Computer Gaming World described Savage Empire as "not too difficult, but occasionally tricky. Good for filling in the hours while you wait for the next real Ultima".[5][6] The editors of Game Player's PC Strategy Guide presented the game with their 1990 "Best PC Fantasy Role-Playing Game" award. They wrote, "Lushly beautiful graphics, coupled with a fine role-playing interface, evoke those great old 'lost world' tales from the heyday of the pulp magazines."[7]

A screenshot from Savage Empire, played using DOSBox

Super Famicom version

On release, Famicom Tsūshin gave the Super Famicom version of the game a score of 23 out of 40.[8] GamePro gave it a negative review, citing crude graphics, sparse sound effects, confusing menus, and the trial-and-error involved in combining objects, as well as "the long-winded conversations, confusing subplots, and annoying characters who pop up for seemingly no reason at all."[9] Mike Weigand of Electronic Gaming Monthly stated "These PC-RPG conversions never really did it for me and Savage Empire is no exception. The action here is slow and definitely geared more toward strategy-oriented game players."[2]

References

  1. ↑ "For the SAVAGE Within You!". Computer Gaming World: 70. October 1990. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=75. Retrieved 16 November 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Review Crew: Savage Empire". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (67): 32. February 1995. http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/ultima-kyry-teikoku/mobyrank. 
  3. ↑ Trunzo, Jim (February–March 1991). "The Silicon Dungeon". White Wolf Magazine (25): 56. https://imgur.com/a/0WzOMEh. 
  4. ↑ Owens, Dennis (March 1991). "Terror of the Thunder Lizards: Origin's The Savage Empire". Computer Gaming World 1 (80): 24–25. 
  5. ↑ Scorpia (October 1991). "C*R*P*G*S / Computer Role-Playing Game Survey". Computer Gaming World: 16. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=87. Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  6. ↑ Scorpia (October 1993). "Scorpia's Magic Scroll Of Games". Computer Gaming World: 34–50. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111. Retrieved 25 March 2016. 
  7. ↑ "Game Player's Annual PC Game Awards 1990". Game Player's PC Strategy Guide 4 (1): 10, 12, 14. January–February 1991. 
  8. ↑ NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ウルティマ 恐竜帝国 THE SAVAGE EMPIRE. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.346. Pg.30. 4 August 1995.
  9. ↑ "The Savage Empire". GamePro (IDG) (70): 102. May 1995. 
  • 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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