Genewars

European cover art

Developer(s)| Bullfrog Productions
Publisher(s)| Electronic Arts
Director(s)| Richard Reed
Producer(s)| Andrew Nuttall
Artist(s)| Jonathan Farmer
Composer(s)| Russell Shaw
Engine| Magic Carpet engine[1]
Platform(s)| DOS
Release|

* EU: September 2, 1996

* NA: October 12, 1996

Genre(s)| Real-time strategy
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

Genewars is a real-time strategy video game for DOS featuring standard elements of strategy, along with minor terrain editing and cross-species breeding. Its working title was "Biosphere".[1]

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Development
* 3 Reception
* 4 References
* 5 External links
* 6 Features
* 7 History
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## Gameplay

Players move through a series of worlds using a small number of sentient humanoids to build small bases and to stun, kill, research, and ultimately breed a variety of animals. Plants are also important, as different plants can be grown and harvested for different purposes. Players must use the various plant and animal species available to them (as well as hybrid animals) to deal with different environments, enemies, and tasks. For instance, a crab is a good armored defender, while a mule is a perfect detritus transporter. The two can be bred to form a creature that is well armored, but also suited to mule work. The more a particular species has been studied and created, the more effective future individuals will be.

The primary resource of the game is goop, which is derived from all kinds of biomass.

## Development

Genewars was developed by Bullfrog Productions.

Sean Cooper was brought in to help with the game's development, causing tension between him and Peter Molyneux.[2]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
CGW| [3]
GameSpot| 5.8/10[4]
PC Zone| 9.1/10[5]
Computer Games Magazine| [6]

Genewars received average reviews from video game critics upon release.

It was given the dubious honor of "Most Disappointing Game" of 1996 by GameSpot.[7]

Simon Parkin, writing for IGN, considered the game to be Molyneux's least known creation, noting the game bearing "unmistakable signs of his design influence."[8]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "preScreen - Bullfrog". Edge (Future plc) (22): 26. July 1995. https://archive.org/stream/EDGE.N022.1995.07/EDGE.N022.1995.07-Escapade#page/n25.
2. ↑ Wallis, Alistair (April 26, 2007). "Playing Catch Up: Flood's Sean Cooper". Gamasutra. UBM plc. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/104628/Playing_Catch_Up_Floods_Sean_Cooper.php. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
3. ↑ "Review • Gene Wars". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (150): 296. January 1997. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_150.pdf.
4. ↑ Dulin, Ron (October 17, 1996). "Gene Wars Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gene-wars-review/1900-2536238/. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
5. ↑ Brooker, Charlie (August 13, 2001). "Gene Wars". PC Zone. Future plc. Archived from the original on January 26, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070126142829/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3024.
6. ↑ Udell, Scott. "Gene Wars Review". Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030523194835/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/004/023/gene_wars_review.html.
7. ↑ GameSpot Staff. "1996 Best & Worst Awards: Most Disappointing Game". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070612210750/http://www.gamespot.com/features/bestworst96/disappointing.html.
8. ↑ Parkin, Simon (September 6, 2013). "Hunting Down Famous Developer's Lost Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/06/hunting-down-famous-developers-lost-games. Retrieved September 10, 2017.

## External links

* 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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Populous series|

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* Mucky Foot Productions
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