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Dominant Species (video game)

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 5 min

Dominant Species
Developer(s)Red Storm Entertainment
Publisher(s)Red Storm Entertainment
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • NA: October 15, 1998
  • EU: 1998
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Dominant Species is a real-time strategy video game developed and released by Red Storm Entertainment.[1] It was published October 15, 1998 for Windows.[2] It was one of the first RTS games to make the transition to 3D graphics.[1]

Storyline

Players in Dominant Species control a Mindlord on the planet Mur, in constant battle over the precious resource Anima. In the single player campaign, this battle is first against free roaming creatures, presenting a tutorial for the game. The campaign usually follows the player's hive rescuing and destroying the invading army of humans.

Gameplay

Dominant Species is a traditional real-time strategy game,[3] with resource gathering (anima), production of battlefield units (with a bio-engineered theme), a single-player campaign and multiplayer mode. There is an emphasis on efficient unit tactics rather than base construction.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStarStar[3]
CGWStarStar[5]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[6]
Next GenerationStarStar[7]

The game received mixed reviews. Strategy Gaming Online found the game innovative and fun but with disappointing sound effects.[9] Computer Games Strategy Plus drew comparisons with the Myth graphics engine, highlighting the aesthetically pleasing and strategic terrain, fluid movement of the units models and the game's humor and atmosphere. However, the artificial intelligence was criticized for the occasional quirk in pathfinding.[3] On the other hand, Next Generation said, "If evolution is survival of the fittest, Red Storm's Dominant Species has fished itself out of the realtime strategy gene pool. While it is innovative in some ways, the end product isn't worth the trouble."[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Red Storm history". Archived from the original on July 2, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080702040249/http://www.redstorm.com/index.php?page=history. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  2. ↑ Hulsey, Joel (October 5, 1998). "Red Storm takes gamers to strange new world". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on July 2, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030702103353/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/014/148/Ds.html. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Brush, Ryan (November 9, 1998). "Dominant Species". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on June 8, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030608122533/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/015/092/dominants_review.html. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  4. ↑ Rausch, Allen (November 24, 1998). "Dominant Species". CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000816171023/http://gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2294,00.html. Retrieved April 13, 2021. 
  5. ↑ Larka, Lance A. (March 1999). "Darwinian Loser (Dominant Species Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (176): 201. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_176.pdf. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  6. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (1998). "Dominant Species Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on December 16, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041216035717/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/774.shtml. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Dominant Species". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (49): 107. January 1999. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_49/page/n107/mode/2up. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 
  8. ↑ Lee, Ed (December 1998). "Dominant Species". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (4): 94. https://archive.org/details/PCXL04Dec1998/page/n93/mode/2up. Retrieved April 13, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Dunlop, A.J. (1998). "Dominant Species". Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061118035422/http://www.strategy-gaming.com/reviews/dominant_species/index.shtml. 
  • 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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