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Of Light and Darkness

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 7 min

Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy
Developer(s)Tribal Dreams
Publisher(s)Interplay Entertainment
Director(s)David Riordan
Producer(s)Brian F. Christian
Designer(s)Cliff Johnson
Programmer(s)Eric Whelpley
Artist(s)Todd J. Camasta
Wes Burian
Gil Bruvel
Writer(s)Kenneth Melville
David Riordan
Composer(s)Steve Gutheinz
Kenneth Melville
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Point-and-click adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy, also known as simply Of Light and Darkness, is a first-person point-and-click adventure video game developed by Tribal Dreams and published by Interplay Entertainment in 1998.

Plot and gameplay

Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy is a point-and-click adventure game.[3] The player's goal in the game is to prevent a global apocalypse by redeeming the cursed spirits that are attempting to start various possible disasters. Once all possible disasters are prevented, by redeeming all the spirits, the player must defeat the dark lord Gar Hob.

Development

The game was published by Interplay Entertainment and developed by Tribal Dreams. The game featured art by Gil Bruvel, an award-winning artist.[4] Of Light and Darkness ran on the EDEN engine, developed by Heartland Enterprises.[3] The game was displayed at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June. Its visuals were created by Gil Bruvel, a surrealist fine artist from France.[5] It also appeared at E3 1997.[6]

Actors Lolita Davidovich and James Woods did voice lines and motion capture for the game. Davidovich played the character Angel Gemini while Woods played the role of Gar Hob.[7]

Release

Before its original release, retailers such as Costco announced they would be refusing to carry the game due to its box art. Made by Bruvel, it featured the character Angel Gemini nude in a fetal position. Interplay's Vice President of sales Kim Motika criticized the decision, finding it hard to comprehend retailers selling games like Tomb Raider and claiming Of Light and Darkness's box art is too provocative. Members of Interplay did, however, say that their ad campaign could have turned off family oriented chains.[8][9][10] In December 2016, the game was re-released on GOG.com.[11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic58/100[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStar[14]
CGWStarStarStarStar[15]
Game Informer5.5/10[17]
GameRevolutionD+[18]
GameSpot6.9/10[19]
Next GenerationStarStar[20]
PC Gamer (US)67%[21]
PC PowerPlay60%[22]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[12] Next Generation said of the game, "Imagine combining the realtime elements of The Last Express and the graphic style of Zork Nemesis with the play mechanics of Myst. It's an intriguing idea, but not one that will keep anyone sitting in front of a computer for more than a day or two."[20] Aaron Curtiss from Los Angeles Times praised the visuals, calling "The Village of the Damned" area "a psychotic Disneyland".[23]

The game was a major commercial flop.[24]

In 2012, Complex called the ending of the game one of the worst endings for a video game.[25]

References

  1. ↑ GameSpot staff (April 1, 1998). "New Releases". Ziff Davis. http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_04/01_new/index.html. 
  2. ↑ "News for April 1, 1998". April 1, 1998. http://ogr.com/news/news0498.html. "April 1, 1998: Several new games will be hitting stores today: ...Of Light & Darkness from Interplay." 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hudak, Chris (May 1, 1996). "Of Light and Darkness Preview [date mislabeled as "March 2, 2004""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/of-light-and-darkness-preview/1100-2560267/. 
  4. ↑ Hudak, Chris (January 1, 1997). "Light Shines Darkly". Wired (Condé Nast). https://www.wired.com/1997/01/light-shines-darkly/. Retrieved January 6, 2017. 
  5. ↑ CGSP staff (1996). "E3 Adventure & Role Playing Games (Page 16)". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/adventure_vault/e3_adventure/page17.html. 
  6. ↑ CGSP staff (1997). "E3 Coverage (Day 3)". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/002/105/e3_day3_part2.html. 
  7. ↑ Ocampo, James (1998). "Woods and Davidovich finish work for Interplay". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/009/194/light_and_darkness.html. 
  8. ↑ Dunkin, Alan (February 23, 1998). "Of Light and Darkness Box Too Provocative for Some [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/of-light-and-darkness-box-too-provocative-for-some/1100-2462748/. 
  9. ↑ Huffstutter, P.J. (February 23, 1998). "No Risque Business". Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-23-fi-22114-story.html. 
  10. ↑ "The Man Who Knows". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (63): 28. May 1998. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_63_May_1998/page/n27/mode/2up. Retrieved August 27, 2021. 
  11. ↑ Estrada, Marcus (December 29, 2016). "Obscure Adventure 'Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy' Released on GOG". Hardcore Gamer. https://hardcoregamer.com/news/obscure-adventure-of-light-and-darkness-the-prophecy-released-on-gog/241530/. Retrieved September 6, 2023. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/of-light-and-darkness-the-prophecy/. 
  13. ↑ Dembo, Arinn (May 7, 1998). "Of Light and Darkness". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-1689,00.html. 
  14. ↑ Altman, John (April 24, 1998). "Of Light and Darkness". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/011/094/light_darkness_review.html. 
  15. ↑ Wilson, Johnny R. (June 1998). "Apocalypse Tao (Of Light & Darkness: The Prophecy Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (167): 202–3. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_167.pdf. Retrieved September 6, 2023. 
  16. ↑ James, Bonnie (April 28, 1998). "Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://elecplay.com/pc/olad.shtml. 
  17. ↑ Bergren, Paul (June 1998). "Of Light and Darkness". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (62). 
  18. ↑ Hubble, Calvin (July 1998). "Of Light and Darkness - PC Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32910-of-light-and-darkness-review. 
  19. ↑ Smith, Steve (April 27, 1998). "Of Light and Darkness Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/of-light-and-darkness-review/1900-2543524/. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (43): 116. July 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_43/page/n117/mode/2up. Retrieved August 27, 2021. 
  21. ↑ "Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (8): 140. August 1998. http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/776.html. Retrieved April 23, 2020. 
  22. ↑ Sharpe, Pete (July 1998). "Of Light & Darkness [sic"]. PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (26): 92. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-026-1998-07/page/n91/mode/2up. Retrieved August 27, 2021. 
  23. ↑ Curtiss, Aaron (September 7, 1998). "'Light and Darkness' Is Ultimately Brilliant". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/sep/07/business/fi-20307. 
  24. ↑ Gornstein, Leslie (December 10, 1998). "Violence Not Wanted: Can't We Play Nice?". Orange County Register (Digital First Media): p. C01. 
  25. ↑ Rougeau, Michael (February 21, 2012). "The 50 Worst Video Game Endings". Hearst Communications. https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/michael-rougeau/the-50-worst-video-game-endings. 
  • 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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