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The King of Chicago

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min

The King of Chicago
The King of Chicago
Amiga cover art
Developer(s)Cinemaware
Master Designer Software
Publisher(s)Cinemaware
Mindscape
Designer(s)Doug Sharp
Platform(s)Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, DOS, Macintosh, X68000
Release1987
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The King of Chicago is a 1986 action-adventure video game by Doug Sharp. Based on numerous Hollywood mobster movies, this game is set in the 1930s, but some sequences towards the end of the game take place in 1986. The Macintosh version of the game is animated using claymation,[1] while other versions utilize drawn graphics.

Description

The protagonist, Pinky (left), and Ben (right), another member of the gang, as shown in the Macintosh version. The Mac version uses claymation and monochrome graphics
The same scene as above, as shown in the Amiga version

The player starts in Chicago with a small mafia-type mob and follow Al Capone in being the mob-king of the city. The goal of the game is to increase the size of one's gang in order to take over all mobster activity in the city. The player must do this by a certain date in order to be included in the formation of the New York City syndicate.

The game features many mobster activities, such as drive-by shootings, bombings, illegal gambling and bribing of corrupt government officials. The player must murder and out-deal his opponents in order to win control of the city. As if that weren't enough, the player also has to stay one step ahead of the law and keep his girlfriend satisfied by catering to her whims and desires, or risk losing her.

The game has many endings determined by the choices the player makes. Wrong choices could end in the player's death or arrest. But there are several ways to win the game; one such way is to kill the leader of the main rival gang.

Ports

This game was first developed by Doug Sharp on the Macintosh, then limited to a monochrome display, using graphics based on digitized images of clay models. The game was given a complete visual redesign by the inhouse Cinemaware art team for release on the Amiga, then ported to the Apple IIGS, Atari ST, DOS, and X68000. The Mac version was published by Mindscape and later versions for US platforms published by Cinemaware itself. Distribution in the UK, including platforms found almost exclusively there and in Europe, was done by Mirrorsoft.

In July, 2012, Cinemaware announced they were planning to release an iOS emulated version of the Amiga edition of The King of Chicago.[2] As of 2013 the game has been released on the app store.[3]

Reception

Macworld reviewed the Macintosh version of The King of Chicago, praising its attempt to bridge the gap between movies and video games, stating that "The King of Chicago delivers a game that comes one step closer to the computer entertainment dream: a real-time movie controlled by the user." Macworld praises The King of Chicago's gameplay and graphics, calling the claymation graphics "innovative" and gameplay "consistently entertaining", furthermore stating that "Everything is handled with self-parodying wit and interchanges between characters are terrifically funny. I've never had so much fun playing a computer game." Macworld heavily criticized the lack of a save feature, calling it "appalling that a game that takes hours to complete won't let you save", and although characters behave differently in different playthroughs, Macworld expressed that the game suffers from "eventual repetitiveness", saying that "eventually you find yourself watching some scenes again and again."[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Levy, Steven (July 1987). "In Gangland Chicago: The King of Chicago 1.0 Review". Macworld (Mac Publishing): 152. https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8707_July_1987/page/n157. 
  2. ↑ "Heroes live forever as Cinemaware returns with new online presence and The King of Chicago on iOS". Cinemaware. July 25, 2012. http://www.cinemaware.com/heroes-live-foreveras-cinemaware-returns-with-new-online-presence-and-the-king-of-chicago-on-ios/. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  3. ↑ Hodapp, Eli (February 18, 2014). "'The King of Chicago' Hits the App Store". Cinemaware. http://toucharcade.com/2014/02/18/the-king-of-chicago-hits-the-app-store/. Retrieved 2020-03-01. 
  • The King of Chicago at Cinemaware.com
  • 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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