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The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min

The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition
Cover art
Developer(s)MECC
Publisher(s)The Learning Company (TLC Properties Inc.)
SeriesThe Oregon Trail
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows 95 (CD, DVD), Mac OS 7.5 (CD)
ReleaseNovember 1997[1]
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single-player

The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition (full title: The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition: Pioneer Adventures) is the second sequel to the 1985 edutainment video game The Oregon Trail after Oregon Trail II. It was developed by MECC and released in 1997.[2]

Gameplay

Like all other games in the Trail series, The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition requires careful resource management in order to successfully complete the perilous journey across America via the Oregon trail to the Western frontier.

The game included a guide book with helpful hints in case the player got stuck.[3]

Reception

Reception
Awards
PublicationAward
PC MagazineTop 100 CD-Rom Award[4]
National Educational Media NetworkSilver Apple[4]

Game Industry News wrote: "I do find this game to be an excellent learning experience for players. It is marketed for people ages ten to adult, and even if you are an adult this game offers enough of a challenge coupled with entertainment to keep your interest".[5] The Hour wrote: "This is an excellent role playing game for children ages 10 up to adults".[6] Elizabeth Weal of the MacHome Journal said that "this upgrade of the simulation - with new full-motion video, improved graphics, and new players' decisions - makes the product even more engaging than its predecessors".[7]

The 2002 book Designing Instruction for Technology-enhanced Learning suggested that edutainment properties that have been around for a long time, such as Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and The Oregon Trail "have been through many..evaluations, and the subsequent versions reflect careful attention to who is using the product and how well it sells". It cited the then-recent The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition (1997) and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996) as examples of this.[8] During the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, The Oregon Trail received a nomination for "PC Family/Kids Title of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "The Learning Company Inc Announces The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition: Pioneer Adventures for DVD-ROM". May 28, 1998. Archived from the original on December 2, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19981202040809/http://www.learningco.com:80/news/news98/980528e.htm. Retrieved June 4, 2022. 
  2. ↑ Ma, Minhua; Oikonomou, Andreas; Jain, Lakhmi C. (9 December 2011). Serious Games and Edutainment Applications. Springer. ISBN 9781447121619. https://books.google.com/books?id=pb9uFv1P_68C&dq=%22The+Oregon+Trail%3A+3rd+Edition%22&pg=PA32. 
  3. ↑ "PC Mag". google.com.au. 6 October 1998. https://books.google.com/books?id=TodvBDXmM_oC&dq=%22The+Oregon+Trail%3A+3rd+Edition%22&pg=PA366. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Learning Company (1996-10-13) (in English). Reader Rabbit Kindergarten Previews. Windows. The Learning Company. 
  5. ↑ "Review: Oregon Trail 3rd Edition (The Learning Company) - Game Industry News". Game Industry News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131030075850/http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=1490. 
  6. ↑ "The Hour - Google News Archive Search". google.com. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=19981020&id=1Q1JAAAAIBAJ&pg=4240,2577820. 
  7. ↑ "History Computer Review". google.com.au. 1997. https://books.google.com/books?id=Es8JAQAAMAAJ&q=%22The+Oregon+Trail:+3rd+Edition%22. 
  8. ↑ Rogers, Patricia L. (January 2003). Designing Instruction for Technology-enhanced Learning. Idea Group Inc (IGI). ISBN 9781931777711. https://books.google.com/books?id=QxB5IW4XKjUC&dq=%22The+Oregon+Trail%3A+3rd+Edition%22&pg=PA12. 
  9. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Oregon Trail 3rd Edition: Pioneer Adventures". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=1998&idGame=785. 

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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