KGB (video game)

KGB
Conspiracy

European cover art

Developer(s)| Cryo
Publisher(s)| Virgin Games
Director(s)| Yves Lamoureux
Producer(s)| Jean-Martial Lefranc
Designer(s)| Johan Robson
Programmer(s)| Yves Lamoureux
Artist(s)| Michel Rho
Didier Bouchon
Sohor Ty
Writer(s)| Johan Robson
Composer(s)| Stéphane Picq
Platform(s)| MS-DOS, Amiga
Release| 1992
Genre(s)| Adventure
Mode(s)| Single-player

KGB is a video game released for the Amiga and IBM PC compatibles in 1992. Set in the decadent final days of the Soviet Union, KGB is considered to be quite difficult, even for experienced gamers, since it relies on a real time clock and correct/wrong answers which can end the game immediately or after an event needed to be triggered; also, players may make errors which they will notice only hours later in-game. The game engine, graphics and interface have plenty of similarities with Cryo's Dune.

KGB was also released on CD under the title Conspiracy, which included clips of Rukov's father played by Donald Sutherland giving advice. In the CD version, all references to "KGB" within the game and manual were changed to "Conspiracy".

## Contents

* 1 Plot
* 1.1 Main characters
* 2 Reception
* 3 References
* 4 External links
* 5 Features
* 6 History
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## Plot

The game is set in the summer of 1991.[1] The protagonist, Captain Maksim Mikahilovich Rukov, recently transferred to the Department P from the GRU after three years' duty, is ordered to investigate possible corruption inside the KGB after a former agent turned private eye was found murdered. Rukov finds himself investigating a party hardliner anti-perestroika plot that threatens the life of General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev.

### Main characters

* Captain Maksim Mikhailovich Rukov was born on 12 January 1966 in Sverdlovsk. His parents, Mikhail Stepanovich Rukov and Svetlava Shailova, were killed on 23 May 1983 during an Afghan terrorist attack in Dushanbe (in the Tajik SSR) where his father was on active duty. Rukov learned English, Arabic and Spanish and joined the Spetsnaz as a paratrooper in 1988. The game begins as he makes his first steps in Department P.
* Uncle Vanya is the brother of Rukov's father. He was also injured in the attack and uses a wheelchair, but is still able to take care of his nephew. He seems very suspicious of Maks's new employers. (The name "Uncle Vanya" is a nod to the play of the same name by Anton Chekhov [citation needed])
* Major Vovlov is Rukov's direct superior at Department P. He is bad-tempered and authoritarian.
* Colonel Viktor Galushkin works at Department P. He personally knew Rukov's father and went after his assassins.
* Major Radomir Savinkov, also a Department P member, is Rukov's controller in Leningrad. He is highly intelligent.
* Colonel Vladimir Kusnetsov is the head of KGB's Department 7 in Leningrad. He is very hostile to Department P.
* Captain Piotr Chapkin works at Department 7 with his father-in-law, Colonel Kusnetsov.
* Major Grigori Agabekov is second in command at Department 7. He served in Afghanistan. He has a clean record and good reputation.
* Nathaniel Greenberg and Carla Wallace are American CIA agents who happen to be working on the same case as Rukov.

## Reception

Computer Gaming World said in February 1993 that KGB "was very much in the John le Carré mold, with lots of hidden intrigue, deep subterfuge and criss-crossing plot lines. One almost expects George Smiley to turn up". The magazine praised the game's graphics and "unusual feel", and concluded that it was "an engrossing and atmospheric product with more depth and attention to detail than offered by most of the latest graphic adventures".[1] In April 1994 the magazine said of the CD remake, Conspiracy, that although Donald Sutherland's acting was "first-rate" the addition of his scenes to the original game was "a bit strained", concluding that "The novelty of seeing a Big Screen actor in an adventure game is about the only thing going for it".[2]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Matthews, Robin (February 1993). "Virgin's New Graphic Adventure, KGB". Computer Gaming World: 88. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140702235734/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=103. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
2. ↑ "Invasion Of The Data Stashers". Computer Gaming World: 20–42. April 1994. Archived from the original on 2017-11-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20171111041726/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117.

## 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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* KGB at the Hall of Light
* Analysis of KGB's plot and characters

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