Prison Tycoon

Short description: 2005 video game

Prison Tycoon

Developer(s)| Virtual Playground
Publisher(s)| ValuSoft
Engine| Gamebryo
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: July 21, 2005

Genre(s)| Business simulation game
Mode(s)| Single player

Prison Tycoon is a business simulation computer game developed by Virtual Playground and published by ValuSoft in July 2005. The game puts the user in charge of a prison, with the objectives of keeping the prison running, keeping the staff happy, and keeping the prisoners in line, all while trying to make money.

Users are allowed to choose between a New England prison, a modern U.S. Southwestern-style prison, and a West Coast-style prison modelled after San Quentin.

A sequel, Prison Tycoon 2: Maximum Security, was released on September 8, 2006, followed by Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown in 2007 and Prison Tycoon 4: Supermax in 2008, then Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz in late 2010. THQ Wireless released a version of Prison Tycoon for the iPhone in May 2009.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 1.1 Inmates
* 2 Reception
* 3 Sequels
* 3.1 Maximum Security
* 3.2 Lockdown
* 3.3 Supermax
* 3.4 Alcatraz
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links
* 7 Features
* 8 History
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Gameplay

The premise of the game is to create a functional prison complete with walls, guard towers, and housing wings, plus dining, exercise, and medical facilities. The objective of the game is ultimately to turn your low-security incarceration facility into a profitable maximum-security prison. Funding is collected by the player through state funding, charitable donations, and inmate labor depending on myriad factors, such as employee satisfaction and inmate happiness and rehabilitation. Players have the option to start with a completely blank slate in a free-play mode or with the basic layout of an existing prison but with several problems that need to be addressed in challenge mode.[2]

The challenges range from rehabilitating a certain number of inmates or reducing the number of riots and fights within the prison, to simply reaching a certain level of security. To create a prison, the player places buildings or walls along a grid system by selecting which building they would like and placing it somewhere within the boundaries of the map. There are over 100 different buildings that can be constructed. Within certain buildings the player can build different rooms, from over 100 to choose from, such as individual cells with multiple beds or solitary confinement cells.[3] Buildings come with appropriate staffing, for example guard towers come with guards already positioned in the tower and medical facilities come with medical staffing.

Once a player has constructed sufficient housing and basic amenities, prisoners begin arriving on buses depending on the capacity of the prison. Prisoners continue to arrive as long as there is sufficient capacity to hold them and depart as they complete their sentences. As the number of inmates increases the prison upgrades to a higher security level, beginning at low security until it becomes a maximum-security prison. With higher levels of security the player has access to more advanced facilities and upgraded walls and guard towers.

Players are able to click on both inmates and staff to get a basic description of their levels of satisfaction, fatigue, productivity, as well as misconduct for prisoners. Clicking on one of these things with the prisoner selected allows players to assign prisoners to cells, jobs, and activities. Players can drag and drop guards to areas of high misconduct or to break up riots which occur within the prison if prisoners become too dissatisfied.

### Inmates

Rioting prisoners being subdued by the guards

The game designers created 96 different-looking inmates capable of over 100 different animations to allow for a varied prison population. Inmates have various meters above their heads which the player can monitor by clicking on the prisoners. They have levels of satisfaction, fatigue, productivity, and misconduct. If inmates do not have activities, such as working out, playing basketball, or performing work, they will become dissatisfied and their misconduct meter will increase. Having high misconduct will result in decreased productivity and an increase in fights and riots breaking out within the prison.

Ultimately, it is important to monitor inmate morale and keep it high to increase profits, as high inmate morale and sufficient holding capacity will result in more inmates arriving. Also, the player has the ability to suggest inmates to the parole board for possible early dismissal. The approval or rejection of a prisoner is based upon the number of fights he has been in, the number of gangs he is affiliated with, and the number of rehabilitation projects he has completed, as well as his misconduct rating.

## Reception

Prison Tycoon received generally poor grades from critics. Xplay's Time Stevens gave the game only one star out of five, concluding his review by writing that "Prisons aren't supposed to be fun, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that a game about prisons isn't either." GameZone gave the game a score of 5/10, praising the idea and concept but complaining about clunky graphics, dysfunctional camera angles, and lack of instructions.[4] While most players agreed the basic premise was unique and interesting, some common complaints about the game included bad camera angles, lackluster graphics, choppy or slow framerates, annoying music and sound, and limited help for players.[5]

## Sequels

### Maximum Security

Prison Tycoon 2: Maximum Security

File:100px
Developer(s)| Virtual Playground
Publisher(s)| ValuSoft
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: September 8, 2006

Genre(s)| Business simulation game
Mode(s)| Single player

Prison Tycoon 2: Maximum Security is a business simulation computer game developed by Virtual Playground and published by Valusoft in 2006 as a sequel to Prison Tycoon. Three real-life locations are featured in the game, including Angola (Louisiana State Penitentiary), Leavenworth, KS, and Steilacoom, WA (McNeil Island).

### Lockdown

Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown

File:100px
Developer(s)| Virtual Playground
Publisher(s)| ValuSoft
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: August 1, 2007

Genre(s)| Business simulation game
Mode(s)| Single-player

Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown is a business simulation computer game for Windows. It was released in 2007 as the third game in the Prison Tycoon series.

Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown was reviewed by PC Gamer UK, who rated the game 3.8/10.

### Supermax

Prison Tycoon 4: Supermax

File:100px
Developer(s)| Virtual Playground
Publisher(s)| ValuSoft
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: August 29, 2008

Genre(s)| Business simulation game
Mode(s)| Single-player

Prison Tycoon 4: Supermax is a business simulation computer game released for Windows in 2008 as the fourth game in the Prison Tycoon series. This version of the game introduced several improvements, including a brand-new graphics engine, advisers, and more control over various aspects of the game, such as the closing/opening of gates, tunnels, and more.

Prison Tycoon 4: Supermax has not been reviewed by many professional critics. IGN's Jimmy Thang gave the game a rating of 2.5/10 and called it "terrible".[6]

### Alcatraz

Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz

Developer(s)| Virtual Playground
Publisher(s)| ValuSoft
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: September 14, 2010

Genre(s)| Business simulation game
Mode(s)| Single-player

Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz is a business simulation computer game released for Windows in 2010 as the fifth game in the Prison Tycoon series. As with previous installments, the game puts the user in charge of a prison, in this case Alcatraz Island.

Similar to several of its predecessors, Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz was not reviewed by professional critics.[7]

## See also

* Private prison
* Prison Architect

## References

1. ↑ "Prison Tycoon" (in en). https://www.metacritic.com/game/prison-tycoon/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad.
2. ↑ "PRISON TYCOON Homepage". 2010-03-30. http://www.prisontycoon.com/ages/features.htm.
3. ↑ "PRISON TYCOON Homepage". 2010-03-30. http://www.prisontycoon.com/pages/features.htm.
4. ↑ jkdmedia (2012-05-04). "Prison Tycoon - PC - Review" (in en-US). https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/prison_tycoon_pc_review/.
5. ↑ "Prison Tycoon" (in en). https://www.gamespot.com/prison-tycoon/.
6. ↑ Thang, Jimmy (2008-09-18). "Prison Tycoon 4: SuperMax Review" (in en-US). https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/18/prison-tycoon-4-supermax-review.
7. ↑ "Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz" (in en). https://www.metacritic.com/game/prison-tycoon-alcatraz/critic-reviews/?platform=pc.

## 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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