Recoil (video game)

Short description: 1999 video game

Recoil

Developer(s)| Zipper Interactive
Westwood Studios
Publisher(s)| Electronic Arts
Platform(s)| Microsoft Windows
Release|

* NA: March 11, 1999[2]
* UK: March 19, 1999[1]

Genre(s)| Vehicular combat
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

Recoil is a vehicular combat tank-based Microsoft Windows video game. It involves the player piloting an experimental tank known as the "BFT" (Battle Force Tank) through various missions. There is a heavy influence on collecting various weapons for the BFT throughout the game. It was developed by Zipper Interactive, a subsidiary of its parent publisher, Electronic Arts, and uses the same game engine as MechWarrior 3.

## Contents

* 1 Plot
* 2 Critical reception
* 3 References
* 4 External links
* 5 Features
* 6 History
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## Plot

Tanks patrol desolate city streets. Turrets and missile sites threaten the skies. Robot warriors carrying pulse rifles surround military installations. What's become of Earth? Machines have taken over. Corporate greed and rapid technological advancements have made humans pawns of their own creations. During the first fifteen years of the 21st century, Mega Corp began to dominate computer technology in both peacekeeping and war-fighting applications. As this giant churned out better and better technology for manufacturing and warfare, humans were relegated to service industries or to working as drones on PC terminals. Mega Corp became the largest employer in the United States. By 2010, every computer in America used Mega Corp software and was Internet-connected and monitored through the Mega Corp Network—antitrust suits be damned. Each day, Mega Corp would issue government-endorsed messages through the Network that broadcast pro-machine propaganda. The country was becoming brainwashed. In 2018, the wonders of artificial intelligence turned ugly in the hands of a few disillusioned Mega Corp programmers. Frustrated at being a part of such an ethically challenged corporation, these hacks altered coding in various Mega Corp products—turning certain robot and tank machinery into self-directed, man-killing machines. Today, May 2019, in a war-torn, machine-ravaged world, only a few freethinkers remain. Only a few outsiders have escaped the spell of the Network. Dr. Raines is the leader of a group of rebels called the Alliance. He and a few others have developed a computer program that gives the operator control over an experimental tank. You control this tank and must defeat these robot warriors.

## Critical reception

Reception

| Aggregate score

Aggregator| Score
GameRankings| 66%[3]
Review scores
Publication| Score
AllGame| [4]
CGSP| [6]
CGW| [7]
Game Informer| 7.25/10[8]
GamePro| [9]
GameRevolution| C[10]
GameSpot| 6.4/10[11]
IGN| 8.3/10[12]
Next Generation| [13]
PC Gamer (US)| 76%[15]
The Cincinnati Enquirer| [16]

In 1999 when Recoil was published, Zipper Interactive was a very little-known company. Due to the massive amount of video games for PC being released at the time, Recoil was hardly seen at all.[citation needed] When it was, however, the game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Next Generation said that the game's selling points "are of the fast and fiery variety, but due to its brevity, this blockbuster may ultimately be little more than a weekend diversion, which prevents us from giving it a higher score."[13]

## References

1. ↑ "EuroGold". http://www.gonegold.com/golden/eurogold99.shtml.
2. ↑ IGN staff (March 11, 1999). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/12/news-briefs-398. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Recoil (1999) for PC". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190521120541/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198437-recoil-1999/index.html. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
4. ↑ Smith, Nick. "Recoil - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115185701/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20072&tab=review. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
5. ↑ Rausch, Allen (March 23, 1999). "Recoil". CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000816103301/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2596,00.html. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
6. ↑ Smith, Nathan (May 3, 1999). "Recoil". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on May 24, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030524201310/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/019/104/recoil_review.html. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
7. ↑ May, Scott A. (August 1999). "Recoil". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (181): 124. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_181.pdf. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
8. ↑ "Recoil". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (73). May 1999.
9. ↑ Mahood, Andy (1999). "Recoil Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on August 11, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040811211213/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/715.shtml. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
10. ↑ Johnny B. (May 1999). "Recoil Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151012050919/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/recoil. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
11. ↑ Smith, Josh (April 20, 1999). "Recoil Review [date mislabeled as "May 5, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/recoil-review/1900-2532761/. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
12. ↑ Butts, Steve (April 2, 1999). "Recoil". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/03/recoil. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Recoil". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (55): 96. July 1999. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_55/page/n97/mode/2up. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
14. ↑ Osborn, Chuck (June 1999). "Recoil". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (10): 78. https://archive.org/details/PCXL10Jun1999/page/n77/mode/2up. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
15. ↑ Poole, Stephen (June 1999). "Recoil". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (6): 129. Archived from the original on January 18, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000118085014/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1320.html. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
16. ↑ Bottorff, James (1999). "'Recoil' is a blast from an easier past". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). Archived from the original on April 28, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010428143719/http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/recoil.html. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

## 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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