The Horde (video game)

Short description: 1994 video game

The Horde

Developer(s)| Toys for Bob
Silicon Knights (Saturn)
Publisher(s)| Crystal Dynamics
Designer(s)| Paul Reiche III
Fred Ford
Platform(s)| 3DO, DOS, Saturn, FM Towns
Release| 3DO

* NA: March 8, 1994[1]

DOS

* NA: 1994
* EU: 1994

Sega Saturn

* EU: May 1996
* NA: 1996

FM Towns

* JP: April 28, 1995

Genre(s)| Strategy
Mode(s)| Single-player

The Horde is a hybrid action-strategy video game that was originally released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and was ported to the Sega Saturn and DOS. It also featured full-motion video sequences featuring a number of actors including Kirk Cameron as Chauncey and Michael Gregory as Kronus Maelor. Video sequences were reduced to slide shows (with full sound) in some versions.

The game was bundled with the RealMagic MPEG playback card as a demonstration of the card's abilities to play back full-motion MPEG video via the card's hardware decoder, at the time software MPEG decoding was not viable due to the lack of processing power in contemporary processors.

The music was composed by Burke Trieschmann and won Computer Gaming World's Premiere Award for Best Musical Score in 1994.

## Contents

* 1 Plot
* 2 Gameplay
* 3 Development
* 4 Reception
* 5 References
* 6 External links
* 7 Features
* 8 History
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Plot

The player controls a servant boy, Chauncey, who was raised by a herd of wild cows. In a fortunate mishap, Chauncey prevents Winthrop the Good, King of Franzpowanki, from choking on his meal and is rewarded with a plot of land upon which he may build a self-sustaining town. However, the land is under constant attack by "The Horde". The Horde consists of a number of destructive and hungry red monsters referred to individually as Hordlings.

## Gameplay

The Horde has elements of hack and slash, city building, and real-time strategy.[2] It is played in alternating timed phases. Each season begins with a "build" phase in which the player develops a town with the resources at Chauncey's disposal. This includes constructing walls, setting traps, chopping down trees, and landscaping. Buildings, roads, crops, and residents are all added to the town automatically between seasons. The player is given only two minutes for each build phase.

Then comes the "action" phase, where the player must defend the town from an onslaught of Hordlings with a huge sword, Grimthwacker, and various magical items. These items are powered by Chauncey's ATM ("Automated Transfer of Mana") card, which converts gold into usable magical energy. Hordlings occasionally drop money when defeated, which may be retrieved and used, but the main sources of income are cows and crops, which are also sought by the Hordlings. If Chauncey runs out of hit points or all of the town's people are eaten by Hordlings, the game ends.

At the end of the action phase, the season has ended and the player receives a report on how well the town has been managed. The player turns a profit by protecting the town's resources. At the end of Summer seasons, the player may receive a message through a crystal ball from King Winthrop the Good, Kronus Maelor (the "Evil High Chancellor"), or the FNN ("Franzpowanki News Network"). With the exception of certain comic relief messages, these can have a direct influence on every aspect of the game.

At the end of each year, Kronus Maelor requires Chauncey to pay taxes. The player then has the opportunity to save the game and buy special items. At the end of a set number of years, the player character is given charge of a new region of the kingdom and must start a new village there. Each new location features the challenges of different terrain and new breeds of Hordling, as well as hidden items (sometimes obtained through side-quests) and new special items at the store. The game is won by completing all five regions.

## Development

Lead artist Michael Provenza recounted how he designed the hordlings:

> I got some concept drawings before I started, and I was able to model them in a 3D software package. To give each animation personality, I acted out what the hordlings would look like when they did something. For example, the shaman is an old dude. I decided he would walk with a gimp. I grabbed a golf club and walked around the office as I imagined that character would. To get the motion of the walk right, I tried to imagine what it would be like to walk with long arms, short legs, a big body, and a big head. Then I started animating by hand with the 3D modeling software, Alias, and claymation. It takes about four days to build a character from scratch, animate it, and add texture mapping.[3]

Kirk Cameron plays the teenage hero Chauncey, and Michael Gregory plays the Chancellor.[2] All the live-action footage for the game was filmed in two days.[3]

The initial 3DO version of the game had a "feature" where it deleted all other saved files to make room for The Horde's save file. The publisher eventually recognized this behavior was generally disliked by players, and offered to replace discs with a copy of the game that prompted before deleting other files.[4]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
AllGame|  (3DO)[8]
Famitsu| 30/40 (3DO)[5]
Maximum|  (SAT)[6]
Sega Saturn Magazine| 90% (SAT)[7]
3DO Magazine|  (3DO)[9]

The Horde received generally positive reviews. In April 1994 Computer Gaming World said of the PC version that "excellent acting and game play combined with twisted humor ... should make this a winner".[10] The magazine in May 1994 said that "The Horde is a hybrid of the most editor-baffling kind, and what's more aggravating, it's good. Extremely good!". The reviewer praised its combination of resource management and action in varying settings, wonderful animation, and "amazingly good" video clips, stating that Gregory's "show-stealing Evil Chancellor" made the game "a must see". He concluded that "The Horde is remarkably well rounded", and "without question" would win awards in "whichever category that might be".[2] GamePro's Game Over Man gave the 3DO version a perfect score in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and FunFactor), citing the large number of stages, good controls, the overhead "satellite view", the outrageous hordling TV propaganda FMV clips, and use of audio to alert the player to off-screen situations. He concluded: "This imaginative game tries to do something different, and it works".[11] Famicom Tsūshin scored the 3DO version of the game a 30 out of 40.[5]

Reviewing the Saturn version in GamePro, Johnny Ballgame called it "a clever and addicting game that should be eaten up by all Saturn owners". He particularly praised the challenging gameplay, exceptionally clean FMV, and the ability to locate hordlings by sound.[12] David Hodgson of Sega Saturn Magazine gave the Saturn version a 90%, citing the "weird and wonderful gameplay", "genuinely humorous" sound effects, and "perfect difficulty level and learning curve", and said it was a perfect port of the 3DO original.[7] Hodgson also reviewed the game in Maximum, where he made similar praise.[6]

The Horde won Computer Gaming World's Best Musical Score award in June 1994. The editors wrote: "Not only do we like the funky, whimsical riffs within the score, but we appreciate the way that every type of terrain or genus of hordling has its own musical theme". Gregory won the Best On-Screen Performance award for his role in The Horde, and the editors noted that they were particularly impressed with the way Gregory communicates via body language and facial expressions, even in scenes where he has no speaking part.[13] VideoGames selected it as a runner-up for 1994's Best Strategy Game award, which was won by Equinox.[14]

## References

1. ↑ "Selected Viewing Guide". The San Francisco Examiner: pp. 225. March 6, 1994. https://www.newspapers.com/image/462136047/?terms="Rebel Assault" "sega"&match=4. "Crystal Dynamics will release [The Horde] for the 3DO machine this week at a list price of $59.99."
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lombardi, Chris (May 1994). "Bob's Your Bovine Uncle". Computer Gaming World: 108, 110. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Preview: The Horde". GamePro (IDG) (57): 65. April 1994.
4. ↑ Krotz, Scott A. 3DO FAQ. See Question 4.11.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 3DO GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ザ・ホード. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.330. Pg.77. 14 April 1995.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hodgson, David (May 1996). "Maximum Reviews: The Horde". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (Emap International Limited) (6): 127.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hodgson, David (May 1996). "Review: The Horde". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (7): 72–73.
8. ↑ Sackenheim, Shawn. "The Horde (3DO) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2420&tab=review.
9. ↑ "The Horde Review". 3DO Magazine (Paragon Publishing) (1): 46. December 1994. https://archive.org/details/3-do-01/page/46/mode/2up. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
10. ↑ "Invasion Of The Data Stashers". Computer Gaming World: 20–42. April 1994. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117.
11. ↑ "ProReview: The Horde". GamePro (IDG) (58): 98–99. May 1994.
12. ↑ "ProReview: The Horde". GamePro (IDG) (91): 81. April 1996.
13. ↑ "Announcing the New Premier Awards". Computer Gaming World (119): 51–54, 56–58. June 1994. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=119.
14. ↑ "VideoGames Best of '94". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine (74 (March 1995)): 44–7. February 1995. https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_74_March_1995/page/n45/mode/2up.

## 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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