WarGames: Defcon 1

Last updated

WarGames: Defcon 1
WarGames - Defcon 1 Coverart.png
European cover box
Developer(s) Interactive Studios
Publisher(s) MGM Interactive
Director(s) John Whigham
Richard Hackett
Producer(s) Robb Alvey
Jim Banting
Robert Rader
Sean Wilson
Designer(s) Leigh Griffiths
Satty Mann
Programmer(s) Ian Bird
Andrew Oliver
John Whigham
Richard Hackett
Artist(s) Stephen Thomson
Writer(s) John Badham
John Tarnoff
Composer(s) Tommy Tallarico
Fabian Del Priore
Platform(s) PlayStation, Windows
Release
  • EU: June 1998 (PS)
  • NA: 29 July 1998 [1] [2]
  • EU: 21 August 1998 (PC)
Genre(s) Tactical shooter, Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

WarGames: Defcon 1 (known simply as WarGames on PC) is a video game for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows developed by Interactive Studios and co-published by MGM Interactive and Electronic Arts (in North America, MGM Interactive solely published the game). Although both versions possess the same missions and content, the PlayStation version is a tactical vehicle-shooting game while the PC version is a real-time strategy game (similar to Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds ). The game is loosely based on the movie WarGames ; the story was scripted by John Badham, director of the original film. [3]

Contents

PlayStation version

The player plays as NORAD or WOPR. The game takes place 20 years after the film: WOPR attempts to exterminate humanity and NORAD tries to stop it. [4] During a mission the player takes control of a vehicle and can change the controls of any vehicle the team has—for example, while NORAD has heavily armored and armed tanks and aircraft, WOPR possesses exotically futuristic mechs and hovercraft. Vehicles can recharge ammo by obtaining powers. The player can command their team to send resupply on ammos, repair damage units, attack, or follow the player's main vehicle.

Multiplayer

WarGames: Defcon 1 features 2-player split screen VS. or Co-op. [5] The Co-op allows the players to play all single player levels with a partner. Unlike most multiplayer games, the screen is split diagonally. [5]

PC version

Unlike the PlayStation version, the PC version is a real-time strategy game, [6] in which the player can control different units at once. The missions are identical to the PlayStation version.

The electronic registration program included on the game CD contained the Marburg computer virus; playing the game would not cause the player's computer to be infected with the virus, but registering it electronically would. [7]

Development

WarGames: Defcon 1 was one of the few strategy games of its time to not use a tile system, instead allowing troops to be place and moved freely across the landscape. Team leader John Whigham commented, "While this is of great benefit to the player and to the game in general, the programming nightmares it raises have given us more than one sleepless night over the last few months." [8] The game was showcased at E3 1997 [9]

Reception

The PlayStation version received favourable reviews, while the PC version received average reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [10] [11] Next Generation called the former version "a fun romp that is, unfortunately, a bit on the short side. A two-player combat option alleviates this problem somewhat. The bottom line? If you have a second player handy, get it. If not, rent it – it makes for a good three-day weekend of fun"; [26] and called the latter "a fairly competent and well-crafted game. It just doesn't take the genre in any new direction and feels like little more than a me-too effort." [25] Mark Kanarick of AllGame gave Defcon 1 two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying, "I like what MGM Interactive is trying to do in WarGames Defcon 1, but the game just seems to far out there for someone who is not a strategy/wargame enthusiast to grasp. I think it is enjoyable for those looking for a 'different' game, but there is nothing substantial here to warrant anything more than a rental." [30]

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the PC version two 4/5 scores for graphics and sound, 2/5 for control, and 2.5/5 for overall fun factor.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the PlayStation version three 4.5 scores for graphics, sound, and control, and 4.5/5 for overall fun factor.

Related Research Articles

<i>WarGames</i> 1983 science-fiction film directed by John Badham

WarGames is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a young computer hacker who unwittingly accesses a United States military supercomputer programmed to simulate, predict and execute nuclear war against the Soviet Union, triggering a false alarm that threatens to start World War III.

<i>Moto Racer</i> 1997 video game

Moto Racer, mislabeled as Moto Racer Gold, is an arcade style motorcycle racing game developed by Delphine Software International and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. The game was originally to be published by BMG Interactive, but after BMG closed down its U.S. operations it sold the publication rights to Electronic Arts. Critics hailed the game as the first outstanding arcade-style racer to appear on PC, and the PlayStation version in turn was called a strong conversion in reviews.

<i>FIFA 99</i> 1998 association football video game

FIFA 99 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It is the sixth game in the FIFA series and was released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

<i>Madden NFL 99</i> 1998 American football video game

Madden NFL 99 is a football video game released for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. It is the first multiplatform Madden game to be fully 3D and polygonally based and is also the first game to feature Franchise mode. The game's commentary is by John Madden and Pat Summerall. The American version of the game features John Madden himself on the cover, while the European version uses Garrison Hearst instead. The game was the top-selling PlayStation sports video game in 1998 in North America, having sold 1.1 million copies on the PlayStation.

<i>NBA Live 99</i> 1998 basketball video game

NBA Live 99 is the fifth installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 4, 1998, for the Nintendo 64, and then on November 10, 1998, for the Windows and PlayStation. Don Poier is the play-by-play announcer. It was the first NBA Live game released for Nintendo 64. NBA Live 99 was followed by NBA Live 2000.

<i>Future Cop: LAPD</i> 1998 video game

Future Cop: LAPD is a third-person shooter developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts and released first for the PlayStation, then Mac OS and Microsoft Windows. Future Cop was originally developed as an installment of the Strike series.

<i>DEFCON</i> (video game) 2006 video game

DEFCON is a real-time strategy game created by independent British game developer Introversion Software. The gameplay is a simulation of a global nuclear war, with the game's screen reminiscent of the "big boards" that visually represented thermonuclear war in films such as Dr. Strangelove, Fail-Safe, and especially WarGames.

<i>Achtung Spitfire!</i> 1997 video game

Achtung Spitfire! is a 1997 computer wargame developed by Big Time Software and published by Avalon Hill. It is a turn-based air combat game taking place during the early half of World War II, including fixed-wing aircraft, air battles and operations by Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force and French Air Force in 1939–1943.

<i>Sid Meiers Antietam!</i> 1999 video game

Sid Meier's Antietam! is a real-time computer wargame designed by Sid Meier, the co-founder of Firaxis Games, then released in December 1999. It is the sequel to the 1997 Sid Meier's Gettysburg!.

<i>Motocross Madness</i> (1998 video game) 1998 video game

Motocross Madness is a motocross racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by Microsoft.

<i>Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit</i> 1998 racing video game

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit is a 1998 racing video game developed for PlayStation by EA Canada and Microsoft Windows by EA Seattle, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the third major installment in the Need for Speed franchise, incorporating police pursuits as a major part of gameplay. Hot Pursuit remains focused on racing using exotic sports cars, but features races that primarily take place in locations within North America, including varied settings and climates. Police AI is improved over the first game, utilizing several tactics to stop both the player and opponent. The PlayStation version was released on March 25, 1998, while the Windows version was released on October 12 the same year. The game received critical success, with praise for its graphics and customization options. It received a direct sequel in 2002 and a reboot in 2010.

<i>World Cup 98</i> (video game) 1998 video game

World Cup 98 is a football video game released in 1998 to coincide with that year's FIFA World Cup football tournament, developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under their EA Sports label. It is the first official FIFA World Cup game developed by EA Sports after obtaining the rights from FIFA in 1997. Unlike the previous World Cup games, which were in 2D and showed a bird's-eye view, World Cup 98 used a 3D engine, utilising DirectX for the PC version.

<i>Triple Play 2000</i> 1999 video game

Triple Play 2000 is a baseball sports game released for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows in 1999. It is the only game of the Triple Play series released for the Nintendo 64 where it was released in North America. It features the 1999 rosters and 1998 stats which included Sammy Sosa's 66 HR and Mark McGwire's 70 home runs.

<i>Motorhead</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Motorhead: High Velocity Entertainment is a racing video game developed by Digital Illusions CE AB for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Centipede</i> (1998 video game) 1998 video game

Centipede is a 3D remake of the 1981 Centipede arcade game from Atari, the original of which was and designed by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey. It was published by Hasbro Interactive in 1998 under the Atari Interactive brand name.

<i>The Mummy</i> (video game) 2000 video game

The Mummy, known in Japan as Hamunaptra: Ushinawareta Sabaku no Miyako, is a single-player video game for Game Boy Color, PlayStation and Microsoft Windows, based on the 1999 movie of the same name. It was published by Konami.

<i>NFL Blitz</i> (1997 video game) 1997 video game

NFL Blitz is an American football video game developed and published by Midway Games for the arcade in 1997, the first game in the NFL Blitz series. The development team was headed by Mark Turmell and Sal Divita, who were known for being behind NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz was a deliberate attempt to translate the exaggerated arcade-style approach of NBA Jam to the football realm. The game was ported to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows, and Game Boy Color in 1998. The cover athlete for the game was then Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart.

<i>Battle of Britain</i> (1999 video game) 1999 video game

Battle of Britain is a 1999 computer wargame developed and published by TalonSoft. It was designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors.

<i>NHL Powerplay 98</i> 1997 sports video game

NHL Powerplay 98 is a sports video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Virgin Interactive and Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn in 1997. It is the sequel to NHL Powerplay '96; there was no "'97" entry in the NHL Powerplay series. After Virgin opted not to release the game for the Sega Saturn, Sega acquired the rights and published the Saturn version under the title NHL All-Star Hockey 98 so as to make it a continuation of Sega's own NHL All-Star Hockey series.

References

  1. ↑ GameSpot staff (29 July 1998). "New Releases". GameSpot . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 28 January 1999. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Muldoon, Moira (31 July 1998). "videogames.com's Game Calendar [date mislabeled as "March 14, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 21 April 1999. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sneak Previews: WarGames". GamePro . No. 114. IDG. March 1998. p. 64.
  4. ↑ "WarGames: Defcon 1". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 104. Ziff Davis. March 1998. p. 60.
  5. 1 2 "WarGames: Defcon 1". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 106. Ziff Davis. May 1998. p. 47.
  6. ↑ "In the Studio". Next Generation . No. 32. Imagine Media. August 1997. p. 19. MGM Interactive is the most recent publisher to catch the real-time strategy bug. ... A PlayStation strategy title of the same name is following, but will be distinctly different in design.
  7. ↑ Bates, Jason (13 August 1998). "WarGames Plagued by Virus". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "NG Alphas: WarGames". Next Generation. No. 36. Imagine Media. December 1997. pp. 144–45. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Johnston, Chris (9 June 1997). "MGM's E3 Lineup". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 19 January 1998. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. 1 2 "WarGames for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. 1 2 "WarGames: Defcon 1 for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Rausch, Allen (23 July 1998). "WarGames". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Hunter, Scott (25 August 1998). "WarGames". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 29 May 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Clarkson, Mark (November 1998). "Your Move–If You Want It (WarGames Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 172. Ziff Davis. p. 324. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Edge staff (September 1998). "Wargames [sic] (PC)". Edge . No. 62. Future Publishing. p. 95. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Edge staff (August 1998). "Wargames [sic] (PS)". Edge. No. 61. Future Publishing. p. 96. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  17. ↑ EGM staff (September 1998). "WarGames: Defcon 1". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 110. Ziff Davis.
  18. ↑ "Wargames [sic]: Defcon 1". Game Informer . No. 65. FuncoLand. September 1998.
  19. ↑ Boba Fatt (August 1998). "WarGames". GamePro . No. 119. IDG Entertainment. p. 87. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  20. ↑ Boba Fatt (September 1998). "WarGames: Defcon 1 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. No. 120. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 14 February 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  21. ↑ Hubble, Calvin (September 1998). "WarGames Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  22. ↑ Ryan, Michael E. (10 August 1998). "WarGames Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 27 January 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (7 August 1998). "WarGames: Defcon 1 Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  24. ↑ Bates, Jason (18 August 1998). "WarGames". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  25. 1 2 "WarGames". Next Generation. No. 46. Imagine Media. October 1998. p. 134. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  26. 1 2 "WarGames: Defcon 1". Next Generation. No. 46. Imagine Media. October 1998. p. 130. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "WarGames: Defcon 1". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . Vol. 1, no. 12. Ziff Davis. September 1998.
  28. ↑ Lee, John (October 1998). "WarGames". PC Accelerator . No. 2. Imagine Media. p. 108. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  29. ↑ McDonald, T. Liam (October 1998). "WarGames". PC Gamer . Vol. 5, no. 10. Imagine Media. pp. 204–5. Archived from the original on 10 December 1999. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  30. ↑ Kanarick, Mark. "WarGames: Defcon 1 - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.