Quantum Gate

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Quantum Gate
Developer(s) Hyperbole Studios
Publisher(s) Media Vision Technology
Designer(s) Greg Roach
Engine Virtual Cinema
Release date(s) 1993
Genre(s) FMV game, adventure
Mode(s)
Platform(s) Windows 3.x, Macintosh
Media CD-ROM
System requirements 386/33, 4 MB RAM, 640 x 480 Super VGA with 256 colors (65,536 recommended), CD-ROM drive with minimum of 150 kB/s. transfer rate, 8-bit Windows compatible sound card, 10 MB hard disk space, Windows 3.1 or MS-DOS 5 or 6.

"Quantum Gate" is an interactive movie created by Hyperbole Studios [1] in 1993 and published by the now defunct Media Vision Technology. (not to be confused with Media.Vision of Japan). Quantum Gate, sold over 100,000 units (a commercial benchmark achieved by few titles in 1993) and was regarded as a technical, and artistic breakthrough in PC entertainment design.

Greg Roach[2] wrote and designed the title which follows the story of Drew Griffin, a military recruit in a base on a far off planet, preparing for a war with an alien species. A sequel: Quantum Gate 2: The Vortex was also developed by Hyperbole Studios. Both titles suffered from the expectations of gamers, who, by and large failed to understand the goals and intentions of the creators - to create a new kind of participatory and immersive story - rather than a traditional computer game filled with puizzles and action sequences.

Quantum Gate was celebrated for its superior graphics, powerful story and computer-generated imagery, but criticised for having limited gameplay. Computer Gaming World referred to it as "A future shock film on par with Alien."

Originally the two releases (Quantum Gate/The Vortex) were written and designed as a single story/experience, but the publisher, Media Vision, excercised an acceleration clause in the development contract and demanded the title months ahead of the original release date - causing the developers to have to split the title into two. As a result, The Vortex was redesigned to allow its story to stand alone.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hyperbole Studios website http://www.hyperbole.com/
  2. ^ IMDB article: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207035/