Spiderweb Software
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, video games |
| Founded | September 1994 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
| Key people | Jeff Vogel — President |
| Products | Demoware video game |
| Website | spiderwebsoftware.com |
Spiderweb Software is a small indie video game developer founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel in Seattle, Washington. Its primary focus is on creating demoware games for the Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Android and the iPad. The company is unusual in that it first develops games for Macintosh systems before porting them to the Windows and iOS platforms. It is also known for emphasizing storytelling and gameplay over graphics.[1]
Games
Spiderweb Software is most notable for the following RPG video games:
- The Exile trilogy of underground adventures.
- Blades of Exile, a non-canonical continuation featuring a scenario creation kit.
- Nethergate, a fantasy game based upon the Roman occupation of Britain. The game was eventually revamped under the title Nethergate: Resurrection.
- The first Avernum trilogy, which are expanded updates of the Exile series, using the Nethergate game engine, with several enhancements to the visual design and gameplay.
- Blades of Avernum, a non-canonical continuation featuring a scenario creation kit.
- The five-part Geneforge series, notable for its unique gameplay involving the creation of creatures to assist the player.
- The Second Avernum trilogy, continuing and ultimately finishing the story of Avernum, using a variation of the Geneforge game engine.
- Avadon: The Black Fortress, the first game in a new trilogy. Avadon features a new game setting, interface, and combat system.[2][3]
- Avadon 2: The Corruption. The second game released in the Avadon trilogy.[4]
- Avernum: Escape From the Pit, the first in a series of ground-up rewrites of the first Avernum trilogy, with new graphics and sound effects and an expanded storyline.[5] Released for Mac OS X on December 14, 2011.[6] A release date of April 2012 has been announced for Microsoft Windows, the iPad,[7] and Android in collaboration with the Humble Indie Bundle.
The company previously provided distribution services and other support for other shareware developers, including Richard White and Crystal Shard. In June 2007, Jeff Vogel announced that the company would no longer be supporting games by other developers, and they are no longer available for download through Spiderweb's main site.[8]
Awards
- Exile II: Crystal Souls – 1995 "Shareware Game of the Year" (Honorable Mention), MacUser
- Exile III: Ruined World – "Shareware Game of the Year", Computer Gaming World
- Nethergate – "RPG of the Year" (Honorable Mention), Computer Games Magazine
- Geneforge 4: Rebellion – "Indie RPG of the year" GameBanshee
References
- ↑ The Bottom Feeder: How Many Games I Sell, Part Two
- ↑ "Spiderweb Software's homepage". Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ↑ Vogel, Jeff (February 26, 2010). "Avernum 6 For Windows Released". Retrieved March 24, 2010. "I am making a whole new game world, game engine"
- ↑ http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/avadon2/. Retrieved October 30, 2013. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ RPGamer Interview
- ↑ Inside Mac Games Article
- ↑ Avernum Main Page
- ↑ Announcement of end of SubTerra distribution from Spiderweb Software's website