.gif)
Prey (video game)
Encyclopedia
Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios
(under contract for 3D Realms
), and published by 2K Games
. The Xbox 360
version was ported
by Venom Games
. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006. Prey uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 to use portals and variable gravity to create the environments the player explores. The game's story is focused on Cherokee
Domasi "Tommy" Tawodi as he, his girlfriend, and grandfather are abducted aboard an alien spaceship known as The Sphere as it consumes material, both inanimate and living, from the Earth in order to sustain itself. Tommy's Cherokee past allows him to let his spirit roam freely at times, and gives Tommy an edge in his attempt to stop the Sphere.
Prey had been in development in one form or another since , and has had several major revisions. While the general approach to gameplay, including the use of portals, remained in the game, the story and setting changed several times. The game received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, selling more than one million copies in the first two months of its release and leading to the development of a sequel, with rights owned by the Radar Group
. The rights were recently transferred to Bethesda Softworks
and Id Software
parent company Zenimax Media
.
garage mechanic and former U.S. Army soldier living on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma
. At the beginning of the game, Tommy is in a bar owned by his girlfriend, Jen. Tommy is tired of living on the reservation, and constantly tries to push his heritage away, while at the same time trying to convince Jen to leave home, if only for a short while, to which she refuses steadfastly. After an unfortunate bar fight, the entire building is lifted up by a gravitational force into a green light above. Tommy, Jen, and Tommy's grandfather, Enisi, are transported skyward to the massive alien starship called the Sphere. After docking, all three, along with countless other captives, are dragged through the upper levels of the Sphere. Tommy is freed in an explosion set off by a stranger who, despite being cybernetic like most of the Sphere's denizens, appears to be working against it rather than for it.
Tommy witnesses Enisi's death in a brutal alien device. While trying to find Jen, he falls from a walkway and has a near-death experience to The Land of The Ancients where he meets with his grandfather's spirit who bestows him with spiritual powers. After returning to the world of the living, Tommy gains the ability to spirit-walk, allowing him to separate from his body to pass through forcefields and operate consoles normally out of reach, as well as the aid of his spirit guide
, the ghost of his childhood pet hawk
, named Talon. Despite being entrusted by his ancestor's spirits with the mission to protect all of mankind from the sphere's invasion, Tommy cannot stop worrying about Jen, and he only cares about how to find and rescue her.
The Sphere houses many different alien races that were taken by the Sphere from other worlds. Most of them are cybernetically enhanced, much like the Strogg of the Quake series
, and they have a language of their own, unreadable until Tommy obtains Talon and their language is translated to English.
It is implied along the game that the Keepers of the Sphere, who act as the leaders of the other races, plant the seed of life in certain worlds that they see have the potential to sustain such life. Once the seed is planted, they let evolution run its course while they go to other worlds. However, once the planet is brimming with life, be it intelligent or not, they come back to "reap" all resources, both organic and material from the planet.
Multiple species may be consumed as more energy for the Sphere. The only group of beings aboard the Sphere who live relatively freely are a small band of humans who call themselves the Hidden. The members of the Hidden, individually known as "Hiders", are slightly enhanced with cybernetics, but nowhere near the extent of the other beings on the Sphere, and have not lost their individuality. Led by a seemingly young woman named Elhuit, the Hidden strive to ultimately destroy the Sphere, though what they want most is to return to Earth, where they were taken from many years ago.
The Sphere is controlled by a superior being called "The Mother" who communicates telepathically with Tommy throughout the game. She reveals to Tommy that she was once human. She too once fought against the previous "Mother" of the Sphere and after defeating it, she took its place. At the end, after a very turbulent fight, Mother is defeated and, in her death throes, begs Tommy to take over her job, lest the entire Sphere die. As she dies, a burst of light engulfs Tommy and when vision is restored, Tommy finds himself inside the Mother's den with reams of data overwhelming him, making him numb with power. His grandfather, Enisi, contacts him from the spirit realm and tells him that such power is only an illusion, as the price is greater than what he has gained, and that he needs to look in his heart and make the right decision. Tommy heeds his grandfather's words and drives the Sphere straight into the Sun
, and ends up in the land of the ancients to see Enisi and Jen once more. Knowing that when it is his time he will see them both again, Tommy goes back to Earth.
Six months later, Tommy finds himself in a rebuilt Roadhouse, apparently not yet open to the public. The official story is that people, buildings and objects vanished because of an unknown, unexplained natural phenomenon. He turns around and sees Elhuit. She and the surviving Hiders had escaped through their own portal machine just before Tommy plunged the Sphere into the sun. She tells him that while people on Earth do not know of the great deed he has done, there are those "elsewhere" who have taken notice and want to meet him. Elhuit opens up a portal and Tommy walks through it. The words "Prey will continue..." appear.
with the player in control of Tommy as he explores the Sphere and fights the inhabitants aboard the craft. During the game, the player will collect a number of alien weapons, some compare to typical first-person shooter archetypes, others more alien in behavior.
The game's engine introduces two unique aspects to exploration. Portals in the game can transport the player from one area to another instantly; portals can be looked and shot through as well (introducing the very real hazard of shooting oneself by mistake), and can also be traveled in reverse. Unlike the later game Portal, the player cannot create portals directly without the use of mods, and portals remain fixed in space. The game also features variable gravity. Special paths allow the player to walk along them, remaining upright regardless of orientation, though should the player fall or voluntarily jump off the path, gravity will reassert itself. Small planetoids inside The Sphere can also exhibit their own gravity fields, allowing the player to walk completely around the outside of it.
The player can detach Tommy's spirit from his body, allowing the spirit to roam freely for a short time. The spirit has limited interaction with the environment, though it is able to activate control panels and can use a spirit bow to strike at foes. The spirit force is often used to solve environmental puzzles within the game as well as to locate paths that are not visible to mortal eyes.
did for Epic Games
, and it would retain this role in the company's strategy throughout its development time in the 3D Realms studios.
Prey as a game was to go through many different forms during this first development period. A rapid succession of different designs was outlined by Tom Hall
(previously of id Software
and later of Ion Storm
), who was at that time fresh off the Rise of the Triad
team at Apogee Software
. After about a year's worth of work, however, Tom Hall abandoned the project and left the company to form Ion Storm with ex-Id compatriot John Romero
. At this point 3D Realms brought on Paul Schuytema to begin the next phase in the game's development.
The new team would go on to create the most coherent design the game ever had. The alien abduction theme from Hall's work was retained, but now the game was to be set on a massive, living alien space ship inhabited by a number of different alien races (three of them collectively known as the "Trocara" and a fourth called the "Keepers"), the player himself would take the role of a Native American hero, called Talon Brave.
The game was the first in the genre to make use of "portal" technology, a feature that allowed rips in space to be created, moved and reshaped in real time. This was to be a core feature of the gameplay, along with heavily destructible environments. It was also thought at the time this engine would be used for Duke Nukem 5 (the game after Duke Nukem Forever
). Demonstrations of these features drew widespread acclaim at the 1997 and 1998 E3 exhibitions – the television program Infinite MHz
was able to capture exclusive footage of the game's private behind-closed-doors demo at the games both E3 showings.
The public perception was very positive, the game looked impressive, and 3D Realms' name, fresh from the success of Duke Nukem 3D
was a mark of quality. Furthermore, German industrial band KMFDM
was to create the game's soundtrack. 3D Realms posted on their website in 1997 that they received a sample of the soundtrack from KMFDM and highly praised the music, described as "ambient industrial". On December 19, 1997, 3D Realms also released two KMFDM songs in MP3 format (that are not on the Prey soundtrack), "Inane" and "Megalomaniac".
However, despite the best of starts, Prey development was troubled. Seemingly insurmountable technical problems ground development to a near-halt, and this version of Prey too fell apart. Later, on an Internet discussion board head engineer William Scarboro would comment that "In hindsight, portal tricks such as these should be used as tricks, not as an engine paradigm."
Shortly after the Schuytema variant of Prey disbanded, 3D Realms attempted again to revive the project by bringing on tech programmer Corrinne Yu
in November 1998. Development of the game itself was not part of this effort, Yu was working by herself on the game engine exclusively. However, after a time, this iteration of Prey fell apart as well. 3D Realms and Corrinne Yu parted ways, and Prey began its long period of inactivity in 1999. The title was put on indefinite hold (although never formally canceled, contrary to popular opinion).
On March 8, 2000, Prey.net (an early Prey site with a section about KMFDM
) released a Real Audio file of a third KMFDM song: "Missing Time", which was going to be part of the Prey soundtrack but was featured in the film Heavy Metal 2000
instead (under the name MDFMK
which is a side project of KMFDM members during their temporary break-up).
3D Realms chose the id Tech 4 game engine from id Software
, and Rune developer Human Head Studios
was commissioned to develop the game using the previous designs as a base.
Rumors of this new project leaked out to the public in 2002, through the website Evil Avatar, but were at that time neither confirmed nor denied. It was not until 2005, when the cryptic clue "Keep your eyes open for the unveiling of our next game very soon.)" appeared on the 3D Realms website that the previous rumors were confirmed in any way. This was followed by a CNN article by Chris Morris, claiming that Prey was not only in development, but that it would be shown at E3.
Soon afterwards, the official Prey teaser
site was launched, confirming the game's existence, and hinting that more would be revealed in the June issue of PC Gamer
, which indeed featured a seven page article on Prey.
On April 26, 2005 Prey was officially announced in a press release
by 2K Games
:
"New York, NY – April 26, 2005 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and 3D Realms today announced Prey, a revolutionary first person shooter for PC and a next-generation console system in development at Human Head Studios, under the direct supervision of 3D Realms."
The press release later went on to say that:
"Prey will be exclusively showcased at this year's E3 Expo by ATI in a movie theater-style exhibition. For the world exclusive first details on the game, look for PC Gamer's June issue featuring Prey as its cover story, arriving on newsstands in early May Prey is currently scheduled for a 2006 release."
On April 28, 2006, a July 10, 2006 release date was announced (although 3D Realms claims that is not the formal release date since it did not come from them or Human Head). On May 19, 2006, 3D Realms announced that a demo of Prey would be released on June 22, 2006—the PC demo was released on this date, but the Xbox 360 demo was delayed until June 30, 2006. On June 28, 2006, it was announced that Prey had officially gone gold.
A playable single and multiplayer demo of the game was released on June 22, 2006, for Microsoft Windows
, and a downloadable Xbox 360 demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace
on June 30, 2006. The game went gold
on June 28, 2006, and was released in North America on July 11, 2006, and on July 14, 2006, in Europe.
On November 29, 2006, Aspyr Media
announced a Mac port, which was shipped on January 15, 2007.
On October 24, 2008, a Linux client for the Prey demo was released by Ryan "icculus" Gordon, who had been working on porting the game for several months. Later that year, on December 7, 2008, the Linux client for the full retail version was made available.
revealed that the game uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 capable of rendering "huge cavernous spaces as well as more traditional passages". The game also supports the dynamic portals that were seen in the 1997/1998 video clips, which are used by friends and foes alike.
The game also has the ability to change gravity in many parts of the game, via small items that need to be shot to become active, which is used to solve many puzzles throughout the game. Also, various landscapes in the game (large rocks, for example) have their own gravity that overrides the normal gravity in the game.
Two vehicles make an appearance; one is a flying vehicle used frequently for travel and attacking (as well as puzzle solving), and one is only used for a short period near the end of the game.
The bar that the game begins in is very interactive, utilizing usable restroom facilities, a TV with various channels (including a clip from Duck and Cover
), a fully playable Pac-Man
-style game called Rune Man (referring to a previous game by Human Head entitled Rune
), several video casino machines (including blackjack
, draw poker
, and a slot machine
), and a jukebox that plays a small selection of licensed songs (see Jukebox).
Prey was the only major title to utilize the new Triton
distribution system, which went out of business mere months after the game's launch. Following the demise of Triton, Prey moved to distribution via Steam.
oral tradition, which 3D Realms aims to use for a number of games. When it was first revealed that the game's protagonist would be a Native American, the response was mixed due to concerns that he would be a stereotyped caricature, and that players would have difficulty identifying with a Native American character. Tommy is voiced by Michael Greyeyes
, and Jen is voiced by Crystle Lightning
, who are both Plains Cree. Greyeyes approved of the way that Tommy was depicted in the game, contrasting Prey to a film production:
A third (Mutate) pewter figurine was available separately for purchase to complete the collection of 3 pewter figurines.
and his brother, Julian Soule. The Prey soundtrack was released in two volumes (nearly 2 hours of the game's 3-hour score). The end credits feature the song "Take Me Home" by After Midnight Project
.
There are several jukebox
es in the game which allow the player to choose from a small selection of licensed songs. The full selection of songs is, in the order they are arranged:
In addition, radio host Art Bell
lends his voice to several fictional segments of his paranormal
-themed radio show, Coast to Coast AM
, that play from radios throughout the game. In the segments, he talks with many callers about the various alien phenomena that occur in the game.
Prey has a respective average of 83 and 79 on the PC and Xbox 360. Prey was highly praised for its graphics and gameplay. Gamezone called the graphics "top notch", while Play Magazine called them "incredible". GamerFeed lauded the gameplay of Prey, calling it "nothing short of amazing", and concluding that "Prey has got everything anyone could want from a sci-fi shooter and more". However, there was criticism directed at the multiplayer component, especially the fact that it only had two game modes. GamesRadar said that the multiplayer "could have been much better if only there were more than two modes [and] a couple of maps small enough to play with less than five players".
In October 2006, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller announced that the game is a commercial success on both PC and Xbox 360 with combined 1 million copies sold worldwide to date.
Prey is ranked third on Game Informer list of The Top 10 Video Game Openings.
' Scott Miller confirmed that a sequel named Prey 2 was already in development. On March 17, 2008, Miller's brand-management group Radar Group
was officially launched, along with the announcement that it is managing Prey 2, and that it slated for the PC and Xbox 360. The game is being developed in cooperation with Human Head Studios
.
In 2009, the rights to the franchise were acquired by Zenimax Media
.
On March 16, 2011, a live action trailer for Prey 2 was released http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/03/16/prey-2-teaser-trailer
Human Head Studios
Human Head Studios is a computer game development company located in Madison, Wisconsin.It was founded in October 1997 by a group of six developers formerly from Raven Software: Chris Rhinehart, Paul MacArthur, Shane Gurno, Ben Gokey, James Sumwalt, and Ted Halsted—later joined by game producer Tim...
(under contract for 3D Realms
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
), and published by 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...
. The Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version was ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
by Venom Games
Venom Games
Venom Games was a video game developer based in Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK.-History:Venom Games was founded in January 2003 in Newcastle upon Tyne following the demise of Rage Software by members of the development team responsible for Rocky. Take-Two acquired the developer in September 2004 for...
. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006. Prey uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 to use portals and variable gravity to create the environments the player explores. The game's story is focused on Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Domasi "Tommy" Tawodi as he, his girlfriend, and grandfather are abducted aboard an alien spaceship known as The Sphere as it consumes material, both inanimate and living, from the Earth in order to sustain itself. Tommy's Cherokee past allows him to let his spirit roam freely at times, and gives Tommy an edge in his attempt to stop the Sphere.
Prey had been in development in one form or another since , and has had several major revisions. While the general approach to gameplay, including the use of portals, remained in the game, the story and setting changed several times. The game received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, selling more than one million copies in the first two months of its release and leading to the development of a sequel, with rights owned by the Radar Group
Radar Group
Radar Group is a video and computer game company. It is neither a publisher nor a development studio, but rather a brand creation and portfolio management company. It co-creates original intellectual property , designed from the ground up, working with independent developer studios and funding its...
. The rights were recently transferred to Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
and Id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
parent company Zenimax Media
ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American media company that develops and publishes computer and video games through its subsidiaries. ZeniMax is known as the owner of id Software , Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , Tango Gameworks and...
.
Plot
The story focuses on Domasi Tawodi (also known as "Tommy"), a CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
garage mechanic and former U.S. Army soldier living on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. At the beginning of the game, Tommy is in a bar owned by his girlfriend, Jen. Tommy is tired of living on the reservation, and constantly tries to push his heritage away, while at the same time trying to convince Jen to leave home, if only for a short while, to which she refuses steadfastly. After an unfortunate bar fight, the entire building is lifted up by a gravitational force into a green light above. Tommy, Jen, and Tommy's grandfather, Enisi, are transported skyward to the massive alien starship called the Sphere. After docking, all three, along with countless other captives, are dragged through the upper levels of the Sphere. Tommy is freed in an explosion set off by a stranger who, despite being cybernetic like most of the Sphere's denizens, appears to be working against it rather than for it.
Tommy witnesses Enisi's death in a brutal alien device. While trying to find Jen, he falls from a walkway and has a near-death experience to The Land of The Ancients where he meets with his grandfather's spirit who bestows him with spiritual powers. After returning to the world of the living, Tommy gains the ability to spirit-walk, allowing him to separate from his body to pass through forcefields and operate consoles normally out of reach, as well as the aid of his spirit guide
Spirit guide
"Spirit guide" is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a guide or protector to a living incarnated human being....
, the ghost of his childhood pet hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, named Talon. Despite being entrusted by his ancestor's spirits with the mission to protect all of mankind from the sphere's invasion, Tommy cannot stop worrying about Jen, and he only cares about how to find and rescue her.
Sphere
The Sphere is an organic alien ship. It has a small, concentrated star at its core, which is used to support itself and all life inside it. The origin of the Sphere is unclear, but its main goal is to maintain itself. It travels the galaxy searching for various alien races to maintain it. It also uses these races as food to provide much needed extra energy to sustain the Sphere and its star. The Sphere is fused with cybernetic enhancements, and has the power to manipulate gravity inside of itself and alter space (as demonstrated in the maze puzzle and in the numerous small storage boxes that, when entered, lead to entire rooms). Various walkways allow the occupants to walk on surfaces otherwise designated as walls and ceilings. Switches that change the direction of gravity, effectively changing the orientation of anyone in the area, are present in some locations, causing floors, walls, and ceilings to change their roles depending on the switch used. The Sphere also has the ability to produce portals to other sections at will. These portals allow occupants to move much faster around the Sphere and fulfill their duties more efficiently.The Sphere houses many different alien races that were taken by the Sphere from other worlds. Most of them are cybernetically enhanced, much like the Strogg of the Quake series
Quake (series)
The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...
, and they have a language of their own, unreadable until Tommy obtains Talon and their language is translated to English.
It is implied along the game that the Keepers of the Sphere, who act as the leaders of the other races, plant the seed of life in certain worlds that they see have the potential to sustain such life. Once the seed is planted, they let evolution run its course while they go to other worlds. However, once the planet is brimming with life, be it intelligent or not, they come back to "reap" all resources, both organic and material from the planet.
Multiple species may be consumed as more energy for the Sphere. The only group of beings aboard the Sphere who live relatively freely are a small band of humans who call themselves the Hidden. The members of the Hidden, individually known as "Hiders", are slightly enhanced with cybernetics, but nowhere near the extent of the other beings on the Sphere, and have not lost their individuality. Led by a seemingly young woman named Elhuit, the Hidden strive to ultimately destroy the Sphere, though what they want most is to return to Earth, where they were taken from many years ago.
The Sphere is controlled by a superior being called "The Mother" who communicates telepathically with Tommy throughout the game. She reveals to Tommy that she was once human. She too once fought against the previous "Mother" of the Sphere and after defeating it, she took its place. At the end, after a very turbulent fight, Mother is defeated and, in her death throes, begs Tommy to take over her job, lest the entire Sphere die. As she dies, a burst of light engulfs Tommy and when vision is restored, Tommy finds himself inside the Mother's den with reams of data overwhelming him, making him numb with power. His grandfather, Enisi, contacts him from the spirit realm and tells him that such power is only an illusion, as the price is greater than what he has gained, and that he needs to look in his heart and make the right decision. Tommy heeds his grandfather's words and drives the Sphere straight into the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, and ends up in the land of the ancients to see Enisi and Jen once more. Knowing that when it is his time he will see them both again, Tommy goes back to Earth.
Six months later, Tommy finds himself in a rebuilt Roadhouse, apparently not yet open to the public. The official story is that people, buildings and objects vanished because of an unknown, unexplained natural phenomenon. He turns around and sees Elhuit. She and the surviving Hiders had escaped through their own portal machine just before Tommy plunged the Sphere into the sun. She tells him that while people on Earth do not know of the great deed he has done, there are those "elsewhere" who have taken notice and want to meet him. Elhuit opens up a portal and Tommy walks through it. The words "Prey will continue..." appear.
Gameplay
Prey is a first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
with the player in control of Tommy as he explores the Sphere and fights the inhabitants aboard the craft. During the game, the player will collect a number of alien weapons, some compare to typical first-person shooter archetypes, others more alien in behavior.
The game's engine introduces two unique aspects to exploration. Portals in the game can transport the player from one area to another instantly; portals can be looked and shot through as well (introducing the very real hazard of shooting oneself by mistake), and can also be traveled in reverse. Unlike the later game Portal, the player cannot create portals directly without the use of mods, and portals remain fixed in space. The game also features variable gravity. Special paths allow the player to walk along them, remaining upright regardless of orientation, though should the player fall or voluntarily jump off the path, gravity will reassert itself. Small planetoids inside The Sphere can also exhibit their own gravity fields, allowing the player to walk completely around the outside of it.
The player can detach Tommy's spirit from his body, allowing the spirit to roam freely for a short time. The spirit has limited interaction with the environment, though it is able to activate control panels and can use a spirit bow to strike at foes. The spirit force is often used to solve environmental puzzles within the game as well as to locate paths that are not visible to mortal eyes.
Development
Prey has a long and storied development history that spans over a decade, starting in 1995. Since then it has been through several iterations of the game design and software technology before the production version of the game was finally released in 2006.False starts
In 1995, the first incarnation of the game was announced. Prey was envisioned by 3D Realms as the first of a number of games to be running on unique, cutting edge game engine technology, developed in house. In this sense the project played the same role as UnrealUnreal
Unreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...
did for Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
, and it would retain this role in the company's strategy throughout its development time in the 3D Realms studios.
Prey as a game was to go through many different forms during this first development period. A rapid succession of different designs was outlined by Tom Hall
Tom Hall
Tom A. Hall is a game designer born in Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he received a B.S. in Computer Science. In 1987, he worked at Softdisk Inc., where he was both a programmer and the editor of Softdisk, a software bundle delivered monthly...
(previously of id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
and later of Ion Storm
Ion storm
Ion storm may refer to:* Ion Storm, a defunct games software company.* An interplanetary coronal mass ejection , a disruption of the fast and slow solar winds, often called "ion storm", "solar storm" or "space storm"...
), who was at that time fresh off the Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad: Dark War is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software . The members of the development team involved referred to themselves as "The Developers of Incredible Power"...
team at Apogee Software
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
. After about a year's worth of work, however, Tom Hall abandoned the project and left the company to form Ion Storm with ex-Id compatriot John Romero
John Romero
Alfonso John Romero is a game designer, programmer, and developer in the video game industry. He is best known as a co-founder of id Software and was a designer for many of their games, including Wolfenstein 3D, Dangerous Dave, Doom and Quake...
. At this point 3D Realms brought on Paul Schuytema to begin the next phase in the game's development.
The new team would go on to create the most coherent design the game ever had. The alien abduction theme from Hall's work was retained, but now the game was to be set on a massive, living alien space ship inhabited by a number of different alien races (three of them collectively known as the "Trocara" and a fourth called the "Keepers"), the player himself would take the role of a Native American hero, called Talon Brave.
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...
). Demonstrations of these features drew widespread acclaim at the 1997 and 1998 E3 exhibitions – the television program Infinite MHz
Infinite MHz
Infinite MHz was a TV show from the mid 90's to early 2001 about PC games. It primarily aired on Public-access television cable TV in New England, and was based out of Cape Cod, MA. It only held out for a brief period on national cable television....
was able to capture exclusive footage of the game's private behind-closed-doors demo at the games both E3 showings.
The public perception was very positive, the game looked impressive, and 3D Realms' name, fresh from the success of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
was a mark of quality. Furthermore, German industrial band KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
was to create the game's soundtrack. 3D Realms posted on their website in 1997 that they received a sample of the soundtrack from KMFDM and highly praised the music, described as "ambient industrial". On December 19, 1997, 3D Realms also released two KMFDM songs in MP3 format (that are not on the Prey soundtrack), "Inane" and "Megalomaniac".
However, despite the best of starts, Prey development was troubled. Seemingly insurmountable technical problems ground development to a near-halt, and this version of Prey too fell apart. Later, on an Internet discussion board head engineer William Scarboro would comment that "In hindsight, portal tricks such as these should be used as tricks, not as an engine paradigm."
Shortly after the Schuytema variant of Prey disbanded, 3D Realms attempted again to revive the project by bringing on tech programmer Corrinne Yu
Corrinne Yu
-Biography:Corrinne Yu is Principal Engine Architect on Microsoft's Halo team, and first-party Halo games Lead. Yu is the first and only female Technical Lead of the whole of Microsoft Game Studios and was a founding member of Microsoft's Direct 3D Advisory Board. Previously she participated in...
in November 1998. Development of the game itself was not part of this effort, Yu was working by herself on the game engine exclusively. However, after a time, this iteration of Prey fell apart as well. 3D Realms and Corrinne Yu parted ways, and Prey began its long period of inactivity in 1999. The title was put on indefinite hold (although never formally canceled, contrary to popular opinion).
On March 8, 2000, Prey.net (an early Prey site with a section about KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
) released a Real Audio file of a third KMFDM song: "Missing Time", which was going to be part of the Prey soundtrack but was featured in the film Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000 is the 2000 follow-up to the 1981 animated cult film Heavy Metal, based on the fantasy magazine of the same name. The story itself is based on the graphic novel, The Melting Pot, written by Kevin Eastman, Simon Bisley and Eric Talbot...
instead (under the name MDFMK
MDFMK
MDFMK was an industrial rock band formed by two members of KMFDM, Sascha Konietzko and Tim Skold. Lucia Cifarelli, formerly of the band Drill, later rounded out the trio.-History:...
which is a side project of KMFDM members during their temporary break-up).
Final production
In 2001, 3D Realms began development on a new version of the title. This time, with the advantage of the necessary portal technology already being a stable and functional component of all modern game engines, 3D Realms was able to license the necessary technology instead of having to develop it.3D Realms chose the id Tech 4 game engine from id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
, and Rune developer Human Head Studios
Human Head Studios
Human Head Studios is a computer game development company located in Madison, Wisconsin.It was founded in October 1997 by a group of six developers formerly from Raven Software: Chris Rhinehart, Paul MacArthur, Shane Gurno, Ben Gokey, James Sumwalt, and Ted Halsted—later joined by game producer Tim...
was commissioned to develop the game using the previous designs as a base.
Rumors of this new project leaked out to the public in 2002, through the website Evil Avatar, but were at that time neither confirmed nor denied. It was not until 2005, when the cryptic clue "Keep your eyes open for the unveiling of our next game very soon.)" appeared on the 3D Realms website that the previous rumors were confirmed in any way. This was followed by a CNN article by Chris Morris, claiming that Prey was not only in development, but that it would be shown at E3.
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
site was launched, confirming the game's existence, and hinting that more would be revealed in the June issue of PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
, which indeed featured a seven page article on Prey.
On April 26, 2005 Prey was officially announced in a press release
News release
A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy...
by 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...
:
"New York, NY – April 26, 2005 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and 3D Realms today announced Prey, a revolutionary first person shooter for PC and a next-generation console system in development at Human Head Studios, under the direct supervision of 3D Realms."
The press release later went on to say that:
"Prey will be exclusively showcased at this year's E3 Expo by ATI in a movie theater-style exhibition. For the world exclusive first details on the game, look for PC Gamer's June issue featuring Prey as its cover story, arriving on newsstands in early May Prey is currently scheduled for a 2006 release."
On April 28, 2006, a July 10, 2006 release date was announced (although 3D Realms claims that is not the formal release date since it did not come from them or Human Head). On May 19, 2006, 3D Realms announced that a demo of Prey would be released on June 22, 2006—the PC demo was released on this date, but the Xbox 360 demo was delayed until June 30, 2006. On June 28, 2006, it was announced that Prey had officially gone gold.
A playable single and multiplayer demo of the game was released on June 22, 2006, for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, and a downloadable Xbox 360 demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
on June 30, 2006. The game went gold
Development stage
A software release life cycle refers to the phases of development and maturity for a piece of computer software—ranging from its initial development, to its eventual release, and updated versions of the released version to help improve software or fix bugs still present in the software.- Pre-alpha...
on June 28, 2006, and was released in North America on July 11, 2006, and on July 14, 2006, in Europe.
On November 29, 2006, Aspyr Media
Aspyr Media
Aspyr Media, Inc. is an Austin, Texas based company that specializes in porting Windows games to Mac OS. It has been in business since 1996, and as of 2003 owns 60 percent of the Mac entertainment market...
announced a Mac port, which was shipped on January 15, 2007.
On October 24, 2008, a Linux client for the Prey demo was released by Ryan "icculus" Gordon, who had been working on porting the game for several months. Later that year, on December 7, 2008, the Linux client for the full retail version was made available.
Technology
The June 2005 issue of PC GamerPC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
revealed that the game uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 capable of rendering "huge cavernous spaces as well as more traditional passages". The game also supports the dynamic portals that were seen in the 1997/1998 video clips, which are used by friends and foes alike.
The game also has the ability to change gravity in many parts of the game, via small items that need to be shot to become active, which is used to solve many puzzles throughout the game. Also, various landscapes in the game (large rocks, for example) have their own gravity that overrides the normal gravity in the game.
Two vehicles make an appearance; one is a flying vehicle used frequently for travel and attacking (as well as puzzle solving), and one is only used for a short period near the end of the game.
The bar that the game begins in is very interactive, utilizing usable restroom facilities, a TV with various channels (including a clip from Duck and Cover
Duck and Cover (film)
Duck and Cover is a civil defense film produced in 1951 by the United States federal government's civil defense branch shortly after the Soviet Union began nuclear testing. Written by Raymond J...
), a fully playable Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
-style game called Rune Man (referring to a previous game by Human Head entitled Rune
Rune (computer game)
Rune is a third-person action computer game developed by Human Head Studios which was released in late 2000. The game is based on Norse mythology, showing the conflict between the gods Odin and Loki and the build up to Ragnarok, the end of the world...
), several video casino machines (including blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, draw poker
Draw poker
Draw poker is any poker variant in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing, or "drawing", cards....
, and a slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
), and a jukebox that plays a small selection of licensed songs (see Jukebox).
Prey was the only major title to utilize the new Triton
Triton (content delivery)
Triton was a digital delivery and digital rights management service created by Digital Interactive Streams, which abruptly went out of business in early October 2006....
distribution system, which went out of business mere months after the game's launch. Following the demise of Triton, Prey moved to distribution via Steam.
Cherokee culture
Domasi (Tommy) Tawodi's background was chosen due to the amount of mythology in CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
oral tradition, which 3D Realms aims to use for a number of games. When it was first revealed that the game's protagonist would be a Native American, the response was mixed due to concerns that he would be a stereotyped caricature, and that players would have difficulty identifying with a Native American character. Tommy is voiced by Michael Greyeyes
Michael Greyeyes
Michael Greyeyes is a Canadian actor. He was born June 4, 1967. He is Plains Cree from the Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. His father is from the Muskeg Lake First Nation and his mother is from the Sweetgrass First Nation, both located in Saskatchewan, Canada.He completed his...
, and Jen is voiced by Crystle Lightning
Crystle Lightning
Crystle Lea Lightning is a First Nations actress and model. Born Crystle Lea Light, she holds dual citizenship with the United States and Canada and is a Plains Cree member...
, who are both Plains Cree. Greyeyes approved of the way that Tommy was depicted in the game, contrasting Prey to a film production:
Limited Collector's Edition
Prey also shipped in a Limited Collector's Edition for both PC and Xbox 360. The official retail price is US$60 for PC and US$70 for X360. The following comes in the package:- An embossed collector's tin
- An upgrade to one DVD-ROM (as opposed to three CD-ROMs)
- Two pewterPewterPewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
figurines (Hunter and Tommy) - The Art of Prey booklet
- A free soundtrack download from DirectSong
A third (Mutate) pewter figurine was available separately for purchase to complete the collection of 3 pewter figurines.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by award-winning composer Jeremy SouleJeremy Soule
Jeremy Soule is an American composer of soundtracks for film, television and video games. He has won multiple awards and has been described as the "John Williams of video game music" and "a model of success" for Western composers. He has composed soundtracks for over 60 games and over a dozen...
and his brother, Julian Soule. The Prey soundtrack was released in two volumes (nearly 2 hours of the game's 3-hour score). The end credits feature the song "Take Me Home" by After Midnight Project
After Midnight Project
After Midnight Project is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, currently signed to Universal Motown.-History:...
.
There are several jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es in the game which allow the player to choose from a small selection of licensed songs. The full selection of songs is, in the order they are arranged:
- "Free Ride" by The Edgar Winter GroupEdgar WinterEdgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
; - "BarracudaBarracuda (song)"Barracuda" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's second album Little Queen .-Reception:...
" by HeartHeart (band)Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
; - "You've Got Another Thing Comin'You've Got Another Thing Comin'"You've Got Another Thing Comin" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally released on their 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance and released as a single later that year...
" by Judas PriestJudas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
; - "Cat Scratch FeverCat Scratch Fever (song)"Cat Scratch Fever" is a rock song by Ted Nugent that appears on the album of the same name. The song is well known for its signature riff, which is a 3-tone "blues scale" melody harmonized in parallel fourths...
" by Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
; - "If We Could Be" by Railer;
- "Deaf Girlfriend" by Scotch Greens;
- "Settle Up" by Seven Mary ThreeSeven Mary ThreeSeven Mary Three, occasionally abbreviated to 7 Mary 3 or 7M3, is an American hard rock band. They have released seven studio albums and one live album, and are best known for their hit singles "Cumbersome", "Water's Edge", "Lucky", and "Wait"....
; - "Machine Sex" by Sheep on DrugsSheep on DrugsSheep on Drugs are a British techno / dance-punk music group, formed by Duncan X [aka King Duncan] and Lee Fraser [aka Dead Lee] and currently composed of Fraser and Johnny Borden...
; - "Anthem for Tonight" by HalifaxHalifax (band)Halifax is a four-piece rock band from Thousand Oaks, California. They formed in 2003 and currently are signed with Rocket Science Records. On their Myspace page the band announced that they will not be going with Drive-Thru Records on their 2009 release but are shipping the album off to other labels...
; - "Human Resources" by The Countdown;
- "Forever Dead" by Soil;
- "10001110101" by ClutchClutch (band)Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
; - "The Setting Sun" by MxPxMxPxMxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
(commissioned specifically for the game) - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" by Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
. This song cannot be chosen normally, but plays on the jukebox during the alien invasion in the same level.
In addition, radio host Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
lends his voice to several fictional segments of his paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
-themed radio show, Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, that play from radios throughout the game. In the segments, he talks with many callers about the various alien phenomena that occur in the game.
Reception
- Metascore: 83
- TotalGamerZone Review Score: 80/100
- IGN Review Score: 9.0/10
- Gamespot Review Score: 7.5/10
- X-Play Review Score: 4/5
- VGRC.net Review Score: 8.75/10
- Game InformerGame InformerGame Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
Score: 9.5/10 - NowGamer.com (X360 magazine)Review Score: 6.5/10
Prey has a respective average of 83 and 79 on the PC and Xbox 360. Prey was highly praised for its graphics and gameplay. Gamezone called the graphics "top notch", while Play Magazine called them "incredible". GamerFeed lauded the gameplay of Prey, calling it "nothing short of amazing", and concluding that "Prey has got everything anyone could want from a sci-fi shooter and more". However, there was criticism directed at the multiplayer component, especially the fact that it only had two game modes. GamesRadar said that the multiplayer "could have been much better if only there were more than two modes [and] a couple of maps small enough to play with less than five players".
In October 2006, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller announced that the game is a commercial success on both PC and Xbox 360 with combined 1 million copies sold worldwide to date.
Prey is ranked third on Game Informer list of The Top 10 Video Game Openings.
Sequel
Shortly after the game's release, 3D Realms3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
' Scott Miller confirmed that a sequel named Prey 2 was already in development. On March 17, 2008, Miller's brand-management group Radar Group
Radar Group
Radar Group is a video and computer game company. It is neither a publisher nor a development studio, but rather a brand creation and portfolio management company. It co-creates original intellectual property , designed from the ground up, working with independent developer studios and funding its...
was officially launched, along with the announcement that it is managing Prey 2, and that it slated for the PC and Xbox 360. The game is being developed in cooperation with Human Head Studios
Human Head Studios
Human Head Studios is a computer game development company located in Madison, Wisconsin.It was founded in October 1997 by a group of six developers formerly from Raven Software: Chris Rhinehart, Paul MacArthur, Shane Gurno, Ben Gokey, James Sumwalt, and Ted Halsted—later joined by game producer Tim...
.
In 2009, the rights to the franchise were acquired by Zenimax Media
ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American media company that develops and publishes computer and video games through its subsidiaries. ZeniMax is known as the owner of id Software , Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , Tango Gameworks and...
.
On March 16, 2011, a live action trailer for Prey 2 was released http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/03/16/prey-2-teaser-trailer