X-COM

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X-COM is a series of computer games, started by Mythos Games and MicroProse in 1993. The first three titles were tactical games while the fourth was an action-based space combat/strategy game.

The first installment, UFO: Enemy Unknown in Europe (also known as X-COM: UFO Defense in North America) was written by a team led by Julian Gollop. MicroProse quickly had an internal team create the sequel X-COM: Terror from the Deep. Subsequently, the Gollop brothers went straight to work on X-COM: Apocalypse, which would end up being the third in the series when released in 1997. Soon after Apocalypse, MicroProse was bought by Hasbro Interactive.

All titles were developed for the PC, with a few ports to the PlayStation and Amiga. The first three titles were originally developed to run under DOS, and have subsequently been ported to run under Microsoft Windows using DirectX.

Contents

[edit] Series standards

The premise for the series is that armies of hostile aliens have begun invading the Earth, killing and enslaving the human race. An international organization is set up to capture and research the alien technology, and to ultimately defeat them. Inspiration for this setting was drawn from the TV series UFO, and Timothy Good's book Alien Liaison.[1]

In all the games, the player is put in command of X-COM (Extraterrestrial Combat Unit), the international military organization set up in the near-future of 1999. By defending X-COM's funding countries (initially Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, UK, USA) from enemy invasion, the force gains monetary support. Any nation may quit, if X-COM's service is deemed unsatisfactory or the nation's government has been infiltrated by the invaders. Through scientific research of recovered alien artifacts, X-COM is able to develop better and more powerful weapons, armor and vehicles to combat the alien menace, and eventually uncover their true nature.

The game takes place within two main views: the Geoscape and the Battlescape. The Geoscape consists of a global view of the earth from space. The player can view the X-COM bases (in various locations on Earth), make changes to them, equip X-COM aircraft, order supplies and personnel, direct research efforts, schedule manufacturing of advanced equipment, and sell alien artifacts to raise money. From this view the player also directs interceptor and troop transport aircraft on their missions. The Geoscape is continual and not turn-based.

Gameplay switches to the isometric combat view of the Battlescape whenever X-COM personnel come in contact with alien units. This can result from investigating downed enemy space ships, combating alien terrorist activities, or attacking alien bases discovered during play; aliens may also manage to attack and infiltrate one of the X-COM bases. In the Battlescape view, X-COM combatants are pitted against the alien enemies. The Battlescape mode is turn-based, and each combatant has a number of "time units" that can be spent each turn. When all alien forces have been neutralized, the mission is scored based on number of X-COM units killed, civilians saved or killed, aliens killed or captured, and the number and quality of alien artifacts obtained. Troops may also grow in rank or abilities, if they made a kill or were nearby when one was made. Instead of experience points, the combatants gain points in skills like PSI or Accuracy, a semi-random amount depending on how much of the action they participated in. In addition to personnel, the player may have vehicles such as HWP unmanned ground vehicles outfitted with very powerful weapons and heavy armor, but incapable of growing in rank or ability.

[edit] The series

The complete series includes these titles:

The first two games are undeniably the most popular and most successful of the series,[citation needed] and the first was named Game of the Year by many gaming magazines.[citation needed] Apocalypse took several new directions with the series. It introduced a real-time combat system, in addition to a modified turn-based system that drew considerable criticism,[citation needed] and the aesthetics were shifted to a less grim and more futuristic style. After Interceptor, Hasbro Interactive purchased MicroProse and acquired the X-COM brand.

Two more titles were planned for this series (both were aborted when Hasbro shut down Hasbro Interactive in 1999 and 2000):

Hasbro sold all of its Hasbro Interactive intellectual property to Infogrames (now Atari) when it shut down the studios. In 2005, Take-Two Interactive acquired the rights to the X-COM series from Atari.[2] There are unconfirmed rumors that Irrational Games (who are owned by Take-Two) may be developing a new X-COM title.[3]

[edit] Steam release

In May 2007, a representative of 2K Games (a subsidiary of Take-Two) declared on the Steam forums that they had inherited the X-Com franchise. In light of this, 2K Games re-released X-Com: Terror from the Deep on Steam with support for Windows XP only (in October 2008, an update was released through Steam, which enabled Windows Vista support for for Terror from the Deep). In September 2008, X-Com: UFO Defense, Apocalypse, Interceptor, and Enforcer were re-released.

[edit] Attempt at an unofficial remake

The Dreamland Chronicles: Freedom Ridge was a canceled game for PC and PlayStation 2 by the authors of the original game (Mythos Games), claimed to having been "essentially a remake of the first X-Com with 3D graphics".[4] The game was eventually canceled in 2001 and Mythos Games ceased to exist.

[edit] "Spiritual" successors

Because of the games' popularity, other game developers have created games similar in theme and tone of the X-COM games. The level to which they borrow from the original series varies.

[edit] Accolades

  • X-COM appeared as #22 on Computer Gaming World's list of the best games of all time in 1996.
  • X-COM: UFO Defense was voted "best PC game of all time" by the staff of IGN in 2007.[5] It also appeared as #21 on IGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time" list the same year.[6]

[edit] Intellectual property

The trademark for the X-COM name was filed on May 25, 1995 by MicroProse Software, Inc.

Following the acquisition and subsequent merger of MicroProse Software, Inc. with Hasbro Interactive, the X-COM intellectual property was also transferred to Hasbro Interactive on August 19, 1998.

Due to financial difficulties, 100% of Hasbro Interactive was sold to the French concern Infogrames Entertainment SA on January 29, 2001. As part of this transfer, the X-COM IP was legally transferred to Infogrames on December 21, 2001. Shortly thereafter, Infogrames was renamed Atari Inc., able to do this since acquiring several Atari IPs from Hasbro Interactive.

In 2005 Infogrames/Atari transferred several IPs to Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and X-COM was transferred with them on June 12, 2005.

The X-COM IP is currently owned by Take-Two and its subsidiaries.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Making Of: X-COM: Enemy Unknown". Edge. May 15, 2009. http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/the-making-of-x-com-enemy-unknown. Retrieved on 2009-05-15. 
  2. ^ Trademark Assignment Details for Atari from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
  3. ^ "Irrational Games Developing X-COM Title?" article from Shacknews
  4. ^ "XCom UFO creators strategy game Laser Squad Nemesis" (HTML). Codo Technologies. http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/AboutUs.htm. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. 
  5. ^ "Top 25 PC Games of All Time" (HTML). IGN. March 16, 2007. http://pc.ign.com/articles/772/772285p1.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. 
  6. ^ "Top 100 Games of all Time" (HTML). IGN. November 28, 2007. http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_21.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-29. 
  7. ^ Trademark Assignment Abstract of Title from the United States Patent and Trademark Office

[edit] External links

 This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (June 2008)
v • d • e
X-COM series
Main series games
Spin-off games
Interceptor • Email games • Alliance (cancelled) • Enforcer
Novels
Fictional elements
Unofficial games by Julian Gollop
Games inspired by the X-COM series
Open source games inspired by the X-COM series
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