The Virtual Nightclub (found PC/Mac adventure game; 1997): Difference between revisions

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|title=<center>The Virtual Nightclub</center>
|title=<center>The Virtual Nightclub</center>
|image=JC_front-1.jpg
|image=JC_front-1.jpg
|imagecaption=Cover art for the obscure 1997 video game ''The Virtual Nightclub''.
|imagecaption=Cover art.
|status=<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>
|datefound=09 Jun '16
|datefound=09 Jun 2016
|foundby=Gamecare (Mark D.)
|foundby=Gamecare (Mark D.)
}}
}}
'''''The Virtual Nightclub''''' was a point-and-click PC/Mac video game from 1997.<ref>[http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/discover-virtual-nightclub-90s-techno-rave-came-compact-disc/ Article by Electronic Beats regarding the game.] Retrieved 9 Sep '18.</ref> It was originally developed by Prospect Project and published by Philips Interactive Media and Thumb Candy. The game features a concept on a virtual nightclub, which was revolutionary for its time period. The game is predominantly based on rave, techno, hip-hop, and cyberspace, with labels (such as such as Warp, R&S and Ninja Tune) and artists and groups (such as Herbie Hancock, Neal Stephenson, PM Dawn, and Terence McKenna) who were involved in the game.
'''''The Virtual Nightclub''''' was a point-and-click PC/Mac video game from 1997. It was originally developed by Prospect Project and published by Philips Interactive Media and Thumb Candy. The game features a concept on a virtual nightclub, which was revolutionary for its time period. The game is predominantly based on rave, techno, hip-hop, and cyberspace, with labels (such as Warp, R&S and Ninja Tune) and artists and groups (such as Herbie Hancock, Neal Stephenson, PM Dawn, and Terence McKenna) who were involved in the game.


The game faded into obscurity for two decades, due to a limited run of (presumably) 20,000 copies, which the game barely hit store shelves (as it was marketed via The Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy) and through online in the UK, until in 2013, where it was resurfaced (albeit in a beta version), and in 2016 as a retail version of the game, respectively. The remaining 20,000 copies were stored in a warehouse that was located in Wembley, London.
Much of the gameplay elements are heavily based on Burn:Cycle, a point-and-click FMV game developed by the same development team, which shared the similar gameplay mechanics and aesthetics, such as the time limit and the in-game puzzles.


Information about this game on the Internet is very scarce, as the game wasn't well-known when it came out.
The game faded into obscurity for two decades, due to a limited run of (presumably) 20,000 copies, which the game barely hit store shelves (as it was marketed via The Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy) and through online in the UK, until in 2013, where it was resurfaced (albeit in a beta version), and in 2016 as a retail version of the game, respectively. The remaining 20,000 copies were stored in a warehouse that was located in Wembley, London (which those copies would be presumably sold by Organa, a multimedia online retailer).


==Versions of the game==
==Development==
There are three known versions of The Virtual Nightclub, an unsurfaced prototype version from 1994 and 1995, the May 24, 1996 beta release (known as version 1.55) and the final release.
Development began in 1992 when James Plummer and David Mingay set up a multimedia studio under the production company Prospect Management in order to undertake their projects. In 1993, a visualization of an alternative youth culture, known as "Cyberspace" was filmed and Prospect Management formed partnerships with electronic music culture icons and labels (such as the Shamen and Warp Records). On the same year, Prospect Management and Philips struck a development deal to develop a multimedia title for the CD-i. Titus Forbes Adam became the Associate Producer to include sponsorship of major youth brands for the Virtual Night Club.


There was originally going to be a CD-i port of this game, but this was scrapped, as the game was later released only to the PC and Macintosh.
The development team consisted of Olaf Wendt (director/VFX), Guy Nisbett, Alix Sharkey, Titus Forbes Adam, Eitan Arrusi, David Collier (co-producer), Graham Deane, David Mingay, Ken Olisa, James Plummer, Dick Jewel (cinematography), Simon Atherley (interactive designer), and many others.  


===Unsurfaced prototype version===
In 1994, David Mingay and filmmaker Dick Jewel already documented the growing cyberculture of Soho and developed interactive navigation systems. The original prototype of the game that was originally going to be released for the CD-i would become ''Burn: Cycle''. Titus hosted an installation event that was sponsored by London Arts and it was shown at the Ministry of Sound and the Love Bytes Festival. The event was also shown around Europe (from Ars Futura to Madrid) and Russia. James negotiated a £150,000 investment with Bertlesman Music Group for Thumb Candy Ltd, which later became an interactive sublabel of BMG.  
Prior to the beta version, there was an unsurfaced prototype version of the game, which was demonstrated in Ministry of Sound and the Love Bytes Festival, as well as in Europe and in Bueno Aires in 1994 and 1995, respectively. No screenshots nor recordings of this prototype have been existed/survived.


===Beta version===
By 1995, a £1,000,000 plus publishing deal was negotiated with Michael Kushner (VP of Philips Interactive Media). Filming began around 1995 until 1996. More than 150 characters, dancers, actors, and voice-over artists were involved. Some of the actors/actresses include Mark Wigan, Terrence Mckenna, Robin Rimbaud, Matt Black, Eva Pascoe, James Lavelle, Redma, and Neal Stephenson among others. Labels such as Def Jam, Warp, R&S, Apollo, Sounds of the Underground, Island, Moving Shadow, Ninja Tune, Gee Street and ITP were involved. Some of the famous acts, such as Stereo MCs (best known for their famous single "Connected"), Herbie Hancock (best known for "Rockit"), and Joe Henderson (best known for "Blue Bossa") were also involved.  
The beta version (known as version 1.55) was released on May 24, 1996, as a 3 CD demo disc. It is identical to the retail release, except it has some slight differences between the beta and the retail versions:
* The packaging is bigger than the retail version.
* The executable icon is very different than the final game, which uses the Macromedia Director's Projector icon.
* The Philips Interactive Media logo was shown instead of the Thumb Candy logo, which was removed in the final game.
* The splash screen of the game shows the developer's address and other information (as well as the prototype logo), instead of the loading screen.
* The intro doesn't have the credits listed.
* Unlike in the final version, you could bypass the floating cube (at the start of the game) by clicking on the other direction. In the final version, you have to hit the cube by clicking it in order to progress the game.
* The user interface is slightly different than the final version.
* Certain items that were included in the beta version are not present in the beta version.
* The story is identical in the final version. Despite this, it was incomplete, as the game is plagued with script-related errors.
* The beta version is almost unplayable, due to the script-related errors.


===Retail version===
By the time development was already finished in 1997, Philips Interactive Media closed its doors and Thumb Candy (the interactive sublabel of BMG) bought the rights back to the game. Much of the marketing was done through The Sci-Fi Channel (in the UK) and on the Internet.<ref>http://www.cityoffflint.com/index.cgi_mode=read_arg=%5BVirtual%20Nightclub_%5D.html Retrieved 13 Jul '16</ref>
The retail version was released in 1997; it is completely different over the beta version, some of the changes include:
* A custom-made installer was added (the installer was absent in the beta version). However, on modern Windows versions, it will be stuck in the initial installation screen.
* Addition of opening credits in the intro. However, the intro will still loop just like the beta version.
* The Philips Interactive Media logo was replaced with the Thumb Candy logo. The developer's information was also replaced with a loading screen that has the game's logo on it.
* Unlike the beta version of the game, you have to hit the cube at the start of the game by clicking it in order to progress the game.


===Download links===
==Availability==
* Version 1.55 MultiDisk Beta: [https://www.4shared.com/folder/80iLlCH2/VNC.html Download] (828.72 MB)
Prior to the mid-2010s, much of the information regarding the game was very scarce on the internet. Much of the information regarding the game can be seen on a timeline page from The 1010 Festival.<ref>[http://www.cityoffflint.com/index.cgi_mode=read_arg=%5BVirtual%20Nightclub_%5D.html A timeline of the development of ''The Virtual Nightclub''.] Retrieved 13 Jul '16</ref> The game could be bought from Organa (until the late 2000s), according to one of the comments from 1010. The last working Wayback Machine snapshot of the games' Organa page (with an option to purchase the game) dates back to [https://web.archive.org/web/20071203021557/http://www.organa.com/vnc.html December 3rd, 2007], with the same page producing an Error 404 message by [https://web.archive.org/web/20080426203207/http://www.organa.com:80/vnc.html April 26th, 2008]. It is unclear if the remaining 20,000 copies were cleared out from the warehouse or not.
* Retail version: [https://mega.nz/#!X8lwBYCK!N1hekXFqmClpUnQ2RzabE2-DUl0ulLCYd7AJgWfNbaI Download] (1.23 GB) ('''WARNING''': The retail version of the game may not work on latest versions of Windows (particularly Windows 8 and above), due to a problem with the installer, where it will be stuck in the initial installation screen.)
 
Additionally, Olaf Wendt uploaded a promo video of the game on his website, but sadly it was deleted from his website until a YouTube user named Evan Collins uploaded the video on October 31st, 2017.
 
Nine years after the 1010 timeline page, Adventure Legends user scaryfun uploaded a beta build of the game from May 24th, 1996, on July 10th, 2013. The beta version is almost identical to the final version, but with slight differences. Much of the story in the beta version is incomplete due to script-related errors. Three years later, a user named "Gamecare" uploaded the final version of the game to MEGA on June 9th, 2016.<ref>[https://mega.nz/#!X8lwBYCK!N1hekXFqmClpUnQ2RzabE2-DUl0ulLCYd7AJgWfNbaI The MEGA file for ''The Virtual Nightclub''.] Retrieved 13 Jul '16</ref>


==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Video|perrow  =2
{{Video|perrow  =3
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jA1tjwnl_Y
   |id1          =8jA1tjwnl_Y
   |description1 =Gameplay of the beta version of the game.
   |description1 =Gameplay of the beta version of the game.
   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
   |id2          =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iU7P0qgu3M
   |id2          =3iU7P0qgu3M
   |description2 =A promo (TV spot) of the game.
   |description2 =A promo (TV spot) of the game.
}}
   |service3     =youtube
{{Video|perrow  =1
   |id3         =oGgCnoOocOk
   |service1     =youtube
   |description3 =A longplay of the final version of the game (by  
   |id1         =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGgCnoOocOk?t=7m11s
ChipCheezumLPs, starts at 6:11).
   |description1 =A longplay of the final version of the game (by  
ChipCheezumLPs).
}}
}}
==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:46, 16 May 2020

JC front-1.jpg

Cover art.

Status: Found

Date found: 09 Jun 2016

Found by: Gamecare (Mark D.)

The Virtual Nightclub was a point-and-click PC/Mac video game from 1997. It was originally developed by Prospect Project and published by Philips Interactive Media and Thumb Candy. The game features a concept on a virtual nightclub, which was revolutionary for its time period. The game is predominantly based on rave, techno, hip-hop, and cyberspace, with labels (such as Warp, R&S and Ninja Tune) and artists and groups (such as Herbie Hancock, Neal Stephenson, PM Dawn, and Terence McKenna) who were involved in the game.

Much of the gameplay elements are heavily based on Burn:Cycle, a point-and-click FMV game developed by the same development team, which shared the similar gameplay mechanics and aesthetics, such as the time limit and the in-game puzzles.

The game faded into obscurity for two decades, due to a limited run of (presumably) 20,000 copies, which the game barely hit store shelves (as it was marketed via The Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy) and through online in the UK, until in 2013, where it was resurfaced (albeit in a beta version), and in 2016 as a retail version of the game, respectively. The remaining 20,000 copies were stored in a warehouse that was located in Wembley, London (which those copies would be presumably sold by Organa, a multimedia online retailer).

Development

Development began in 1992 when James Plummer and David Mingay set up a multimedia studio under the production company Prospect Management in order to undertake their projects. In 1993, a visualization of an alternative youth culture, known as "Cyberspace" was filmed and Prospect Management formed partnerships with electronic music culture icons and labels (such as the Shamen and Warp Records). On the same year, Prospect Management and Philips struck a development deal to develop a multimedia title for the CD-i. Titus Forbes Adam became the Associate Producer to include sponsorship of major youth brands for the Virtual Night Club.

The development team consisted of Olaf Wendt (director/VFX), Guy Nisbett, Alix Sharkey, Titus Forbes Adam, Eitan Arrusi, David Collier (co-producer), Graham Deane, David Mingay, Ken Olisa, James Plummer, Dick Jewel (cinematography), Simon Atherley (interactive designer), and many others.

In 1994, David Mingay and filmmaker Dick Jewel already documented the growing cyberculture of Soho and developed interactive navigation systems. The original prototype of the game that was originally going to be released for the CD-i would become Burn: Cycle. Titus hosted an installation event that was sponsored by London Arts and it was shown at the Ministry of Sound and the Love Bytes Festival. The event was also shown around Europe (from Ars Futura to Madrid) and Russia. James negotiated a £150,000 investment with Bertlesman Music Group for Thumb Candy Ltd, which later became an interactive sublabel of BMG.

By 1995, a £1,000,000 plus publishing deal was negotiated with Michael Kushner (VP of Philips Interactive Media). Filming began around 1995 until 1996. More than 150 characters, dancers, actors, and voice-over artists were involved. Some of the actors/actresses include Mark Wigan, Terrence Mckenna, Robin Rimbaud, Matt Black, Eva Pascoe, James Lavelle, Redma, and Neal Stephenson among others. Labels such as Def Jam, Warp, R&S, Apollo, Sounds of the Underground, Island, Moving Shadow, Ninja Tune, Gee Street and ITP were involved. Some of the famous acts, such as Stereo MCs (best known for their famous single "Connected"), Herbie Hancock (best known for "Rockit"), and Joe Henderson (best known for "Blue Bossa") were also involved.

By the time development was already finished in 1997, Philips Interactive Media closed its doors and Thumb Candy (the interactive sublabel of BMG) bought the rights back to the game. Much of the marketing was done through The Sci-Fi Channel (in the UK) and on the Internet.[1]

Availability

Prior to the mid-2010s, much of the information regarding the game was very scarce on the internet. Much of the information regarding the game can be seen on a timeline page from The 1010 Festival.[2] The game could be bought from Organa (until the late 2000s), according to one of the comments from 1010. The last working Wayback Machine snapshot of the games' Organa page (with an option to purchase the game) dates back to December 3rd, 2007, with the same page producing an Error 404 message by April 26th, 2008. It is unclear if the remaining 20,000 copies were cleared out from the warehouse or not.

Additionally, Olaf Wendt uploaded a promo video of the game on his website, but sadly it was deleted from his website until a YouTube user named Evan Collins uploaded the video on October 31st, 2017.

Nine years after the 1010 timeline page, Adventure Legends user scaryfun uploaded a beta build of the game from May 24th, 1996, on July 10th, 2013. The beta version is almost identical to the final version, but with slight differences. Much of the story in the beta version is incomplete due to script-related errors. Three years later, a user named "Gamecare" uploaded the final version of the game to MEGA on June 9th, 2016.[3]

Videos

Gameplay of the beta version of the game.

A promo (TV spot) of the game.

A longplay of the final version of the game (by ChipCheezumLPs, starts at 6:11).

References