Spiderweb Software

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. Spiderweb Software is also known for emphasizing storytelling and turn-based gameplay and using a retro style of graphics.^[1]

Games

Developed Games

Timeline of release years

1995	Exile I: Escape from the Pit
1996	Exile II: Crystal Souls
1997	Exile III: Ruined World
	Blades of Exile
1998	Nethergate
1999
2000	Avernum
	Avernum 2
2001	Geneforge
2002	Avernum 3
2003	Geneforge 2
2004	Blades of Avernum
2005	Avernum IV
	Geneforge 3
2006	Geneforge 4: Rebellion
2007	Nethergate: Resurrection
	Avernum V
2008	Geneforge 5: Overthrow
2009	Avernum 6
2010
2011	Avernum: Escape From the Pit
	Avadon: The Black Fortress
2012
2013	Avadon 2: The Corruption
2014
2015	Avernum II: Crystal Souls
2016	Avadon 3: The Warborn

Spiderweb Software is most notable for the following RPG video games:

• The Exile trilogy of underground adventures (1995-1997).^[2]
  • Blades of Exile, a non-canonical continuation featuring a scenario creation kit.
• Nethergate, a fantasy game based upon the Roman occupation of Britain (1999). 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 (2000-2002).^[3]
  • 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 (2001-2008).
• The Second Avernum trilogy, continuing and ultimately finishing the story of Avernum, using a variation of the Geneforge game engine (2006-2010).
• Avadon: The Black Fortress, the first game in a new trilogy (2011). Avadon features a new game setting, interface, and combat system.^[4][5]
  • Avadon 2: The Corruption. The second game released in the Avadon trilogy (2013).^[6]
  • Avadon 3: The Warborn. The third game released in the Avadon trilogy (2016).
• Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2011) and Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015), the first two games in a series of ground-up rewrites of the first Avernum trilogy, with new graphics and sound effects and an expanded storyline.^{[7] [8]}

Distributed Games

The company previously provided distribution services and other support for other shareware developers, including Richard White and Crystal Shard. The games included:

• Galactic Core (Developed by Richard White)^[9][10]
• Lost Souls (Developed by Richard White)^[11]
• Ocean Bound (Developed by Richard White)^[12][13]
• SubTerra (Developed by Crystal Shard)
• Homeland: The Stone of Night (Developed by Dragon Lore)

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.^[14]

Awards

• Exile II: Crystal Souls – 1996 "Shareware Game of the Year" (Honorable Mention), Wasson, Gregory (October 1996). "1996 MacUser Shareware Awards". MacUser.
• Exile III: Ruined World – "Shareware Game of the Year", "1998 Shareware Award Winners". Computer Gaming World. October 1998.
• Nethergate – "RPG of the Year" (Honorable Mention), Computer Games Magazine
• Geneforge 4: Rebellion – "Indie RPG of the year" GameBanshee ^[15]

References

1. The Bottom Feeder: How Many Games I Sell, Part Two
2. Spiderweb Software Older Games
3. Avernum Series Main Page
4. "Spiderweb Software's homepage". Retrieved March 24, 2010.
5. Vogel, Jeff (February 26, 2010). "Avernum 6 For Windows Released". Retrieved March 24, 2010. "I am making a whole new game world, game engine"
6. http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/avadon2/. Retrieved October 30, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
7. RPGamer Interview
8. PC Gamer Article
9. "Download Galactic Core for Mac Free Trial". Mac.softpedia.com. 2004-05-15. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
10. Mariann Krizsan. "Galactic Core Home Page". Spiderwebsoftware.com. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
11. Mariann Krizsan. "Lost Souls". Spidweb.com. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
12. "Ocean11.hqx". Info-Mac. 1998-10-31. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
13. Mariann Krizsan. "Ocean Bound". Spidweb.com. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
14. Announcement of end of SubTerra distribution from Spiderweb Software's website
15. Inside Mac Games Article

External links

• Spiderweb Software's official site
• Jeff Vogel's Official Company and Gaming Blog