The Scoop (video game)
Encyclopedia
The Scoop is a mystery adventure game
published by Telarium
(formerly known as Trillium), a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software
, in 1986 for Apple II
and rereleased by Spinnaker Software in 1989 for DOS
.
The plot is based on the collaborative detective novel of the same name
, written in 1931 by Agatha Christie
, Dorothy L. Sayers
, E.C. Bentley, Anthony Berkeley, Freeman Wills Crofts
and Clemence Dane
.
NPCs
in the game have a set routine and go about their business in different locations, meaning the player will sometimes have to follow them and eavesdrop on their conversations in order to collect clues.
Because of the short time limit to solve the crimes, the player will often have to restart the game entirely in order to get everything done on time.
The Scoop is nominated as a Top Dog on the Home of the Underdogs
website.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
published by Telarium
Telarium
Telarium Corporation was a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software. The corporation was founded in 1984 and went defunct in 1987. The headquarters were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. President of Telarium was C. David Seuss, the founder and CEO of Spinnaker Software.- Adventure games :Telarium...
(formerly known as Trillium), a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software was a 1982 founded software company known primarily for its line of non-curriculum based educational software, which was a major seller during the 1980s. It was founded by chairman Bill Bowman and president C. David Seuss....
, in 1986 for Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
and rereleased by Spinnaker Software in 1989 for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
.
The plot is based on the collaborative detective novel of the same name
The Scoop and Behind The Screen
The Scoop & Behind The Screen are both collaborative detective serials written by members of the Detection Club which were broadcast weekly by their authors on the BBC National Programme in 1930 and 1931 with the scripts then being published in The Listener within a week after broadcast...
, written in 1931 by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
, Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist. She was also a student of classical and modern languages...
, E.C. Bentley, Anthony Berkeley, Freeman Wills Crofts
Freeman Wills Crofts
Freeman Wills Crofts was an Irish mystery author, one of the 'Big Four' of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.-Birth and education:Crofts was born at 26 Waterloo Road, Dublin, Ireland...
and Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton , an English novelist and playwright.-Life and career:...
.
Gameplay
The player impersonates a journalist working for the down-on-its-luck newspaper "The Daily Courier". He is sent to investigate two murders which may, or may not, be connected. The player has five days to solve the crimes and provide enough evidence to lead to an arrest, otherwise "The Daily Courier" will go out of business.NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in the game have a set routine and go about their business in different locations, meaning the player will sometimes have to follow them and eavesdrop on their conversations in order to collect clues.
Because of the short time limit to solve the crimes, the player will often have to restart the game entirely in order to get everything done on time.
The Scoop is nominated as a Top Dog on the Home of the Underdogs
Home of the Underdogs
Home of the Underdogs was an abandonware archive founded by Thai Sarinee Achavanuntakul , aka: Underdogs or Fringer on her own blog, in September 1998, and grew to be one of the most significant abandonware websites on the Internet, despite losing its domains to cybersquatters and then briefly...
website.
External links
- The Scoop at AllgameAllgameAllgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
- The Scoop at Museum of Computer Adventure Game History by Howard Feldman
- The Scoop at Adventureland by Hans Persson and Stefan Meier