NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Night Trap

Night Trap is a video game that was released on October 15, 1992. It was created by Digital Pictures and repotedly cost USD$1.5 million to make. Night Trap was originally developed for Hasbro's NEMO system, which used VHS tapes instead of ROM cartridges. However, when Hasbro scrapped production on the NEMO, Night Trap was moved to the Sega CD and later brought to the Panasonic 3DO, Sega 32X, and PC platforms with higher-quality video. The game utilized full-motion video scenes entirely and is notorious for the controversy it brewed in 1993, resulting in US Senate hearings and bannings of the game nationwide. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (645x918, 165 KB) Summary Original US Night Trap Sega CD cover. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Digital Pictures logo taken from the opening of one of their Sega CD games. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Digital Pictures logo taken from the opening of one of their Sega CD games. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... This is an article about the computer and video game genre. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... The Videogame Rating Council (VRC) was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States of America on the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD and rarely, some computer games. ... The Sega Mega-CD (Japanese: ãƒ¡ã‚¬CD) is an add-on device for the Sega Mega Drive released in Europe, Australia, and Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. The Macintosh or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. ... â€œComputer and video gamesâ€ redirects here. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Digital Pictures logo taken from the opening of one of their Sega CD games. ... â€œUSDâ€ redirects here. ... Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is an American toy and game company. ... The NEMO also known as Control-Vision was an unreleased video game console developed by Hasbro, notable for using VHS tapes rather than cartridges. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard. ... Cartridge for the VIC 20 homecomputer In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... The Sega Mega-CD (Japanese: ãƒ¡ã‚¬CD) is an add-on device for the Sega Mega Drive released in Europe, Australia, and Japan. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A personal computer (PC) is a computer whose price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals. ... Full motion video, usually abbreviated as FMV, is a popular term for television-quality film or animation in a video game. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ...

Story

A group of young co-eds are staying at Mr. and Mrs. Martin's for the night. The Martin family seems like a normal American family, however, odd things have been occurring at this house. Five teenage girls previously disappeared while staying at the place, so the "Sega Control Attack Team" ("Sega" changed to "Special" once the game was ported to other consoles) is called upon to protect the house. As the new wave of girls arrive for a slumber party (one of which is undercover SCAT agent Kelli, played by Dana Plato), the vampiric Augers begin to invade the house. A sleepover (also called a slumber party) is a type of party which a guest or guests are invited to anothers house to stay overnight. ... Dana Michelle Plato (November 7, 1964 â€“ May 8, 1999) was an American actress who became famous playing the role of Kimberly Drummond in the U.S. television sitcom Diffrent Strokes. ... Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ...

Gameplay

As the game begins, the player is told that they are to work security for the party at the family's house. The game is played voyeuristically; eight hidden cameras are set up in different locations of the house and can be viewed one at a time. As the aforementioned Augers creep into the house, the player has to spot them and use traps to capture them. At the bottom of a screen rests a small meter; when this meter fills, it's the player's signal to activate a trap in the room they're viewing (i.e. a revolving bookcase or a faux seal on the floor) and capture the Auger(s) on screen, adding to the score. Voyeurism is a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from observing other people. ...

The player must also use have the correct security access code selected on screen in order for the traps to work. The code is changed four times throughout the course of the game, and keeping up with the accurate code requires listening in on key conversations. Ultimately, high performance requires repeat plays in order to gain complete knowledge of the story and capture all Augers possible. Time always moves forward, cannot be rewound, and if too many vampires are missed, the game ends. The game will also end if certain characters are taken away or if the hosts of the slumber party disconnect your access to the traps. Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ...

Controversy

Night Trap is now infamous because of its part in the 1990s Congressional hearings on offensive video game material. Night Trap and Mortal Kombat are cited as primary factors in leading to the development of the ESRB game industry ratings system. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous and highly controversial Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ...

On December 16, 1993, the Sega CD version of Night Trap was removed from store shelves at Toys "R" Us and F.A.O. Schwarz locations in the United States in direct response to a December 9, 1993 joint Senate Judiciary and Government Affairs Committee hearing on video game violence. The hearings induced a quaint instance of moral panic in the media and were notoriously co-chaired by Democratic Senators Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut) and Herbert Kohl (Wisconsin), during which Night Trap was cited as "shameful", "ultra-violent", "sick", and "disgusting", encouraging an "effort to trap and kill women". Contrary to such claims, players are not trapping or killing women at all; rather, they are saving them from harm. is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Toys R Us (often typeset as Toys Ð¯ Us to fit their logo) is a toy store chain based in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ... F.A.O. Schwarz is the name of a toy store chain founded in New York, New York in 1870 by German immigrant, Frederick August Otto Schwarz. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... A moral panic is a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... Joseph Isadore Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a Jewish-American Democratic politician and a current U.S. senator from Connecticut. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area Ranked 48th - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (113 km) - Length 110 miles (177 km) - % water 12. ... Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American politician and the senior senator from the state of Wisconsin. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area Ranked 23rd - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 310 miles (500 km) - % water 17 - Latitude 42Â° 30â€² N to 47Â° 05â€² N - Longitude 86Â° 46â€² W to 92Â° 53â€² W Population Ranked...

The Congressional hearings were covered in major newspapers including USA Today, The Washington Post and The New York Times. In particular, a game over scene in which the character Lisa is wearing a nightgown while captured by Augers attempting to drain her blood was found to be very offensive. In defense of the game, Tom Zito (President and CEO of Digital Pictures) attempted to explain the context of the nightgown scene during a hearing session, but was met with little regard. In the short documentary Dangerous Games (included with the PC version), the producers and some members of the cast explain that the plot of the game was to in fact prevent the trapping and killing of women. In addition, the blood draining device was intended to look very unrealistic and would therefore mitigate the violence.^[1] Despite scenes in which the girls are grabbed or pulled by enemies, no nudity or extreme acts of violence were ever filmed or incoporated into the game. ^[2] USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Pink chiffon nightie A nightgown (also called a nightdress) is a loosely hanging item of nightwear nowadays solely for women, Its length may vary from hip-length (babydoll) to floor-length (peignoir) but is typically knee-length. ... Digital Pictures logo taken from the opening of one of their Sega CD games. ...

Additionally, Night Trap's box art was criticized by interest groups for what many believed to be a "sexist" depiction (see above). In 1994, after the controversy died down, the game was ported to 3DO and Sega 32X, and for PC and Mac in 1995. All of these versions were released with a new cover depicting a tame screenshot of Dana Plato from the game, with decorative artwork in the background. ^[3] ^[4] 1994 1994 in games 1993 in video gaming 1995 in video gaming Notable events of 1994 in computer and video games. ... 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 (e. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. The Macintosh or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2007, Yahoo! Games listed it as one of the top ten controversial games of all time.^[5] Yahoo! Games is the games section of the Yahoo! website. ...

Reception

Due to the controversy and removal of the game from mainstream outlets, the game was not financially successful. Today, many consider the game to be a classic of the FMV game genre of the early and mid-90s; its concept unique and unequaled. However, many criticize the quality of the game for its single unfolding of events, which could lead to stale gameplay after only so many plays. Night Trap was ranked the 12th "Worst Video Game of All-Time" in an Electronic Gaming Monthly article by editor SeanBaby. ^[6] The developer, Digital Pictures, was otherwise notable for their use of interactive video in titles including Sewer Shark, Corpse Killer and Ground Zero: Texas. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into interactive movie. ... Electronic Gaming Monthly (often abbreviated to EGM) is an American video game magazine. ... Sewer Shark, a first-person rail shooter game, is the first video game for a game console to use full-motion video for its primary gameplay. ... Corpse Killer is a game released for the Sega CD, Sega 32X, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis and Windows 95 computer that featured full motion video in a format similar to other games developed by Digital Pictures. ...

Platform differences

The major differences between the Sega and 3DO/PC versions was that all references and depictions of Sega related products was eliminated from the latter versions. In order to do this, the introduction and some of the other videos were replaced with the original footage made for the game prior to its dedication to Sega CD, as it was originally scheduled for release on the discontinued Hasbro NEMO system. Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is an American toy and game company. ...

The Sega CD version and 3DO version differed slightly in presentation. Since the 3DO had better hardware, this allowed for the video in Night Trap to be nearly two times larger than the Sega CD edition and have much better resolution. Also, an on-screen map with each room color coded appeared at the bottom of the player's screen at all times in the 3DO version, although it was useless for detecting intruders. When the game was released for the Sega 32X CD-ROM, it also saw improvements with better quality graphics. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In addition, the PC CD-ROM version includes a saving and loading feature, from which the player can access a new pause menu with a large map of the house. This version also included Dangerous Games, a brief documentary video about the game and the controversy that surrounded it (YouTube link).

NEMO footage

Footage of the never released VHS-based NEMO video game system can be found in the Sega CD version of Night Trap when entering a cheat. This footage shows Hasbro executives taking a look at and playing Scene of the Crime (the prototype of Night Trap) in December 1989. The NEMO also known as Control-Vision was an unreleased video game console developed by Hasbro, notable for using VHS tapes rather than cartridges. ... Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is an American toy and game company. ...

Cast

Dana Michelle Plato (November 7, 1964 â€“ May 8, 1999) was an American actress who became famous playing the role of Kimberly Drummond in the U.S. television sitcom Diffrent Strokes. ... Arthur Burghardt (born 1947) is an American actor best known for portraying Dr. Jack Scott on the soap opera One Life to Live. ... Blake Gibbons is an American actor with a recurring role as Coleman on the long running Daytime television serial General Hospital. ... Andras Jones (b. ...

References

QuickTime is a multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc. ... QuickTime is a multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc. ... The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state. ... MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ... Yahoo! Games is the games section of the Yahoo! website. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Categories: 1992 video games | Sega CD games | Sega 32X games | 3DO games | DOS games | Full Motion Video MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Duke Nukem in the title screen of Duke Nukem 3D Duke Nukem is an action hero created by computer game developer 3D Realms/Apogee Software. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... Computer and video games have been the subject of controversy and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes,consumption of illegal drugs, consumption of alcohol or tobacco, or profanity in some games. ... The United States Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA) is a bill introduced by Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh on November 29, 2005. ... The United States Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935) is a bill introduced by Senator Sam Brownback on September 27, 2006. ... The United States Video Game Decency Act (H.R.6120) is a proposed new U.S. video game legislation introduced by Senator Fred Upton on September 29, 2006. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, nicknamed Peggy, is a European video game content rating system. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The USKs official logo. ... The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 national non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. ... The Videogame Rating Council (VRC) was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States of America on the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD and rarely, some computer games. ... The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) was an independent, non-profit organization founded in the USA in 1994 by the Software Publishers Association as well as six other industry leaders in response to video game controversy and threats of government regulation. ... The 3DO Rating System was a rating system created by The 3DO Company and used on games released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in the USA and Canada. ... Julia Boseman is an American politician and a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. ... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ... Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is the senior United States senator from the U.S. state of Kansas. ... This article refers to Sen. ... Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is an American politician from Connecticut. ... Devin Moore (born 1985) is a criminal from Alabama who sparked a large controversy over the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when he committed three acts of first-degree murder against three people in the Fayette, Alabama police station in 2003. ... Cody Posey Cody Posey (born October 9, 1989) is a New Mexico teenager who confessed to killing his father, stepmother, and stepsister on July 5, 2004, when he was 14 years old. ... â€œSantorumâ€ redirects here. ... John Bruce â€œJackâ€ Thompson (born July 25, 1951) is an American attorney and activist, based in Coral Gables, Florida. ... Stephen Frederick Upton, better known as Fred Upton, (born April 23, 1953), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1987, representing Michigans 6th District (map). ... Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known simply as Keith Vaz (born November 26, 1956), is a British Labour party politician and Member of Parliament for Leicester East. ... Carmageddon is the first of a series of graphically violent driving-oriented video games produced by Stainless Games, published by Interplay and SCi. ... Death Race was a controversial arcade game, released by Exidy (whose name was a contraction of Excellence in Dynamics) in 1976. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a video game series created and primarily developed by Scottish developer Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), published by Rockstar Games and debuted in 1998. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. ... Lethal Enforcers was created as an arcade shooting video game by Konami in 1992. ... Manhunt 2 is a video game developed by Rockstar Games, and the sequel to 2003s Manhunt. ... For other uses, see Mortal Kombat. ... The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a game currently under development by Bethesda Softworks for the PC, Xbox 2, and Playstation 3. ...

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