Black & White (video game)
Black & White is a god video game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows in 2001 and by Feral Interactive in 2002 for Mac OS. Black & White combines elements of artificial life and strategy. The player acts as a god whose goal is to defeat Nemesis, another god who wants to take over the world. A primary theme is the concept of good and evil, with the atmosphere being affected by the player's moral choices. The core gameplay mechanic of Black & White is the interaction between the player and an avatar creature, who carries out the player's instructions and whose personality and behaviour change in reaction to how they are treated. Multiplayer is supported over a local network or online.
| Black & White | |
|---|---|
PC "black" cover | |
| Developer(s) | Lionhead Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts Feral Interactive (Mac) |
| Director(s) | Steve Jackson |
| Designer(s) | Peter Molyneux |
| Programmer(s) | Peter Molyneux Mark Webley Jonty Barnes |
| Artist(s) | Paul McLaughlin Mark Healey Andy Bass Christian Bravery |
| Writer(s) | James Leach |
| Composer(s) | Russell Shaw |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | Windows
|
| Genre(s) | Simulation, god game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Peter Molyneux led the three-year development of the highly anticipated game, originally to feature wizards instead of gods. Black & White was written from scratch, and the intention was to have the main user interface free of icons, buttons, and panels. Versions for games consoles were in development, but were cancelled.
Black & White received universal acclaim on release; reviewers praised the artificial intelligence, uniqueness, and depth, although the system requirements and bugs were criticised. Black & White won awards from several organisations, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and the Guinness World Record, for the complexity of the artificial intelligence, selling over two million copies. Later re-reviews of the game considered it to have been overrated at the time, but was nevertheless considered one of the greatest games of all time. An expansion, Black & White: Creature Isle, and sequel, Black & White 2, followed.