Moonbase Alpha: That time NASA made a meme video game
10 months ago
- #NASA
- #space-exploration
- #video-games
- NASA collaborated with video game studios to create Moonbase Alpha, a moon base simulator game, as part of efforts to promote science education and space exploration.
- Moonbase Alpha was developed by Virtual Heroes and Army Game Studio, set in a fictional lunar outpost in 2032 where players repair critical systems after a meteor strike.
- The game featured DECtalk speech synthesis, which became a viral sensation due to its ability to create music and humorous phrases, leading to a cult following.
- Despite initial mixed reviews, Moonbase Alpha achieved significant downloads and a peak of 1,443 simultaneous players on Steam.
- The promised MMO sequel, initially named 'Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond,' later became 'Starlite: Astronaut Academy' but failed to materialize despite successful fundraising.
- Moonbase Alpha's legacy includes a connection to the vocaloid music community and remains available for free on Steam.