Software:Actua Golf

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
Actua Golf
European Saturn box art
Developer(s)Gremlin Interactive
Publisher(s)
SeriesActua Sports
Platform(s)PlayStation, Sega Saturn
ReleasePlayStation
Saturn
Genre(s)Sports (golf)
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Actua Golf (released as VR Golf '97 in North America) is a 1996 golf video game developed and published by Gremlin Interactive for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

Gameplay

Actua Golf features two fictional golf courses.[5][6] The game includes various modes, such as four-ball, match, skins, and stroke. Options such as mulligans and gimmes are also available.[7][5] The player can select the golfer's outfit and skin color. Selectable weather conditions include dry, damp, and wet. Various camera angles are also featured.[7] The game has several golf commentators, including Peter Alliss and Pat O'Brien.[5][6][4][8][7]

Development and release

Actua Golf was developed and published by Gremlin Interactive. In Europe, it was released for the PlayStation on October 18, 1996, followed by a Sega Saturn release sometime in that same month.[4] In North America, the game was released for the same consoles under the title VR Golf '97. The U.S. version was published by VR Sports, a division of Interplay.[5][6][9] A Nintendo 64 version of VR Golf '97 was scheduled for release in late 1997,[10] but it was cancelled. The game was released on Microsoft Windows on Steam by Pixel Games UK in December 2022.[11]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG5/5 (PlayStation)[12]
Edge7/10 (PlayStation)[8]
GameSpot5.7/10 (PlayStation)[7]
IGN8/10 (PlayStation)[13]
Mean Machines Sega92/100 (Saturn)[4]
Sega Saturn Magazine90% (Saturn)[14]

GamePro reviewer "Air Hendrix" considered the PlayStation version a close competitor to PGA Tour 97.[5] Reviewing the Sega Saturn version, Air Hendrix wrote that the game "has what PGA '97 doesn't have: fast, clean action and spectacular course graphics."[6] The latter review concluded that while the game "has plenty of room to improve, it ranks at the top of this year's Saturn leaderboards."[6] IGN stated that golf games "have never been a success for console systems" but that VR Golf '97 "beats the odds and successfully combines PC features and console gameplay."[13] Two reviewers for Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) called the game addictive.[15] A couple of reviewers for GameFan considered it among the best games available at that time,[16] and two reviewers for Mean Machines Sega considered it the best golf game for the Saturn.[4] Jeff Kitts of GameSpot, reviewing the PlayStation version, wrote that "there's nothing remotely 'VR,' as in virtual reality, about VR Golf '97." Kitts wrote, however, that the game "delivers just about everything, in terms of gameplay, one could ask for in a video game simulation."[7]

The graphics received some praise.[5][13][4] However, Kitts stated that the game did not take advantage of the PlayStation's capabilities and that it "fails miserably in the graphics department." Kitts stated that the environments were generic and "frightfully dull," and that the golfer "is downright droopy" and "a jagged-edged graphic disaster."[7] Air Hendrix stated that the Saturn version was "a bit choppier" than its PlayStation counterpart,[6] and wrote that the "smoothly moving players look far too elongated, which detracts from the realism."[5] Edge considered the players to be "gangly".[8]

The game's abundance of options was praised.[12][7][4][5][13] The variety of camera angles received some praise as well.[5][13][16] Air Hendrix considered the putting too easy,[5] while Edge complained of inaccuracies regarding the putting system.[8]

EGM's reviewers praised the commentary.[15] Stephen Fulljames of Computer and Video Games wrote that Alliss "provides an accurate, and somewhat acerbic commentary throughout."[12] Edge praised the inclusion of Alliss as commentator but stated that his remarks become repetitive.[8] Kitts considered the commentary "boring and repetitive."[7] Air Hendrix wrote that O'Brien "calls the play-by-play with accurate and often amusing commentary, though he does repeat himself a bit."[5] In 1998, Saturn Power ranked the game 93rd in its Top 100 Sega Saturn Games.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Sony PlayStation Available Software sorted by Release Date @ www.vidgames.com". 1998-06-11. http://www.vidgames.com/ps/software/release.html#1995. 
  2. ↑ "Hull Daily Mail 16 Oct 1996, page 11" (in en). https://www.newspapers.com/image/900679219/. ""Wipeout 2097 and Actua Golf on the PlayStation are out on Friday and are expected to do well."" 
  3. ↑ "sega-saturn.com - software". 1997-01-01. http://sega-saturn.com/software.htm. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Actua Golf". Mean Machines Sega: 62–63. November 1996. 
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Hendrix, Air (December 1996). "VR Golf '97". GamePro: 181. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Hendrix, Air (March 1997). "VR Golf '97". GamePro: 92. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Kitts, Jeff (19 December 1996). "VR Golf '97". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 30 October 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041030065054/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/sports/vrgolf97/review.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Actua Golf". Edge: 82. August 1996. 
  9. ↑ "VR Golf '96 preview". GameFan: 129. October 1996. 
  10. ↑ "In Development". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (29): 58. May 1997. https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_29#page/n59/. 
  11. ↑ "Actua Golf on Steam". https://store.steampowered.com/app/2183800/Actua_Golf/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Fulljames, Stephen (15 August 2001). "Actua Golf". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060720095633/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=7758. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 "VR Golf '97". IGN. 20 January 1997. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/01/21/vr-golf-97. Retrieved 12 September 2019. 
  14. ↑ "Actua Golf". Sega Saturn Magazine: 68–69. October 1996. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Team EGM Box Scores: VR Golf". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (88): 277. November 1996. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "GameFan Sports Viewpoint". GameFan: 92. February 1997. 
  17. ↑ "Top 100 Sega Saturn Games". Saturn Power (9): 95. January 1998. https://retrocdn.net/images/7/70/SaturnPower_UK_09.pdf. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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