Software:All-Pro Football 2K8

From HandWiki
All-Pro Football 2K8
PlayStation 3 cover
Developer(s)Visual Concepts
Publisher(s)2K
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: July 16, 2007
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

All-Pro Football 2K8 is an American football game for seventh generation consoles. All-Pro Football 2K8 is the first football game to be published by 2K since EA Sports purchased exclusive licenses to the intellectual properties of the NFL and NFLPA. John Elway, Barry Sanders, and Jerry Rice appear on the cover.

Overview

All-Pro Football 2K8 features a fictional league called the "All-Pro League", or 'APL'. The APL consists of 24 teams that are grouped into six divisions of four teams each. The league runs a sixteen-game schedule and holds a championship game at the end of the playoffs, similar to the NFL.

Since the exclusivity deal the NFL has with EA only covers team licenses, 2K contracted the individual rights to over 240 retired NFL players to appear in the game.[1]

Even though there are no NFL teams in the game, the player can still create teams that resemble their NFL counterparts. A Create-a-Player feature allows the user to add in players that were not included in the roster.

Teams

Many of the teams in the game have one or more aspects that are veiled references to other elements of popular culture. While some link to sports teams past and present, others refer to TV, films, cars, comic books, American history and even Native American tradition.

  • New Jersey Assassins – The team plays at DiMeo Stadium, named after the DiMeo Crime Family. The crime family is the one Tony Soprano works for on The Sopranos. The Sopranos is set in New Jersey. Possibly a reference to the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL.
  • New York Knights – Possibly a reference to the WLAF team, or the baseball team from the book and movie, The Natural. The team plays in a stadium that the game says was designed by G. L. Costanza, a reference to the Seinfeld character, who always wanted to be an architect.
  • Boston Minutemen – Thinly veiled reference to the New England Patriots.
  • Washington Federals – Possibly a reference to the former USFL team of the same name.
  • Detroit Firebirds – A reference to Detroit's nickname of 'The Motor City' and the Pontiac Firebird automobile. For many years, the Lions played at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
  • Pittsburgh Iron Men – Possibly a reference to an early name used by the Steelers, circa 1940. Pittsburgh is known for its steel and iron industries. The city's real life NFL team is named the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Iron Men play at "Steel Mill Park", which is constructed of over 30,000 steel rivets. However, the team's colors are similar to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
  • Ohio Red Dogs – Possibly a reference to an early NFL team known as the Canton Bulldogs and the former AFL team known as the New Jersey Red Dogs, which eventuality relocated to Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns have a section of fans known as "The Dawg Pound." The primary color of the Ohio State Buckeyes is red. It is fair to say that the Red Dogs are a nod to Ohio area sports culture.
  • Carolina Cobras – Possibly a reference to the former arena football team of the same name. They play in a stadium called "The Extensive Enterprises Stadium". Extensive Enterprises was a front company for the Cobra Organization in the G.I. Joe comic book and animated series.
  • Tampa Bay Top Guns – Possibly a reference to MacDill Air Force Base , which is in Tampa.
  • Atlanta Wasps – The in-game stadium is named "Van Dyne Field", which is a reference to Janet Van Dyne, the superhero Wasp. Additionally, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets make their home in Atlanta.
  • Miami Cyclones – A reference to the vast amounts of hurricanes in Miami, and the Miami Hurricanes college football team.
  • Chicago Beasts – Their home stadium is named "Wolfram & Hart Stadium" after the law firm Wolfram & Hart in the TV series Angel.
  • Milwaukee Indians– In many Native American tribes, Milwaukee means meeting place. This could also be a reference to the Indian Packing Company, the namesake of the Green Bay Packers.
  • Seattle Sailors – A reference to the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball.
  • Minneapolis Werewolves – A reference to the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA.
  • Denver Cougars – veiled reference to the mascot of the NBA's Denver Nuggets, Rocky the Mountain Lion. The mountain lion is also known as the cougar.
  • Dallas Gunfighters – Veiled reference to the Dallas Cowboys and USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers.
  • St. Louis Rhinos – A reference to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, who played in St. Louis at the time.
  • San Francisco Sharks – Their home stadium is called "Amity Stadium", named after the town Amity in Jaws. Presumably named after the San Jose Sharks hockey team.
  • Los Angeles Legends – Their home stadium is called "Miller Gold Stadium", presumably a reference to the HBO show Entourage and the Miller Gold Agency that is run by Ari Gold and Barbara Miller.
  • Las Vegas Rollers– A reference to the many casinos in Las Vegas.
  • Philadelphia Americans – Philadelphia was a key meeting point for the Founding Fathers of the United States; the Declaration of Independence was signed there in 1776. The city is often referred to as 'The Birthplace of America'.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS3Xbox 360
EGM6.67/10[2]6.67/10[2]
Game Informer8/10[3]8/10[3]
GameProN/AStarStarStarStar[4]
GameSpot7.5/10[5]7.5/10[5]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[6]StarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameTrailers7.1/10[7]7.1/10[7]
GameZone7.5/10[8]N/A
IGN7.6/10[9]7.6/10[9]
OXM (US)N/A8/10[10]
PSM8/10[11]N/A
411ManiaN/A8/10[12]
Aggregate score
Metacritic73/100[13]75/100[14]

The Xbox 360 version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 3 version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[13][14] The gameplay of APF2K8 is considered better to the game play of Visual Concepts' previous title, ESPN NFL 2K5. However, All-Pro Football 2K8 received criticism for the lack of a multi-season Franchise Mode, as seen in competing titles such as Madden NFL 08 and NCAA Football 08, given ESPN NFL 2K5 contained a similar Franchise Mode.[15] 2K Sports and Visual Concepts chose to omit a franchise mode because since the game revolves around the use of legends from different eras, they felt there would be no rational way for the legends to develop or age.[9]

O. J. Simpson controversy

In a court ruling, O. J. Simpson was ordered to pay the family of Ronald Goldman any money made for his appearance in the game. Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman in 1995, but was found legally responsible for their deaths by a civil court jury two years later.[16] During pre-production of the game, Simpson was a member of the in-game team called the New Jersey Assassins. Players on the team perform a throat slash as a touchdown celebration, and the animatronic mascot for the Assassins will make a slashing motion. Some pre-release videos showed Simpson performing these moves, implying to some that the designers were intentionally referencing the murders. However, in the retail version of the game, Simpson was moved to the Cyclones.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ekberg, Brian (June 28, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8 Hands-On". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-pro-football-2k8-hands-on/1100-6173345/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 EGM staff (September 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (219): 86. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kato, Matthew (August 2007). "All Pro Football 2K8". Game Informer (GameStop) (172). http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/48E118EB-45E0-432A-8051-B48F5F008316.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2020. 
  4. ↑ Lunchbox (August 14, 2007). "Review: All-Pro Football 2K8 (X360)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/reviews/129208.shtml. Retrieved May 1, 2020. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Navarro, Alex (July 20, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8 Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/all-pro-football-2k8-review/1900-6175444/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Villoria, Gerald (July 20, 2007). "GameSpy: All-Pro Football 2K8". IGN Entertainment. http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/all-pro-football-2k8/807119p1.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "All-Pro Football 2K8 Review". Viacom. August 9, 2007. http://www.gametrailers.com/game/4211.html. 
  8. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (August 20, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8 - PS3 - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/all_pro_football_2k8_ps3_review/. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Goldstein, Hilary (July 20, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8 Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/07/21/all-pro-football-2k8-review. 
  10. ↑ "All-Pro Football 2K8". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 81. September 2007. 
  11. ↑ "Review: All-Pro Football 2K8". PSM (Future US): 80. October 2007. 
  12. ↑ Redkey, David (October 2, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8 (X-box 360) [sic Review"]. http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/60705/All-Pro-Football-2K8-(X-box-360).htm. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "All-Pro Football 2K8 for PlayStation 3 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/all-pro-football-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "All-Pro Football 2K8 for Xbox 360 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/all-pro-football-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  15. ↑ Zuniga, Todd (July 17, 2007). "All-Pro Football 2K8". Ziff Davis. http://www.1up.com/reviews/all-pro-football-2k8. 
  16. ↑ "O. J. Simpson ordered to pay Goldmans over game". CBS Interactive. September 6, 2007. https://www.cnet.com/news/o-j-simpson-ordered-to-pay-goldmans-over-game/. 
  • 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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