Software:All-Star Baseball 99

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 video game
All-Star Baseball 99
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment[lower-alpha 1]
SeriesAll-Star Baseball
Platform(s)Game Boy, Nintendo 64
Release
  • NA: 27 May 1998[1]
  • EU: 1 August 1998 (N64)
Genre(s)Sports game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

All-Star Baseball 99 is a video game developed by Iguana Entertainment and Realtime Associates Seattle Division and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Game Boy and the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The game's cover features Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker.

All-Star Baseball 99 was the first game to use Acclaim's Quagmire engine.[2] The game also marked the debut of play-by-play commentary for the series. This is done by two New York Yankees broadcasters: John Sterling and Michael Kay.

Gameplay

The game contains exhibition, playoff, home run derby, and season modes.[2] A "create-a-player" feature for customized ball players is included.[2] The Nintendo 64 version supports the Rumble Pak.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game BoyN64
EGMN/A8.125/10[7][lower-alpha 2]
Game Informer7/10[9]8.5/10[10]
GameFanN/A94%[11][lower-alpha 3]
GameRevolutionN/AB+[12]
GameSpotN/A8.3/10[13]
HyperN/A91%[14]
IGNN/A8.2/10[15]
N64 MagazineN/A84%[16][17]
Next GenerationN/AStarStarStarStar[18]
Nintendo Power6.9/10[19]8.1/10[20]
Aggregate score
GameRankings69%[4]86%[5]

The Nintendo 64 version received favorable reviews, while the Game Boy version received average reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4][5] Next Generation called the former the best baseball game for Nintendo 64 despite noting minor AI problems and a slower pace.[18] GamePro said that the same console version "is this season's sports phenom, delivering stylish looks and clutch, long-ball gameplay. As of today, it's the best baseball game of the year and a must-buy for all sports nuts."[21][lower-alpha 4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released under the Acclaim Sports label
  2. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Nintendo 64 version each a score of 8/10, and the other gave it 8.5/10.
  3. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the Nintendo 64 version, one critic gave it 95, and the other 92.
  4. ↑ GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version two 5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, and two 4.5/5 scores for sound and control.

References

  1. ↑ "Boys of Summer". 18 May 1998. Archived from the original on 30 June 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010630004756/http://www.acclaim.com/archive/games/asb.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 EGM staff (April 1998). "Previews: All-Star Baseball '99". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (105): 36. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230701200252/https://retrocdn.net/images/9/9c/EGM_US_105.pdf. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  3. ↑ Air Hendrix (April 1998). "Baseball's Starting Lineup: All-Star Baseball '99". GamePro (IDG) (115): 81. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_105_April_1998/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "All-Star Baseball 99 for Game Boy". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190404083221/https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/574722-all-star-baseball-99/index.html. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "All-Star Baseball 99 for Nintendo 64". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190512160519/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/196585-all-star-baseball-99/index.html. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  6. ↑ Ham, Tom (19 June 1998). "All Star Baseball 99 (N64)". CNET. Archived from the original on 15 August 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000815075600/http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Nintendo/Allstar99/. Retrieved 19 February 2022. 
  7. ↑ Ricciardi, John; Hager, Dean; Kujawa, Kraig; Hsu, Dan (July 1998). "All-Star Baseball 99 (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (108): 133. https://retrocdn.net/images/4/45/EGM_US_108.pdf. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  8. ↑ Grant, Jules (14 December 1998). "All-Star Baseball [99 (N64)"]. Greedy Productions Ltd.. Archived from the original on 15 January 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030115221317/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=142&full=1#mr_toppy. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  9. ↑ "All-Star Baseball '99 (GB)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (66): 71. October 1998. https://archive.org/details/Game_Informer_Issue_066_October_1998/page/n71/mode/2up. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  10. ↑ Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (July 1998). "All-Star Baseball 99 (N64)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (63). http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=n64&path=jul98&doc=allstar. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  11. ↑ Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Mowatt, Todd "Video Cowboy" (August 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 (N64)". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 6 (8): 50. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_6_Issue_08/page/n51/mode/2up. Retrieved 29 October 2020. 
  12. ↑ Anderson, Tom (August 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 Review (N64)". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908020117/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/all-star-baseball-99. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  13. ↑ MacDonald, Ryan (25 May 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 Review (N64) [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050207113330/http://www.gamespot.com/n64/sports/allstarbaseball99/review.html. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  14. ↑ Toose, Dan (July 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 (N64)". Hyper (Next Media Pty Ltd) (57): 42. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230604122413/https://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-687-42.jpg. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  15. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (26 May 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 (N64)". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230604122418/https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/05/27/all-star-baseball-99. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  16. ↑ Kitts, Martin (August 1998). "All Star Baseball [sic (Import)"]. N64 Magazine (Future plc) (18): 83. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230605055151/https://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-499-83.jpg. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  17. ↑ Weaver, Tim (September 1998). "All Star Baseball [sic"]. N64 Magazine (Future plc) (19): 52. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230607080048/https://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-500-52.jpg. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "All-Star Baseball '99 [sic (N64)"]. Next Generation (Imagine Media) (43): 111. July 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_43/page/n111/mode/2up. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  19. ↑ "All-Star Baseball '99 (GB)". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 109: 97. June 1998. 
  20. ↑ "All-Star Baseball '99 (N64)". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 109: 96. June 1998. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230607080054/https://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-351-98.jpg. Retrieved 4 September 2023. 
  21. ↑ Johnny Ballgame (July 1998). "All-Star Baseball '99 (N64) [author mislabeled as "Air Hendrix""]. GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (118): 72. Archived from the original on 21 September 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040921090238/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/270.shtml. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

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