Software:Allied General

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Allied General
Developer(s)Halestorm
Strategic Simulations
Publisher(s)Strategic Simulations
Mindscape
Designer(s)SSI Special Projects Group
Programmer(s)Michael Fullerton
Artist(s)Mitchel Pergola
John Weir
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh, PlayStation
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
  • EU: 1995
  • NA: January 31, 1996
Macintosh
PlayStation
  • NA: September 30, 1996
  • JP: June 13, 1997
  • PAL: July 1, 1997
Genre(s)Turn-based computer wargame
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Allied General is a turn-based computer wargame set in World War II that features the Allied side of operations. It is a sequel to Panzer General.[1] Players can progress through four campaigns as an Allied general against Axis forces controlled by the computer. In Germany , Allied General was titled Panzer General II, and Panzer General II was named Panzer General IIID.

Gameplay

The playable campaigns include:

  • A Soviet campaign, which features the Soviet invasion of Finland, known as the Winter War, the defenses of Moscow, and if successful, the counter-attack.
  • A British campaign in North Africa against the German and Italian armies, beginning in Sidi Barrani.
  • A British campaign, which can be played as the continuation of the first British campaign, which features the final Allied attack in Tunis on Mareth Line and the invasion of Europe.
  • An American campaign, similar to the second British campaign, that begins with Operation Torch and continues to the invasion of Europe.

Individual scenarios can be played from either side.

Whereas the first Panzer General targeted DOS, Allied General was made for Windows.[1] Allied General and Panzer General for Windows (an update to the DOS version) utilize a pop-up interface and share an underlying file system that differs from the original Panzer General. Fans created a version of Allied General, based on its own DOS version, that borrows interface features from the original Panzer General. Called Allied Panzer General, it includes all scenarios and campaigns from the original, as well as bugfixes.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar (PS1)[6]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar (PC, PS1)[1][5]
PC Gamer (US)89%[2]
PC GamesB[3]
Computer Game Review91/93/90[4]

Allied General sold at least 50,000 units by September 1997.[7]

Reviewing the Windows version, a Next Generation critic summarized that "Panzer General was one of the best-loved war games of last year, and Allied General is an improvement on an already great engine. For a sequel to such a prestigious title, however, there's really not much new here". He was pleased with the new Windows-specific features, such as being able to keep several windows open at once and change the game's resolution, as well as the improved e-mail play. He criticized that the weak AI is unimproved from Panzer General, but concluded the game to be worth getting for war game enthusiasts.[1] Next Generation also reviewed the PlayStation version, opining that it "boasts much of what made [Panzer General] such a delight".[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Allied General". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (18): 120. June 1996. 
  2. ↑ McDonald, T. Liam (May 1996). "Allied General". PC Gamer US. http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1292.html. 
  3. ↑ Klett, Steve (March 1996). "Allied General". PC Games. http://www.pcgamesmag.com:80/games/Mar96/allied396.html. Retrieved 2018-10-13. 
  4. ↑ "Allied Invasion". Computer Game Review. March 1996. http://www.nuke.com/cgr/reviews/9603/allied/allied.htm. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (25): 57. January 1997. 
  6. ↑ Michael L. House. "Allied General (PlayStation) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12759&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ MacDonald, T. Liam (September 23, 1997). "Panzer General II Preview". GameSpot. http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/previews/0,10869,2560272,00.html. 
  • 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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