Software:Aquanaut's Holiday

From HandWiki
Aquanaut's Holiday
North American cover art
Developer(s)Artdink
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Kazutoshi Iida
SeriesAquanaut's Holiday
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: June 30, 1995[1]
  • NA: July 7, 1996
  • EU: October 1996
Genre(s)Simulation[1]
Mode(s)Single-player

Aquanaut's Holiday (Japanese: アクアノートの休日, Hepburn: Aquanaut no Kyuujitsu) is a video game for the PlayStation developed by Artdink. The game is an underwater simulation in which the player assumes the role of an overworked marine explorer who returns to the water for pleasure after having brought harmony to the world's oceans. Aquanaut's Holiday was followed by a few Japan-exclusive sequels on various PlayStation consoles.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Aquanaut's Holiday takes place in a first-person perspective and consists primarily of the player exploring vast stretches of ocean, occasionally discovering underwater ruins or treasure, or communicating with underwater creatures. The game has no time limits, enemies, or other obstacles. The game's objective, aside from exploring, is to build a large coral reef to attract a wide variety of fish and other marine wildlife.[2][3][4]

Development

Aquanaut's Holiday was developed by the Japanese studio Artdink and directed by Kazutoshi Iida. The game designer was also behind Artdink's Tail of the Sun and later headed development of Doshin the Giant for the GameCube.[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[3]
CVGStarStarStarStar[6]
Famitsu24/40[7]
Hyper75%[8]
IGN8/10[9]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[10]
Play58%[11]

On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored Aquanaut's Holiday a 24 out of 40.[7] The game won a Japan Software Award in 1996.[12] Critical reception has been mixed. USA magazine Next Generation reviewed the game as an import prior to its release in North America, commenting that, "Seen from a first-person perspective, AH's exotic sea life and realistic landscapes soon have you believing you really are exploring the floor of the ocean. And though the gaming aspect is a little on the subtle side, it's enjoyable just swimming around." They scored it four out of five stars.[10] Their later, much briefer review of the domestic release lowered the score to two stars and said "Points for effort, but most gamers will be bored."[13] IGN stated that Aquanaut's Holiday does not truly qualify as a game, but instead "a fun and immersive 3D underwater sim of the most relaxing kind".[9] Shawn Sackenheim of Allgame likewise called the game to be a great stress-reliever and complimented its "beautiful" presentation and "rewarding" gameplay model.[3] Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground agreed that the graphics were most impressive, but ultimately found the combination of exploration gameplay and atmospheric music extremely boring.[4] NowGamer was also unimpressed, summarizing, "Unless you’ve got more money than sense, our advice is to save your pennies and spend them on a title that truly pushes the PlayStation to its technical limits without relying on the contents of Captain Birdseye’s pantry."[2]

The game sold more than 200,000 units in Japan.[14]

Legacy

Aquanaut's Holiday was followed by a few Japan-exclusive sequels. Aquanaut's Holiday: Memories of Summer 1996 and Aquanaut's Holiday 2 were released on the PlayStation in 1996 and 1999 respectively and were later made available for download on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable in 2008.[15][16][17][18] Another game, Aquanaut's Holiday, was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2008.[19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sony staff. "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps00060.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 NowGamer staff (November 1, 1996). "Aquanaut's Holiday". NowGamer. http://www.nowgamer.com/playstation/playstation-reviews/906947/aquanauts_holiday.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sackenheim, Shawn (1998). "Aquanaut's Holiday Review". Allgame. All Media Guide. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7813&tab=review. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lucas, Victor (May 1, 2001). "Aquanaut's Holiday Review". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. http://www.elecplay.com/reviewfull_209.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  5. ↑ IGN staff (September 30, 1999). "Iida the Giant". IGN. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/070/070838p1.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  6. ↑ Lemas, CV (August 1996). "Aquanaut's Holiday". Computer and Video Games (177): 64–65. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: アクアノートの休日. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.342. Pg.32. 7 July 1995.
  8. ↑ Iredale, Andrew (October 1996). "The Aquanaut's Holiday". Hyper (35): 52–53. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 IGN staff (November 21, 1996). "Aquanaut's Holiday". IGN. http://psx.ign.com/articles/150/150548p1.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Aquanaut's Holiday". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (11): 168. November 1995. 
  11. ↑ "Aquanaut's Holiday". Play (10): 44–45. August 1996. 
  12. ↑ Artdink staff. "Company History" (in ja). Artdink. http://www.artdink.co.jp/corporate_4.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (25): 57. January 1997. 
  14. ↑ "Anti-Game Feeds Senses". September 14, 1996. p. 72. https://books.google.com/books?id=wQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72. Retrieved August 21, 2022. 
  15. ↑ Sony staff. "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps00406.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  16. ↑ Sony staff. "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps02141.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  17. ↑ Sony staff. "アクアノートの休日 MEMORIES OF SUMMER 1996" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/jp0011npjj00179_000000000000000001.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  18. ↑ Sony staff. "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/jp0011npjj00188_000000000000000001.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  19. ↑ Sony staff. "AQUANAUT'S HOLIDAY 隠された記録" (in ja). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/bcjs30023.html. Retrieved April 17, 2012. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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