Software:Backyard Soccer MLS Edition

From HandWiki
Short description: 2000 video game
Backyard Soccer MLS Edition
Original cover art featuring kid versions of Brandi Chastain and Cobi Jones (both foreground), and Backyard Sports character Reese Worthington (background).
Developer(s)Humongous Entertainment
Publisher(s)Infogrames
SeriesBackyard Sports
EngineSCUMM
Platform(s)Macintosh, Windows
ReleaseOctober 3, 2000[1]
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Backyard Soccer MLS Edition is a children's soccer video game developed by Humongous Entertainment and released on October 3, 2000, for Macintosh and Windows as part of the Backyard Sports series.[2][1] It is the second game in the Backyard Soccer subseries and the fifth Backyard Sports title overall. Unlike the first Backyard Soccer, this game features Major League Soccer (MLS) teams and players,Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag In 2003, a third Backyard Soccer title called Backyard Soccer 2004 was released.[3]

Gameplay

The gameplay of Backyard Soccer MLS Edition is mostly the same as the original Backyard Soccer game, with a few additional features. The biggest addition is the inclusion of 12 Major League Soccer players as children, which represent each of the 12 MLS teams, along with three USWNT players.[4] Another new feature is a two-player mode on a single computer which allows players to control their respective teams with either the computer mouse, keyboard, or gamepads.[1]

Development

At the 1999 E3 event, Humongous Entertainment announced license deals with several professional sports leagues, including Major League Soccer.[5] The following year, Backyard Soccer MLS Edition was formally announced with the reveal that it would be the first game to include female professional sports players as playable characters.[4] To promote the game, Humongous Entertainment organized a sweepstakes with the top prize being a trip to Los Angeles and a meeting with Los Angeles Galaxy player Cobi Jones.[1]

Reception

The Dallas Daily News noted that the game only offered three female soccer stars to play as, but they appreciated the game's replay value.[6] GameZone gave the game an overall score of 8 out of 10, praising its graphics, audio, and overall concept.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Backyard Soccer MLS Edition In Stores Now!". http://humongous.com/parents/Pr/More/News/bys_mls_retail.html. 
  2. ↑ "Female Athletes in New "Backyard" Sports CD-ROM". The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. October 17, 2000. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-69441964.html. Retrieved Nov 30, 2012. 
  3. ↑ "Backyard Soccer 2004™ (PC CD-ROM)". http://www.funkidsgames.com/games/bysoccer_2004_pc/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Backyard Soccer MLS Edition!". http://humongous.com/parents/Pr/More/News/bys_mls.html. 
  5. ↑ "HE Announces License Deals". http://humongous.com/parents/pr/more/News/JSN5_13.htm. 
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dallas
  7. ↑ "Backyard Soccer MLS Edition - PC - Review - PC - Review | GameZone" (in en-US). https://gamezone.com/reviews/backyard_soccer_mls_edition_pc_review_pc_review/. 
  • 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



Template:Backyard Sports



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Backyard_Soccer_MLS_Edition&oldid=4139453"