Software:Bad Day L.A.

From HandWiki
Short description: 2006 video game

American McGee presents: Bad Day L.A.
Developer(s)The Mauretania Import Export Company/Enlight Software
Publisher(s)
Director(s)American McGee
Producer(s)Patrick Chu
Jim Hudson
Designer(s)American McGee
Programmer(s)Patrick Chu
Artist(s)Kozyndan
Ken Wong
Composer(s)The Lodge
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: September 6, 2006
  • AU: October 27, 2006
  • EU: November 24, 2006
Genre(s)Action-adventure, third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

American McGee presents: Bad Day L.A. is a 2006 third-person action video game by American McGee. Players assume the role of Anthony Willams, a former Hollywood agent turned homeless man in Los Angeles. During this time LA is ravaged by both natural and man-made disasters. Anthony only wishes to save himself, though through the course of the story he becomes an unwilling savior. The game's attempted tone is one of political satire, targeting all spectra of politics.

While the game was set for world release on September 6, 2006, it first saw the light of day as part of the 9/2006 issue (released at the end of August 2006) of the Polish video game magazine CD-Action.[1]

The game was released to mostly negative reviews, with reviewers criticizing its gameplay, visuals, voice acting, characters, offensive and crass humor, and poor attempts at satire.

Development

Bad Day L.A. was first announced for the Xbox and PC by Hong Kong developer Enlight Software on April 28, 2005.[2] Inspiration for the game came from American McGee being in traffic seeing a Sunset Boulevard billboard from the Department of Homeland Security about preparations for biochemical terrorism. Calling it "the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back", McGee decided to make a video game as a way to inject the message of having nothing to fear but fear itself.[3] To offset the violent events happening in Bad Day L.A., the art duo Kozyndan was hired to make the art style have a humorous nature.[4][5]

The Xbox version of Bad Day L.A. was planned to be distributed by the London-based Supersonic Group,[6] but was never released. A graphic novel based on the game and other American McGee games American McGee's Alice and American McGee's Grimm was planned.[7]

The game was shown at E3 2005.[8] Originally planned for an early 2006 release,[2] on August 22, 2006, Aspyr Media announced that the game had gone gold and would be released on August 28.[9] A demo for the game was available from MTV's website.[10]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic28/100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comF[12]
Edge4/10[13]
GameRevolutionD[14]
GameSpot3/10[16]
GameSpyStarHalf star[17]
GamesRadar+Star[15]
IGN2.7/10[18]
PC Gamer (UK)43%[19]
PC Gamer (US)20%[20]
X-PlayStar[21]

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[11]

GameSpot gave it a 3 out of 10, and called it "an abject failure" and a "spectacular failure in almost every facet of its execution".[16] IGN gave it a 2.7, saying that "it's terrible".[18] G4's X-Play gave it their lowest rating, a 1 out of 5,[21] and also gave it a "Golden Mullet Award" for the year of 2006. PC Gamer gave it a 20%, saying it was "so tasteless that I wanted to scrub myself with Lysol after getting up from the computer" and "being a bad Postal clone".[20]

GameSpy "awarded" the title the "Coaster of the Year" award for 2006.[22] GamesRadar awarded it the "collateral damage" award for the Anti-Game of the Year, claiming that it seemed to be "designed to end up on this list. If so... congratulations, guys, you did it!" But the game lost the award to Sonic the Hedgehog as that was apparently "the most disappointing" rather than "the absolute worst game of the year."[23] Ben Croshaw of Zero Punctuation briefly described it as "fondly remembered alongside botched prostate surgery."[24] GamesRadar ranked it as the 25th worst game ever made.[25] Rolling Stone's Glixel also called it one of the worst games ever made.[26]

Mikel Reparaz from GamesRadar placed it on his list of "unfunny games", noting the comedic timing being off, poorly direct visual gags, and overall horrible voice acting.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "CD-Action 09/2006: Bad Day L.A. na coverze – premiera!". August 2, 2006. http://forum.pclab.pl/topic/181563-CDAction-092006/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Adams, David (April 28, 2005). "American McGee Takes L.A.". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/04/26/american-mcgee-takes-la. 
  3. ↑ Adams, Dan (June 8, 2005). "Bad Day L.A. Interview". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/09/bad-day-la-interview. 
  4. ↑ GamesRadar Staff (August 19, 2006). "American McGee: The GamesRadar Interview (Part 1)". GamesRadar. Future plc. p. 2. http://www.gamesradar.com/american-mcgee-the-gamesradar-interview-part-1/2/. 
  5. ↑ Edge_ (February 16, 2006). "Bad Day LA". GamesRadar. Future plc. http://www.gamesradar.com/bad-day-la-2/. 
  6. ↑ Cocker, Guy (May 25, 2006). "Supersonic grabs Bad Day L.A. for Europe". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/supersonic-grabs-bad-day-la-for-europe/1100-6151826/. 
  7. ↑ Miller, Ross (August 12, 2005). "American McGee to make graphic novels". Joystiq. AOL. https://www.joystiq.com/2005/08/12/american-mcgee-to-make-graphic-novels/. 
  8. ↑ Park, Andrew (May 24, 2005). "Bad Day LA E3 2005". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bad-day-la-e3-2005-report/1100-6126381/. 
  9. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (August 22, 2006). "Bad Day L.A. Imminent". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bad-day-la-imminent/1100-6156178/. 
  10. ↑ Summa, Robert (August 15, 2006). "PC demo for Bad Day LA ready for download". Joystiq. AOL. https://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/15/pc-demo-for-bad-day-la-ready-for-download/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "American McGee Presents Bad Day LA Critic Reviews for PC". https://www.metacritic.com/game/american-mcgee-presents-bad-day-la/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  12. ↑ Matt Peckham (September 5, 2006). "American McGee Presents: Bad Day L.A.". http://www.1up.com/reviews/bad-day-la. 
  13. ↑ Edge Staff (September 2006). "American McGee Presents Bad Day L.A.". Edge (166): 82. 
  14. ↑ Joe Dodson (September 14, 2006). "American McGee Presents Bad Day LA Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/bad-day-la. 
  15. ↑ Omeed Rafizadeh (September 19, 2006). "Bad Day L.A. review". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/bad-day-la-review/. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ryan Davis (September 13, 2006). "American McGee Presents Bad Day LA Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/american-mcgee-presents-bad-day-la-review/1900-6157530/. 
  17. ↑ Sal "Sluggo" Accardo (September 13, 2006). "GameSpy: Bad Day L.A.". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/bad-day-la/732640p1.html. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dan Adams (September 18, 2006). "Bad Day L.A. Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/18/bad-day-la-review. 
  19. ↑ "American McGee Presents Bad Day L.A.". PC Gamer UK: 70. December 2006. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "American McGee Presents Bad Day L.A.". PC Gamer: 56. December 2006. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Tom Price (October 18, 2006). "American McGee Presents Bad Day L.A.". X-Play. http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1282/American_McGee_Presents_Bad_Day_LA.html. 
  22. ↑ "GameSpy's Game of the Year 2006". GameSpy. http://goty.gamespy.com/2006/pc/index24.html. 
  23. ↑ GamesRadar U.S. (January 16, 2007). "GamesRadar's Anti-awards 2006". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/gamesradars-anti-awards-2006/. 
  24. ↑ Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (July 6, 2011). "Zero Punctuation: Alice: Madness Returns". The Escapist. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3652-Alice-Madness-Returns. Retrieved February 16, 2012. 
  25. ↑ "Worst games". http://www.gamesradar.com/worst-games-all-time/. 
  26. ↑ Cox, Simon; Lopez, Miguel; Davidson, John; Macgregor, Jody (May 31, 2017). "The 50 Worst Games of All Time". Glixel. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/lists/the-50-worst-games-of-all-time-w484938/american-mcgees-bad-day-la-w484970. 
  27. ↑ Reparaz, Mikel (May 30, 2007). "The Top 7... Unfunny games". GamesRadar. Future plc. http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-unfunny-games/. 
  • 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





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Bad_Day_L.A.&oldid=4138260"