Software:Bet On Soldier: Blood Sport

From HandWiki
Short description: 2005 video game
Bet On Soldier: Blood Sport
Developer(s)Kylotonn
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Bet On Soldier: Blood Sport is a first-person shooter video game developed by French developer Kylotonn and published in the North American and UK market by Digital Jesters. The story revolves around an unknown world war where elite soldiers meet each other in a battle to the death in one-on-one deathmatches. These deathmatches are broadcast all over the world as a televised sport named "Bet On Soldier" and since has become the favorite form of entertainment with many viewers betting on soldiers.

The game is billed as a spiritual sequel to the alternate history first-person shooter Iron Storm and heavily relies on assets recycled from the cancelled sequel. As a result, although it is not explicitly stated that the games take place in the same fictional universe, they share many of the same themes, plot elements, character and level designs, weapons, and even insignia of the fictional west European union.

Setting

Bet On Soldier is set on an alternate Earth in the year 1998, during a war that has lasted for 80 years and shows no signs of ever stopping. Every aspect of society revolves around warfare. Everyone earns their income through war; all men are paid soldiers, and women and the elderly work in the weapons manufacturing industry. The world is in a perpetual state of war between two competing power blocs: from the West, the Western Republic Federation (WRF), and from Asia, the United Asian Nations (UAN). The populace seeks solace from this grim world mainly through escapist television entertainment, with the most popular programming being "Bet On Soldier", in which elite soldiers face off against each other in one-on-one deathmatches, and where viewers can wager on the outcome of the fights.

Gameplay

Bet On Soldier differs from traditional first-person shooters as the player must select equipment before entering combat (much like Counter-Strike) and will be using that equipment throughout the mission. The player cannot change their inventory during a mission, or pick up weapons or ammo that either allies or enemies have dropped. In order to acquire more ammo or replenish their supply of armor, the player must spend money at various "purchase terminals" located throughout the levels. Money is earned by killing enemies, with more spectacular kills (i.e. headshots or deaths caused by exploding barrels) earning more cash.

The player can also hire up to two A.I.-controlled mercenaries that follow them throughout the level and assist them in combat. These mercenaries can be issued basic orders, such as to wait at a certain location or to follow the player.

At certain points in each level, the player is pitted in a one-on-one deathmatch against an enemy B.O.S. champion. The amount of money the player earns from these fights depends on how quickly they can kill their opponent.

Plot

Story

The player assumes the role of Nolan Daneworth, a WRF soldier, who is suffering from amnesia. Following the unknown injury that caused it, Nolan decides to retire from the war and settle down as a farmer. He marries a nurse named Julianne, however, his world is turned upside down when three men come to his farmhouse and burn it down, killing Julianne. Although he doesn't recognize their leader, the two other men turn out to be B.O.S. champions; the Boryenka brothers, Mika (younger) and Igor (older), who are the highest-ranking soldiers in the league. Daneworth re-enlists in the WRF, and enters the B.O.S. tournament in order to confront the Boryenka brothers and exact his revenge.

Midway through the game, Daneworth is captured by a group called the Resistance, led by Hang Shaiming. The Resistance claims that the entire war is controlled by a secret organization known as the Syndicate, a military-industrial complex that controls the weapons manufacturing and distribution for both the WRF and the UAN, and thus continuously profits from the perpetual war. The Syndicate uses the media to maintain its control over the world, encouraging jingoism and war-mongering through the news, while satisfying the populace's need for spectacle with programs like Bet On Soldier.

Shaiming claims that Daneworth was a soldier for the Syndicate prior to his amnesia, and was tasked with hunting down Shaiming and the Resistance. However, Daneworth doesn't believe Shaiming, stating that the Syndicate is a hoax. Shaiming lets Daneworth go, but gives him a transmitter to call for the Resistance's help if he ever needs it.

Daneworth fights through several battlefields across the globe and kills several B.O.S. champions, finally making his way to the very top of the league and a final confrontation with Igor Boryenka. Daneworth defeats Boryenka, and interrogates him for information.

Boryenka confirms that the Syndicate exists, and that they ordered the attack on Daneworth's farmhouse, in the hopes of shaking Daneworth out of his amnesia. Before Boryenka can reveal more, Syndicate soldiers arrive on the scene and capture them both. Daneworth is brought before the leader of the Syndicate, Vincente Adriano, whose right-hand man, Max Balding, is revealed as the man who led the attack on Daneworth's farm and killed Daneworth's wife.

Daneworth lost his memories after an attack by the Resistance, and the Syndicate wants those memories restored because Daneworth is the only person who knows the location of the Resistance's secret base. Vincente also reveals that Daneworth's wife, Julianne, wasn't actually killed, and is still alive and in Syndicate custody. Daneworth is given a choice: either reveal the location of the Resistance headquarters and help the Syndicate destroy it, or Julia will be killed for real, and Daneworth will die on national television.

At this point, the player is given the choice of either siding with the Resistance, or the Syndicate.

If the player sides with the Resistance, Daneworth activates his secret transmitter, and he and Julianne are rescued by Hang Shaiming and the Resistance, and taken to the Resistance's secret HQ at a remote monastery in Tibet. However, the Syndicate somehow learns the location of the HQ and attacks. In the fight, Hang Shaiming is killed by Max Balding. Daneworth fights and kills Max Balding.

If the player sides with the Syndicate, Daneworth leads a Syndicate strike force against the Resistance HQ. Daneworth kills Hang Shaiming, but Max Balding arrives and states that he has been ordered to dispose of Daneworth, who has outlived his usefulness. Daneworth fights and kills Max Balding.

Regardless of the player's choice, the ending is the same. Julianne appears and reveals that she was a Syndicate operative all the time. Her mission was to get close to Daneworth and try to shake him out of his amnesia. When that failed, she and Max Balding faked her own death in the hopes that Daneworth's quest for revenge would lead him to the Resistance. With the Resistance destroyed, Daneworth has outlived his usefulness. Julianne aims her gun at an injured Daneworth, the screen goes black, and a gunshot is heard.

The game ends with the following quotation:

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" – Mahatma Gandhi


Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic56/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGMStarHalf star[6]
Edge3/10[7]
Eurogamer5/10[8]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[9]
GameSpot3.1/10[10]
IGN7/10[11]
PALGN3.5/10[12]
PC Format67%[13]
PC Gamer (US)50%[14]
X-PlayStarStarStar[15]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5]

Expansions

Digital Jesters went into bankruptcy shortly after publishing Bet On Soldier. The series did enjoy some success in the European market, however, and two expansion packs have been released for the French, German and Polish markets. These expansion packs, Blood of Sahara and Black-out Saigon, are prequels to the main Bet On Soldier story and follow the activities of Max Balding and Hang Shaiming respectively, two of the original game's secondary characters.

References

  1. ↑ "Bet on Soldier". https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00013118-bet-on-soldier.htm. 
  2. ↑ Rainier (August 17, 2005). "'Bet On Soldier: Bloodsport' Goes Gold In Germany". https://worthplaying.com/article/2005/8/17/news/26622-bet-on-soldier-bloodsport-goes-gold-in-germany/#google_vignette. 
  3. ↑ Adams, David (August 30, 2005). "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport Complete". https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/30/bet-on-soldier-blood-sport-complete. 
  4. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (September 30, 2005). "What's New? (Super Catch-Up Alpha Plus 3)". https://www.eurogamer.net/a-whatsnew-300905. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/bet-on-soldier-blood-sport/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 14 February 2022. 
  6. ↑ "Review: Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport". Computer Games Magazine (theGlobe.com) (181): 62. December 2005. 
  7. ↑ Edge staff (November 2005). "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport". Edge (Future plc) (155): 112. 
  8. ↑ Rossignol, Jim (10 October 2005). "Bet On Soldier [Blood Sport"]. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_betonsoldier_pc. Retrieved 15 February 2022. 
  9. ↑ Funky Zealot (29 September 2005). "Bet on Soldier [Blood Sport Review for PC on GamePro.com"]. GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on 12 January 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060112062459/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/48729.shtml. Retrieved 15 February 2022. 
  10. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (12 October 2005). "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bet-on-soldier-review/1900-6135590/. Retrieved 29 August 2019. 
  11. ↑ McNamara, Tom (7 October 2005). "Bet on Soldier [Blood Sport"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/07/bet-on-soldier. Retrieved 14 February 2022. 
  12. ↑ Jasterzab, Jeremy (24 October 2005). "Bet on Soldier [Blood Sport Review"]. PAL Gaming Network. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111125022611/http://palgn.com.au/pc-gaming/3273/bet-on-soldier-review/. Retrieved 15 February 2022. 
  13. ↑ "Bet On Soldier: Blood Sport". PC Format (Future plc) (181): 96. December 2005. 
  14. ↑ "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport". PC Gamer (Future US) 12 (13): 68. Christmas 2005. 
  15. ↑ Stevens, Tim (3 January 2006). "Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport Review". G4 Media. Archived from the original on 10 January 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060110072038/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/53180/Bet_on_Soldier_Blood_Sport_Review.html. Retrieved 15 February 2022. 
  • 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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