Software:Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

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Short description: 2005 video game
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
Developer(s)Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Brian Martel
Producer(s)Mike Wardwell
Programmer(s)Patrick Deupree
Artist(s)Matthew Vandolen
Writer(s)Mike Neumann
Composer(s)David McGarry
SeriesBrothers in Arms
EngineUnreal Engine 2
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, Xbox
PlayStation 2
  • NA: October 18, 2005[1]
  • AU: October 27, 2005[3]
  • EU: October 28, 2005
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox and PlayStation 2. It was ported to the Wii in 2008 as a part of the Software:Brothers in Arms: Double Time compilation.

Earned in Blood continues the Brothers In Arms saga as newly promoted Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock (Hartsock was the Corporal of Baker's Fire Team), who was part of the historic Normandy invasion in the previous game. Earned in Blood includes several new multiplayer missions, weapons, and vehicles, plus a new co-op skirmish mode which was added as a patch for the PC version and downloadable from Xbox Live for the Xbox version of the game.[4][5] The AI of enemies has also been improved considerably in this game, while level designs are more open-ended than the original.

Story

The story is essentially told as a "reflection" on the events that took place earlier, as Army historian Colonel S.L.A. Marshall is interviewing paratroopers 15+ days after D-Day. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the game is a recollection of Hartsock's time in Sergeant Matt Baker's squad during the initial D-Day invasion. The second part picks up when he takes command of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon during the liberation and defense of Carentan, and the eventual link-up between 82nd and 101st Airborne Division at the town of Baupte. The final part will take place in and around Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte. Although the first part takes place under Baker's command, every mission is one not included in Road to Hill 30. The player commands Desola, Allen, and Garnett from 3rd Squad, and some soldiers from 2nd Squad at first. Then the game switches the player to command the entire 2nd Squad after the Battle of Bloody Gulch (Hill 30).

Hartsock's squad consists of the remains of the original 2nd Squad (Cpl. Franklin Paddock, Pvt. Dean "Friar" Winchell, and Pfc. James Marsh) and the remnants of 1st Squad (Cpl. Jacob Campbell, Pvt. Will Paige, and Pvt. Derrick McConnell). In addition, the player will also be in command of Corporal (later promoted to Sergeant) Seamus Doyle of the 82nd Airborne during the initial D-Day invasion in early parts of the game.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Earned in Blood is similar to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. The player usually assumes command of two teams of paratroopers to use the Four Fs - Find, Fix, Flank, and Finish—tactic against the enemy. The game discourages the use of solo run 'n' gun tactics by limiting the player's ability to aim, by decreasing the player's health, and by placing large numbers of enemies behind cover. To successfully complete a mission, the player has to study the layout of the battlefield, fix/suppress the enemy with overwhelming suppressive fire with one team (usually the fire team), and direct another team (usually the assault team) to flank the enemy by sneaking to the side or rear of the enemy to finish them off.

In Earned in Blood, the enemy constantly repositions according to the player's action, regardless of danger. This change makes stealth and distraction important considerations when the player is attempting to flank the enemy. At the same time, tactics such as forcing the enemy into kill zones is possible. The enemy AI allows the player to be attacked more frequently.

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood supports online multiplayer. The Xbox version had online multiplayer through Xbox Live which was shut down on April 15, 2010. Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is now playable online using replacement online servers for the Xbox called Insignia.[6]

Development

The games uses the same graphics engine as Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, which is based on the Unreal Engine 2.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2Xbox
Edge8/10[7]N/A8/10[7]
EGMN/A8.33/10[8]8.33/10[8]
Eurogamer8/10[9]N/AN/A
Game InformerN/AN/A8/10[10]
GameProN/AStarStarStarHalf star[11]N/A
GameRevolutionB+[12]N/AB+[12]
GameSpot8.7/10[13]6.8/10[14]8.7/10[15]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[16]StarStarStar[17]StarStarStarStarStar[18]
GameTrailers8.9/10[19]8.9/10[19]8.9/10[19]
GameZoneN/AN/A8.9/10[20]
IGN8.8/10[21]5/10[22]8.2/10[23]
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarStar[24]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A9.6/10[25]
PC Gamer (US)87%[26]N/AN/A
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStarHalf star[27]StarStarStarHalf star[27]StarStarStarHalf star[27]
The TimesStarStarStarStar[28]StarStarStarStar[28]StarStarStarStar[28]
Aggregate score
Metacritic84/100[29]71/100[30]85/100[31]

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood received "generally favorable" for PC and Xbox, and "mixed or average" for PS2 reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[29][30][31]

During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Earned in Blood received a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development".[32]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thorsen, Tor (September 21, 2005). "Earned in Blood demo dripping on DLX". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/earned-in-blood-demo-dripping-on-dlx/1100-6134026/. Retrieved September 21, 2005. 
  2. ↑ Van Leuveren, Luke (October 3, 2005). "Updated Australian Release List - 03/10/05". http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=3164&sid=7b7984ff736abd9f2b8060f1236324bd. 
  3. ↑ van Leuveren, Luke (October 25, 2005). "Updated Australian Release List - 24/10/05". http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=3284&sid=babbf2b446e6d4e6955e8f985076fa07. 
  4. ↑ Miller, Jonathan (2006-05-24). "New Earned In Blood Skirmish Maps" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/24/new-earned-in-blood-skirmish-maps. 
  5. ↑ "Brothers in Arms downloads" (in en). Eurogamer.net. 2006-04-21. https://www.eurogamer.net/news210406bia. 
  6. ↑ Xbox, Pure (2023-11-16). "Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement 'Insignia' Now Supports 150 Games" (in en-US). https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/11/xbox-live-1-0-replacement-insignia-now-supports-150-games. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Edge staff (December 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (Xbox, PC)". Edge (156): 103. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 EGM staff (December 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (198). 
  9. ↑ Clare, Oliver (October 7, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PC)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_biaearnedinblood_pc. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  10. ↑ Kato, Matthew (November 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned In Blood (Xbox)". Game Informer (151): 166. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/93A29914-640F-4E85-9211-5B847405E900.htm. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  11. ↑ Bones (October 28, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on January 15, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060115175904/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/49469.shtml. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Gee, Brian (October 18, 2005). "Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood Review (Xbox, PC)". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/brothers-in-arms. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  13. ↑ Colayco, Bob (October 6, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-review/1900-6135236/. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  14. ↑ Colayco, Bob (November 2, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Review (PS2)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-review/1900-6137111/. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  15. ↑ Colayco, Bob (October 6, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-review/1900-6135237/. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  16. ↑ Abner, William (December 8, 2005). "GameSpy: Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PC)". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/brothers-in-arms-2/674595p1.html. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  17. ↑ Tuttle, Will (November 3, 2005). "GameSpy: Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PS2)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/brothers-in-arms-2/664172p1.html. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  18. ↑ Tuttle, Will (October 4, 2005). "GameSpy: Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (Xbox)". GameSpy. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/brothers-in-arms-2/655575p1.html. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, Review". GameTrailers. October 7, 2005. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/5loq5z/brothers-in-arms--earned-in-blood--review. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  20. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (October 6, 2005). "Brothers In Arms Earned In Blood - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006194119/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r26837.htm. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  21. ↑ Butts, Steve (October 4, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PC)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/04/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-4. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  22. ↑ Roper, Chris (October 27, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (PS2)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/28/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  23. ↑ Onyett, Charles (October 5, 2005). "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (Xbox)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/05/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-3. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  24. ↑ "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. January 2006. 
  25. ↑ "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood". Official Xbox Magazine: 113. December 2005. 
  26. ↑ "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood". PC Gamer: 56. December 25, 2005. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Fish, Eliot (October 29, 2005). "Goooooooal!". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/games/goooooooal/2005/10/25/1130006117088.html. Retrieved November 10, 2014. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood". The Times. October 8, 2005. https://www.thetimes.com/article/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood-hjvps0s5cv7. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved October 30, 2014. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved October 30, 2014. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/brothers-in-arms-earned-in-blood/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved October 30, 2014. 
  32. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2006&idGame=134. 
  • 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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