Software:Dog's Life

From HandWiki
Short description: 2003 video game
Dog's Life
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PAL cover art
Developer(s)Frontier Developments
Publisher(s)
Director(s)David Braben
Producer(s)Jonny Watts
Designer(s)David Braben
Jonathan Roach
Jonny Watts
Writer(s)Kerry Shale
David Braben
Andrew Gillett
Composer(s)Alistair Lindsay
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • EU: 31 October 2003
  • NA: 14 September 2004
  • JP: 26 May 2005
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Dog's Life is a 2003 action-adventure video game developed by Frontier Developments exclusively for the PlayStation 2, starring a dog named Jake.

Plot

Jake at the Farmhouse area in Clarksville.

The game opens in Clarksville, a city located in the American countryside. One day the protagonist, Jake the flatulent American Foxhound, witnesses Daisy, a Labrador Retriever, whom he has a crush on, being taken away by dog-catchers and resolves to rescue her. He follows them from the small town of Clarksville, to a mountain resort called Lake Minniwahwah, and finally to Boom City, using information gained from overhearing conversations between humans to track them down. Throughout his adventure, he is continually harassed by Killer, a Dobermann belonging to a dog catcher.

Eventually it is revealed that Miss Peaches, head of a cat food company, is arranging for dogs to be caught and smuggled to a factory where they will be made into her cat food. Jake ultimately makes it to the dog pound, and after rescuing a number of dogs and bribing Killer with bones, gains entry to the factory. There, he manages to prevent Daisy from being killed by the machinery as she is taken through it on a conveyor belt, only for Miss Peaches to appear with a shotgun. Jake farts, sending her falling onto the conveyor belt, killing her and turning her into cat food.

The epilogue reveals that all the stolen dogs were saved and that Jake and Daisy are together.

Gameplay

Smellovision mode

The game allows the player control or interact with over 15 dog breeds each with distinct traits and abilities. They handle things in different ways, that can also be used in challenges or puzzles.[1]

The game is divided into three areas: Clarksville, a rural town; Lake Minniwahwah, a ski resort; and Boom City.[1] These are then divided into smaller areas such as districts or farms. Humans willing to give missions in exchange for bones populate every area. Bones can also be found buried underground or hiding somewhere. Bones are used to increase your stats, which will make it easier to complete missions.

Certain smells picked up through the game's "Smellovision" will activate challenges against a local dog. In each small section of the game there are four challenges, two of which are to find eight smells of the same colour and compete against a local dog. These missions include races, obedience trials, tug-of-war games and a territorial game where the player must run around urinating in marked areas to obtain territory.[1]

There are also salons in some levels where Jake can get his coat cleaned and brushed. He also gains a shiny new collar with a silver 'J' at the front.

Once these dogs are beaten, the player is able to take control of that dog and use their special abilities to find other bones. Other challenges include scent-collecting challenges, and a minigame called "Doggy Do", where the player must copy the moves of the local dog. There are also dangers in certain areas, such as the dog catcher and his Doberman. The player must also keep Jake healthy by feeding him, allowing him to defecate and coax people into giving Jake snacks by growling and barking or performing tricks unlocked by doing the obedience trials. Jake is able to do a range of tricks including begging, sitting, lying down and marking his territory.

Jake can interact with many characters including: chasing, shaking and throwing chickens, stealing sausages, and shaking kittens.[1]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic64/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[3]
Eurogamer6/10[4]
Famitsu28/40[5]
Game Informer7/10[6]
GameSpot7/10[7]
GameSpyStarStarStar[8]
GameZone9/10[9]
IGN7/10[10]
OPM (US)StarStar[11]
PSM7/10[12]
The New York Times (average)[13]

Dog's Life received "mixed" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[2]

Eurogamer found the game amusing, but felt that it offered little for experienced gamers, being aimed at a younger audience. They praised the game's "warm sense of humour" and "cute visuals" and found the idea of controlling a dog to be "actually quite cool".[4] Although GameSpot called the game charming and entertaining, they said that there is not much to do in the game, other than playing and controlling the dogs.[7] GameSpy called it "a nice change of pace" but found the game bland and considered it to be aimed more at younger children than teenagers.[8] IGN called the gameplay "simple and well-executed", but noted that the visuals "look like the game was ripped from a PSone title" and that the audio seemed "all over the place".[10] Charles Herold of The New York Times called the game fun but forgettable.[13] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one six, and two sevens, for a total of 28 out of 40.[5]

According to the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2009, Dog's Life holds the world record for the most video game voice-overs recorded by one person in a game. Kerry Shale voiced 32 characters from the game.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Dog's Life - Case Info"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Dog's Life for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/dogs-life/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 16 May 2013. 
  3. ↑ Edge staff (January 2004). "Dog's Life". Edge (132): 102. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Reed, Kristan (10 November 2003). "Dog's Life". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_dogslife_ps2. Retrieved 16 May 2013. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 duckroll (18 May 2005). "This week's Famitsu scores are in! (BOMBA)". NeoGAF. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48006. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  6. ↑ Brogger, Kristian (September 2004). "Dog's Life". Game Informer (137): 107. Archived from the original on 18 November 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051118161544/http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/647770AA-0BB7-4BCD-8B01-863C35690ECF.htm. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shoemaker, Brad (24 August 2004). "Dog's Life Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dogs-life-review/1900-6105610/. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapman, David (23 August 2004). "GameSpy: A Dog's Life [sic"]. GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/dogs-life/541455p1.html. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  9. ↑ The Bearer (29 September 2004). "Dog's Life - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081004110837/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22925.htm. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lewis, Ed (24 August 2004). "Dog's Life". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/08/24/dogs-life. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  11. ↑ "Dog's Life". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 89. September 2004. 
  12. ↑ "Review: Dog's Life". PSM: 32. October 2004. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Herold, Charles (14 October 2004). "Touches of Weird, Done Best in Japan". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/14/technology/circuits/touches-of-weird-done-best-in-japan.html. Retrieved 15 January 2016. 
  14. ↑ Guinness World Records, ed (2010). Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-1-904994-45-9. https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_o9k7. 
  • 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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