Software:Fighters Uncaged

From HandWiki
Short description: 2010 video game
Fighters Uncaged
Developer(s)AMA Studios
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Platform(s)Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: November 4, 2010
  • EU: November 10, 2010
  • AU: November 18, 2010
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player

Fighters Uncaged is a fighting video game for the Xbox 360 Kinect system. It was developed by AMA Studios and published by Ubisoft in November 2010. Fighters Uncaged was one of the first twelve games released for the Kinect. The game has the player control Simon, a man who is attempting to win an illegal fighting tournament to help get his father out of trouble with a crime lord. It has one game mode and features many different fighting moves and different settings and opponents. Simon is able to go up in leagues by obtaining certain numbers of points, which in turn unlock more scenarios and opponents. Following its release, Zuffa filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft for the usage of a trademarked term. Fighters Uncaged received poor reviews from critics, with many criticizing the tutorial and visuals, and citing its motion control system as the biggest issue they had with the game, which many considered to be broken.

Gameplay

Screenshot of the gameplay in Fighters Uncaged

Fighters Uncaged is a single-player-only fighting game controlled using the Kinect, a motion sensing input device. The player controls the protagonist of the game, Simon, through his attempts to win an illegal fighting tournament to help get his father out of trouble with a crime lord.[1] The game features one gamemode called "Fight" which is only accessible after completing the tutorial.[2] Fighters Uncaged is played in an over-the-shoulder perspective, with the opponent being on the opposite side.[2] Simon is able to do a range of different actions, including short and long punches, kicks, blocks, dodges, and headbutts.[1] The player can execute special moves via shouting in the direction of the Kinect, once the corresponding bar is full.[3] Fighting consists of looking for telegraphs in the movements of one's opponents to figure out when to dodge or block attacks, then hitting them while they are vulnerable. In the early stages of Fighters Uncaged, it is made less difficult to read the telegraphs of the opponent, but as the player progresses, they become increasingly imperceptible. The moves Simon can complete depend on where the opponent is at the time, and therefore only certain moves will land hits at particular moments.[1] Fighters Uncaged features different leagues, with higher leagues being reached by having a certain number of points. Points are obtained by defeating the opponent, while having a good score. Good scores are attained by accomplishing counterattacks, exploiting the enemies' weak spots, and correctly completing combos. If a good score is not secured at the end of the fight, no points are rewarded.[3]

Development and release

Fighters Uncaged was announced by Ubisoft at Gamescom 2010, three months before its official release.[4][5] There, people were allowed to preview the game.[6][7] The game was developed by AMA Studios and published by Ubisoft exclusively for the Xbox 360 Kinect. Because the announcement came suddenly and close to the release date, video game journalists such as Christopher Grant of Engadget and Jamin Smith of VideoGamer.com were not intrigued.[8][7] Grant was unimpressed by the game's announcement, criticizing the concept and its character designs and noted a misspelling in the preview.[8] The game was originally planned to feature a multiplayer mode,[9] though this was cut later on in development.[1]

The game was released in November 2010, and was one of the twelve games released on day one of the Kinect's launch.[4][10] In December, Ultimate Fighting Championship's parent company Zuffa filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft based on the usage of the phrase "ULTIMATE FIGHTING", a term which Zuffa had trademarked, on the back of the game's box.[11] Zuffa claimed that the "use of the ULTIMATE FIGHTING name and mark is identical or confusingly similar to the use of the UFC marks, including the ULTIMATE FIGHTING name".[12] Zuffa wanted Ubisoft to be prevented from using the term in the future as well as having all uses of it destroyed,[12][13] and sought all of Ubisoft's profits off the game, along with triple the normal fees for trademark violation. Zuffa also wanted Ubisoft to pay for their attorneys, exemplary damages and compensatory damages. Ubisoft did not publicly comment on the issue.[12]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic32/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge3/10[15]
Eurogamer2/10[16]
Famitsu(X360) 27/40[17]
24/40[17]
Game Informer4.5/10[18]
GameRevolutionD[19]
GameSpot2/10[2]
GameTrailers4.4/10[20]
GameZone2.5/10[21]
IGN3/10[1]
OXM (US)6/10[22]
Metro1/10[24]

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[14] In Japan, where the game was ported and published by Microsoft Game Studios on May 26, 2011, Famitsu gave it a score of 24 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 gave it a score of three sevens and one six for a total of 27 out of 40.[17]

The tutorial was criticized by reviewers for different reasons. Tom Hoggins of The Daily Telegraph described the tutorial as being "mind-numbing".[23] David Jenkins of Metro wrote that the tutorial was the most notable part of the game, though ultimately nonessential. He wrote that because of its length it may have been an "attempt to protect [the player] from the awful reality of the real game".[24] Ellie Gibson of Eurogamer described it as being "the most boring tutorial sequence in the history of the world".[16] Jamin Smith of VideoGamer.com criticized the tutorial for "insisting on explaining each and every move in the game before forcing you to repeat it three times".[3]

Critics believed that the motion control system in Fighters Uncaged did not work and that the fighting mechanic was poorly made. Mark Walton of GameSpot wrote that he found it to be "immensely frustrating", saying that the controls were "simply broken".[2] Smith compared the combat to that of the luck in rock, paper, scissors, noting that "90% of the time" the attack will be avoided or blocked, while for the other 10%, the character "just stands there like a lemon, refusing to acknowledge the command".[3] Jack DeVries thought that when in a fight, the moves become a "series of desperate flails" in an attempt for the game to notice the player's actions.[1]

The visuals were disliked by reviewers, with Smith saying the game was "plagued with bizarre design choices and lacklustre visuals" and attributed this to the rush of the development.[3] Walton wrote that the game was a good example for how to not make fighting games for the Kinect, continuing on to say that the presentation was sub-par.[2] Gibson believed that "everything about this game is incorrect".[16] She said that her enthusiasm for the game diminished with the intro movie, and criticized the "static images of ugly men with stupid names rolling across the screen".[16] DeVries described the game as being rushed, hence the static and unflattering visuals.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 DeVries, Jack (November 9, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/11/09/fighters-uncaged-review. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Walton, Mark (November 12, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighters-uncaged-review/1900-6283925/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Smith, Jamin (November 11, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Review". Resero Network. https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/fighters-uncaged-review. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thorsen, Tor (October 18, 2010). "Kinect launching with 17 titles in Nov.". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kinect-launching-with-17-titles-in-nov/1100-6282217/. 
  5. ↑ Harris, Craig (August 19, 2010). "Gamescom: Fighters Uncaged is a Kinect Fight Club". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/08/19/gamescom-fighters-uncaged-is-a-kinect-fight-club. 
  6. ↑ Varanini, Giancarlo (August 18, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Hands-On". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fighters-uncaged-hands-on/1100-6273904/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Smith, Jamin (August 23, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Hands-on Preview". Resero Network. https://www.videogamer.com/previews/fighters-uncaged-hands-on-preview/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grant, Christopher (August 18, 2010). "Ubisoft announces Fighters Uncaged for Kinect ... why were they caged in the first place?". Verizon Media. https://www.engadget.com/2010-08-18-ubisoft-announces-fighters-uncaged-for-kinect-why-were-they.html. 
  9. ↑ Hopper, Steven (August 18, 2010). "Ubisoft Announces Fighters Uncaged For Kinect for Xbox 360". https://www.gamezone.com/news/ubisoft_announces_fighters_uncaged_for_kinect_for_xbox_360. 
  10. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (August 18, 2010). "Ubisoft throws down with Fighters Uncaged". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-throws-down-with-fighters-uncaged/1100-6273847/. 
  11. ↑ Bradford, Matt (December 10, 2010). "UFC suing Ubisoft for misleading use of the phrase 'Ultimate Fighter'". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/ufc-suing-ubisoft-for-misleading-use-of-the-phrase-ultimate-fighter/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Thorsen, Tor (December 14, 2010). "UFC parent sues Ubisoft". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ufc-parent-sues-ubisoft/1100-6285399/. 
  13. ↑ Good, Owen S. (December 10, 2010). "UFC Sues Ubisoft Over Two Words On The Back Of A Bad Game". G/O Media. https://kotaku.com/ufc-sues-ubisoft-over-two-words-on-the-back-of-a-bad-ga-5711835. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Fighters Uncaged for Xbox 360 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/fighters-uncaged/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  15. ↑ Edge staff (Christmas 2010). "Fighters Uncaged". Edge (Future plc) (222): 98. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Gibson, Ellie (November 4, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-04-fighters-uncaged-review. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "ファイターズ アンケージ [Xbox 360"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=19565&redirect=no. Retrieved August 31, 2021. 
  18. ↑ Gonzalez, Annette (November 4, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged". Game Informer (GameStop). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/fighters_uncaged/b/xbox360/archive/2010/11/04/review.aspx. Retrieved August 31, 2021. 
  19. ↑ Bischoff, Daniel R. (November 9, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/49066-fighter-uncaged-review. 
  20. ↑ "Fighters Uncaged". Viacom. November 19, 2010. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/it01q7/fighters-uncaged-review. 
  21. ↑ Grabowski, Dakota (January 4, 2011). "Fighters Uncaged Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/fighters_uncaged/. 
  22. ↑ Smith, Kevin W. (November 4, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US). http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-360/a-f/fighters-uncaged. Retrieved September 1, 2021. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Hoggins, Tom (November 18, 2010). "Fighters Uncaged review". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8141408/Fighters-Uncaged-review.html. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Jenkins, David (November 11, 2010). "Games review – Fighters Uncaged". Metro (DMG Media). https://metro.co.uk/2010/11/11/games-review-fighters-uncaged-578058/. 
  25. ↑ Phillips, Tom (September 20, 2013). "Ubisoft leaks next-gen successor to Fighters Uncaged". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-08-19-ubisoft-leaks-next-gen-successor-to-fighters-uncaged. 
  • 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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