Software:Fish Out of Water (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 2013 video game
Fish Out of Water
Developer(s)Halfbrick Studios
Publisher(s)Halfbrick Studios
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseiOS
  • 10 April 2013
  • 26 June 2023 (Re-release)

Android

  • 11 July 2014
  • July 2023 (Re-release)
Genre(s)Action game
Mode(s)Single-player

Fish Out of Water is a 2013 action game developed by Australian game developer Halfbrick Studios for iOS and Android.[1]

Gameplay

The player throws three fish (or rather fish and mammals) from a selection of 6 one at a time.[2] Each fish has a unique optimal way to throw. After three fish are thrown, a panel of 5 crabs judge the player on a scale of 1 to 10.[3] There is a boost bar which allows the player to increase the velocity of the fish being thrown and boosting units floating on the game field, named boosties in-game, that will be collected if a swimmer comes close to them.[2] There are also achievements to be completed.[2]

Availability

The game was removed from the App Store and Google Play as of February 2020. According to Halfbrick, this was due to the game "not [meeting] the legal requirement of recent legislation changes," although they did not specify which changes they were referring to.[4] It was revealed on 25 January 2023 that the game would become available to download again later that same year.[5] As of July 2023, Fish Out of Water was made available again as part of a Halfbrick+ sign-up service.[6][7]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic67/100[8]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid7/10[9]
Game Informer6/10[10]
GamezeboStarStarStarHalf star[2]
IGN6.9/10[11]
Pocket GamerStarStarStarHalf star[13]
TouchArcadeStarStarStarStar[3]
Digital SpyStarStarStar[14]
National Post6/10[15]

The iOS version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8] Gamezebo praised the "great presentation" and the quirky personality of the fish and judges, and stated that the iOS version is "easy to pick up" while criticizing the limited replay value and the missions/objectives getting repetitive after a while.[2] IGN called the same iOS version as not having "that same finger-licking, addictive goodness found in Halfbrick's previous hits Jetpack Joyride or Fruit Ninja."[11]

Common Sense Media gave the iOS version all five stars, saying, "With a very basic gameplay mechanism, it's a great example of something that's easy to learn but difficult to master."[16] However, Digital Spy gave it three stars out of five, saying that it was "still a fun pick up and play game, but after five minutes you have essentially seen everything the game has to offer. Like the game's title, Halfbrick may have stepped out of its natural element with this game, and the result is gasping desperately for air."[14] National Post gave it a similar score of six out of ten, saying, "Halfbrick has proven in the past that less can be more, but they seem to have forgotten that without careful planning and a brilliant idea it also risks being less."[15]

References

  1. ↑ Studios, Halfbrick. "Fish Out Of Water - Out Now! - Halfbrick News" (in en). https://www.halfbrick.com/blog/fish-out-of-water-out-now. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Joe Jasko (April 18, 2013). "Fish Out Of Water Review (iOS)". https://www.gamezebo.com/2013/04/18/fish-out-water-review/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nissa Campbell (April 19, 2013). "'Fish Out of Water' Review - Fish Skipping, Halfbrick's New Sport (iOS)". TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2013/04/19/fish-out-of-water-review/. 
  4. ↑ "Where did the game go? — Fish out of Water Help Center". 13 February 2020. https://halfbrick.helpshift.com/hc/en/17-fish-out-of-water/faq/367-where-did-the-game-go/. 
  5. ↑ Nelson, Jared (23 January 2023). "'Dan the Man 2' and the Return of 'Age of Zombies' and 'Fish Out of Water' Announced During Halfbrick Beyond Digital Showcase" (in en-US). https://toucharcade.com/2023/01/23/dan-the-man-2-and-the-return-of-age-of-zombies-and-fish-out-of-water-announced-during-halfbrick-beyond-digital-showcase/. 
  6. ↑ "Fish Out Of Water! - Google Play のアプリ" (in ja). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.halfbrick.FishOutOfWater. 
  7. ↑ "Fish Out Of Water! on the App Store". 19 July 2023. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fish-out-of-water/id578467798. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Fish Out of Water for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/fish-out-of-water/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  9. ↑ Chris Carter (April 20, 2013). "Review: Fish Out of Water (iOS)". Enthusiast Gaming. https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-fish-out-of-water/. 
  10. ↑ Joe Juba (May 3, 2013). "Fish Out Of Water Review (iOS)". Game Informer (GameStop). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/fish_out_of_water/b/ios/archive/2013/05/03/fish-out-of-water-review.aspx. Retrieved April 3, 2022. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Luke Larsen (April 25, 2013). "Fish Out of Water Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/25/fish-out-of-water-review. 
  12. ↑ Andrew Hayward (April 19, 2013). "Fish Out of Water Review". Future US. http://www.maclife.com/article/games/fish_out_water_review. 
  13. ↑ Harry Slater (April 18, 2013). "Fish Out Of Water! [sic (iOS)"]. Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/fish-out-of-water/fish-out-of-water/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Scott Nichols (April 23, 2013). "Mobile reviews: 'Cut the Rope: Time Travel' and more". Hearst Communications. https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a475471/mobile-reviews-cut-the-rope-time-travel-and-more/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Chad Sapieha (April 26, 2013). "iOS games: Five to try this weekend". National Post (Postmedia Network). https://financialpost.com/technology/gaming/ios-games-five-to-try?r. 
  16. ↑ Chris Morris (2013). "Fish Out of Water! [sic App Review (iOS)"]. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/fish-out-of-water. 
  • 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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