Software:Football Superstars

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Short description: 2008 video game
Football Superstars
Developer(s)Monumental Games (2008-2011), Coli Games UK (2014-2020)
Publisher(s)Cybersports [now defunct] / Coli Games UK
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseDecember 31, 2008
Genre(s)Association football, Sports simulation
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Football Superstars was a free-to-play massively multiplayer online football game originally developed by Monumental Games and published by Cybersports until the company went into administration. From late 2014 until its closure in February 2020, the game had been developed and published by Coli Games UK.

After a server crash, the decision was subsequently taken to not restore its servers, thus resulting in the game's closure on February 19, 2020. The reasons cited were low player activity as well as server problems.

A new project titled 'The Final Third' was purportedly under development since September 2020. As of July 5, 2024, Coli Games Ltd. applied for dissolution, and The Final Third was officially shelved, with no evidential development ever being published.

Development

The BETA version of Football Superstars was released in November 2008, with community members providing feedback on the overall gameplay elements; the official release launched on December 31, 2008. Several updates and patches were made throughout the game's lifespan, improving stability and gameplay.

In 2012, the team suspended any development of the game, focusing on a Unity-based project called Striker Superstars. In late 2014, Football Superstars game development resumed under its new developer and publisher Coli Games UK until its closure in 2020.

Features

Football Superstars allowed players to team up with other players globally and play in a PvP environment. The outfield team were human-operated whilst goalkeepers were controlled by the AI. Players could train their “Superstars” to become better players by visiting the gyms or purchasing upgraded boots and skills. Players could also increase their fame levels by visiting bars and restaurants and buying drinks. A higher fame level is attributed to greater match rewards.

Virtual Currency

There were two currencies in Football Superstars; 'Dollars' and 'Credits'. Players earned 'Dollars' by playing competitive games, and could purchase 'Credits' from the official website. Players could also spend `Credits` on Superstar Management. Briefly, players could exchange 'Dollars' for 'Credits'.

Subscription

Football Superstars adopted a free-to-play model with a micro-transaction type monetisation.

Player Managed Clubs (PMC)

Player Managed Clubs (PMC) were the equivalent of guilds, allowing players to create their own teams, recruit their own players and compete in online events and tournaments against other user-generated PMCs. Within the PMC hierarchy, the manager could nominate Captain, Scouts, Coach, Members and recruits. Each of these roles had a varied level of responsibility in-game.

Superstar Management

Released in August 2010, Superstar Management allowed players to improve their player's stats through the official website.

Fame

'Fame' was a reward earned by playing competitive matches and making in-game store purchases. 'Fame Points' (FP) were used to upgrade your fame level. There were 28 fame levels; commencing from Local Newcomers to International Superstars. Once you had enough FP, you were allowed the opportunity of in-game newspaper, radio, and TV interviews to boost your fame level.

References

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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