Software:Gladius (video game)

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Short description: 2003 video game
Gladius
Developer(s)LucasArts
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Director(s)Robert Blackadder
Producer(s)Rachel Bryant
Designer(s)Derek Flippo
Programmer(s)Charlie Skilbeck
Artist(s)Jim Rice
Chris Voy
Writer(s)Robert Blackadder
Justin Lambros
Composer(s)Mark Griskey
Platform(s)GameCube
PlayStation 2
Xbox
ReleasePlayStation 2, Xbox
  • NA: October 28, 2003[1]
  • EU: November 28, 2003
GameCube
  • NA: November 3, 2003[2]
  • EU: November 28, 2003
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gladius is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by LucasArts. It was released in 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Overview

The game allows the player to build a school of gladiators and take them into battle against opposing schools in a quest for fame and glory. The plot focuses on several of the main characters and slowly affects the decisions of the group, eventually leading to a final large battle that tests the skills of all members of the school. Upon starting the game, the player can choose between a school in Imperia, home to a strong military mentality and soldiers who consider their northern neighbors uncivilized and bullish, or a school in Nordagh, where witches and woodland beasts dwell, and who in turn detest the Imperials for their desire for greater conquest.

The gladiators have the opportunity to travel through four distinctly different regions on their road to the ultimate championship. Depending on the player's school choice, they begin in either the Northern lands of Nordagh (Barbarian school), which has a culture similar to that of 'Nordic' lands, or Imperia (Gladiator school), an Imperial Roman land. Upon completion of these two stages of play one proceeds onto the Windward Steppes, a grasslands region dominated by archers and beasts, reminiscent of the steppes of Asia, followed by the Southern Expanse, a desert region filled with spellcasters, nomadic warriors, and insects. The latter is an area reminiscent of Ancient Egypt; the main insects of this region are beetles, which held a high importance in Egyptian mythology, and scorpions, a staple arachnid in any desert region. The conclusion of the game takes place in and around the large central arena of Caltha in the Imperial Region.

As in many role-playing video games, players outfit their characters with gear to increase their abilities, and as they win fights, they gain experience which allows them to don new equipment and undertake new quests. Additionally, winning certain hidden or difficult contests allows the players to recruit unique character classes such as yetis, minotaurs, and the undead.

Fighting in Gladius uses a turn-based mechanism, but with a twist. There are "swing meters" - like those found in many golf games - that determine the accuracy and effectiveness of strikes. The meters can be disabled in the options menu.

Multiplayer

Two game modes are offered here: co-op which allows up to four players to play in the story mode and complete the game side by side. The first player controls the movement throughout the world map and also the menu screens. Once player one engages in battle, the other players can enter and control the gladiators of their choice from the school. The other mode offered is the Versus mode. Here, up to four players can compete in an exhibition battle. The PlayStation 2 version of the game only supports up to 2 players at once.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GCPS2Xbox
EGM7.17/10[3]7.17/10[3]7.17/10[3]
Game Informer9/10[4]9/10[5]9.25/10[6]
GameProN/AStarStarStar[8]StarStarStar[8]
GameRevolutionB[7]B[7]B[7]
GameSpot8.4/10[9]8.4/10[9]8.4/10[9]
GameSpyStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]StarStarStarStarHalf star[11]StarStarStarStarHalf star[12]
GameZone8.5/10[13]8.2/10[14]8.3/10[15]
IGN8.1/10[16]8/10[17]8.3/10[18]
Nintendo Power4.3/5[19]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarStar[20]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A8.5/10[21]
Aggregate score
Metacritic82/100[22]78/100[23]79/100[24]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[22][23][24] It was rated as one of the "best Xbox games most people never played" by Official Xbox Magazine.[25]

References

  1. ↑ Moseley, Bob (October 6, 2003). "Gladius goes gold". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gladius-goes-gold/1100-6076457/. Retrieved October 6, 2003. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (November 3, 2003). "Gladius Gamus Outus". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/03/gladius-gamus-outus. Retrieved March 12, 2023. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 EGM staff (December 2003). "Gladius". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (173): 185. 
  4. ↑ Kato, Matthew (October 2003). "Gladius (GC)". Game Informer (GameStop) (126): 130. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080313235346/http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/AE1B9879-6722-493B-9A0F-F8186A17CE6D.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  5. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (October 2003). "Gladius (PS2)". Game Informer (GameStop) (126): 116. Archived from the original on August 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080806121140/http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/3481946F-CC0E-4015-A061-3F727E475E48.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  6. ↑ Zoss, Jeremy (October 2003). "Gladius (Xbox)". Game Informer (GameStop) (126): 137. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050409123503/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200310/R03.1014.2104.03714.htm. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ferris, Duke (November 2003). "Gladius Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150929070930/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/gladius. Retrieved July 23, 2019. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Four-Eyed Dragon (October 27, 2003). "Gladius (PS2, Xbox)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050212133056/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/31512.shtml. Retrieved July 23, 2019. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Kasavin, Greg (October 27, 2003). "Gladius Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gladius-review/1900-6077413/. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  10. ↑ Meston, Zach (November 26, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (GCN)". IGN Entertainment. http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/gladius/6392p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  11. ↑ Meston, Zach (November 7, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (PS2)". IGN Entertainment. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/gladius/6348p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  12. ↑ Meston, Zach (November 7, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/gladius/6349p1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  13. ↑ Surette, Tim (November 19, 2003). "Gladius - GC - Review". Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080927034854/http://gamecube.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20313.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2019. 
  14. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (November 4, 2003). "Gladius - PS2 - Review". Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081230185151/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20313.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2019. 
  15. ↑ Hopper, Steven (November 10, 2003). "Gladius - XB - Review". Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090522221633/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20313.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2019. 
  16. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 28, 2003). "Gladius (GCN)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/29/gladius-3. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  17. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 30, 2003). "Gladius (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/30/gladius. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  18. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 29, 2003). "Gladius (Xbox)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/29/gladius-2. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  19. ↑ "Gladius". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 174: 139. December 2003. 
  20. ↑ Baker, Chris (November 2003). "Gladius". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 130. Archived from the original on January 15, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040115040630/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,4364,1364687,00.asp. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  21. ↑ "Gladius". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 154. December 2003. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Gladius for GameCube Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/gladius-2003/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Gladius for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/gladius-2003/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Gladius for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/gladius-2003/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  25. ↑ McCaffrey, Ryan (November 2, 2007). "The 20 Best Xbox Games You Never Bought". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US). Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130730215946/http://www.oxmonline.com/20-best-xbox-games-you-never-bought. Retrieved July 22, 2019. 
  • Gladius on IMDb
  • 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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