Software:Gotcha! Extreme Paintball

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Short description: 2004 video game

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Gotcha! Extreme Paintball
Developer(s)Sixteen Tons Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Ralph Stock
Designer(s)Sebastian Witt
Programmer(s)Volker Arweiler
EngineVision
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Xbox
Release
Genre(s)First-person shooter, sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gotcha! Extreme Paintball, released in Europe as Gotcha!, is a 2004 first-person shooter and paintball video game developed by German studio Sixteen Tons Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows in Germany in July 2004, followed by an Xbox version in 2005. A North American Windows release, published by Viva Media, followed in 2006.[1]

The game features single-player league competition and multiplayer matches in which players use paintball markers and grenades. Its multiplayer modes include team deathmatch, capture the flag, team elimination, last man standing, and kill the king. Gotcha! received mixed-to-negative reviews. Critics generally criticized its artificial intelligence, limited single-player mode, and conventional gameplay, although some praised its fast pace, variety of multiplayer modes, and comparatively light-hearted presentation.

Gameplay

Gameplay in the Windows version

Gotcha! Extreme Paintball is a first-person shooter based on competitive paintball. The player selects a male or female character and equips a team with paintball markers and grenades. Available equipment includes pistols, pump-action and automatic markers, markers equipped with telescopic sights, paint grenades, and smoke grenades.[2]

In the single-player mode, the player manages a team and competes against computer-controlled opponents in a paintball league. Matches take place in arenas representing several international locations and feature changing weather conditions. Characters can crouch, lie prone, and strafe, allowing players to avoid incoming paintballs and use the environment as cover.[3]

The game includes team deathmatch, capture the flag, flag elimination, team elimination, last man standing, and kill the king modes. The Windows version supports multiplayer over a local area network or the Internet. The Xbox version supported online competition through Xbox Live, with matches for up to 12 players.[3]

Development and release

Gotcha! Extreme Paintball was developed by Sixteen Tons Entertainment and produced by Ralph Stock. Sebastian Witt served as the game's designer and Volker Arweiler as its programmer. The game was developed using the Vision game engine.

The Windows version was released in Germany on 30 July 2004. A playable demo was released alongside the game.[1]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCXbox
4Players51/100[5]N/A
Jeuxvideo.com12/20[12]9/20[13]
M! GamesN/A40/100[6]
PC Games5.2/10[7]N/A
JeuxActu12/20[8]N/A
Games.Tiscali.cz6/10[9]N/A
GamersGlobal3.5/10[10]N/A

Gotcha! Extreme Paintball received mixed-to-negative reviews. Critics frequently compared its team-based gameplay with that of Counter-Strike, although they disagreed over whether its paintball setting distinguished it sufficiently from conventional first-person shooters.

Ludovic Bechtold of JeuxActu gave the Windows version 12 out of 20. He praised its fast pace and number of game modes but criticized its artificial intelligence, dated graphics, and character animation. Despite its shortcomings, Bechtold considered the game enjoyable, although it did not reach the standard set by Counter-Strike.[8]

Jean-Marc Wallimann of Jeuxvideo.com also gave the Windows version 12 out of 20. He found that the maps offered suitable locations for players to hide and ambush their opponents, but considered them small and wanted more alternate routes through each arena.[12] Reviewing the Xbox version for the same publication, Nicolas Charciarek gave it 9 out of 20. He criticized control and gameplay problems that he considered absent from the Windows version, as well as the presentation of the environments and characters. He also considered the single-player mode limited by the behaviour of the computer-controlled players.[13]

Other reviewers were more critical. Cyril Dupont of Joystick gave the Windows version 2 out of 10, criticizing its lack of pace and arguing that it failed to provide the dynamism expected from a first-person shooter.[4] Kévin Kuipers of Gamekult gave it 3 out of 10, criticizing its gameplay and artificial intelligence. Kuipers was more positive about its technical presentation, including the modelling of its environments and some of its visual effects.[11]

Thomas Weiss of PC Games rated the Windows version 5.2 out of 10. He considered its gameplay conventional and argued that effects such as more visually distinctive paint impacts could have given it greater appeal. Weiss compared its graphics with those of Counter-Strike, citing its angular environments, blurred textures, and limited particle effects, although he praised its rendering of water.[7]

Sébastien Delahaye of NoFrag criticized the game's artificial intelligence, gameplay, graphics, and sound, concluding that it offered little of interest.[14]

By contrast, Etienne Froment of Xbox Gamer was more positive about the Xbox version. He considered its action fast-paced and described it as an enjoyable alternative to the more simulation-oriented Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball.[15]

Some critics commented favourably on the game's comparatively light-hearted presentation. Kuipers considered its lack of lethal violence to make it more approachable for younger players.[11] Wallimann similarly noted that its paintball setting distinguished it from the terrorist and counter-terrorist themes commonly used by team-based shooters of the period.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Jetzt erhältlich: Gotcha! und Gotcha!-Demo" (in de). 30 July 2004. http://www.take2.de/index.php?p=news. 
  2. ↑ "Gotcha the Game – Markers". Sixteen Tons Entertainment. http://gotcha-the-game.com/mark_en.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Gotcha the Game – Details". Sixteen Tons Entertainment. http://gotcha-the-game.com/details_en.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dupont, Cyril (April 2005). "Test : Gotcha" (in fr). Joystick (169): 91. 
  5. ↑ Kleffmann, Marcel (20 August 2004). "Test: Gotcha!" (in de). 4Players. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/spielinfonews/Allgemein/4222/34304/Gotcha-.html. 
  6. ↑ MANIAC.de staff (30 June 2005). "Gotcha! – im Test (Xbox)" (in de). MANIAC.de. https://www.maniac.de/tests/gotcha-im-test-xbox/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Weiss, Thomas (3 August 2004). "Test: Gotcha" (in de). https://www.pcgames.de/Gotcha-Spiel-4352/Tests/Gotcha-328540/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bechtold, Ludovic (14 April 2005). "Test Gotcha!" (in fr). https://www.jeuxactu.com/test-gotcha-8721.htm. 
  9. ↑ "Gotcha! Extreme Paintball" (in cs). https://games.tiscali.cz/gotcha-extreme-paintball-6752. 
  10. ↑ "Gotcha! Extreme Paintball" (in de). https://www.gamersglobal.de/spiel/75312/gotcha-extreme-paintball. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Kuipers, Kévin (22 April 2005). "Test: Gotcha! : le FPS qui tache" (in fr). https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/gotcha-3010001854/test.html. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Wallimann, Jean-Marc (25 February 2005). "Test Gotcha!" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00005118_test.htm. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Charciarek, Nicolas (12 April 2005). "Test Gotcha!" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00005271_test.htm. 
  14. ↑ Delahaye, Sébastien (17 March 2005). "NoFrag teste Gotcha!" (in fr). https://nofrag.com/nofrag-teste-gotcha/. 
  15. ↑ Froment, Etienne (8 May 2005). "Test Gotcha!" (in fr). http://www.xbox-gamer.net/test-xbox-gotcha_179.html. 
  • Official website archived at the Internet Archive
  • 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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