Software:Grand Prix 3

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Short description: 2000 video game
Grand Prix 3
Developer(s)MicroProse Chipping Sodbury Studio
Simergy (Season 2000)
Publisher(s)Hasbro Interactive
Infogrames Interactive (Season 2000)
Designer(s)Geoff Crammond
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Racing simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Grand Prix 3 is a computer racing simulator developed by MicroProse's UK development studio in Chipping Sodbury and published by Hasbro Interactive, released in July 2000. The expansion pack, "2000 Season", was developed by Simergy and published by Infogrames Interactive. A modern rerelease of the Grand Prix titles, including Grand Prix 3, on Steam is planned for 2026, with the latter title being released under the name Geoff Crammond Racing 3. Since the Formula One license is currently being held by EA Sports, fictional sponsors and names are included, though Steam Workshop support will be included upon launch.[4]

Gameplay

The game is known for featuring the 1998 Formula One season (with all drivers except Jacques Villeneuve, who is instead replaced by a fictional character, John Newhouse). In August 2001 an expansion pack, Grand Prix 3 2000 Season, was released, updating the game to feature the 2000 season's cars and drivers (including Villeneuve), as well as the 2 new circuits on the calendar, the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Reception

Critical reviews

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic87/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[6]
CGMStarStarStarStarHalf star[7]
CGWStarStarStarStar[8]
Edge8/10[9]
Eurogamer10/10[10]
GameSpot8.5/10[11]
IGN9/10[12]
PC Gamer (US)84%[13]
PC Zone80%[14]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] It was not quite as well received as its predecessors, but at the time was widely considered to be the best racing simulation available.[11][12]

The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated Grand Prix 3 as the best racing game of 2000, although it lost to Motocross Madness 2. They described Grand Prix 3 as a "precisely tuned" title.[15]

Sales

In Europe, Grand Prix 3 sold 300,000 units in one month. Italy made up above 30,000 sales of this number, while Spain accounted for 6,500. Multiplayer.it attributed the relatively low sales in Spain to that country's rampant software piracy problem.[16]

In the German market, Grand Prix 3 sold 40,000 units in its first three days of availability.[17] Debuting at #2 on Media Control's computer game sales chart for July 2000, it rose to first place the following month, before claiming fourth in September.[18] The Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) presented Grand Prix 3 with a "Gold" award at the end of that month,[19] indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[20] The game proceeded to place seventh, ninth and 18th on Media Control's charts through the end of 2000.[21][22]

Although Grand Prix 3 passed the 100,000-sale mark in German-speaking countries, Udo Hoffman of PC Player reported that it had fallen below Hasbro Interactive's projections by late 2000, and that the publisher was "more than a little disappointed" in its performance. The company's product manager, Thomas Sewing, blamed this outcome in part on high competition from other titles with the Formula One license.[18] Grand Prix 3 continued to chart on Media Control's top 30 in 2001, placing 19th in January, 23rd in February and 17th in March.[22][23]

In the United Kingdom, Grand Prix 3 received a "Silver" certificate from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[24] for at least 100,000 sales in the region.[25]

Music

The game's intro is set to an instrumental version of the Rob Dougan song "Furious Angels", overlaid with various F1 car noises.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Parker, Sam (June 14, 2000). "Grand Prix 3 Movie" (in en-US). http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/grandprix3/news_2588279.html. 
  2. ↑ "Today's UK releases" (in en-gb). July 28, 2000. https://www.eurogamer.net/article-28697. 
  3. ↑ "News July 2000: 31-07-2000". July 5, 2000. http://www.gamesmarket.com.au/infoarchives.cfm?contentarchives=15&cfid=1129608&cftoken=4585296. 
  4. ↑ Haustein, Yannik (December 17, 2025). "Geoff Crammond's Iconic Grand Prix Series To Debut On Steam". https://www.overtake.gg/news/geoff-crammonds-iconic-grand-prix-series-to-debut-on-steam.3985/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Grand Prix 3 for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/grand-prix-3/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  6. ↑ Allen, Christopher. "Grand Prix 3 - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22711&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ Hicks, Michael (September 14, 2000). "Grand Prix 3". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/146/gp3_review.html. 
  8. ↑ Todd, Brett (November 2000). "Mr. Hakkinen, Your Car Is Ready (Grand Prix 3 Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (196): 140, 142. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_196.pdf. Retrieved January 24, 2019. 
  9. ↑ Edge staff (September 2000). "Grand Prix 3". Edge (Future plc) (88). 
  10. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (September 10, 2000). "Grand Prix 3". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_gp3. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Osborne, Scott (August 28, 2000). "Grand Prix 3 Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-prix-3-review/1900-2620421/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 DrivingForce (September 5, 2000). "Grand Prix 3". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/06/grand-prix-3. 
  13. ↑ "Grand Prix 3". PC Gamer (Future US) 7 (11): 143. November 2000. 
  14. ↑ "PC Review: Grand Prix 3". PC Zone (Future plc). 2000. 
  15. ↑ CGM staff (April 2001). "The 2001 Premier Awards: Games of the Year (Racing)". Ziff Davis. p. 77. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_201.pdf. 
  16. ↑ "Multiplayer.it Business to Business". http://www.multiplayer.it/b2b/articoli.php3?id=3443. 
  17. ↑ Valtin, Georg (December 2000). "Feedback: Grand Prix 3: Mit Vollgas ins Ziel" (in de). PC Games (Computec Media Group): 150–4. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Hoffman, Udo (January 2001). "NachSpiel: Grand Prix 3" (in de). PC Player (Future Verlag GmbH): 32. 
  19. ↑ "VUD Sales Awards: September 2000" (in de). Paderborn. September 30, 2000. http://www.vud.de/presse/september2000.php3. 
  20. ↑ Horn, Andre (January 14, 2004). "VUD-Gold-Awards 2003" (in de). GamePro Germany. https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/vud-gold-awards-2003,1290773.html. 
  21. ↑ "Stand: November 2000" (in de). Paderborn. http://www.vud.de/charts/pcg55.php3. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Zeitraum: Januar 2001" (in de). Paderborn. http://www.vud.de/charts/pcg55.php3. 
  23. ↑ "Zeitraum: März 2001" (in de). http://www.vud.de/charts/pcg55.php3. 
  24. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver". http://www.elspa.com/?i=3942. 
  25. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". UBM plc. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  26. ↑ "Grand Prix 3 Intro Song?". https://groups.google.com/g/alt.games.grand-prix-3/c/konMwkiYkd0. 
  • 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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