Software:Happy Wars

From HandWiki
Short description: 2012 tactical role-playing video game


Happy Wars
Happy Wars cover
Developer(s)Toylogic
Publisher(s)Toylogic
Director(s)Yoichi Take
Yusuke Ochiai
Designer(s)Daichi Kurumiya (Lead)
Yui Terao
Takumi Kudo
Masafumi Nukita
Artist(s)Go Takahashi (Art Director)
Chisato End (3D Lead)
Satoko Tsushima (2D Lead)
Platform(s)Xbox 360
Microsoft Windows
Xbox One
ReleaseXbox Live Arcade
NA: 7 October 2012
AU: 10 October 2012 EU: 12 October 2012
Microsoft Windows
May 28, 2014
Xbox One
April 24, 2015[1]
Genre(s)Action, tactical role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Happy Wars is a free-to-play tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Toylogic. It was originally released for the Xbox 360 on October 12, 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade as its first free-to-play title,[2][3][4] and additionally for Microsoft Windows on May 28, 2014, but availability on the online marketplaces of these platforms and service to these platforms has since been discontinued as of December 17, 2018.[5] The Xbox One version was released on April 24, 2015.

Gameplay

Happy Wars is a multiplayer online game, defined as a role-playing strategy game, although it also has a short story-driven single player campaign mode.[6] The multiplayer mode consists of two teams of up to 15 players attempting to destroy the other team's castle while also defending their own.[7]

As of September 3, 2014, an Xbox Live Gold account was required to play the game online; due to recent updates, the game now accepts regular Xbox Live members as well.

The players choose from one of three classes: the warrior, the mage, and the cleric. There are also subclasses, although the only ones implemented at the moment are the Warrior-type Berserker, the Mage-type Zephyr, and the Cleric-type Engineer. Each class has a base attack and other unique abilities that are available as the player gains new levels.[8] Each class also has a unique "Team Skill", where players can gather teammates together to allow the casting player to use more powerful skills. The more players that aid in the use of the team skill, the more powerful the ability becomes.[9]

The game also had items that can be purchased either through playing the game[7] or through microtransactions that allow in-game items to be purchased with Microsoft Points.[10] There are items in Happy Wars that can only be purchased with Microsoft Points. They are usually powerful items that can allow players to get a head start in the game.[8]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticX360: 61/100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot5/10[12]
IGN4/10[13]
Jeuxvideo.com15/20[14]
OXM (UK)6/10[15]
VentureBeat70/100[7]
The EscapistStarStarStar[6]

The Xbox 360 version of Happy Wars received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[11] IGN cited lack of players as a concern with the Xbox 360 version and that "Happy Wars went too far in the direction of accessibility with its few classes, lack of distinctive weaponry, and simple game modes."[13] Official Xbox Magazine UK compared said console version to Awesomenauts, but noted that players who pay for additional content appear to have an advantage over other players.[15]

Jason Venter of GameSpot said that the same console version was "difficult to recommend because of the game's matchmaking and connection issues."[12] A content update was released in November that attempted to fix the connection issues and other small game fixes.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Barnes, Ken (April 21, 2015). "Smile! Happy Wars Xbox One Release Date Finally Locked In". Gamer Network. http://www.purexbox.com/news/2015/04/smile_happy_wars_xbox_one_release_date_finally_locked_in. 
  2. ↑ Fletcher, JC (October 4, 2012). "Happy Wars' free-for-all is free for Xbox Live Gold starting October 12". Oath Inc.. https://www.engadget.com/2012/10/04/happy-wars-free-for-all-is-free-for-xbox-live-gold-starting-oct/. 
  3. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (October 24, 2012). "Happy Wars updates and DLC planned 'every 1-2 months', ToyLogic hoping to run game for years". Official Xbox Magazine UK (Future plc). http://www.oxm.co.uk/46963/happy-wars-updates-and-dlc-planned-every-1-2-months-toylogic-hoping-to-run-game-for-years/. Retrieved November 9, 2019. 
  4. ↑ Johnson, Stephen (August 24, 2012). "Happy Wars Announced: First Xbox Live Arcade Free-To-Play Game". G4 Media. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/727296/happy-wars-announced-first-xbox-live-arcade-free-to-play-game/. 
  5. ↑ Good, Owen S. (March 8, 2018). "Happy Wars is shutting down on PC and Xbox 360". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/8/17096894/happy-wars-shutdown-xbox-360-windows-pc. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wehner, Mike (October 16, 2012). "Happy Wars Review (X360)". Enthusiast Gaming. https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/9985-Happy-Wars-Review. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Barsanti, Sam (October 15, 2012). "Happy Wars brings free-to-play gaming to Xbox 360, and it's worth every penny (review)". https://venturebeat.com/2012/10/15/happy-wars-review/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mian, Bilal (October 29, 2012). "Happy Wars Review (XBLA): No Reason Not To Enlist!". Poptimal LLC. http://poptimal.com/2012/10/happy-wars-review-xbla-no-reason-not-to-enlist/. 
  9. ↑ Grill, Scott (October 22, 2012). "'Happy Wars' Interview: The real show has just begun". http://videogamewriters.com/happy-wars-interview-the-real-show-has-just-begun-56264. 
  10. ↑ Carter, Grey (October 11, 2012). "Happy Wars Dev Predicts AAA Games Will Shift Towards F2P". Enthusiast Gaming. https://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120057-Happy-Wars-Dev-Predicts-AAA-Games-Will-Shift-Towards-F2P. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Happy Wars for Xbox 360 Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/happy-wars/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Venter, Jason (October 24, 2012). "Happy Wars Review (X360)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/happy-wars-review/1900-6398834/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cocke, Taylor (October 19, 2012). "Happy Wars Review (X360)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/19/happy-wars-review. 
  14. ↑ Vanyr (May 27, 2013). "Test: Happy Wars (360)" (in French). Webedia. http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00018700-happy-wars-test.htm. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Schilling, Chris (October 19, 2012). "Happy Wars Review (X360)". Future plc. http://www.oxm.co.uk/46810/reviews/happy-wars-review/. 
  16. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (November 10, 2012). "Happy Wars receives small update to help combat lag, connection issues". Gamer Network. https://www.vg247.com/2012/11/10/happy-wars-receives-small-update-to-help-combat-lag-connection-issues/. 
  • 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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