Software:Hell's Kitchen: The Game

From HandWiki
Hell's Kitchen: The Game
Developer(s)Ludia
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Platform(s)
Release
  • NA: September 9, 2008 (DS, Wii)
  • NA: September 22, 2008 (PC, Mac)
  • AU: September 25, 2008
  • EU: September 26, 2008
  • EU: October 31, 2008 (Wii)
  • AU: 2008 (Wii)
iOS
January 28, 2009
Genre(s)Simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hell's Kitchen is a time management cooking video game based on the reality competition show of the same name. It was developed by Ludia and published by Ubisoft. It features the host of the show, Gordon Ramsay as the A.I. and places the player as a chef under his guidance, while serving customers at the restaurant. It was initially released in September 2008[1] on the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS.

The game received mixed reviews, with it being praised for the enjoyment, but scolded for the reported poor controls and the short length.[2] Ludia conceived the game after the release of its video game version of The Price Is Right. Shortly after Hell's Kitchen was released, it was followed by Ludia's next game, Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey.

Gameplay

There are two basic modes to Hell's Kitchen, Career and Arcade. In Career mode, the player builds their diner into a five-star, prestigious restaurant. As their rank increases, so do the star rating, recipes and difficulty. Career mode takes place over 36 days, in which the player can earn 5 unique ranks from Dishwasher, Apprentice, Junior Cook, Cook and Senior Chef. In levels the player is rated on a scale of 0-5 stars; if they get 0 stars, they lose the round and Ramsay exclaims "Do not touch another thing in this kitchen!"[3] The game mainly focuses on quality of food and is used to calm impatient customers. After completing each level, Ramsay awards the player with a free recipe from his own with 35 in total. The jobs completed in the game include cooking, serving, waiting and showing people to tables.[4]

There are also Kitchen Tests that take place every Monday. In these tests, the player has to complete a challenge from Ramsay and use both Team Red and Team Blue kitchens (it is possible to cook two meals simultaneously).[5]

In arcade mode, the player must complete every recipe in time. If the player fails this, Ramsay will become infuriated and close the restaurant.[5]

Much like in the real show, Ramsay may verbally abuse the player if they fail a task, sometimes using profane language (although censored).[4]

Development

Ludia first started development on October 25, 2007, when Granada America allowed the Hell's Kitchen property to Ludia.[6]

The game was intended to be released to coincide with the fourth season of the Hell's Kitchen TV show in 2008.[6]

Marketing and release

When promoting the game, Tony Key, the vice president of marketing and sales praised the game's development and the involvement of Gordon Ramsay with the game.[1]

After release, some players wanted a less tame Hell's Kitchen game. In response, Ludia released a limited "Uncensored" version for download that was only available until the finale of the show in July 2008.[7]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSPCWii
Eurogamer6/10[10]N/AN/A
IGN5/10[11]5/10[12]N/A
NGamerN/AN/A49%[4]
ONM21%[13]N/AN/A
VarietyN/AN/A(average)[3]
Aggregate score
Metacritic48/100[8]50/100[9]57/100[2]

The Wii and PC versions received "mixed" reviews, while the DS version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2][8][9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 IGN staff (July 10, 2008). "Ubisoft Serves Up Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/10/ubisoft-serves-up-hells-kitchen-the-video-game. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Hell's Kitchen for Wii Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hells-kitchen/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Alexander, Leigh (September 22, 2008). "Hell's Kitchen (Wii)". Penske Media Corporation. https://variety.com/2008/digital/features/hell-s-kitchen-1200470367/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gapper, Michael (December 2008). "Hell's Kitchen: The Game review (Wii)". NGamer (Future plc): 62. https://www.gamesradar.com/hells-kitchen-the-video-game-review/. Retrieved October 11, 2018. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bissainthe, Margie (June 3, 2008). "Hell's Kitchen Tips Walkthrough". https://www.gamezebo.com/2008/06/03/hells-kitchen-walkthrough-cheats-strategy-guide/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 GamesIndustry International (October 26, 2007). "Ludia Cooks Up Deal With Granada For "Hell's Kitchen" Video Game Across All Major Platforms". Gamer Network. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ludia-cooks-up-deal-with-granada-for-hells-kitchen-video-game-across-all-major-platforms. 
  7. ↑ Bell, Erin (June 4, 2008). "Hell's Kitchen - Uncensored!". https://www.gamezebo.com/2008/06/04/hells-kitchen-uncensored/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Hell's Kitchen for DS Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hells-kitchen/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Hell's Kitchen for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hells-kitchen/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  10. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (November 26, 2008). "Celebrity Chef Showdown: Gordon vs. Jamie". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/celebrity-chef-showdown-gordon-vs-jamie-review. 
  11. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (December 17, 2008). "Hell's Kitchen Review (DS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/18/hells-kitchen-review. 
  12. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (December 8, 2008). "Hell's Kitchen Review (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/08/hells-kitchen-review-2. 
  13. ↑ "Hell's Kitchen Review (DS)". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc) (36): 100. December 2008. 
  • 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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