Software:Hometown Story

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Short description: 2013 video game
For the Folks song, see Hometown Story (song).
For the 1951 film, see Home Town Story.
Hometown Story
Developer(s)Hyde, Inc.
Toybox Inc.
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Yasuhiro Wada
Producer(s)Yasuhiro Wada
Designer(s)Satoshi Hirano
Genki Kimura
Artist(s)Atsuko Nishida
Writer(s)Mayu Sakura
Composer(s)Nobuo Uematsu[2]
Tsutomu Narita
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS, iOS
Release3DS
  • NA: October 22, 2013
  • JP: December 12, 2013
  • EU: May 12, 2014[3]
  • AU: July 24, 2014
iOS
June 10, 2014
Genre(s)Simulation, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Hometown Story (ホームタウンストーリー, Hōmutaun Sutōrī) is a 2013 life-simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS directed by Yasuhiro Wada, produced by Toybox Inc. and distributed by Natsume Inc. for North America, Rising Star Games for Europe,[4] and Spike Chunsoft for Japan. It was released for iOS on June 10, 2014 under the name Hometown Story Pocket.

Gameplay

The main character is in charge of running a shop inherited from their deceased grandmother. The player is capable of arranging and stocking the shelves of their shop to their preference and can eventually expand on the size of the shop. In a similar vein to the Harvest Moon series the player is able to interact and befriend various townspeople. The town that the player resides in will consist of ten people at first and eventually build its way to one hundred non-player characters that the player can meet depending on their actions over the course of the story.[5]

Plot

The player receives a letter that directs them back to the village from where they grew up. Returning there, they find a shop that was once owned by their grandmother. Inside, they meet Pochica, a flying mouse-like sprite who is a friend of the player's grandmother, who has passed away. Pochica requests for the player to take over the shop. As the player runs the shop and interacts with the villagers (including a talking scarecrow, a young dragon, and the Harvest God), they also assist people with their various problems by selling them things that they need.

Development

The game went under the codename of "Project Happiness" and was described as being a game to spread happiness. Wada stated that the game would take place within the Harvest Moon universe, but would be an overall different experience.[6] The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, and was supposed to be released for iOS on the same year,[7][8] but it was delayed to June 10, 2014. However, the iOS version does not include the entire content of the game, because Wada wanted it to be a more compact experience.[9][8] The 3DS version was released on October 22, 2013 in North America. Rising Star Games published the same handheld version in Europe May 2014, as the creator Yasuhiro Wada confirmed during Gamescom.[10]

It was featured at E3 2013.[2]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic47/100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu30/40[12]
Game Informer6/10[13]
GamesMaster48%[14]
IGN5/10[15]
Nintendo LifeStarStarStarStarStar[16]
Nintendo World Report4/10[17]
ONM50%[18]
Pocket Gamer(iOS) StarStarStarHalf star[19]
(3DS) StarStarStar[20]
RPGamer1/5[21]
USgamer2/5[22]

The 3DS version received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[11] IGN praised the graphics and soundtrack, but noted that the unclear conditions to unlock cutscenes are frustrating, as well as the controls.[15] In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, two sevens, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40.[12]

References

  1. ↑ ""PROJECT HAPPINESS" OFFICIALLY NAMED HOMETOWN STORY". March 12, 2013. http://www.risingstargames.com/hoshi.aspx?blogid=339277. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Natsume's Hometown Story Available For Play At E3". May 29, 2013. http://www.natsume.com/news/news_pdffiles/pid_120_NatsumeE3HometownStory.pdf. 
  3. ↑ Morris, Ian (April 4, 2014). "Free Pokémon downloads for X and Y, Hometown Story's release date, and Video Games Live Returns". https://www.outcyders.net/news/free-pokemon-downloads-for-x-y-hometown-storys-release-date-video-games-live-returns. 
  4. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (March 4, 2013). "Harvest Moon Creator's Next Game Is Hometown Story". Enthusiast Gaming. https://www.siliconera.com/harvest-moon-creators-next-game-is-hometown-story/. 
  5. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (September 29, 2013). "Hometown Story preview (Page 2)". Future plc. http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/54845/previews/hometown-story-preview/?page=2. 
  6. ↑ Lopez, Jacob (June 7, 2012). "Harvest Moon creator wants to spread happiness with his new game". https://venturebeat.com/2012/06/07/harvest-moon-creator-project-happiness/. 
  7. ↑ Nicholson, Brad (March 13, 2013). "'Project Happiness' Becomes 'Hometown Story,' Totally Coming This Year". TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2013/03/13/project-happiness-becomes-hometown-story-totally-coming-this-year/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Priestman, Chris (September 16, 2013). "Harvest Moon's creator's Hometown Story is coming to iOS, but with IAPs and less content". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/hometown-story-pocket/harvest-moon-creators-hometown-story-is-coming-to-ios-but-with-iaps-and-less-con/. 
  9. ↑ Cocke, Taylor (March 12, 2013). "Hometown Story is Harvest Moon Creator's New Game". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/12/hometown-story-is-harvest-moon-creators-new-game. Retrieved June 12, 2013. 
  10. ↑ "Gamescom 2013: Hometown Story - Yasuhiro Wada Interview". Gamez Publishing A/S. August 30, 2013. https://www.gamereactor.eu/video/?id=129934. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "HomeTown Story for 3DS Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hometown-story/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Valay, Brian (December 3, 2013). "Famitsu review scores (12/3/13)". https://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-review-scores-12313/. 
  13. ↑ Wallace, Kimberley (October 22, 2013). "Hometown Story Review". Game Informer (GameStop). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/hometown_story/b/3ds/archive/2013/10/22/hometown-story-review.aspx. Retrieved April 6, 2022. 
  14. ↑ "Review: Hometown Story". GamesMaster (Future plc): 79. July 2014. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sullivan, Meghan (November 4, 2013). "Hometown Story Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/05/hometown-story-review. 
  16. ↑ van Duyn, Marcel (May 1, 2014). "Hometown Story Review". Future plc. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/hometown_story. 
  17. ↑ Ronaghan, Neal (November 4, 2013). "Hometown Story". NINWR, LLC. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/35889/hometown-story-nintendo-3ds. 
  18. ↑ "Hometown Story review". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc): 86. June 2014. 
  19. ↑ Spencer, Spanner (June 17, 2014). "Hometown Story Pocket". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/hometown-story-pocket/hometown-story-pocket/. 
  20. ↑ Diener, Matthew (November 5, 2013). "Hometown Story [Import"]. Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/hometown-story-pocket/hometown-story/. 
  21. ↑ den Ouden, Adriaan (December 12, 2013). "Hometown Story - Review". CraveOnline. https://archive.rpgamer.com/games/harvest/hometown/reviews/hometownstrev1.html. 
  22. ↑ Khaw, Cassandra (October 25, 2013). "This is a Hometown Story Not to Tell the Kids : Review". Gamer Network. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/this-is-one-hometown-story-not-to-tell-the-kids. 

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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