Software:IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

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Short description: 2009 video game
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey
Developer(s)Gaijin Entertainment[1]
DiP Interactive (DS)[1]
Beatshapers (PSP)[1]
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Jeremy Soule
SeriesIL-2 Sturmovik
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Combat flight simulator
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (Russian: Ил-2 Штурмовик: Крылатые хищники), or Wings of Prey on Windows, is a combat flight simulation video game. As with previous installments of the series IL-2 Sturmovik, it depicts combat aircraft from World War II, although with less focus on realistic simulation than other entries in the series.[9] The game has a campaign mode in which players are able to fly the Allies against the Axis, and also a multiplayer mode in which they are able to select either faction.[10] A demo of the game launched on the PSN and Xbox 360's Xbox Live on July 29, 2009.[11]

Birds of Prey is based around the large-scale aerial combat and ground military operations of World War II. Players can participate in some of the war's most famous battles, piloting fighters, attack aircraft and heavy bombers across a range of missions. There are six theatres of war to engage in: Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily, Korsun and the Battle of the Bulge, representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe.

Birds of Prey has a new damage effects engine. Players can see real-time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey features hundreds of aircraft taking part in air battles. The environmental engine also produces high-detail, realistic landscapes that allow players to easily see ground support actions.[12]

The game was developed by Gaijin Entertainment, who subsequently developed Birds of Steel, also exclusively for consoles. Birds of Steel shares many traits with Birds of Prey (including HUD, aircraft models, controls, and menu design) but differentiates itself by concentrating primarily on US–Japanese aerial battles of the Pacific theater.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(X360) 80.71%[13]
(PS3) 79.82%[14]
(PC) 79.55%[15]
(PSP) 60%[16]
(DS) 42.25%[17]
Metacritic(PS3) 81/100[18]
(X360) 80/100[19]
(PC) 78/100[20]
(PSP) 63/100[21]
(DS) 41/100[22]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge8/10[23]
Eurogamer7/10[9][24]
GameSpot7.5/10[25][26]
GameTrailers8/10[27]
GameZone8.9/10[28]
IGN8.6/10[29][30]
(X360, UK) 8.4/10[31]
(PC) 8.3/10[32]
(PSP) 6.8/10[33]
(DS) 3.5/10[34]
Nintendo Power4/10[35]
OXM (US)8/10[36]
PC Gamer (UK)78%[37]
PSM(PS3) StarStarStarHalf star[38]
(PSP) StarStarStar[39]

On the release, home console and Windows versions were met with positive reception, while versions for portable consoles received mixed to negative critical reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it 80.71% and 80 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version;[13][19] 79.82% and 81 out of 100 for the PlayStation 3 version;[14][18] 79.55% and 78 out of 100 for the Windows version;[15][20] 60% and 63 out of 100 for the PSP version;[16][21] and 42.25% and 41 out of 100 for the DS version.[17][22]

Notes

  1. ↑ Retail versions for PC were published by 777 Studios in North America and Iceberg Interactive in the United Kingdom.
  2. ↑ Retail versions were released in North America on March 16, 2010 and in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2010.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 IGN staff (June 6, 2008). "1C Launches Console Development". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/06/1c-launches-console-development. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Lands in Retail Outlets Nationwide" (in en). September 8, 2009. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/08/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-lands-in-retail-outlets-nationwide. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Stone, Tim (July 28, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey". https://www.eurogamer.net/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-hands-on. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Capone, Anthony (September 7, 2009). "This Week's Releases - 07/09/09". http://palgn.com.au/15232/this-weeks-releases-07-09-09/. 
  5. ↑ Capone, Anthony (September 14, 2009). "This Week's Releases - 14/09/09". http://palgn.com.au/15271/this-weeks-releases-14-09-09. 
  6. ↑ "The game available for online purchase". December 25, 2009. http://www.airwargame.com/eng/news/8/current. 
  7. ↑ "Wings of Prey Coming to North America" (in en). February 17, 2010. https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/17/wings-of-prey-coming-to-north-america. 
  8. ↑ "Wings of Prey". April 15, 2010. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/wings-of-prey-uk-retail-packshot-takes-to-the-skies. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Whitehead, Dan (September 1, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (X360)". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review. 
  10. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (June 6, 2008). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey First Look". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/06/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-first-look. 
  11. ↑ [1]
  12. ↑ IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (Game Detail), 1C Company (archived URL: 13 April 2010).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for Xbox 360". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/946815-il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/946816-il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/index.html. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Wings of Prey for PC". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/984928-wings-of-prey/. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for PSP". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/psp/946817-il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/index.html. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for DS". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/946818-il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/index.html. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for Xbox 360". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Wings of Prey for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/wings-of-prey/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/critic-reviews/?platform=psp. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for DS Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  23. ↑ Edge staff (October 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (X360)". Edge (206): 97. 
  24. ↑ Stone, Tim (May 10, 2010). "Wings of Prey". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/wings-of-prey-review. 
  25. ↑ Cocker, Guy (September 11, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (X360)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review/1900-6217144/. 
  26. ↑ Cocker, Guy (September 16, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (PS3)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review/1900-6227721/. 
  27. ↑ "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (X360)". GameTrailers. September 2, 2009. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/fdzylo/il-2-sturmovik--birds-of-prey-review. 
  28. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (September 21, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey - PS3 - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/il_2_sturmovik_birds_of_prey_ps3_review. 
  29. ↑ Onyett, Charles (September 1, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (X360)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/01/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review-4. 
  30. ↑ Onyett, Charles (September 11, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (PS3)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/11/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review-3. 
  31. ↑ Meer, Alec (September 4, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey UK Review (X360)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/04/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-uk-review. 
  32. ↑ Butts, Steve (January 7, 2010). "Wings of Prey Review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/07/wings-of-prey-review. 
  33. ↑ Onyett, Charles (September 18, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (PSP)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/18/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review-2. 
  34. ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (September 23, 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review (NDS)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/24/il-2-sturmovik-birds-of-prey-review. 
  35. ↑ "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey". Nintendo Power 245: 90. October 2009. 
  36. ↑ Curthoys, Paul (October 2009). "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey". Official Xbox Magazine: 68. http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-360/g-l/il-2-sturmovik-birds-prey. Retrieved December 17, 2014. 
  37. ↑ "Wings of Prey". PC Gamer UK: 86. March 2010. 
  38. ↑ "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (PS3)". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. October 2009. 
  39. ↑ "IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (PSP)". PlayStation: The Official Magazine: 85. December 25, 2009. 

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.



  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.



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