Software:London 2012 (video game)

From HandWiki
London 2012
European Xbox 360 cover art
Developer(s)Sega Studios Australia
NEOWIZ (iOS, Android)
Publisher(s)Sega
NEOWIZ (iOS, Android)
Platform(s)
ReleaseiOS
19 June 2012
Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • NA: 26 June 2012
  • AU: 28 June 2012
  • EU: 29 June 2012
Android
10 October 2012
Genre(s)Sports (Olympic)
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

London 2012: The Official Video Game is the official Olympic video game of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. It was published by Sega and developed by Sega Studios Australia, making this the first Olympics title to be developed in-house by Sega. The iOS and Android versions were developed and published by NEOWIZ.

It is also the second official video game based on the 2012 Olympics, the other being Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The game features 37 countries, and 31 events. New disciplines included 10m Synchronised Platform Diving, Trampoline, Beach Volleyball and Keirin.

The game features an online mode for players wishing to compete with other challengers worldwide. The "national pride" is a ranking system in the online mode, where the players have the possibility to collect medals for their favourite country.[1]

It is compatible with PlayStation Move and Xbox Kinect for certain events in the party mode.[citation needed]

London 2012 is the first Olympics video game to include cooperative events in the local multiplayer mode.

Disciplines

These events are in the game:[2]

Archery (held at Lord's)

Aquatics (held at the London Aquatics Centre)

  • 3m springboard diving
  • 3m synchronised springboard diving[N 1][N 2]
  • 10m platform diving
  • 10m synchronised platform diving[N 1][N 2]
  • Swimming – 50m freestyle
  • Swimming – 100m backstroke
  • Swimming – 100m breaststroke
  • Swimming – 100m butterfly
  • Swimming – 100m freestyle

Gymnastics (held at The O2 Arena)

  • Trampoline (men only)[N 2]
  • Vault

Shooting (held at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich)

  • 25 metre rapid fire pistol (men only)
  • Skeet shooting

Track and field (held at the London Stadium)

  • 100 metres (men only)
  • 110 metres hurdles (men only)
  • 200 metres (men only)
  • 400 metres
  • High jump
  • Long jump (men only)
  • Triple jump (men only)
  • Javelin throw (men only)
  • Shot put (men only)
  • Discus throw (men only)

Other sports

  • Beach volleyball (women only)[N 2]
  • Canoe slalom – K1 Kayak (men only)
  • Cycling – keirin (men only)[N 2]
  • Rowing – Single sculls (men only)[N 2]
  • Table tennis (men only)
  • Weightlifting over 105 kilograms (231 lb) (men only)
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Only playable in local multiplayer mode
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Included in an Olympic video game for the first time

The game therefore includes 8 of the events from the decathlon (only missing pole vault and 1500 metres).

Nations represented

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
iOSPCPS3Xbox 360
EGMN/AN/AN/A5/10[3]
EurogamerN/AN/AN/A5/10[4]
GamesMasterN/AN/AN/A75%[5]
GameSpotN/AN/A6.5/10[6]6.5/10[6]
GameZoneN/AN/AN/A7.5/10[7]
IGNN/AN/A7/10[8]7/10[9]
OPM (AU)N/AN/A6/10[11]N/A
OPM (UK)N/AN/A8/10[10]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/AN/A6/10[12]
VideoGamer.comN/AN/AN/A5/10[13]
Digital SpyN/AN/AN/AStarStarStar[14]
MetroN/AN/AN/A7/10[15]
Aggregate score
Metacritic66/100[16]65/100[17]66/100[18]64/100[19]

London 2012 received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[16][18][17][19]

Chris Schilling of IGN said of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions that "Sega's celebration of the year's biggest sporting event is better than you might expect." In his opinion, the events of both versions would not hold up too well in the long term, but that is not really what an Olympics game is about. He praised the online and offline multiplayer mode.[8][9] The German PC game magazine GameStar criticized the gameplay, because it is almost impossible to play it with the mouse and the keyboard, so the player is forced to get a gamepad to play London 2012. They also mentioned that the gameplay of the events would not be different from each other and that the AI of the computer opponents is not balanced.[20]

The Digital Fix gave the PS3 version seven out of ten and said it was "a fine example of an Olympics type game. The presentation is excellent, the events are more varied than you might expect and the subtleties of controls mean you'll have a wonderful time as you begin any experience with the game."[21] Metro gave the Xbox 360 version a similar score of seven out of ten and said it was "Not just an Olympics tie-in but a proper sports game, with the majority of events finding a good balance between realism and enjoyment."[15] However, Digital Spy gave the same console version three stars out of five and said, "There are lots of events that can be enjoyed time and time again, although far less than the 46 advertised. Motion controls add very little, but do at least offer new ways to experience the game, alongside a plethora of game modes. While London 2012: The Game may fall short of Gold, it's certainly deserving of a respectable Bronze."[14]

The game held the top spot of the UK All Format chart for three weeks following its release.[22] It reached number 9 in the PS3 PAL downloads chart.[23] As of May 2013, the game has sold 680,000 copies in the US and Europe.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Nichols, Scott (31 May 2011). "Sega announces London 2012 Olympics game". Hearst Communications. http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a322438/sega-announces-london-2012-olympics-game/. 
  2. ↑ Puig, Juan (July 12, 2012). "Análisis de London 2012" (in Spanish). Eurogamer.es (Eurogamer). https://www.eurogamer.es/articles/analisis-de-london-2012-ps3-xbox-360-pc. 
  3. ↑ Harmon, Josh (2 July 2012). "EGM Review: London 2012 (X360)". EGMNow (EGM Media, LLC). http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-london-2012/. Retrieved 30 August 2018. 
  4. ↑ Minkley, Johnny (29 June 2012). "London 2012 Review (Xbox 360)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-29-london-2012-review. 
  5. ↑ "London 2012 (X360)". GamesMaster (Future plc): 100. September 2012. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 James, Lucy (20 July 2012). "London 2012 Review (PS3, X360)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/london-2012-review/1900-6387502/. 
  7. ↑ Workman, Robert (18 July 2012). "London 2012: The Olympic Games review (X360)". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/london-2012-the-olympic-games-review/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Schilling, Chris (29 June 2012). "London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games PS3 Review". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/29/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olympic-games-ps3-review. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Schilling, Chris (29 June 2012). "London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games Xbox 360 Review". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/29/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olympic-games-xbox-360-review. 
  10. ↑ Davies, Emma (3 July 2012). "London 2012 PS3 review – can the official tie-in bring home the gold?". Future plc. http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/london-2012-ps3-review-can-the-official-tie-in-bring-home-the-gold/. 
  11. ↑ "London 2012". PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia (Citrus Media): 74. September 2012. 
  12. ↑ Reyes, Francesca (20 July 2012). "London 2012: The Official Videogame of the Olympic Games review". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US). http://www.oxmonline.com/london-2012-official-videogame-olympic-games-review. Retrieved 30 August 2018. 
  13. ↑ Cowen, Nick (29 June 2012). "London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games Review (X360)". Resero Network. https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olympic-games-review. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Martin, Liam (27 June 2012). "'London 2012 - The Official Videogame' review (Xbox 360): Bronze medal". Hearst Communications. http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a390114/london-2012-the-official-videogame-review-xbox-360-bronze-medal/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mr. Pinkerton (27 June 2012). "London 2012 review - The Official Video Game Of The Olympic Games (X360)". Metro (DMG Media). https://metro.co.uk/2012/06/27/london-2012-review-the-official-video-game-of-the-olympic-games-483265/. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "London 2012 - Official Mobile Game for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/london-2012---official-mobile-game/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olymp/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olymp/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/london-2012-the-official-video-game-of-the-olymp/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  20. ↑ Wittluski, Thomas; Witt, Malte (2 July 2012). "Olympische Spiele: London 2012 im Test - Quicktime-Olympiade" (in German). Webedia. https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/london_2012,2569536.html. 
  21. ↑ Howard, Luciano (24 July 2012). "London 2012: The Official Video Game [of the Olympic Games Review (PS3)"]. Poisonous Monkey. https://www.thedigitalfix.com/gaming/content/1010/london-2012-the-official-video-game/. 
  22. ↑ Burgess, Robert (14 August 2012). "UK Chart: Three Weeks At The Top For London 2012". http://www.gamebrit.com/2012/08/14/uk-chart-three-weeks-at-the-top-for-london-2012/. 
  23. ↑ "PlayStation Store PAL Charts: September 2012 – PlayStation.Blog". 4 October 2012. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2012/10/04/playstation-store-pal-charts-september-2012/. 
  24. ↑ Purchese, Robert (10 May 2013). "Aliens: Colonial Marines managed 1.31 million sales". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-10-aliens-colonial-marines-managed-1-31-million-sales. 
  • 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.



  • 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.



Preceded by
Beijing 2008 		Official videogame of the Summer Olympic Games Succeeded by
Rio 2016



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