Software:Lose Your Marbles

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Lose Your Marbles
Developer(s)SegaSoft
Publisher(s)SegaSoft
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lose Your Marbles is a puzzle video game developed and published by SegaSoft and released for Microsoft Windows on August 19, 1997.

A version of the game was included in Microsoft Plus! 98.[2]

Gameplay

In Lose Your Marbles, the player moves each color of marbles to create matches on the playing field, while the game drops new ones every few seconds. Whether played against a human or the CPU, the goal in Lose Your Marbles is to fill the other player's board with marbles. Creating matches of three, four, or five marbles clears those marbles from the player's board. In addition, a match of five will send marbles to the opposing player's board.

Due to its simplistic controls, Lose Your Marbles can be played with two players with one keyboard. Lose Your Marbles also features a LAN multiplayer mode to connect two players over a local network.

Release

A tag saying "Better than Tetris or your money back!" appeared on the first edition of the game. SegaSoft offered a full refund for purchasers who did not enjoy the game more than Tetris.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[5]
CGWStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameRevolutionB−[3]
GameSpot7.2/10[7]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[8]
PC Gamer (UK)66%[9]
PC Gamer (US)88%[10]

The game received favorable reviews. GamePro lauded the game as "one of the most addictive PC games to come out in recent memory", giving it a 4.5 out of 5 for graphics, sound, and control, and a perfect 5 for fun factor.[11] Nicole Freeman of GameSpot said that the AI is easy to defeat, making single-player mode too lacking in longevity, though she acknowledged that the multiplayer mode is much more fun and long-lasting. She concluded, "It's no Baku Baku, but Lose Your Marbles is not a total loss."[7] Next Generation found the single player mode sufficiently challenging, but agreed that the multiplayer is much better, and stated that "Lose Your Marbles is actually quite fun, even if it doesn't grab players quite like Tetris or have the same staying power."[8]

The game was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World's 1997 "Puzzle Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Smart Games Challenge 2. The staff called the former "the best Tetris clone we've seen since last year's winner, Baku Baku."[12] The game won the "Best Arcade Game" award at the CNET Gamecenter Awards for 1997.[13]

References

  1. ↑ PC Gamer staff (August 19, 1997). "More Fun than Tetris?". Imagine Media. http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-08-18.html. 
  2. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (June 25, 1998). "Plus! for Windows 98 Review". Informa. https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-server/plus-windows-98-review. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dr. Moo (September 1997). "Lose Your Marbles Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32981-lose-your-marbles-review. 
  4. ↑ Paulsen, David (October 2, 1997). "Lose Your Marbles". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-1165,00.html. 
  5. ↑ Royal, Anne (1997). "Lose Your Marbles". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/005/015/marbles_review.html. 
  6. ↑ Panther, Charlotte (December 1997). "S'marbelous (Lose Your Marbles Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (161): 391. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_161.pdf. Retrieved November 12, 2021. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Freeman, Nicole (September 10, 1997). "Lose Your Marbles Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/lose-your-marbles-review/1900-2535786/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Lose Your Marbles". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (36): 174. December 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_36/page/n175/mode/2up. Retrieved November 12, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Bickham, Al (January 1999). "Lose Your Marbles". PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing) (65). http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=679. Retrieved November 16, 2021. 
  10. ↑ "Lose Your Marbles". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 4 (12). December 1997. 
  11. ↑ Bad Hare (November 1997). "Lose Your Marbles". GamePro (IDG) (110): 107. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_110_Volume_09_Number_11_1997-11_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n107/mode/2up. Retrieved November 12, 2021. 
  12. ↑ CGW staff (March 1998). "CGW 1998 Premier Awards (Puzzle Game of the Year)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (164): 88. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_164.pdf. Retrieved November 11, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Gamecenter staff (January 28, 1998). "The Gamecenter Awards for 1997! (Arcade Winner)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards97/Off/ss03b.html. 
  • 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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Lose Your Marbles can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive



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