Software:M1 Tank Platoon II

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Short description: 1998 video game
M1 Tank Platoon II
North American cover art
Developer(s)MicroProse
Publisher(s)MicroProse
Producer(s)Scott Spanburg
Designer(s)Tim Goodlett
Programmer(s)Scott Spanburg
Brian Whooley
Artist(s)Michael R. Bates
Composer(s)Roland J. Rizzo
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Vehicle simulation, real-time tactics
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

M1 Tank Platoon II (sometimes referred to simply as M1TP2) is a tank simulation video game developed and published by MicroProse Software in 1998 for Microsoft Windows. It is a simulator of the M1 Abrams main battle tank and a follow-up to MicroProse's 1989 release M1 Tank Platoon. M1 Tank Platoon II was sold to Interplay Entertainment in 2009.[2] The game is available on Steam and Epic Games services.[3]

Gameplay

M1 Tank Platoon II allowed the player to play several positions in the four tanks that comprised the platoon. A player could play as a tank commander under cover ("buttoned up") or open on the hatch to man the .50 caliber machine gun. Other positions included gunner and an "outside 3-D scrolling view" of any unit on the battlefield.

Compared to the first M1 Tank Platoon, this game incorporated many new features, including much improved graphics as well as multiple campaigns, and multiplayer options. The ability to play as armored cavalry, USMC or army platoons added another dimension. The manual accompanying the game, over 100 pages, touched on such things as armor types, tactics, vehicles and more.

There was a patch available[4] to upgrade the game to allow for improved machine gun and map performance.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings78%[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[8]
CGWStarStarHalf star[9]
Game Informer7/10[10]
GameSpot8.2/10[11]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[12]
PC Gamer (UK)87%[13]
PC Gamer (US)82%[14]
PC Zone90%[15]

The game received favorable reviews. Next Generation said, "due to the depth of this simulation and the rather steep learning curve, M1 Tank Platoon II may prove to be an exercise in frustration rather than fun, but for the individual who truly wants to be 'Hell on Wheels,' this title is just the ticket."[12]

References

  1. ↑ "MICROPROSE SENDS 100,000 UNITS OF THE M1 TANK PLATOON® II PC CD-ROM OFF TO THE FRONT LINES [title mislabeled as "Star Trek: The Birth Of The Federation""]. March 24, 1998. http://www.microprose.com/corporatedesign/press/m1ships.html. 
  2. ↑ "INTERPLAY ACQUIRES INTELECTUAL [sic] PROPERTIES, SELLS SHARES TO MICROPROSE". March 27, 2009. http://www.interplay.com/about/article.php?id=25. 
  3. ↑ "M1 Tank Platoon II". Valve Corporation. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1406700/M1_Tank_Platoon_II/. 
  4. ↑ "Downloads". http://www.tanksim.com/download.htm. 
  5. ↑ "M1 Tank Platoon II for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/43367-m1-tank-platoon-ii/index.html. 
  6. ↑ Baize, Anthony. "M1 Tank Platoon II - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=13317&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ Cirulis, Martin E. (April 7, 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon II". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-1621,00.html. 
  8. ↑ Udell, Scott (March 31, 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon II". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/011/021/m1_tank_2_review.html. 
  9. ↑ Miller, Patrick C. (August 1998). "Platoon Too Soon (M1 Tank Platoon II Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (169): 185–86. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_169.pdf. Retrieved September 6, 2023. 
  10. ↑ Bergren, Paul (May 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon II". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (61). 
  11. ↑ Dunkin, Alan (April 13, 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon II Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/m1-tank-platoon-ii-review/1900-2542398/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "M1 Tank Platoon II". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (43): 117. July 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_43/page/n117/mode/2up. Retrieved August 28, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Weston, Jason (May 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon 2 [sic"]. PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing) (56). http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=686. Retrieved August 28, 2021. 
  14. ↑ "M1 Tank Platoon II". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (7). July 1998. 
  15. ↑ Wright, Andrew (May 1998). "M1 Tank Platoon II". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (63): 84–85. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_63_May_1998/page/n83/mode/2up. Retrieved August 28, 2021. 
  • 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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