Software:Major League Baseball 2K8

From HandWiki
Major League Baseball 2K8
The cover of MLB 2K8 for the Xbox 360 featuring José Reyes.
Developer(s)Blue Castle Games (PS3, Xbox 360)
2K Los Angeles
Publisher(s)2K Sports
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
Release
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Major League Baseball 2K8, or, in shorter terms, MLB 2K8, is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game co-developed by Blue Castle Games (PS3 and Xbox 360 versions only) and newly renamed 2K Los Angeles (the PS2, PSP and Wii versions are solely developed by 2K Los Angeles) and published by 2K Sports for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360.[2] It was released on March 4, 2008. A demo was released on Xbox Live Marketplace the next day on March 5 for Canada, United States, and Asian markets and features the 2007 World Series opponents.

New features

Ben Brinkman, in a January 18, 2008 KOXM podcast, revealed the following new features to debut in 2K8:[3]

  • 90 playable real-life minor league baseball teams and players (restricted to players who have had major league experience), including 20 authentic minor league stadiums.
  • 2K Cards, unlockable trading cards.
  • New pitching system in which the pitch type is determined by analog stick movement
  • Swing Stick 2.0, a revamped analog batting system which allows an increased variety of batted balls (Baltimore chops, bloops, dribblers, etc.).
  • New ball-throwing system which is also determined by analog stick movement.
  • More realistic fielding tweaks, and a revamp of double play animation and gameplay.

The official site also included these additional new and updated features:[2]

  • Downloadable minor league stadiums
  • Revamped baserunning, with more intuitive controls and smarter baserunning AI
  • Additional Signature Style animations
  • Downloadable content (Xbox 360)
  • The new features are not available on the PS2 version of the game. As it's a reskined Major League Baseball 2K6 with new rosters
  • Some Wii version discs have a glitch in franchise mode. After the first year, the season is only 15 games. This only happens to a few discs, and can be fixed by creating another franchise each time you load the original franchise.

Cover athlete

Then-New York Mets shortstop José Reyes was announced as the cover athlete on December 6, 2007, taking over for New York Yankees counterpart Derek Jeter from the previous three games.[4]

Announcers

For the 4th straight and final year, announcers Jon Miller and Joe Morgan once again resume game announcing duties, while Steve Physioc and Jeanne Zelasko continue reporting duties.

Downloadable content

  • March 6, 2008: The first round of downloadable content was released on Xbox Live Marketplace for free, which included The Minor League Stadium Pack, which featured Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Hadlock Field and Legends Field (now called George M. Steinbrenner Field), a Majestic Cool Base Uniforms pack, which added one new uniform for each Major League team, and the Card Series 2 download which unlocked the next set of packs for use in the game's card battle mode.

Licensing issues

Barry Bonds is once again not placed in the game due to his not being a part of the MLBPA licensing agreement, and once again is represented by left-fielder Joe Young, whose name is a reference to Hall of-Fame 49ers quarterbacks Steve Young and Joe Montana.[5] Some people have also said that Randy Carter is representing Roger Clemens on the free agents list.

The game is also notably missing some regular every day MLB players like Kevin Millar and Brendan Donnelly. This is due to the players' involvement in crossing picket lines as replacement players during the 1994 work stoppage, which prevents them from becoming members of the MLB Players Association. These players do, however, have aliases within the game. For example, Kevin Millar goes by the name Kyle Morgan as evidenced by their identical profiles including number, height, weight and attributes. Higher profile prospects like Jay Bruce (replaced with James Bale) of the Reds, Evan Longoria (replaced with Eric Lincoln) of the Rays, Colby Rasmus (replaced with Clint Rents) of the Cardinals or Fernando Martínez (replaced with Felipe Marrero) of the Mets are also under aliases in the game until they have major league experience while players like Geovany Soto of the Cubs are in the game. These aliases use the same first initials of the player's first and last names, and mirror the players actual profiles and attributes as well. New rookies from the Japan Leagues, Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs and Hiroki Kuroda of the Los Angeles Dodgers do not have their names in the game and are instead replaced with Kazuhito Fortunato and Hideo Kajita. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kyle Drabek, is replaced with the name Kirk Darby, although at the time, he was on the Philadelphia Phillies.

DS spin-off

Main article: Software:Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars

A more "baseball-lite" version of MLB 2K8 was released for the Nintendo DS called Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars, which extensively utilizes the DS touchscreen, and features fantasy elements such as power-ups and fantasy stadiums.

Development and history

Typical gameplay screenshot.

MLB 2K8 represents the third seventh generation console baseball game of the 2K Sports Major League Baseball series, and the second lead developed by Ben Brinkman for 2K Los Angeles. In Brinkman's 1UP.com log, he revealed that MLB 2K8 represents the middle act of a planned three year development cycle for 2K's baseball series for next gen systems, with MLB 2K7 being the first stage.[6] According to Brinkman, "At the same time we set out a three year plan for the MLB franchise so that once 2K7 ended we could get right to work on 2K8 and have a set of goals and features to accomplish." From an interview in an IGN article, "MLB 2K7 was the first step in a long process of reinventing the 2K Sports baseball brand and the MLB franchise. 2K7 was year one of that, and a lot of that was just getting back onto stable ground -- getting back with the people who play our game and putting something out there that they're happy with, they have a blast playing and that they can play for an extended period of time. I think we delivered upon that, especially given the short timeline with which we had to create that game."[7]

Soundtrack

The following songs appear in the soundtrack:[8]

Band Song
Battles Atlas
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Need Some Air
Blitzen Trapper Wild Mountain Nation
The Cars Moving in Stereo
The Cool Kids 88
The Cure Never Enough
Dinosaur Jr Almost Ready
The Flaming Lips The W.A.N.D. (The Will Always Negates Defeat)
The Hold Steady Stuck Between Stations
Jay Reatard My Shadow
Kasabian Reason Is Treason
LCD Soundsystem Watch the Tapes
Modest Mouse Dashboard
Peter Bjorn and John The Chills
The Presidents of the United States of America Cleveland Rocks
The Revolution Fox Experiment Hyper Charlie
The Strokes Someday

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS2PS3PSPWiiXbox 360
1Up.comN/AB[9]N/AC[10]B[9]
DestructoidN/A5/10[11]N/AN/AN/A
FamitsuN/AN/AN/AN/A23/40[12]
Game InformerN/A8.5/10[13]N/A6.75/10[14]8.5/10[13]
GameRevolutionN/AC[15]N/AN/AC[15]
GameSpotN/A6.5/10[16]N/AN/A6.5/10[16]
GameSpyN/AStarStar[17]N/AStarStarStarHalf star[18]StarStarHalf star[19]
GameTrailersN/A7.4/10[20]N/AN/A7.4/10[20]
GameZoneN/A7/10[21]6.5/10[22]7/10[23]6.8/10[24]
IGN7/10[25]7.2/10[26]6.9/10[27]6.5/10[28]7.4/10[29]
Nintendo PowerN/AN/AN/A6.5/10[30]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/AN/AN/A6/10[31]
PSMN/AStarStarStar[32]N/AN/AN/A
MaximN/A6/10[33]N/AN/A6/10[33]
USA TodayN/A7/10[34]N/AN/A7/10[34]
Aggregate score
Metacritic80/100[35]67/100[36]63/100[37]63/100[38]70/100[39]

The PlayStation 2 version received "generally favorable reviews", while the rest of the console versions received "mixed or average reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[35][36][37][38][39] In Japan, where the PS2 and PS3 versions were ported and published by Bethesda Softworks on November 13, 2008,[citation needed] followed by the Xbox 360 version on November 27,[citation needed] Famitsu gave the Xbox 360 version a score of three sixes and one five.[12]

411Mania gave the Xbox 360 version a score of 7.7 out of 10 and said, "2K needs to step things up next year, there’s no doubt about that, but they're on the right track judging by the year-to-year improvements. Stomp out the bugs and glitches, get the framerate under control, spruce up the graphics, and update the commentary and maybe it'll be a serious challenge for The Show next time around. If you're a baseball nut with an Xbox 360, this is the only game in town and definitely worth a look. If you've got a PS3 though, MLB 2K8 probably isn't winning the pennant."[40] USA Today gave the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions a score of seven out of ten and stated that the game "boasts enough control innovation to merit an upgrade over last year's installment, but bugs in future releases could mean a trip to the bench."[34] However, Maxim gave the same two console versions six out of ten and said, "Like the Yankees, 2K8 has all the necessary ingredients to be a champion—great graphics, an eclectic soundtrack, a winning tradition—and yet, in the end, all the parts wind up feeling like they're trying too hard to be great. Like that Choker McA-Rod, the game grounds out in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded."[33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ GameSpot staff (February 28, 2008). "MLB 2K8 on deck for March 4". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mlb-2k8-on-deck-for-march-4/1100-6186856/. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8". 2K Sports. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080701060206/http://2ksports.com/games/mlb2k8/. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Official Xbox Magazine, January 18, 2008 podcast
  4. ↑ Magrino, Tom (December 6, 2007). "Reyes swings to MLB 2K8 cover". Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110525150321/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6183758.html. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  5. ↑ "The Replacements, Still Replaced in Video Games". https://kotaku.com/the-replacements-still-replaced-in-video-games-5460160. 
  6. ↑ Brinkman, Ben (February 7, 2007). "Golfing... Brainstorming and Tom Emanski". Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110707061842/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7851655&publicUserId=5827967. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  7. ↑ Haynes, Jeff (April 4, 2007). "MLB 2K7 Postmortem". http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/04/mlb-2k7-postmortem. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  8. ↑ Berardini, César A. (March 3, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 Soundtrack Announced". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120206221305/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15840/Major-League-Baseball-2K8-Soundtrack-Announced/. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Zuniga, Todd (March 4, 2008). "MLB 2K8 (XBOX 360, PS3)". Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160613071501/http://www.1up.com/reviews/mlb-2k8_2. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Zuniga, Todd (April 22, 2008). "MLB 2K8 (Wii)". Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160618021855/http://www.1up.com/reviews/mlb-2k8. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  11. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (March 14, 2008). "Destructoid review: Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3)". https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-major-league-baseball-2k8-75549.phtml. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Brian (November 19, 2008). "Famitsu review scores". Nintendo Everything. http://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-review-scores-27/. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Reiner, Andrew (April 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3, X360)". Game Informer (180). Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080310015208/http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/DE0A1350-039D-4BEF-A5C2-BD53EA65BC59.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  14. ↑ "Major League Baseball 2K8 (Wii)". Game Informer (181): 95. May 2008. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Andrien, Chris (March 21, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 Review (PS3, X360)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001130918/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/mlb-2k8. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Thomas, Aaron (March 11, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 Review (PS3, X360)". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/major-league-baseball-2k8-review/1900-6187576/. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  17. ↑ Abner, William (March 7, 2008). "GameSpy: Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3)". GameSpy. http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/major-league-baseball-2k8/857960p1.html. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  18. ↑ Abner, William (March 11, 2008). "GameSpy: Major League Baseball 2K8 (Wii)". GameSpy. http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/major-league-baseball-2k8/858828p1.html. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  19. ↑ Abner, William (March 7, 2008). "GameSpy: Major League Baseball 2K8 (X360)". GameSpy. http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/major-league-baseball-2k8/857958p1.html. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "MLB 2K8 Review (PS3, X360)". GameTrailers. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080502130006/http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=6161. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  21. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (March 11, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 - PS3 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080925170028/http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r34254.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  22. ↑ Zacarias, Eduardo (April 27, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081007003859/http://psp.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r34254.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  23. ↑ Nicksarlian, Greg (March 12, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006054812/http://wii.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r34254.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  24. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (March 13, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006162619/http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r34254.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  25. ↑ Bozon, Mark (March 4, 2008). "MLB 2K8 Review (PS2)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/04/mlb-2k8-review-3. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  26. ↑ Ahearn, Nate (March 4, 2008). "MLB 2K8 Review (PS3)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/04/mlb-2k8-review-4. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  27. ↑ Ahearn, Nate (March 12, 2008). "MLB 2K8 Review (PSP)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/12/mlb-2k8-review. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  28. ↑ Bozon, Mark (March 6, 2008). "MLB 2K8 Review (Wii)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/06/mlb-2k8-review-2. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  29. ↑ Ahearn, Nate (March 4, 2008). "MLB 2K8 Review (X360)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/04/mlb-2k8-review-5. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  30. ↑ "Major League Baseball 2K8". Nintendo Power 227: 88. April 2008. 
  31. ↑ McCaffrey, Ryan (April 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080309224533/http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-360/m-r/major-league-baseball-2k8. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  32. ↑ "Review: Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3)". PlayStation: The Official Magazine (5): 74. April 2008. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Jones, Scott (March 11, 2008). "Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3, X360)". Maxim. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080316080715/http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews.aspx?p_id=13433. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Molina, Brett (March 14, 2008). "Sony, 2K Sports gear up for Opening Day". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080701104610/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-03-14-mlb08-2kbaseball_N.htm. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/major-league-baseball-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8 for PlayStation 3 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/major-league-baseball-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8 for PSP Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/major-league-baseball-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=psp. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8 for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/major-league-baseball-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "Major League Baseball 2K8 for Xbox 360 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/major-league-baseball-2k8/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  40. ↑ Oracheski, Rod (April 5, 2008). "MLB 2K8 (Xbox 360) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080407012203/http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/72453. Retrieved November 3, 2017. 
  • 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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Template:Atari



  • 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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