Software:Mario Kart Tour

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Short description: 2019 video game

Mario Kart Tour
Cover art, depicting Mario and other characters on a globe with landmarks from cities present in the game
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD[1][lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Kosuke Yabuki
Yugo Hayashi
Shinya Fujiwara[2]
Producer(s)Hideki Konno
Programmer(s)Erika Abe[3]
SeriesMario Kart
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Android, iOS
ReleaseTemplate:Date range and age in years, months, weeks and days
Genre(s)Kart racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. was a 2019 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for Android and iOS. The game featured biweekly, downloadable themed tours with different cups, each of which had three courses and a bonus challenge. Courses were based on those that have appeared previously in the Mario Kart series, as well as new ones that are based on real-world cities.

Mario Kart Tour was announced in January 2018 and was released on September 25, 2019, on Apple's App Store and Google Play. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its simple gameplay and controls but criticized its monetization and gacha elements as well as its lack of characters at launch. Reception improved over time following additional content releases and removal of the gacha elements. The game was shut down on September 30, 2026.[4]

Gameplay

In-game screenshot of Mario racing alongside Toadette in Mario Circuit 1 from Super Mario Kart

Mario Kart Tour deviated from the traditional gameplay of the Mario Kart series, where the objective is to reach the finish line in first; this game utilized a point-based system. There were four options of speed: 50cc (namely "leisurely"), 100cc ("fast"), 150cc ("very fast") and 200cc ("too fast"; only available to Gold Pass owners, which was a subscription purchasable in the game). Unlike previous installments in the series, much of the driving (notably acceleration, jump boosts) was performed automatically. Mario Kart Tour included features from previous Mario Kart games, such as underwater racing and hang gliding from Mario Kart 7. This game introduced a new Frenzy mode, which occured when a driver got three identical items from an item box, allowing them to repeatedly use the item for a short period.[5] Each character could get a unique item (also known as "Special Skill") from item boxes.

The game introduced a new format called "Tours", which were named after cities in the real world, Mario series characters, Mario series games, or other themes.[6] Each tour lasted for two weeks, beginning on Wednesday at 1:00 a.m. EST. In a tour, players could compete in twelve to eighteen cups and collect drivers, karts and gliders which represent the corresponding cities or themes. There were also spotlight drivers, karts, and gliders while a tour lasted for two weeks. Each Cup consisted of three courses (some courses that were based on the ones from Super Mario Kart were labelled as "remix courses" (abbreviated to "RMX courses") and used a different layout compared to the original, and featured new mechanics[7]) and a bonus challenge. Some courses from previous cups were reused for subsequent cups. Most races had two laps instead of three in previous installments, while most bonus challenges were done in one lap. The cups were also named after some of the drivers in the game instead of the usual items in the Mario franchise, similar to the Mario Kart Arcade GP series.

After the player finished a race, the player was awarded Grand Stars to unlock tour gifts, coins and experience points for the used character, kart, and glider. If the player finished in the top three, they would earn some player points for their level. If the player finished in 5th place or below, the level-gauge would decrease. When the player filled the gauge all the way, they would level-up to get a reward. Each course also had an experience point limit. The max player-level was 400.

Each week, a tour's cup was a tournament. Twenty players were placed on a leaderboard based on the overall score for the cup. By the following Wednesday, Lakitu announced how well the player did. The player would increase in tier, and earn some rewards if their final position was near the top, but they would lose one or two tiers if they finished poorly. The player also got a reward if they and their friends' score reached a certain amount.

The game included races against bots with usernames of real players, designed to give players the impression of playing against other humans.[8][9][10] In addition, a beta test for the multiplayer function of this game began from "approximately 2:00 p.m. EST on December 19, 2019 to 12:59 p.m. EST on December 27, 2019" and was only available for subscribers to the Gold Pass. From January 23, 2020, to January 29, 2020, there was a multiplayer test for all players of the game.

On March 8, 2020, multiplayer function in Mario Kart Tour was officially launched. All players could "race against up to seven other players, whether they're registered as in-game friends, nearby to your location, or even scattered around the world." In the meantime, "Gold Races are available exclusively to subscribers of the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass."[11] One of the main differences between the Standard Races (for players without the Gold Pass) and the Gold Races was the selection of speed: only 100cc was available in the Standard Races while 150cc and 200cc were available in the Gold Races. There was a multiplayer rank (ranging from F to A, S to S+9 if subscribed to the Gold Pass) for each player. A percentage for the rank would increase when a player won in a multiplayer race, but would decrease or remain unchanged during a loss.

The game originally could only be played in portrait mode; however, on July 21, 2020, an update was released that added support for landscape mode and a new control layout.[12] An update in March 2022 added support for Miis as playable racers.[13]

Development

In January 2018, Nintendo announced a mobile version of the Mario Kart series for iOS and Android.[14][15] Nintendo announced in April 2019 that they would be holding a closed beta for the game, exclusively for Android users, which took place from late May to early June.[16] Initially expected to be released by March 2019, the game was released on September 25, 2019.[17][18] The game was downloaded ten million times by the day after its release.[19]

To celebrate the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary, the game was updated to include two new characters: SNES Mario and Donkey Kong Jr., who had not appeared in the series since Super Mario Kart.[20][21]

On September 2, 2022, Nintendo announced that the game's most controversial element—the "gacha" mechanic with the ruby spotlight pipe—would be removed and replaced in an October update with a normal shop that would include any new tours' brand new characters, gliders, and karts. Collectibles from previous tours would also be brought back to give players another chance to obtain them. The update also introduced Battle Mode.[22]

Nintendo ceased new content for the game on October 4, 2023, instead choosing to rerun previous events and tours.[23] Despite the announcement that there would no longer be any new content, the 2025 rerun of the Sunshine Tour included a bit of new content, to celebrate the release of World.[24] Nintendo stated that no new drivers or karts would be added after the bonus content. On February 9, 2022, Nintendo announced that several of the game's original tracks would be bundled as DLC tracks for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch as part of the "Booster Course Pass".[25] Some of this content returned for the series' next entry, Mario Kart World for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Shutdown

On July 8, 2026, Nintendo announced that Mario Kart Tour would shut down on September 30, 2026 at 06:00 UTC. Nintendo also clarified that unlike with Software:Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, no offline version would be offered after the game was shut down. In-app purchases and subscription renewals for the Gold Pass ended on the day of the announcement.[4] All players were given access to Gold Pass benefits from August 4, 2026 until the shutdown date.[26]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic59/100[27]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players42/100[28]
Destructoid4.5/10[29]
GameRevolution3.5/5[30]
Gamezebo4.5/5[31]
IGN6.7/10[32]
Jeuxvideo.com11/20[33]
Nintendo Life7/10[34]
Pocket Gamer3.5/5[35]

Mario Kart Tour received "mixed or average reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[27] While critics praised the graphics and simple controls, they criticized Mario Kart Tour's gacha element, as well as its monthly $4.99 Gold Pass feature, which is required to use the game's 200cc feature, to get more items and in-game achievements, the constant need for a stable internet connection, and the only way to unlock things like karts and gold badges in the game requires money.[36] Many journalists noted that the monthly charge for the subscription service was the same as that of Apple Arcade, which launched a few days prior to the release of Mario Kart Tour, claiming that the former provides subscribers with more content for the same price and thus, is a better value.[37][38][39] The game was also criticized for player selection multiplayer functionality and not having characters at launch like Luigi who had been available in trailers, tutorials and the beta testing stage of the game.[40][41][39][42][43][44]

Commercial performance

On its first day, Mario Kart Tour was available for download in 58 markets, including the Japanese and American markets. Revenue-wise, it placed #19 for iPhone apps in the United States. This was a significant debut improvement compared to Dr. Mario World, a match-three mobile game also developed by Nintendo and released on July 9, 2019, which placed #503 during its debut. Another game published by Nintendo on February 2, 2017, Fire Emblem Heroes, placed #17 on the top iPhone revenue app during its debut.[45]

Mario Kart Tour received 90.1 million downloads in its first week of availability according to Sensor Tower, the highest number of first-week downloads for a Nintendo mobile game, surpassing Software:Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp's 14.3 million downloads. It also made $12.7 million in first-week player spending, the 3rd-highest for a Nintendo mobile game behind Fire Emblem Heroes ($28.2 million) and Super Mario Run ($16.1 million).[46] Total downloads reached 123.9 million in the first month of release, generating $37.4 million in player spending.[47] In April 2021, Sensor Tower released additional information about Mario Kart Tour surpassing 200 million downloads and $200 million for revenue, making it the second biggest mobile game in revenue for Nintendo, only behind Fire Emblem Heroes.[48]

Accolades

Mario Kart Tour won the award for "Racing Game of the Year" at the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,[49] and was nominated for "Favorite Video Game" at the 2020 Kids' Choice Awards.[50]

Lootbox lawsuit

On May 17, 2023, a young boy assisted by his father filed a lawsuit against Nintendo for alleging one of Mario Kart Tour's previously implemented gacha mechanisms, or lootboxes, named 'Spotlight Pipes', "capitalized on and encouraged addictive behaviors akin to gambling," and called for all minors in the United States who were involved in purchasing in such lootboxes to receive a refund, after the young boy reportedly spent $170 in Mario Kart Tour microtransactions using his father's credit card.[51][52][53]

Prior to its removal in 2022, the gacha mechanism allowed players to receive random in-game items and upgrades in return for buying the in-game currency of 'Rubies' and spending them at the 'Spotlight Pipes'. The suit also alleges that Nintendo intentionally made the game more difficult to progress without purchasing such microtransactions and that it "tricked players" into doing so. These actions go against California's Business law and Washington State's Consumer Protection Act.[51][52][53]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by DeNA, SRD and Bandai Namco Studios

References

  1. ↑ "DeNA confirmed as developer on "free-to-start" Mario Kart Tour". February 8, 2018. https://www.pocketgamer.biz/asia/news/67507/dena-developing-mario-kart-tour. 
  2. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards by Video Game Details". https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idGame=1702. 
  3. ↑ "仕事を読み解くキーワード：新しいことにワクワクしたい｜採用情報｜任天堂". https://www.nintendo.co.jp/jobs/keyword/57.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tom Phillips (July 8, 2026). "Nintendo Confirms Mario Kart Tour Shutdown After 7 Years, No Offline Version Offered". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-confirms-mario-kart-tour-shutdown-after-7-years-no-offline-version-offered. 
  5. ↑ "How to Activate Frenzy Mode in Mario Kart Tour". 2019-09-24. https://www.gamerevolution.com/guides/600085-mario-kart-tour-frenzy-mode-activate-guide. 
  6. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour's next circuit is a culinary themed delight". 2020-05-29. https://nintendowire.com/news/2020/05/29/mario-kart-tours-next-circuit-is-a-culinary-themed-delight/. 
  7. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Gets A New Year Update With RMX Rainbow Road 2". 2020-12-30. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/12/mario_kart_tour_gets_a_new_year_update_with_rmx_rainbow_road_2. 
  8. ↑ Tylwalk, Nick (2019-10-02). "Does Mario Kart Tour have multiplayer?" (in en). https://www.imore.com/does-mario-kart-tour-have-multiplayer. 
  9. ↑ O'Rourke, Patrick (2019-09-30). "Mario Kart Tour hopes you think its bots are people" (in en). https://mobilesyrup.com/2019/09/30/mario-kart-tour-bots-racing/. 
  10. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2019-09-27). "Mario Kart Tour review: Mario Kart just doesn't feel right on a phone" (in en). https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2019/9/27/20887100/mario-kart-tour-review-nintendo-iphone-android. 
  11. ↑ "Multiplayer is up and running!". https://mariokarttour.com/en-US/multiplay/beta. 
  12. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Is Getting A Landscape Mode And A New Control Layout". July 20, 2020. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/07/mario_kart_tour_is_getting_a_landscape_mode_and_a_new_control_layout. 
  13. ↑ "Nintendo's Mii Make a Surprise Return in the Latest Mario Kart Tour Update". March 3, 2022. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/03/nintendos-mii-make-a-surprise-return-in-the-latest-mario-kart-tour-update. 
  14. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (January 31, 2018). "Mario Kart is coming to smartphones". Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/mario-kart-is-coming-to-smartphones-1822613119. 
  15. ↑ MUDHAR, RAJU (June 15, 2018). "E3 interview with Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aimé: What's so special about Canadian videogamers?". The Star. https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/gaming/2018/06/15/e3-interview-nintendo-super-smashes-expectations-with-switch.html?mvt=i&mvn=3e41ddb7744746969f673f63e5cb8318&mvp=NA-STARCOM-11239223&mvl=Size-134x170+%5BArticle+4-Across%5D. 
  16. ↑ Porter, Jon (April 25, 2019). "Nintendo opens beta signups for Mario Kart Tour". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/25/18515539/mario-kart-tour-closed-beta-android-ios-may-summer-release-date-dena. 
  17. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (August 26, 2019). "Mario Kart Tour Release Date Announced". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/27/mario-kart-tour-release-date-announced. 
  18. ↑ Dayus, Oscar (January 31, 2019). "Mario Kart Tour Delayed, Nintendo Confirms". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-kart-tour-delayed-nintendo-confirms/1100-6464709/. 
  19. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour – Apps on Google Play" (in en). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nintendo.zaka&hl=en_SG. 
  20. ↑ Liam Doolan (September 4, 2020). ""Super" Mario Kart Tour Event Starts Next Week, Get Ready To Welcome Back Two Familiar Faces". https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/09/super_mario_kart_tour_event_starts_next_week_get_ready_to_welcome_back_two_familiar_faces. 
  21. ↑ Mikhail Madnani (September 3, 2020). "'Mario Kart Tour' Is Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros with a Super Mario Kart Tour Featuring Mario and Donkey Kong Jr next Week". https://toucharcade.com/2020/09/03/mario-kart-tour-super-mario-35th-anniversary-tour-event-start-date-donkey-kong-jr-ios-android-free/. 
  22. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour's Official Twitter Tweet". https://twitter.com/mariokarttourEN/status/1565585887303532544. 
  23. ↑ Sheena Vasani (September 11, 2023). "Mario Kart Tour has crossed the finish line". https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/11/23868131/mario-kart-tour-nintendo-mobile-gaming. 
  24. ↑ Phillips Kennedy, Victoria (July 18, 2025). "Smartphone racer Mario Kart Tour gets first new content in years to celebrate Switch 2's Mario Kart World". https://www.eurogamer.net/smartphone-racer-mario-kart-tour-gets-first-new-content-in-years-to-celebrate-switch-2s-mario-kart-world. 
  25. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (February 9, 2022). "Mario Kart 8 Is Getting 48 DLC Courses By End Of 2023". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-kart-8-is-getting-48-dlc-courses-by-end-of-2023/1100-6500529/. 
  26. ↑ Aubrey, Dave (2026-07-08). "Mario Kart Tour is being shut down and no offline version is planned" (in en-US). https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/mario-kart-tour-is-being-permanently-shut-down-and-features-disabled/. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Mario Kart Tour for iPhone/iPad Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mario-kart-tour/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  28. ↑ "Test: Mario Kart Tour (Rennspiel)". September 27, 2019. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht_fazit/Allgemein/Test/Fazit_Wertung/Android/39423/84017/Mario_Kart_Tour.html. 
  29. ↑ "Review: Mario Kart Tour" (in en). September 29, 2019. https://www.destructoid.com/review-mario-kart-tour-568088.phtml. 
  30. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Review | Surprising innovation spoiled by microtransactions - GameRevolution". September 30, 2019. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/601227-mario-kart-tour-review-ios-iphone-android-mobile. 
  31. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Review: The Best Nintendo Mobile Game Yet?". September 26, 2019. https://www.gamezebo.com/2019/09/26/mario-kart-tour-review-the-best-nintendo-mobile-game-yet/. 
  32. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Review". October 2019. https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/01/mario-kart-tour-review. 
  33. ↑ "Test : Mario Kart Tour : Sur l'autel du free-to-play, Nintendo abat ses karts". September 27, 2019. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/1115181/mario-kart-tour-sur-l-autel-du-free-to-play-nintendo-abat-ses-karts.htm. 
  34. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Review (Mobile)". September 26, 2019. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/mobile/mario_kart_tour. 
  35. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour Review - "Good kart, greedy gacha" | Articles | Pocket Gamer". September 30, 2019. https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/081199/mario-kart-tour-review/. 
  36. ↑ "Should players get the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass?" (in en). 2019-09-25. https://www.imore.com/mario-kart-tour-gold-pass-worth-it. 
  37. ↑ "'Mario Kart Tour' Has a Bad Subscription Model That Costs as Much as Apple Arcade". https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2019/09/25/mario-kart-tour-has-a-bad-subscription-model-that-costs-as-much-as-apple-arcade/#414fdb0f2b60. 
  38. ↑ "Mario Kart Tour's Microtransactions Feel Gross in a Post-Apple Arcade World". September 26, 2019. https://kotaku.com/mario-kart-tours-microtransactions-feel-gross-in-a-post-1838487899. 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Webster, Andrew (2019-09-26). "Mario Kart Tour is too cynical to be fun". https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20884989/mario-kart-tour-review-android-iphone. 
  40. ↑ Phillips, Tom (2019-09-25). "Mario Kart Tour has £4.99 monthly subscription option". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-09-25-mario-kart-tour-has-gbp4-99-monthly-subscription-option. 
  41. ↑ Fahey, Mike (September 26, 2019). "IMPRESSIONS Mario Kart Tour's Microtransactions Feel Gross In A Post-Apple Arcade World". https://kotaku.com/mario-kart-tours-microtransactions-feel-gross-in-a-post-1838487899. 
  42. ↑ Summers, Nick (September 26, 2019). "'Mario Kart Tour' is a simple racer surrounded by free-to-play complexity". https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/25/mario-kart-tour-android-ios-impressions/. 
  43. ↑ Carter, Chris (2019-09-26). "As expected, the Mario Kart Tour gacha gambling drop rates are comically bad". https://www.destructoid.com/as-expected-the-mario-kart-tour-gacha-gambling-drop-rates-are-comically-bad-568013.phtml. 
  44. ↑ Power, Tom (2019-09-27). "Why isn't Luigi in Mario Kart Tour?". https://www.gamerevolution.com/guides/601533-why-isnt-luigi-mario-kart-tour. 
  45. ↑ Minotti, Mike (2019-09-25). "Sensor Tower: Mario Kart Tour's first day laps Dr. Mario World's". https://venturebeat.com/2019/09/25/sensor-tower-mario-kart-tours-first-day-laps-dr-mario-worlds/. 
  46. ↑ Abent, Eric (2019-10-03). "Mario Kart Tour breaks Nintendo mobile records and it isn't even close". https://www.slashgear.com/mario-kart-tour-breaks-nintendo-mobile-records-and-it-isnt-even-close-03594004/. 
  47. ↑ Williams, Katie (October 2019). "Mario Kart Tour Has a Rocket Start with 123.9 Million Downloads in Its First Month". https://sensortower.com/blog/mario-kart-tour-first-month-downloads. 
  48. ↑ Chapple, Craig (April 2021). "Mario Kart Tour Surpasses 200 Million Downloads and $200 Million in Lifetime Revenue". https://sensortower.com/blog/mario-kart-tour-200-million-downloads. 
  49. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (2020-02-14). "Untitled Goose Game Wins Top Bill at the 2020 D.I.C.E. Awards". https://www.usgamer.net/articles/untitled-goose-game-wins-top-bill-at-the-2020-dice-awards. 
  50. ↑ Willis, Jackie (2020-02-13). "Kids' Choice Awards 2020 Nominations: Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie and More". https://www.etonline.com/kids-choice-awards-2020-nominations-taylor-swift-angelina-jolie-and-more-141511. 
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Dinsdale, Ryan (2023-05-23). "Nintendo Faces Lawsuit Over Mario Kart Tour Lootboxes" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-faces-lawsuit-over-mario-kart-tour-lootboxes. 
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Totilo, Stephen (May 22, 2023). "Nintendo sued for "immoral" Mario Kart lootboxes". https://www.axios.com/2023/05/22/nintendo-mario-kart-lootboxes-lawsuit. 
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 "NA V Nintendo of America Inc". May 17, 2023. https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23820426/na-v-nintendo-of-america-inc-3_23-cv-02424-no-1-2-ndcal-may-17-2023.pdf. 
  • 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. 
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