Software:Math Rabbit

From HandWiki
Short description: 1986 educational video game
Math Rabbit
Apple II cover art
Developer(s)The Learning Company
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
SeriesReader Rabbit
Platform(s)Original:
Apple II, MS-DOS

Deluxe:
DOS, Windows 3.x, Macintosh
Reader Rabbit's Math 1:
Windows, Macintosh

Reader Rabbit Math Ages 4–6:
Windows, Macintosh
Release1986 (Original)
1993 (Deluxe)
1997 (Math 1)
1998 (Math Ages 4-6)
1999 (Personalized)
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single-player

Math Rabbit is a 1986 video game spin-off from the Reader Rabbit edutainment series. It was made by The Learning Company for MS-DOS and Apple II series. A Deluxe version was released in 1993 for MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Windows 3.x. In 1997, the game was remade for Windows and Macintosh as Reader Rabbit's Math 1. The final remake for Windows and Macintosh in 1998 is Reader Rabbit's Math Ages 4-6, with a personalized version released in 1999.

Gameplay

The game takes place in a circus and teaches addition, subtraction, and counting in four different games, each of which with multiple difficulty settings.[1][2] The game is for ages 4–8.[3] The four games are:

  1. Clown's Counting Games - the player is required to count with a number as a guide to pitch the tone of the musical instrument.
  2. Tightrope Game - the player has to help Reader Rabbit match a picture of objects with a displaying number and discard the pictures that don't match.
  3. Circus Train Game - the player has complete a sequence of numbers each being added to a particular number.
  4. Mystery Matching Game - the player has to match turn over cards and find matching pictures of items and corresponding numbers.

Since Math Rabbit Deluxe, the games were retitled "Calliope Counting Game", "Tightrope Show", "Sea Lion Show", and "Balloon Matching Game", respectively, but the game objectives and rules remain the same.

Development

The game was originally designed by Teri Perl and programmed by Aaron Weiss. Upon the release of the Deluxe edition, Bill Dinsmore, The Learning Company president and chief executive officer, said: "With the release of Reader Rabbit 1 and Math Rabbit for Windows, we now offer five Windows educational software products that help to develop important learning skills".[4]

The original art of Math Rabbit was done by Analee Nunan. For Math Rabbit Deluxe 256 color VGA graphics were applied. The original music and sound composition were done by Teri Perl and Aaron Weiss. For Math Rabbit Deluxe, AdLib soundtracks were composed.

The activities teach numerical relationships to young users. It has a scope, sequence guide, and lab pack.[5]

Reception

Critical reception

Reception
Award
PublicationAward
Parent's Choice1987 Award[6]

The program received highly positive reviews from critics. In particular, the Chicago Sun-Times championed it in seven articles.

The Los Angeles Times said the game was "sweet", though Millie's Math House made it "look kind of buttoned-down".[7] FOGG praised the easy-to-use gaming interface,[1] and The Washington Post said it is "entertaining"[8] while incorporating valuable lessons into "colorfully fun graphics".[9][failed verification] Superkids described the game as "excellent" and said it was a great first introduction to educational video gaming for the target audience.[10] Don Crabb, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, recommended the "outstanding"[11] software for the 1989 holiday season[12] and noted it was among the "high-quality educational software sold",[13] and that it was one of the best educational releases for offering a "solid instructional model" for teaching kids the fundamentals of mathematics[14] through "smoothly" integrating the gaming and learning[15] without "bogging them down in mindless mathematical trivia",[16] such as by teaching geometry at a very early age.[17] Computer Shopper said the product was "remarkably good software",[18] and positively compared its depth and carde gameplay to Power Rangers ZEO PowerActive.[19] PC Mag said the game "moves beyond" Stickybear Numbers and Math and Me due to its customization options.[20] Computer Gaming World in 1994 stated that "Math Rabbit is very easy to use, and accommodates different learning styles. It's a fun program kids can really count on".[21]

Commercial performance

It is the seventh most popular in the education category sold across eleven Software Etc. stores in the Washington area in the week ending on August 23, 1995.[22]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fogg, Frank E. (December 1997). "Math Rabbit Deluxe Software Review". http://www.fogg.cc/reviews/software/review06.htm. 
  2. ↑ Rosenberg, Ronald (November 20, 1994). "Children's educational software still an exploding market". Boston Globe: pp. 92-. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/290711505.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov%2020,%201994&author=Ronald%20Rosenberg,%20Globe%20Staff&pub=Boston%20Globe%20(pre-1997%20Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=&desc=Children%27s%20educational%20software%20still%20an%20exploding%20market. 
  3. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Sharyn A. (November 17, 1994). "READER RABBIT TRIO NOW AVAILABLE ON CD-ROM!". The Learning Company. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/READER+RABBIT+TRIO+NOW+AVAILABLE+ON+CD-ROM!-a015869946. 
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Sharyn A. (February 16, 1994). "TWO AWARD-WINNING RABBITS, 'READER RABBIT 1' AND 'MATH RABBIT', NOW APPEARING IN WINDOWS!". The Learning Company. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TWO+AWARD-WINNING+RABBITS,+'READER+RABBIT+1'+AND+'MATH+RABBIT,'+NOW...-a014812804. 
  5. ↑ "3. Software Descriptions: Mathematics: Basic Skills: 5) Math Rabbit". The Latest and Best of TESS: The Educational Software Selector (1991-1992 ed.). Hampton Bays, New York, 11946: Educational Products Information Exchange (EPIE) Institute. 1991. p. 193. ISBN 9780916087159. https://books.google.com/books?id=EEzQStXtyw4C&pg=PA193. 
  6. ↑ "Math Rabbit Grades K-2" Box Art
  7. ↑ Sunila, Joyce (October 15, 1993). "SOFTWARE REVIEW: Education Made Fun: New computer programs employ adventure and games of skill to help youngsters learn math." (in en-US). Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-10-15-va-46204-story.html. 
  8. ↑ Sussman, Vic (November 1, 1987). "A Guide For Parents Series: Education Review". The Washington Post: p. R09GUI. Document wp00000020011118djb102ooh. ISSN 0190-8286. https://global.factiva.com/redir/default.aspx?p=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI005200&an=wp00000020011118djb102ooh&drn=drn:archive.newsarticle.wp00000020011118djb102ooh&cat=a&ep=asi. Partially available at https://web.archive.org/web/20171108210029/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1351956.html. 
  9. ↑ Oldenburg, Don (10 December 1991). "Computers; Merry Software ... (For Kids' Entertainment and Education)". The Washington Post: p. C05MER. Document wp00000020011110dnca01fb9. https://global.factiva.com/redir/default.aspx?p=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI005200&an=wp00000020011110dnca01fb9&drn=drn:archive.newsarticle.wp00000020011110dnca01fb9&cat=a&ep=asi. Partially available at https://web.archive.org/web/20171108210138/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1099417.html. 
  10. ↑ "Software Review of Math Rabbit: The Learning Company's Math Rabbit Deluxe". Knowledge Share LLC. 1996. http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/math1/mrabbit/merge.shtml. 
  11. ↑ Crabb, Don (September 1, 1991). "Reader flummoxed by glitch in software". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4070806.html. 
  12. ↑ "Crabb's bottom line". Chicago Sun-Times. December 3, 1989. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3973366.html. 
  13. ↑ Crabb, Don (December 13, 1992). "Holiday Computer Gift Suggestions". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4145312.html. 
  14. ↑ Crabb, Don (October 13, 1991). "Offspring does parent proud // Aiming for slightly older kids, Reader Rabbit 2 hits mark". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4077460.html. 
  15. ↑ Crabb, Don (June 23, 1991). "Math Blaster Plus! makes math fun for kids". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4060253.html. 
  16. ↑ Crabb, Don (December 3, 1989). "Gifts for the computer-lover". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3973365.html. 
  17. ↑ Crabb, Don (November 12, 1989). "This educational software's a joy to use". Chicago Sun-Times. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3970034.html. 
  18. ↑ Terra, John (September 1, 1996). "Reader Rabbit's Reading Development Library 3. (Learning Co) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)". Computer Shopper. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18593199.html. 
  19. ↑ Kawamoto, Wayne (November 1, 1996). "Power Rangers ZEO PowerActive Math. (Saban Entertainment's educational software) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)". Computer Shopper. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18794668.html. 
  20. ↑ Trivette, Donald B. (February 14, 1989). "Fun with Math: Introducing Your Child to the World of Numbers" (in en). PC Mag (Ziff Davis): 442. https://books.google.com/books?id=kggOZ4-YEKUC&pg=PA442. 
  21. ↑ Haverstock, Mark (January 1994). "Reviews: Math Rabbit". Computer Gaming World (114: "Covering Interactive & Multimedia Entertainment"): 138–139. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_114.pdf#page=137. 
  22. ↑ "BESTSELLERS". The Washington Post. August 28, 1995. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-853518.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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





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