Software:Merchant Prince II

From HandWiki
Merchant Prince II
Developer(s)Holistic Design
Publisher(s)TalonSoft
Director(s)Andrew Greenberg
Producer(s)Ashton Fletcher
Programmer(s)Ken Lightner
Edward Glamkowski
Artist(s)Mike Snyder
SeriesMerchant Prince
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • NA: April 30, 2001
  • EU: May 25, 2001
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Merchant Prince II is a 2001 turn-based strategy game of economic, political, and military conquest. The game is developed by Holistic Design and published by Take-Two Interactive under TalonSoft label.[1] It is the sequel to the 1994 video game Merchant Prince.[lower-alpha 1]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic57/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[4]
CGMStarStarHalf star[2]
CGWStarHalf star[5]
GameSpot5.2/10[7]
GameSpy75%[8]
GameZone7/10[9]
IGN7.3/10[10]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[11]
PC Gamer (US)50%[12]

Merchant Prince II received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] So little was added to gameplay that it was properly a rerelease rather than a sequel, and the changes to the graphics were considered uglier, with a zoomed-in and less user-friendly interface. ("End turn", for instance, was represented by an unlabeled wine glass.)[13] It was largely panned by critics[8][5] and even the positive review by IGN called it a "cheap reissue" and pardoned it only because of the difficulty of finding the original DOS games.[10] Computer Gaming World opened its review, "Merchant Prince 2 is the kind of title that gives strategy gaming a bad name," and concluded with, "Mainstream consumers pulled in by the fascinating topic are—once again—going to feel ripped off, confused, dumb, and jaded toward turn-based strategy games."[5] Kent Conrad found the implementation of the research tree "half-baked" and ended his review with "There is a good game hiding inside of Merchant Prince II, and that game is Machiavelli: The Prince. Get that instead."[14] Kevin Rice of NextGen, however, said of the game, "It's virtually the same game it was eight years ago, designed to run under Windows instead of DOS, but in the end it's still an entertaining, unique turn-based strategy."[11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Computer Games Magazine mistakenly claimed that the original Merchant Prince was released in "1995".[2]

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Trey (February 1, 2001). "Take-Two announces Merchant Prince II". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/take-two-announces-merchant-prince-ii/1100-2681451/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cobb, Jim (May 30, 2001). "Merchant Prince II". theGlobe.com. http://www.cgonline.com/reviews/merchantpr-02-r1.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Merchant Prince II". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/merchant-prince-ii/. 
  4. ↑ Smith, Ted. "Merchant Prince II - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=31788&tab=review. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jones, George (September 2001). "Merchant Prince 2". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (206): 97. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_206.pdf. Retrieved January 25, 2024. 
  6. ↑ Walker, Mark H. (May 30, 2001). "Merchant Prince II". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=5920&full=1. 
  7. ↑ Geryk, Bruce (May 10, 2001). "Merchant Prince II Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/merchant-prince-ii-review/1900-2717637/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Abner, William (May 19, 2001). "Merchant Prince II". IGN Entertainment. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/may01/merchantprince/. 
  9. ↑ Da bomb mom (June 6, 2001). "Merchant Prince II - PC - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/merchant_prince_ii_pc_review/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Butts, Steve (May 7, 2001). "Merchant Prince II". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/07/merchant-prince-ii. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rice, Kevin (September 2001). "Merchant Prince II". NextGen (Imagine Media) (81): 88. https://archive.org/details/NextGen81Sep2001/page/n89/mode/2up. Retrieved April 27, 2022. 
  12. ↑ "Merchant Prince II". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 8 (9). September 2001. 
  13. ↑ Horowitz, Josh (August 11, 2001). "Merchant Prince 2". NewWorld.com. http://www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=merch2. 
  14. ↑ Conrad, Kent (June 25, 2002). "Merchant Prince II". http://www.explodedgoat.com/gamereview.php?num=9. 
  • 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




Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Merchant_Prince_II&oldid=757800"