Software:MiG Alley (video game)

From HandWiki
MiG Alley
Developer(s)Rowan Software
Publisher(s)Empire Interactive
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • GER: July 1999
  • EU: October 1, 1999
  • NA: November 30, 1999
Genre(s)Combat flight simulation game
Mode(s)Single player

MiG Alley is a combat flight simulation game, developed by Rowan Software for PCs with Windows, and was published by Empire Interactive in 1999.

Description

MiG Alley is a historical simulation which focuses on early jet fighter combat in the Korean War – specifically, the so-called MiG Alley in northwestern North Korea, for which the game is named. One of the interesting aspects of the game is the closeness in overall performance between the main combat fighter aircraft – the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre. Another is that the game was one of the earliest in the genre to incorporate a 'dynamic' campaign, in which the player's missions are influenced by in-game events rather than being presented in a predetermined order.[1]

History

MiG Alley was developed by Rowan Software and published by Empire Interactive in 1999. In 2001, when Rowan was shut down by Empire Interactive, the developers released the source code to allow the community to continue the game's support on their own.[2] The release happened with permission from Empire Interactive under the "Empire Interactive License", and didn't include the textures and landscape detailing.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings86%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[4]
CGSPStarStarStarStar[6]
CGWStarStarStarStarHalf star[7]
GameSpot9.2/10[1]
GameSpy84%[9]
GameZone8/10[10]
IGN9/10[11]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[12]
PC Gamer (US)90%[13]
Awards
PublicationAward
Computer Gaming WorldSimulation of the Year[14]
PC Gamer USBest Simulation[15]
Computer Games Strategy PlusSimulation of the Year[16]
Academy of Interactive Arts & SciencesComputer Simulation Game of the Year (finalist)[17]

The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Christian A. O'Brien of NextGen called it "A fine sim with terrific graphics and a great sense of campaign flow. There's something here for just about everyone."[12] Steve Baxter of GamePro called it "a serious historical simulation; it is also serious fun. Mastering original jet fighter technology is a challenge and learning about one of the hottest battles of the Cold War makes it a simulation worth flying."[18][lower-alpha 1] The Electric Playground gave it universal acclaim over a year-and-a-half after its release date.[8]

The game sold 4,171 units in the U.S. during 1999, after its release on November 30 of that year.[19] Jason Ocampo of CNET Gamecenter wrote that it "tanked at retail".[20]

The game was a finalist for the "Computer Simulation Game of the Year" award at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which ultimately went to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000.[17] However, it was named the best simulation of 1999 by Computer Gaming World,[14] PC Gamer US,[15] CNET Gamecenter,[21] Computer Games Strategy Plus and GameSpot.[16][22] PC Gamer US highlighted the game's "outstanding flight modeling, butter-smooth graphics, and rich dynamic campaign structure".[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game all 4/5 scores each for graphics, sound, control, and fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Geryk, Bruce (December 29, 1999). "MiG Alley Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mig-alley-review/1900-2542556/. 
  2. ↑ Mitchell, Robert (November 19, 2001). "The Return of MiG Alley?". https://www.combatsim.com/memb123/htm/2001/11/migalley-int/. "Bob Mitchell: What has prompted you to release the source code for MiG Alley and Battle of Britain? Dave Whiteside: Because we are no longer doing flight sims [after Empire took us over at the end of 2001], and we would not be able to publish any patches that were required [no money was allocated to this], rather than let MiG die and all the code sit doing nothing it was considered a good idea, a swan song, if you like, for Rowan [after 13 years in the flight sim market]." 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "MiG Alley for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197940-mig-alley/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Rubin, Brian. "MiG Alley - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20610&tab=review. 
  5. ↑ Dultz, Marc (December 23, 1999). "MiG Alley". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0%2C6%2C0-3562%2C00.html. 
  6. ↑ Price, Robey (November 15, 1999). "MiG Alley". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/024/074/miga_review.html. 
  7. ↑ Lackey, Jeff (February 2000). "Birth of an Era (MiG Alley Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (187): 150. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_187.pdf. Retrieved November 28, 2023. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Walker, Mark H. (June 27, 2001). "Mig Alley [sic"]. Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/reviews_article.php?article=7595. 
  9. ↑ Farmer, Doug (April 5, 2000). "MiG Alley". IGN Entertainment. http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/migalley_a.shtm. 
  10. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (February 3, 2000). "MiG Alley". http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r10773.htm. 
  11. ↑ Chick, Tom (January 5, 2000). "MiG Alley". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/01/06/mig-alley. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 O'Brien, Christian (April 2000). "MiG Alley". NextGen (Imagine Media) (64): 94. https://archive.org/details/NextGen64Apr2000/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved September 7, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Mahood, Andy (December 2000). "MiG Alley". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (12): 153–54. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/mig_alley.html. Retrieved November 28, 2023. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 CGW staff (March 2000). "The 2000 Premier Awards (Simulation of the Year)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (188): 84. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_188.pdf. Retrieved November 28, 2023. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 PC Gamer staff (March 2000). "The Sixth Annual PC Gamer Awards (Best Simulation)". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 7 (3): 56. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 CGSP staff (March 6, 2000). "The Computer Games Awards: The Best Games of 1999 (Simulation of the Year)". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://cdmag.com/articles/026/150/sim_scifi.html. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Third Interactive Achievement Awards: Personal Computer". http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html. 
  18. ↑ Baxter, Steve (February 24, 2000). "MiG Alley Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/4903.shtml. Retrieved September 8, 2020. 
  19. ↑ PC Gamer staff (April 2000). "PC Gamer Editors' Choice Winners: Does Quality Matter?". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 7 (4): 33. 
  20. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (August 16, 2000). "Dead and Buried: Five Vanishing Genres (Combat Flight Sims: Opinion)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Deadburied/ss02.html. 
  21. ↑ Gamecenter staff (January 21, 2000). "The Gamecenter Awards for 1999! (PC: Sims Winner)". CNET. http://gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards99/ss02t.html. 
  22. ↑ GameSpot staff (2000). "The Best & Worst of 1999 (Simulation of the Year: Winner)". CNET. http://www.gamespot.com/features/1999/p3_07a.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 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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  • MiG Alley at rowansoftware.com (archived in 2000)


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