Software:Midtown Madness 2

From HandWiki
Short description: 2000 video game
Midtown Madness 2
Developer(s)Angel Studios
Publisher(s)Microsoft
Producer(s)Jay Panek
Designer(s)Frédéric Markus
Programmer(s)Gabriel Valencia
David Etherton
Artist(s)Andrea Elam
Marshall Ross
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • NA: September 21, 2000
  • EU: October 6, 2000
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Midtown Madness 2 is a 2000 racing game for Windows. It is the sequel to 1999's Midtown Madness, developed by Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego) and published by Microsoft. Unlike its predecessor, which is entirely set in Chicago, it features two open worlds in which to race: fictional representations of San Francisco and London. Players can choose from a variety of American and British vehicles, including sports cars, buses and taxi cabs. The game has various modes of multiplayer connectivity, and it included support for the now-defunct MSN Gaming Zone. A sequel, Midtown Madness 3, was released for Xbox in 2003.

Midtown Madness 2 received generally favorable reviews, and it holds a score of 78 out of 100 at gaming aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers praised gameplay in both single and multiplayer scenarios, particularly the returning Cops 'n Robbers mode in multiplayer, and the new Crash Course mode in single-player mode. They were more critical of the game's graphics, with some reviewers feeling they were dated, and of the game's occasional latency issues online.

Gameplay

Midtown Madness 2 features vehicles ranging from a Ford Mustang to a Freightliner Century, and takes place in both San Francisco and London.

The game features a range of vehicles that can be driven around London and San Francisco. There are Blitz, Checkpoint, Circuit, and Cruise modes, which are all derived from the original Midtown Madness game. Winning Blitz, Checkpoint and Circuit races allows the player to access unlockables, and the Cruise mode lets the player roam freely around the two open-world recreations of London and San Francisco.[1] A Crash Course can be completed in each of the cities. The Cab Driving School in London follows an extremist view of a London cab driver, where a player must complete objectives in a London cab. The Stunt Driver course in San Francisco allows the player to gain experience in stunt driving for a Hollywood movie, using the Ford Mustang Fastback.[2]

Players can change the visual appearance of the game before starting a race, such as the weather and time of day. Additionally, the frequency of how many cops spawn around the city can be modified, along with the amount of traffic and pedestrians. In Cruise Mode, this can change where the player starts off. Every race or cruise begins with a commentator introducing the course. These commentators would also be heard at the end of a race saying something that depends on the player's position upon finishing.[1] The commentators would be different for each race, and they are different for each of the two cities. The commentators can be turned off. One of the game's most entertaining aspects is its humor; for example, the new age retro hippie in San Francisco singing an out-of-tune variation of the John Lennon song "Give Peace a Chance". In most races and Cruise mode, people in cars and pedestrians can yell comments at players in different languages.[2]

Support for multiplayer gaming via IP address, serial cable, and analogue modem is built-in. Additionally, the game's multiplayer menu includes a link to the MSN Gaming Zone, which offered Midtown Madness 2 lobbies until June 19, 2006. Similar online gaming sites still support multiplayer gaming and also through instant messenger clients. Multiplayer clients use Midtown Madness 2’s built-in DirectPlay support to launch and manage multiplayer sessions. The Cops and Robbers multiplayer mode returns from the previous game, along with new variants.[3]

Development

The London Double-decker bus is one of the new vehicles featured in the game.

Midtown Madness 2 was developed by Angel Studios, who developed its predecessor, Midtown Madness and it was the first title to use the AGE (Angel Game Engine)

It was shown at Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) 2000.[4] A beta test was conducted for an undisclosed amount of time which began on July 7, 2000. Beta discs of the game were sent to participants, and they also went on to receive a full copy of the game upon release.[5] Microsoft announced that the game had gone gold on September 14, 2000. It was released September 21, 2000, in North America, October 6, 2000, in Europe, and December 1, 2000, in Japan.[6][7][8][9]

In a July 2000 interview with IGN, Jay Panek, Producer on Midtown Madness 2, detailed the larger scale of the game. The team wanted to include two very different locales for players to enjoy. San Francisco was chosen for its hills and American-styled grid layout of streets, while London provided many technical turns and occasional narrow roads. Panek described their environments as "caricatures of the cities" rather than map-accurate representations.[10] Famous landmarks can be found in both cities, but each environment is scaled down and simplified. For example, San Francisco features Golden Gate Park and the Golden Gate Bridge itself. The number of races also was greatly increased over its predecessor. Midtown Madness has 64 races, while Midtown Madness 2 has 180.[10]

Microsoft handled licensing for vehicles, including the ability for them to be damaged. British vehicles are prominently featured in the game, including a double-decker bus and offerings from Mini Cooper and Aston Martin. Both British and American vehicles can be driven at both locations.[10] Dan Greenawalt, who would go on to found the Microsoft-owned Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios, was a tester on the game. In addition to testing he was tasked with tuning vehicle physics. Of his time with the Angel Studios team Greenawalt said "I loved the guys there. [...] I learnt incredibly valuable experiences on that title."[11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic78/100[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[13]
CGSPStarStarStar[15]
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[16]
Edge6/10[17]
Eurogamer9/10[19]
Game Informer8.25/10[20]
GameRevolutionB[21]
GameSpot8.1/10[3]
GameSpy86%[22]
IGN8.5/10[23]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[24]
PC Gamer (US)81%[25]

Midtown Madness 2 received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[12] Samuel Bass of NextGen said, "Arcade-style racing at its finest, Midtown Madness 2 deserves a spot in the collection of any true adrenaline junkie."[24]

Opinions were polarized on the game's graphics, with some reviews citing them as dated. The reviewer from Edge stated that the "civilian vehicles are little more than coloured blocks on wheels."[17] Bass also felt the graphics were poor, calling them "frighteningly similar" to the game's predecessor.[24] GamePro's Brian Wright conceded that the ambient traffic vehicles were not detailed, and that building textures were blurry. In contrast he praised the playable vehicles and noted their reflected surfaces and damage models as high points.[26][lower-alpha 1] The vehicle models were categorized as "quite accurate" by Chris Couper of AllGame, and went on to add that it was "the sort of detail that impresses before the racing even begins".[13]

Gameplay was generally given high marks across reviews, particularly the game's new Crash Course mode. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell stated they were " tough, feverish challenges which while short-lived stack up and provide infuriatingly addictive gameplay."[19] Wright compared them to Gran Turismo's license tests. He noted that the challenges range from easy to very difficult, but that all were enjoyable.[26] GameSpot's Stephen Poole found them exciting, but noted that they don't provide the same level of thrill as the core races.[3]

Midtown Madness 2 reviewers were mostly favorable towards the game's multiplayer, but criticized the gameplay when latency (lag) was in play. Vincent Lopez of IGN enjoyed the chaotic nature of online play with the statement "fishtailing is king".[23] The reviewer from Edge call the online play a "boon and significant improvement" over Midtown Madness.[17] In speaking of the moments of lag in online multiplayer, Bramwell called it "intolerable for people used to a steady, smooth gaming experience."[19] The high pings that cause lag were also a concern for Poole.[3] Sal Accardo of GameSpy lauded the multiplayer. He stated that there were "few other experiences like this in gaming today. You haven't truly played a racing game until you've driven a double-decker bus straight down Lombard Street; it's just damned FUN."[22]

The game won the award for "Racing Game of 2000" in Readers' Choice, but was a runner-up in Editors' Choice at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[27] It was also nominated for the "Best Driving Game for PC" award at The Electric Playground's Blister Awards 2000, which went to Software:Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed.[28]

Legacy

After the game was released in 2000, Angel Studios ended its partnership with Microsoft. The Midtown Madness series was transferred to Swedish studio DICE, and Midtown Madness 3 was released in 2003. Angel Studios would release Software:Midnight Club: Street Racing and Smuggler's Run few weeks after Midtown Madness 2 and is considered as a spiritual successor to the Midtown Madness series. Both games are would become a success for Angel Studios, eventuality becoming its own franchise named Midnight Club and Smuggler's Run. Some of the developers of the game remained and worked on the sequel Midtown Madness 3. After that, they would either stay at DICE and work on Battlefield series or stay at Microsoft.

Midtown Madness 2 was the last racing game published by Microsoft for PCs, until the release of Forza Motorsport 6: Apex in 2016.

Also Midtown Madness 2 was the first title to use the AGE (Angel Game Engine) game engine, unlike the ARTS (Angel Real Time Simulation) game engine used by its prequel, Midtown Madness, and which was also used in the Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. and Slugfest games developed by Angel Studios. This game engine laterly evolved and renamed as RAGE (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine) and became the cornerstone of today's modern Rockstar Games titles.

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game three 4/5 scores for graphics, sound, and control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lopez, Vincent (July 19, 2000). "Hands On: Midtown Madness 2". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/20/hands-on-midtown-madness-2. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wasserman, Gavin H. (July 31, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2 Preview". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/midtown-madness-2-preview/1100-2609827/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Poole, Stephen (September 25, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2 Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/midtown-madness-2-review/1900-2632073/. 
  4. ↑ Ajami, Amer (March 3, 2000). "Hands-On With Midtown Madness 2". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hands-on-with-midtown-madness-2/1100-2541657/. 
  5. ↑ IGN staff (July 6, 2000). "Midtown Beta Madness!". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/07/midtown-beta-madness. 
  6. ↑ Parker, Sam (September 14, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2 Gold". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/midtown-madness-2-gold/1100-2628299/. 
  7. ↑ "New Releases". http://www.ebworld.com/ebx/categories/newReleases/morenr-PC.asp. 
  8. ↑ Bye, John (October 6, 2000). "PC Releases". https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29381. 
  9. ↑ "Midtown Madness 2". January 26, 2001. http://www.microsoft.com/japan/games/midtown2/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lopez, Vincent (July 10, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2 Interview". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/11/midtown-madness-2-interview. 
  11. ↑ Robinson, Martin (October 21, 2013). "How Microsoft's scientist of speed turned a business strategy into a great series". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/scientist-of-speed-turn-10s-dan-greenawalt. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Midtown Madness 2". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/midtown-madness-2/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Couper, Chris. "Midtown Madness 2 - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=24057&tab=review. 
  14. ↑ Goble, Gord (October 2, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0%2C6%2C0-4833%2C00.html. 
  15. ↑ Bauman, Steve (October 3, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/197/midtown_madness2_review.html. 
  16. ↑ Green, Jeff (January 2001). "Get Thee to a Jiffy Lube! (Midtown Madness 2 Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (198): 144. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_198.pdf. Retrieved June 3, 2022. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Edge staff (December 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Edge (Future Publishing) (91): 113. https://retrocdn.net/images/f/f6/Edge_UK_091.pdf. Retrieved June 3, 2022. 
  18. ↑ Tilley, Steve (October 16, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=4155&full=1#mr_toppy. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Bramwell, Tom (October 5, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/r-midtown2-pc. 
  20. ↑ Brogger, Kristian (December 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (92): 134. 
  21. ↑ Sanders, Shawn (September 2000). "Midtown Madness Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32995-midtown-madness-2-review. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Accardo, Sal (November 29, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". GameSpy Industries. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november00/midtown2/. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lopez, Vincent (September 28, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/29/midtown-madness-2. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Bass, Samuel (January 2001). "Midtown Madness 2". NextGen (Imagine Media) (73): 113. https://archive.org/details/NextGen73Jan2001/page/n113/mode/2up. Retrieved June 3, 2022. 
  25. ↑ "Midtown Madness 2". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 7 (12): 168. December 2000. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Wight, Brian (September 29, 2000). "Midtown Madness 2 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/6901.shtml. Retrieved September 8, 2014. 
  27. ↑ IGN staff (January 26, 2001). "Best of 2000 Awards (PC: Racing Game of 2000)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/27/best-of-2000-awards-11. 
  28. ↑ EP staff (2001). "Blister Awards 2000 (PC Games 1)". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?article=5130&page=2#mr_toppy. 
  • Official website via Internet Archive
  • 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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