Software:Modern Combat: Sandstorm

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Short description: 2009 video game

Modern Combat: Sandstorm
App Store icon
Developer(s)Gameloft Montreal
Publisher(s)Gameloft
Producer(s)Marc-Andre Maurice
Designer(s)Stanislas Dewavrin
Simon Vendette
Programmer(s)Olivier Francoeur
Artist(s)Arthur Hugot
Christophe Latour
Jean-Francois Leblond
SeriesModern Combat
Platform(s)Android
iOS
webOS
Bada
ReleaseiPhone
August 27, 2009
webOS
March 25, 2010[1]
iPad
March 31, 2010
Bada
May 18, 2010[2]
Android
November 25, 2010
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer

Modern Combat: Sandstorm is a 2009 first-person shooter video game developed by Gameloft Montreal and published by Gameloft for Android, iOS, webOS, and Bada. It is the first installment in the Modern Combat series and was followed by 2010's Software:Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus. The game is set in the Middle East.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

Sandstorm plays very similarly to Software:Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game features ten missions in varied environments with different tasks for players to complete. The main enemies in the game are terrorists, and often, the player is accompanied by other soldiers who fight alongside them.

Movement is controlled by a virtual joystick on the screen, with sight and aim controlled by scrolling across the touchscreen. Players can also crouch, throw grenades, use iron sights, reload, change weapons and shoot using virtual buttons on the touchscreen.[3] All controls can be customized from the main menu.

Online multiplayer was added to Sandstorm as a free update on January 28, 2010.

Plot

Chief Warrant Officer Mike "Chief" Warrens returns from injury to active duty in the war against terrorism in the Middle East, and reunites with his old squad (Dozer, Ryan, Fox and Captain Jones). After completing a training run, the Chief joins the squad as they head out to destroy a terrorist radio outpost. After successfully completing the mission, they await evacuation in a disused hotel, but their extraction helicopter is shot down, and they are forced to defend the hotel before being safely extracted in a Humvee. During the mission, the squad notices how the terrorists seemed to be ready for them, coming to the conclusion that someone is leaking information.

They are then sent to a hospital to capture Abu Bahaa, a terrorist warlord. Chief and Dozer infiltrate the hospital through the sewer system, while Ryan and Jones wait outside. On reaching Bahaa's room, Chief discovers that they have been tricked; the hospital has been rigged with explosives, and a dummy has been placed in Bahaa's hospital bed. Chief and Dozer manage to escape unscathed, but outside, Jones has been injured and Ryan killed.

After Jones recovers, the squad breaks into a dockyard which Bahaa is using to store a large nuclear weapon. They discover that the terrorists have an enormous base underground, the entrance to which is hidden within a metal freight container. Chief is sent in to find the nuke. He encounters Bahaa inside, but is forced to allow him to escape so he can locate the bomb, which could be detonated by the terrorists at any minute. He eventually finds it and is able to secure it, while Bahaa flees and attempts to escape in a truck. The squad pursues him in a Humvee, chasing him out of the dockyard and through a train tunnel, before eventually flipping his truck as he reaches the highway.

The squad finds Bahaa lying by the truck, still alive, and Dozer prepares to secure him; however, Jones betrays the squad, killing Dozer and taking Fox hostage. Bahaa taunts Chief, saying that he is weak and he has no choice but to surrender, but Chief shoots Jones, who falls to the ground with Fox. Bahaa pulls two grenades from his jacket and prepares to blow up both Chief and himself, but Fox pulls him to the ground and tells Chief to run. Chief takes cover by the Humvee as both Bahaa and Fox are killed by the explosion.

Chief is subsequently promoted and becomes a hero. After returning to the US, he travels to Fox's residence and meets his wife, informing her of her husband's act of martyrdom and how he saved his life.

Weapons

There are a variety of weapons in Modern Combat: Sandstorm. They range from two assault rifles (one with a higher rate of fire and movement speed, but lacking power and accuracy in comparison to the other) to an SMG, a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and an RPG. These weapons can be found stored in crates, often inside a side building along the path indicated by the missions.

Weapons include an M16A3, an MP5A2, an M870, an AK-47, an M24 SWS, an M249 and an RPG-7.

High-definition version

A high-definition (HD) version of the game was released on March 31, 2010 for the iPad only. It features updated controls and graphics to make use of the iPad's larger screen.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings83%[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players(iPhone) 63%[5]
(iPad) 47%[6]
GameSpot8.5/10[7]
IGN8.3/10[8]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[9]
Pocket GamerStarStarStarStar[12]
TouchArcadeStarStarStarStar[3]

Upon its release, the iPhone version received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4]

IGN's Mark Bozon called it "a game that pushes the system more than most gamers would expect possible [...] Sandstorm is a nice blending of both power and manageable touch controls, and ends up being way more game than I'd expect to find for a mere $6.99 [...] If you're willing to put a little time into learning the controls, Sandstorm is an impressive shooter, and proof that iPhone can handle FPS gaming."[8] 148Apps was equally impressed, praising the graphics and saying, "Modern Combat features the most impressive 3D graphics on the iPhone. Not "some" of the best graphics, but the best, period. Textures are surprisingly detailed, character models are great, and there is no annoying pop-up." However, they were less impressed with the gameplay, saying, "the mission structure is simply too linear. Not only is the map very narrow with little choice of movement, but blatant green arrows also guide you through, preventing any hope of exploration."[13]

AppSpy's Dave Flodine believed it to have set a new bar for first-person shooters on iDevices, saying, "Modern Combat: Sandstorm is the mold from which all future FPSs on the iPhone should be cast. The game is not without its issues, but by offering a very workable control scheme, superb presentation, and a solid play length, you couldn't ask for a better title to satisfy your iPhone FPS cravings."[14] Pocket Gamer's Jon Jordan was similarly impressed, especially with the control schemes, saying, "what's really clever is the way Gameloft has shaped the gameplay of Modern Combat: Sandstorm to turn the limitations of the iPhone when it comes to first person shooters - notably the touch controls - into the game's strength."[12] Slide To Play's Chris Reed believed the game set a new standard for iDevices, saying, "the gaming experience in Modern Combat: Sandstorm is a great one. The controls are the best we've seen in an iPhone FPS, the graphics are beautiful, and there's plenty of level variety. Sure, we've seen it all before, but not on the iDevice, and never for such a small price. If you like first-person shooters, buy this game."[15]

Eli Hodapp of TouchArcade said, "Modern Combat: Sandstorm is an excellent game that raises the bar of what is to be expected of future first person shooters on the iPhone, as well as being added to the short list of games with fantastic on-screen controls [...] If you're at all interested in shooters, or are just looking for a great game to flex the muscles of your iPhone, look no further than Modern Combat: Modern Combat: Sandstorm."[3] TouchGen's Matt Dunn was slightly less impressed than most other reviewers. He was critical of the AI ("there really isn't much in way of AI at all in Modern Combat") and the story ("the story in Modern Combat is bland at best, with a generic terrorist driven plot. There is a descent twist at the end, but the game makes no attempt to suck you in or connect you to your squad-mates at all, so it's hard to really care [...] the dialogue and storyline feel like they were written by someone who knows very little about the armed forces, but wrote a story based on other war games they've played"), but he praised the graphics ("the textures are crisp, and look great close up. The gun models and reloading/first-person character animations are awesome") and controls ("everything feels accessible and logical").[16]

References

  1. ↑ Kessler, Derek (March 26, 2010). "New in the App Catalog for 25 March 2010". Future plc. http://www.webosnation.com/new-app-catalog-25-march-2010. 
  2. ↑ Shashank (July 15, 2011). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Version 1.0.8". http://tizenhub.com/2011/07/modern-combat-sandstorm-version-1-0-8.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hodapp, Eli (September 3, 2009). "Gameloft's 'Modern Combat: Sandstorm' Raises the Bar of iPhone Gaming". TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2009/09/03/gamelofts-modern-combat-sandstorm-raises-the-bar-of-iphone-gaming/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Modern Combat: Sandstorm for iOS (iPhone/iPad)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/iphone/972736-modern-combat-sandstorm/index.html. 
  5. ↑ Wöbbeking, Jan (September 11, 2009). "Test: Modern Combat: Sandstorm (iPhone)" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/iPhone/Test/19033/65318/0/Modern_Combat_Sandstorm.html. 
  6. ↑ Wöbbeking, Jan (May 21, 2010). "Test: Modern Combat: Sandstorm HD" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/iPhone/Test/22558/68373/0/Modern_Combat_Sandstorm_HD.html. 
  7. ↑ Reed, Chris (October 6, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review (iPhone)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/modern-combat-sandstorm-review/1900-6231979/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bozon, Mark (September 10, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/09/10/modern-combat-sandstorm-review. 
  9. ↑ hiro (September 15, 2009). "Test: Modern Combat : Sandtstorm (iPhone)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011479-modern-combat-sandstorm-test.htm. 
  10. ↑ Holt, Chris (September 17, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm for iPhone". Macworld (IDG Communications). https://www.macworld.com/article/200204/modernsandstorm.html. Retrieved August 16, 2023. 
  11. ↑ Vargus, Nicholas (May 24, 2010). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm HD". Macworld (IDG Communications). https://www.macworld.com/article/205560/moderncombatipadreview.html. Retrieved August 16, 2023. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jordan, Jon (September 8, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/modern-combat-sandstorm/modern-combat-sandstorm/. 
  13. ↑ Will (September 7, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.148apps.com/reviews/modern-combat-sandstorm/. 
  14. ↑ Flodine, Dave (September 2, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.appspy.com/review/3504/modern-combat-sandstorm. 
  15. ↑ Reed, Chris (September 7, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review". http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/modern-combat-sandstorm-review/. 
  16. ↑ Dunn, Matt (September 4, 2009). "Modern Combat: Sandstorm Review". http://www.touchgen.net/modern-combat-sandstorm-review. 
  • 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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