Software:Monopoly (1988 video game)

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Monopoly
Developer(s)Nexa
Publisher(s)Sega
SeriesMonopoly
Platform(s)Master System
Release1988
Genre(s)Strategy, board game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Monopoly is a Master System video game based on the board game Monopoly, released in 1988. Developed by American studio Nexa Corporation and published by Sega, this title was one of many inspired by the property. According to Game Freaks 365, the game was "one of the first real boardgames that was programmed" into a video game.[1]

Gameplay

The game contains very similar gameplay to the board game it is based on, with various physical tasks being replaced by automation and digital representations. Up to ten players can join in the game.

Development

For some time, Sega had wanted the license rights to Monopoly. Parker Brothers granted them the license in 1987 via Tonka. The idea was to adapt popular board games to increase the Master System's place in the United States . Due to Japan's unfamiliarity of American board games, Japanese programmers could not develop the game. Sega turned their attention to Nexa, which was based in San Francisco .

After three months of development, the team was behind schedule, so Nexa hired two programmers Kevin Seghetti and Lawrence Statton for $10,500 each. Due to the bad quality of the programming code, Kevin and Lawrence had to start from scratch. The use of the inaccurate and buggy Sega Graphic Tools made it difficult to implement the game graphics. In addition there were no available storage devices for the data, forcing the two programmers to format used ones. With a lot of time spent improving the game's graphic and programming quality, the game was finished six months later, three months after Sega's intended deadline.[2]

Reception

Jonathan Sutyak of Allgame deemed the video game a "perfect translation" of the board game, praising the detailed graphics while commenting on the unforgiving AI.[3] ACE Magazine recommended the title due to it being an adaptation of a popular and fun board game, though noted that the small digital representation of the board meant it could be challenging to see clearly who owns which properties and how many houses/hotels they have.[4] The Video Game Critic thought the game was "respectable" as a single-player game with computer opponents, but felt that it didn't replace the board game when it comes to multiplayer human play.[5] 1UP! said the game's AI had "unbearable stupidity", though the graphics were impressive for its age.[6] Game Freaks 365 described the game's sound effects as "terrible", and wrote that the gameplay didn't offer anything that the player couldn't get from the board game; the site also negatively compared it to the NES version released in 1991.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Monopoly Review - Game Freaks 365". 2008-06-29. Archived from the original on 2008-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20080629194338/http://gamefreaks365.com/review.php?artid=1438. 
  2. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (2016-10-19). Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 16–18. ISBN 978-0-7864-9994-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=_Fy6jwEACAAJ&pg=PA16. 
  3. ↑ "Monopoly - Review - allgame". 2014-11-15. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115043957/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12056&tab=review. 
  4. ↑ "ACE Magazine Issue 16". January 1989. https://archive.org/stream/ace-magazine-16/ACE_Issue_16_1989_Jan#page/n76/mode/1up. 
  5. ↑ "Sega Master System Reviews M-R by The Video Game Critic". http://videogamecritic.com/mastermr.htm#Monopoly. 
  6. ↑ "1UP ! Monopoly (SMS)". http://www.1up-games.com/sms/monopoly.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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