Software:NASCAR Thunder 2002

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Short description: 2001 video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports
NASCAR Thunder 2002
Xbox cover art featuring the car of Jeff Gordon
Developer(s)EA Tiburon
Black Box Games (PSOne version)
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
SeriesNASCAR Thunder
Engineenhanced NASCAR Thunder engine
Platform(s)Xbox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: October 2, 2001
  • EU: October 17, 2001
PlayStation 2
  • NA: October 16, 2001[1]
  • EU: November 3, 2001
Xbox
  • NA: November 15, 2001
  • EU: November 29, 2001
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

NASCAR Thunder 2002 is a racing simulator video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports that came out for the Sony PlayStation, Sony PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The theme song for the game on the six-generation systems is "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It is the fifth game in the EA Sports NASCAR series of video games, and is the first of the series to have a new title (the other games simply read "NASCAR", followed by the year). Notably, it is the first NASCAR game to feature alternate paint schemes on the cars. It featured the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon on its cover and 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte on the disc.

NASCAR Thunder 2002 was the first NASCAR game released for the Xbox and the second released for the PlayStation 2. Game modes consist of Create-a-car, Quick race, Season mode, Career mode, and practice. Before every race, the player has the option to qualify for a position at the start of the race, get to know the track in practice, or 'race' other cars in Happy Hour. The game has 35 drivers from the 2001 Winston Cup season (minus Dale Earnhardt due to his death, but the game has many tributes to him including a black No. 3 screen on start-up) and several then-Busch Series and fantasy drivers that can be unlocked.[citation needed]

The PlayStation version was separate from the PS2 and Xbox versions, included only 36 drivers, and included an instant-replay feature, fantasy tracks, only 18 drivers per race, and all of the alternate paint schemes were removed. It also has a different intro without the #3 shown before the EA Sports logo. A system of power-up/cheat cards and challenges, similar to Chase/Thunder plates and Lightning/Dodge Challenges in later editions, was a major game mode in this version. It also included the Daytona Beach track.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PSPS2Xbox
EGMN/A8.17/10[5]N/A
Game InformerN/A8.5/10[6]9/10[7]
GameProStarStarStarStar[8]StarStarStarStarHalf star[9]StarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
GameRevolutionN/AB[11]B[12]
GameSpot5.8/10[13]8.2/10[14]8/10[15]
GameSpyN/A(average)[16]87%[17]
GameZone9/10[18]9/10[19]N/A
IGNN/A8.3/10[20]8.5/10[21]
Next GenerationN/AN/AStarStarStarStar[22]
OPM (US)StarStar[23]StarStarStarStarHalf star[24]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A6.9/10[25]
The Cincinnati EnquirerN/AN/AStarStarStarStar[26]
Aggregate score
Metacritic69/100[2]85/100[3]82/100[4]

The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received "favorable" reviews, while the PlayStation version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2][3][4] NextGen said that the Xbox version was "Graphically, a solid game, with great reflections, sun wash, damage modeling, persistent skid marks, and more."[22]

The game was a nominee for the "Console Racing" award at the AIAS' 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which was ultimately given to Gran Turismo 3.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "GameZone.com - PlayStation 2 News - ASCAR Thunder 2002 Ships". 2001-11-18. http://ps2.gamezone.com/news/10_16_01_05_04PM.htm. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NASCAR Thunder 2002 for PlayStation Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/nascar-thunder-2002/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "NASCAR Thunder 2002 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/nascar-thunder-2002/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "NASCAR Thunder 2002 for Xbox Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/nascar-thunder-2002/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  5. ↑ EGM staff (December 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (149): 244. 
  6. ↑ Kato, Matthew (December 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS2)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (104): 93. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1717.34278.htm. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  7. ↑ Kato, Matthew (December 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (Xbox)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (104): 108. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1816.37261.htm. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  8. ↑ Jake The Snake (September 13, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived on December 12, 2004. Error: If you specify |archivedate=, you must also specify |archiveurl=. http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/16721.shtml. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Air Hendrix (October 15, 2001). "NASCR Thunder 2002 Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/17302.shtml. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  10. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (November 29, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/18621.shtml. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  11. ↑ Liu, Johnny (December 2001). "Nascar Thunder 2002 Review (PS2)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33598-nascar-thunder-2002-review. 
  12. ↑ Liu, Johnny (December 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 - Xbox Review". CraveOnline. http://www.game-revolution.com/games/xbox/racing/nascar_thunder_2002.htm. 
  13. ↑ Provo, Frank (January 24, 2002). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 Review (PS)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nascar-thunder-2002-review/1900-2842285/. 
  14. ↑ Provo, Frank (October 16, 2001). "NASCAR 2002 Review (PS2)". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nascar-thunder-2002-review/1900-2818184/. 
  15. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (November 16, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 Review (Xbox) [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nascar-thunder-2002-review/1900-2825363/. 
  16. ↑ Cauthen, John (December 5, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS2)". IGN Entertainment. http://www.sportplanet.com/features/reviews/thunder2002/ps2/. 
  17. ↑ Bub, Andrew S. (November 30, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/nascarthunder/. 
  18. ↑ Ovaldog (November 11, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 Review - PlayStation". http://psx.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19000.htm. 
  19. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (November 4, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 Review - PlayStation 2". http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19000.htm. 
  20. ↑ Zdyrko, David (October 16, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/10/16/nascar-thunder-2002-3. 
  21. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (November 8, 2001). "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (Xbox)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/09/nascar-thunder-2002. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (Xbox)". NextGen (Imagine Media) (85): 28. January 2002. https://archive.org/details/NextGen85Jan2002/page/n29/mode/2up. Retrieved October 17, 2021. 
  23. ↑ "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (52): 146. January 2002. 
  24. ↑ "NASCAR Thunder 2002 (PS2)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (51): 169. December 2001. 
  25. ↑ "NASCAR Thunder 2002". Official Xbox Magazine (Imagine Media). January 2002. 
  26. ↑ Kent, Steve (April 2, 2002). "Xbox titles zoom into overdrive". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/040202_xboxoverdrive.html. 
  27. ↑ "5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Winners". http://www.interactive.org/awards/IAA-5/winners.asp. 
  • 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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