Software:NBA ShootOut (video game)

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NBA ShootOut
North American cover art
Developer(s)SCE Studios Soho
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Jules Burt
Jason Perkins
John Roberts
Programmer(s)Richard Lee
Mark Green
Paul Nath
Jules Burt
Artist(s)Jason Millson
Nikki Bridgman
Paul Mulliner
Composer(s)Harry Holmwood
SeriesNBA ShootOut
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • EU: March 20, 1996
  • NA: March 28, 1996[1]
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

NBA ShootOut (Known as Total NBA '96 in Europe) is a sports video game developed by SCE Studios Soho and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation. The cover features Sam Cassell of the Houston Rockets.

Gameplay

NBA ShootOut is a game using polygon players and motion-captured animation.[2] The game features rosters from the 1995–96 NBA season.

The demo of the European version of the game, (Total NBA '96) also contains additional hidden characters not available in the final game.[3][4]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG84/100[5]
EGM15.5/20[6]
GameFan98/100[lower-alpha 1]
GamePro5/5[8]
Hyper93/100[9]
IGN6/10[10]
OPM (UK)9/10[11]

NBA ShootOut was well received, with the Official UK PlayStation Magazine awarding 9/10 and a Starplayer award. They praised the motion capture and the playability.[11] While he noted sometimes inaccurate controls and glitchy sound effects, Scary Larry of GamePro gave the game a strong recommendation, citing the roster of real players, realistic features, beautiful polygonal graphics, and fluid animation. He commented that the game is much more realistic than NBA Jam, but has an arcade mode to satisfy Jam enthusiasts.[8] The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game similar scores (8.0 and 7.5 out of 10) but were sharply divided in their opinions. Both agreed that the graphics are impressive, but Dindo Perez argued that "Shootout should have played greater emphasis on gameplay", saying it is not realistic enough, whereas Video Cowboy asserted "the game has solid gameplay and a big-league look."[6] A reviewer for Next Generation shared in the general enthusiasm for the game's graphics and animation, but also noted that they come at the cost of prominent slowdown, detracting from the feel of the game. However, he felt the gameplay was decent and the options and player roster were impressive, and concluded "NBA Shoot Out doesn't unseat NBA Live 96 as the basketball sim champ, but it has definitely raised the stakes for next year's battle." He gave it three out of five stars.[2] In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the game 88th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."[12]

The first NBA ShootOut (Total NBA ' 96) was a major hit in Europe, and moderately successful in North America.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ In GameFan's review, one critic scored NBA ShootOut 97/100, another 99/100.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Sony PlayStation: NBA Shoot Out Press Release". https://web.archive.org/web/19961027132252fw_/http://www.sepc.sony.com/SCEA/hot/press/nbashoot.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "NBA Shoot Out". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (19): 75. July 1996. 
  3. ↑ @MarkBoreham3. "Who the hell were these two kids found in the Total NBA 96 demo?". https://twitter.com/MarkBoreham3/status/1303092755644678147.  Missing or empty |date= (help)
  4. ↑ @LarryBundyJr. "Here's some potential creepypasta for you!". https://twitter.com/LarryBundyJr/status/1616916660425736194.  Missing or empty |date= (help)
  5. ↑ Lomtrotter, Edball (April 1996). "Total NBA". Computer and Video Games (173): 46–47. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:CVG_UK_173.pdf&page=46. Retrieved May 30, 2021. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "NBA Shootout". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (83): 120. June 1996. 
  7. ↑ Chip; Cavalier, Cal (May 1996). "GameFan Sports". GameFan 4 (6): 86. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_4_Issue_06/page/n89/mode/2up?q=%22nba+shootout%22. Retrieved May 30, 2021. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Shoot Hits the Fans!". GamePro (IDG) (93): 72. June 1996. 
  9. ↑ Gilchrist, James (March 1996). "Total NBA". Hyper (29): 48–49. https://archive.org/details/hyper-029/page/48/mode/2up. Retrieved May 23, 2021. 
  10. ↑ "NBA Shoot Out - IGN". November 2021. https://www.ign.com/articles/1996/11/26/nba-shoot-out. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Total NBA '97 review, Official UK PlayStation Magazine, Future Publishing issue 19, October 1997
  12. ↑ "Top 100 Games of All Time". GamesMaster (44): 75. July 1996. https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf. 
  13. ↑ "NG Alphas: Sony Computer Entertainment U.K.". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (23): 135–8. November 1996. 
  • 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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