Software:NBA ShootOut 98

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Short description: 1998 video game


NBA ShootOut 98
Total NBA 98
Developer(s)Sony Interactive Studios America
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: March 11, 1998[1]
  • EU: May 15, 1998
Genre(s)Sports (Basketball)
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

NBA ShootOut 98, known in Europe as Total NBA 98, is a video game developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation in 1998. It is the third installment of the NBA ShootOut series. The cover features Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets.

Gameplay

ShootOut 98 features rosters from the 1997–98 NBA season. For the first time in the series, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were both added to the game, although Michael Jordan did not appear in the game, and was still represented by a custom player named "Roster Guard" on the Chicago Bulls.

The game introduces a system called "icon cutting", which allows players to control cutters, screens, and double teams.[2]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings70%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM6.125/10[4]
Game Informer8.75/10[5]
GameFan86%[6]
GameRevolutionC−[7]
GameSpot4.7/10[8]
IGN8.8/10[9]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[10]
PSMStarStarHalf star[11]

NBA ShootOut 98 met with divisive reviews; while IGN and GamePro hailed it as the best basketball game on the market,[9][12] Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), GameSpot, and Game Revolution all regarded it as a disappointing entry with gameplay so unbalanced that it fails to surpass its own predecessor, NBA ShootOut '97.[4][7][8] The game held a 70% on the review aggregation website GameRankings based on five reviews.[3]

Critics - even the game's detractors - almost uniformly praised NBA ShootOut 98's fluid and realistic graphics,[4][7][12] "icon cutting" mechanic,[4][8][12] and ability to select which dunk to perform in mid-air.[7][8][9][12] Game Revolution, which otherwise panned the game, remarked that "The players look like the actual players, even more so than in Live ’98. The courts are beautiful, with killer reflections and glare effects. Even close-ups of the action look great. In short, this is the prettiest sports title ever made for the PSX."[7]

However, reviews widely agreed that the game made it too easy for both human players and computer-controlled players to steal and block the ball.[4][7][8][9] Kraig Kujawa of EGM said he saw more blown easy shots and blocked dunks and lay-ups than he had in any other video game, with his co-reviewer Sushi-X agreeing that it was "comical" how prevalent they are,[4] and IGN said it creates an unbalanced game where whoever gets the most steals and fastbreaks wins.[9] GamePro instead praised this aspect for "finally giving the defense a chance to stop their opponents from scoring on almost every play." They gave NBA ShootOut '98 a 4.0 out of 5 in sound and a perfect 5.0 in every other category (graphics, control, and fun factor).[12] Both EGM and GameSpot said the gameplay balance was further compromised by the fact that players can make it past any defense just by repeatedly pressing the spin button.[4][8]

Critics also widely decried the announcer as annoying.[7][8][12] Game Revolution elaborated, "The only time he pipes up is to announce fouls or baskets. With brilliant quips such as, 'Number 8, KOOOOBBEEEEEEE BRAHIIIIIIIIAAAANNNNTTT!!! With the East Bay jam-a-lam.' Will someone please shoot this guy and find someone who actually calls the game? Or at least just shoot this guy?"[7] Despite the general esteem for the graphics, some critics noted bouts of slowdown, especially when playing with more than two players.[4][8] GameSpot remarked, "This actually affects gameplay since what was once an unconscious thought of running from point A to point B has to now be factored in with the varying speed of the game. But since it's fairly random and you have no warning or no idea how long it lasts, it's hard to deal with it."[8]

References

  1. ↑ Johnston, Chris (March 11, 1998). "Tale of Two Sports Releases". Archived from the original on October 11, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20001011030328/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_03/11_twosport/index.html. Retrieved October 29, 2022. 
  2. ↑ "NBA ShootOut '98: Better Late than Never". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (105): 52. April 1998. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "NBA ShootOut 98 for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190501142955/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198090-nba-shootout-98/index.html. Retrieved May 31, 2020. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Review Crew: NBA Shootout 98". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (106): 101. May 1998. 
  5. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (April 1998). "NBA Shoot Out 98 [sic - PlayStation"]. Game Informer (FuncoLand) (60). http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=apr98&doc=so98. Retrieved May 31, 2020. 
  6. ↑ Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Mowatt, Todd "Video Cowboy" (May 1998). "NBA ShootOut '98". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 6 (5): 54. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_6_Issue_05/page/n55/mode/2up. Retrieved October 16, 2020. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Dr. Moo (March 1998). "More Blocks than a Lego Factory". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 6, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040606131149/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/sports/shootout98.htm. Retrieved May 31, 2020. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 MacDonald, Ryan (March 31, 1998). "NBA ShootOut 98 Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070705170105/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/sports/nbashootout98/review.html. Retrieved May 31, 2020. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Boor, Jay (March 11, 1998). "NBA ShootOut '98". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/03/12/nba-shootout-98. Retrieved May 31, 2020. 
  10. ↑ "NBA ShootOut 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (8). May 1998. 
  11. ↑ "Review: NBA ShootOut 98". PSM (Imagine Media) (9). May 1998. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Johnny Ballgame (May 1998). "Shoot Out '98 Slams Home Another Championship". GamePro (IDG) (116): 100. 
  • 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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