Software:NHL FaceOff 98

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
NHL FaceOff 98
Developer(s)Killer Game
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Composer(s)Joey Kuras[1]
SeriesNHL FaceOff
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: October 31, 1997[2]
  • EU: April 1998
Genre(s)Sports video game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

NHL FaceOff 98 is an ice hockey video game developed by Killer Game and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is part of the NHL FaceOff series, and was the first installment to use polygonal players.[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings74%[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[5]
EGM6.875/10[6]
Game Informer8.25/10[7]
GameFan93%[8][lower-alpha 1]
GameRevolutionC+[9]
Hyper79%[10]
IGN8/10[11]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[12]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStarStar[13]

Reviews for NHL FaceOff 98 were wildly divergent, with critics expressing contradicting opinions on numerous aspects of the game. Kraig Kujawa and John Ricciardi of Electronic Gaming Monthly found the A.I. too easy even on the hardest setting, but their co-reviewer Kelly Rickards complained that it is frustratingly difficult.[6] While GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann and GamePro said the on-ice sound effects were well done,[14][15] Kujawa and IGN's early review both said they lack excitement and atmosphere.[6][11] Though Next Generation said the game "doesn't control very well",[12] and GameSpot and IGN found the control configuration overcomplicated and confusing even when icon passing is enabled,[14][11] Kujawa and IGN actually praised the control as tight, responsive, and realistic.[6][11] And though most reviews praised the lifelike animation of the players,[6][11][12][16] GameSpot and GamePro complained at the stiff animation when the players are skating around (as opposed to shooting or checking).[14][15]

The one point most critics agreed upon was that NHL FaceOff 98 came in second to NHL 98.[6][14][11][12][15] The Electric Playground's Tommy Tallarico (whose studio had done the sound for the game) was an exception, calling it the best hockey game of the season and giving it a 9.7, while co-host Victor Lucas gave it a 9 and also said NHL 98 was better.[16] GamePro summarized, "A roster of strong improvements nicely tunes up this year's outing, but NHL '98 still outclasses it in almost every category."[15][lower-alpha 2] Next Generation stated that "The gameplay features and stats are nearly identical to all of the other hockey games coming out, but NHL Face Off is a game that doesn't have enough life or personality of its own to separate itself from the pack, meaning once again that it's the second-best hockey game on PlayStation." Kujawa likewise concluded that "NHL Face Off 98 is a great hockey game, but only good enough to rank second best to EA's NHL 98."[6] Gerstmann gave a more dismal assessment, calling the game "simply average".[14]

Notes

  1. ↑ Two critics of GameFan gave the game a score of 93 each.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and sound, and two 3.5/5 scores for control and overall fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ "NHL FaceOff '98 (1997) PlayStation credits". https://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/nhl-faceoff-98/credits. 
  2. ↑ GameSpot staff (October 31, 1997). "VGS Game Calendar [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on April 22, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990422091838/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/31_vcal/index.html. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  3. ↑ EGM staff (November 1997). "NHL Face Off 98: Sony's Hockey Goes 3-D". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (100): 80. 
  4. ↑ "NHL FaceOff 98 for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190521212922/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198186-nhl-faceoff-98/index.html. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  5. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "NHL FaceOff 98 - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141114204613/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2211&tab=review. Retrieved July 17, 2021. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 EGM staff (December 1997). "NHL Face Off 98 [sic]". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (101): 204. 
  7. ↑ Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew; Storm, Jon (November 1997). "NHL 98 and NHL Face Off '98 [sic"]. Game Informer (FuncoLand) (55): 58–59. http://www.gameinformer.com/nov97/nhlfo.html. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  8. ↑ Joe Kidd; Jacques Strap (November 1997). "NHL FaceOff '98". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (11): 140. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_11/page/n141/mode/2up. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Dr. Moo (October 1997). "NFL Faceoff '98 [sic Review"]. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613222901/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/faceoff98.htm. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  10. ↑ Fish, Eliot (March 1998). "NHL Face Off [sic"]. Hyper (Next Media Pty Ltd) (53): 72. https://retrocdn.net/images/f/ff/Hyper_AU_053.pdf. Retrieved July 17, 2021. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 IGN staff (September 24, 1997). "NHL FaceOff '98". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/09/25/nhl-faceoff-98. Retrieved April 24, 2020. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "NHL Face Off '98 [sic"]. Next Generation (Imagine Media) (36): 163. December 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_36/page/n163/mode/2up. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Rybicki, Joe (November 1997). "NHL FaceOff 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 1 (2): 112. https://archive.org/details/official-u.-s.-play-station-magazine-volume-1-issue-02-november-1997/page/n113/mode/2up. Retrieved October 29, 2021. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GSr
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Air Hendrix (December 1997). "Face Off '98 Demoted to the Second Line". GamePro (111): 188. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_111_Volume_09_Number_12_1997-12_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n189/mode/2up. Retrieved July 16, 2021. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 EPNdotTV (January 25, 2016). "Tomb Raider Visit to Core - S1:E4 - Electric Playground". Google. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cT-Mg_pAkM. Retrieved August 26, 2018.  Event occurs at 16:27-19:45.
  • 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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