Software:NHL Rivals 2004

From HandWiki
Short description: 2003 video game
NHL Rivals 2004
Developer(s)Microsoft Game Studios
Publisher(s)Xbox Sports Network
Platform(s)Xbox, Xbox Live
Release
  • NA: 21 November 2003
[1]
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

NHL Rivals 2004 is an ice hockey video game developed by Microsoft Game Studios and published by Xbox Sports Network for Xbox in 2003 and 2004.

Development and release

NHL Rivals was developed by the internal Sports and Racing Games Group of Microsoft Game Studios.[2] In 2000, Microsoft announced it was creating a hockey game for the Xbox, making it the earliest internally developed title confirmed to be in development for the console prior to launch.[2][3] Studio manager Kevin Browne stated the game's title was intended to channel the "intense rivalries that teams and fans have with each other" in the NHL, with the game's competitive Xbox Live modes, faceoffs and man-to-man roles designed to facilitate this theme.[4] Microsoft showcased the game at E3 in May 2003,[3] and the Leipzig Games Convention the same year.[5] The game was one of four titles launching the Microsoft sports game lineup for 2004, including Links 2004, NFL Fever 2004 and NBA Inside Drive 2004.[5] It was the third game released under the XSN Sports brand, a series of games marketed with extended compatibility for matchmaking and leaderboards on Xbox Live.[6] The cover of NHL Rivals features Detroit Red Wings professional hockey player Steve Yzerman, who participated in promotional interviews for the game.[7]

NHL Rivals was released on 21 November 2003,[1] with the XSN Sports capabilities going live on 5 February 2004.[8] The game was included as one of several XSN Sports titles announced as part of the XSN Sports World Championship in February 2004.[9] It was the first and only title to be released under the NHL Rivals series, with Microsoft discontinuing the XSN Sports brand in 2004,[10][11] and terminating the development team from the studio in August of that year.[12] The code and engine for the game, among other Microsoft sports titles, was acquired by Ubisoft in 2005.[13]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic65/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players78%[15]
EGM4.67/10[16][lower-alpha 1]
Game Informer5.75/10[17]
GameSpot6.2/10[18]
GameSpyStarStarStar[19]
GameZone8.2/10[20]
IGN6.5/10[21]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[22]
OXM (US)7/10[23]
TeamXbox6.2/10[24]
X-PlayStarStar[25]
BBC Sport65%[26]
MaximStarStarStarStarStar[27]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[14] GamePro said of the game, "There's room to improve, but Microsoft's first try is a quality effort. It's worth checking out with gameplay that sticks with you, and online variety is the icing on top. Give it a shot."[28][lower-alpha 2][11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 3.5/10, 4/10, and 6.5/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, 4.5/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Scott, Jonathan (21 November 2003). "Xbox Live Goes Cold (Again)". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/20/xbox-live-goes-cold-again. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Double Hockey Sticks". 1 August 2000. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/01/double-hockey-sticks. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "E3 2003: NHL Rivals Hands-On". 15 May 2003. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/05/15/e3-2003-nhl-rivals-hands-on. 
  4. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (9 April 2003). "Microsoft Hits the Ice". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/09/microsoft-hits-the-ice. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Schneider, Peer (23 August 2003). "GC 2003: Microsoft Booth Report". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/23/gc-2003-microsoft-booth-report. 
  6. ↑ Robinson, Jon (19 September 2003). "XSN Sports Interview". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/09/18/xsn-sports-interview-2. 
  7. ↑ IGN Staff (2 December 2003). "Steve Yzerman Interview: Red Wing talks Rivals, mullets, and calamari". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/02/steve-yzerman-interview. 
  8. ↑ Gamespot Staff (5 February 2004). "Xbox Live expands offerings: XSNSports.com goes live today. Hear what its lead product manager has to say about the new service and how it stacks up against the competition". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-live-expands-offerings/1100-6074202/. 
  9. ↑ IGN Staff (10 December 2003). "XSN Sports World Championship: $25,000 goes to the winner. Find out how you can enter". https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/10/xsn-sports-world-championship. 
  10. ↑ Robinson, Jon (30 March 2004). "Game Over". https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/03/29/game-over. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Goldstein, Hilary (1 April 2004). "2004 is Lost". https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/01/2004-is-lost. 
  12. ↑ Feldman, Curt (20 August 2004). "Internal Xbox sports team axed: Microsoft Game Studios sheds employees as third parties fill sports game pipeline". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/internal-xbox-sports-team-axed/1100-6105297/. 
  13. ↑ Surette, Tim (7 April 2005). "Ubi teeing off sports games: French publisher hits into EA as it nabs license deal with Tiger-rival Vijay Singh; acquires code from Microsoft's sports properties to fuel upcoming game". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubi-teeing-off-sports-games/1100-6119350/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "NHL Rivals 2004". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/nhl-rivals-2004/. 
  15. ↑ Luibl, Jörg (December 11, 2003). "Test: NHL Rivals 2004" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4p.de/test/nhl_rivals_2004/2452. 
  16. ↑ Sewart, Greg; Linn, Demian; Ricciardi, John (January 2004). "NHL Rivals 2004". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (174): 157. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/88/EGM_US_174.pdf. Retrieved February 6, 2025. 
  17. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (December 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004". Game Informer (GameStop) (128): 174. https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-128-december-2003/page/174/mode/2up. Retrieved February 6, 2025. 
  18. ↑ Navarro, Alex (November 21, 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004 Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nhl-rivals-2004-review/1900-6084261/. 
  19. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (December 13, 2003). "GameSpy: NHL Rivals 2004". IGN Entertainment. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/nhl-rivals-2004/6499p1.html. 
  20. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (November 11, 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004 – XB – Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/nhl_rivals_2004_xb_review/. 
  21. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (November 19, 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/20/nhl-rivals-2004. 
  22. ↑ Killy (January 15, 2004). "Test: NHL Rivals 2004" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00003881_test.htm. 
  23. ↑ "NHL Rivals 2004". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 106. December 2003. 
  24. ↑ Semsey, Rob (November 19, 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004 Review (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/645/NHL-Rivals-2004/p1/. 
  25. ↑ Schkloven, Emmett (January 28, 2004). "'NHL Rivals 2004' (Xbox) Review". TechTV. http://www.techtv.com/xplay/reviews/story/0%2C24330%2C3597887%2C00.html. 
  26. ↑ Waters, Darren (February 19, 2004). "Let's play: NHL Rivals 2004". BBC Sport (BBC). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/game_reviews/3499061.stm. 
  27. ↑ Porter, Alex (November 19, 2003). "NHL Rivals 2004". Maxim (MaximNet, Inc.). http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews/review_games_6549.html. Retrieved February 6, 2025. 
  28. ↑ Manny LaMancha (January 2004). "NHL Rivals 2004". GamePro (IDG) (184): 139. https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/GamePro_US_184.pdf. Retrieved February 6, 2025. 
  • 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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