Software:Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity

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Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity
Developer(s)EM Studios
Publisher(s)Deep Silver
Namco Networks (iPhone, Android)
Platform(s)Nintendo DS, Wii, Windows, iOS, Android
Release
  • WW: November 28, 2008
  • NA: April 6, 2009 (DS, Wii)

iPhone: January 21, 2010
iPad: June 10, 2010
Android: May 7, 2011
Genre(s)Puzzle

Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity is a puzzle video game released on Wii, DS, Windows, iOS, and Android formats (the latter two mobile versions as Isaac Newton's Gravity). It is published by Deep Silver and developed by EM Studios. The game is named after Heinz Wolff, while the iOS and Android versions are named after Isaac Newton.

Gameplay

Level 1 (main game) as the red button is about to be pressed.

The game features 100 puzzles that require the use of physics to solve. As its name suggests, gravity is the primary factor, along with friction. The goal of each level is to press a red button.[1] The player is given objects like beams, marbles, see-saws, and blocks to achieve this. The nature of the game often means that there is more than one way to reach the objective.

To start a level, the player places all the mobile elements such that they remain at rest. He then presses the start button (a green arrow), at which point one (or more) large spheres or powered carts are released from a black portal. This provides energy for the other elements to trigger the red button. There is no requirement as to what object presses the red button, so long as it is pressed.

Sandboxes

There are 20 sandbox levels[1] unlocked for every five game levels beaten. They allow the player to interact with the game elements and the physics engine. In addition, they allow the player to remove the effect of gravity and to submerge the bottom quarter of the scene in water to affect buoyant objects.

Level editor

There is also a full level editor where a player can create new levels on par with the 100 pre-built levels.

Mini games

There are also four mini-games, called 'party-mode' in-game, which all utilize the same physics engine as the main game.[1]

Tallest Tower is a challenge to build the tallest structure to survive an earthquake. The player has 35 seconds to place beams and blocks on the central platform. After the earthquake occurs, the tower is scored by the highest remaining point it reaches.

In Up and Down, the player uses a cannon to fire balls into buckets placed on the screen. There are different-sized buckets with corresponding point values. There are five buckets at the start, and each time a ball is scored into one of them, it is replaced by a different bucket at a different location. The goal is to earn the most points with the available 40 balls.

In Clear the Decks, the player uses a cannon to eliminate colored blocks in an area on the right of the screen. The player has a total supply of 35 balls colored red, green, and blue. The cannon fires colored balls that eliminate any block of the same color they contact. However, the ball disappears when it contacts a block of a differing color. Periodically, additional blocks fall into the pen. The more blocks eliminated, the higher the score.

In Tower Topple, the player uses a cannon to knock over a tower built on a pedestal. The goal is to use the fewest balls to knock the entirety of the tower off-screen. There is no limit on the number of balls used.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSiOSPCWii
Game Informer5.5/10[5]N/AN/A6.75/10[5]
GamesMasterN/AN/AN/A80%[9]
GameSpot4.5/10[10]N/AN/A5/10[11]
GameZone6.4/10[12]N/AN/A7/10[13]
IGN5.9/10[14]N/AN/A5.9/10[14]
Jeuxvideo.com12/20[15]N/A14/20[16]N/A
NGamer50%[18]N/AN/A40%[19]
ONMN/AN/AN/A80%[20]
Pocket GamerN/AStarStarStarStar[21]N/AN/A
TouchArcadeN/AStarStarStar[22]N/AN/A
Common Sense MediaN/AN/AN/AStarStarStar[23]
Aggregate score
Metacritic53/100[2]77/100[3]N/A63/100[4]

The iPhone version received "generally favorable reviews," while the DS and Wii versions received "mixed" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2][3][4] IGN noted that the game had the potential to be a sleeper hit but was criticized for being too light on content considering its price tag.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 EM Studios. Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity. Windows. Deep Silver. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity for DS Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Isaac Newton's Gravity for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/isaac-newtons-gravity/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity for Wii Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity (DS, Wii)". Game Informer (GameStop) (195): 83. July 2009. 
  6. ↑ Méreur, Thomas (December 10, 2008). "Test : Gravity always wins sur DS ?" (in fr). TF1 Group. https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/professor-heinz-wolff-s-gravity-3010006069/test-ds.html. 
  7. ↑ Méreur, Thomas (December 22, 2008). "Test : Gravity always wins sur PC ?" (in fr). TF1 Group. https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/professor-heinz-wolff-s-gravity-3010006069/test.html. 
  8. ↑ Méreur, Thomas (March 3, 2009). "Test : Gravity s'aggrave sur Wii" (in fr). TF1 Group. https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/professor-heinz-wolff-s-gravity-3010006069/test-wii.html. 
  9. ↑ "Review: Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity (Wii)". GamesMaster (Future plc): 82. March 2009. 
  10. ↑ McShea, Tom (April 27, 2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity Review (DS)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity-review/1900-6208623/. 
  11. ↑ McShea, Tom (April 27, 2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity Review (Wii)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity-review/1900-6208644/. 
  12. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (April 27, 2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity - NDS - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/professor_heinz_wolff_s_gravity_nds_review/. 
  13. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (April 27, 2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity - WII - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/professor_heinz_wolff_s_gravity_wii_review/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Harris, Craig (April 13, 2009). "[Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity Review (NDS, Wii)"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/14/gravity-review. 
  15. ↑ CptObvious (December 2, 2008). "Test: Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity (DS)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00010073-professor-heinz-wolff-s-gravity-test.htm. 
  16. ↑ CptObvious (December 2, 2008). "Test: Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity (PC)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00010074-professor-heinz-wolff-s-gravity-test.htm. 
  17. ↑ Jacobsson, Sarah (June 2, 2010). "Isaac Newton's Gravity for iPhone". Macworld (IDG Communications). https://www.macworld.com/article/205762/isaacnewtonsreview.html. Retrieved June 17, 2023. 
  18. ↑ Martyn, Charlotte (February 2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity review (DS)". NGamer (Future plc): 77. https://www.gamesradar.com/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity/. Retrieved June 17, 2023. 
  19. ↑ "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity review (Wii)". NGamer (Future plc): 76. April 2009. }
  20. ↑ "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity review (Wii)". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc): 87. March 2009. 
  21. ↑ Andrew, Keith (February 12, 2010). "Isaac Newton's Gravity (iPhone)". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/isaac-newtons-gravity/isaac-newtons-gravity/. 
  22. ↑ Hodapp, Eli (January 23, 2010). "'Isaac Newton's Gravity' – Namco's Physics Puzzler [date mislabeled as "February 8, 2010""]. TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2010/01/23/isaac-newtons-gravity-namcos-physics-puzzler/. 
  23. ↑ Paramchuk, Jeff (2009). "Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity (Wii)". https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/professor-heinz-wolffs-gravity. 
  • Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity official website
  • 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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