Software:Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion

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Short description: 2005 video game
Rome Total War:
Barbarian Invasion
Developer(s)Creative Assembly[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Michael M. Simpson
Designer(s)Robert T. Smith
Mike Brunton
Jamie Ferguson
Chris Gambold
James Russell
Composer(s)Jeff van Dyck
SeriesTotal War
Platform(s)Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, macOS
Release
Genre(s)Real-time tactics, turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion is the first expansion pack for the strategy video game Software:Rome: Total War. The expansion was released in 2005 in North America and Europe and in 2006 in Japan for Windows. Feral Interactive released the iPad version on 28 March 2017, the iPhone version on 9 May 2019,[3][4] and an Android version of the game on 18 June 2019.[5] A remastered version of the game was released as part of Total War: Rome Remastered on 29 April 2021.[6] While the main game deals with the rise of the Roman Empire, Barbarian Invasion covers the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire during the Migration Period.

Gameplay

As Barbarian Invasion takes place several centuries after the end of the original game, the factions and provinces are very different. While the original Rome: Total War focused on the rise of Rome, Barbarian Invasion focuses on the decline of Western Rome during the Migration Period, as numerous Germanic and Asiatic tribes, such as the Huns, the Franks, and the Goths, migrate into Roman lands and the religion of Christianity begins to replace Roman paganism. Meanwhile, Eastern Rome struggles more with the Zoroastrians of Sassanid Persia than they do with the "barbarian" tribes. Several new gameplay features were added to reflect the tumultuousness of the era, while most of the fundamental gameplay mechanics are the same as they were in the original game.

In Barbarian Invasion, most barbarians are able to transform their faction into a "horde". When a barbarian faction loses its last province, rather than being destroyed, it becomes a horde and is forced to settle elsewhere (two factions, the Huns and Vandals, begin with no provinces, while other factions can appear later in the game as hordes). Barbarian factions with only one province may also choose to voluntarily abandon their province and become a horde. Hordes are very large armies that represent an entire faction, but they do not require upkeep. When a horde army successfully seizes a city, it is given the option of sacking the city (which does massive damage to the population and buildings of a city and gives the horde a large amount of money) or of settling in the city, which allows the horde to begin anew, with the new city as its capital; the faction is then able to conquer other provinces normally. When the horde settles, a portion of the horde army is disbanded and the population distributed into the city. Horde factions do not "die out" unless they are totally defeated on the battlefield and/or their major family members are all slain.[7]

Barbarian Invasion also introduces the concept of religion. The three religions represented in the game are paganism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. Characters in the game may adhere to one of the three religions, and the religious composition of each province is also stated. Provinces may gradually convert to a different religion in a variety of ways; for example, constructing temples dedicated to one of the religions will help that religion spread in the province. Religious conflict within a province will usually cause a great deal of unrest, which may force the player to either take steps to make the province happier or try to convert the province in order to avoid a revolt.[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[8]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer8/10[9]
GameRevolutionB[10]
GameSpot8.2/10[11]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[12]
IGN8.8/10[13]
PC Format88%[14]
PC Gamer (US)86%[15]

The expansion received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8] Many reviewers expressed disappointment with the small number of new features that the expansion introduced. However, most concluded that they still enjoyed the expansion despite the lack of innovation.[9][14]

Barbarian Invasion received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[16] indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (September 30, 2005). "What's New? (Super Catch-Up Alpha Plus 3)". https://www.eurogamer.net/a-whatsnew-300905. 
  2. ↑ Van Leuveren, Luke (October 17, 2005). "Updated Australian Release List - 17/10/05". http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=3247&sid=a0dd9eed1d3dd395f03c13f0fb383c5e. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vigdahl, Nick (4 April 2017). "Review: Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion". https://www.pockettactics.com/reviews/review-rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion/. Retrieved 24 February 2019. 
  4. ↑ Madnani, Mikhail (9 May 2019). "'ROME: Total War – Barbarian Invasion' for iPhone Has Finally Arrived in a Free Update That Adds Various New Features". https://toucharcade.com/2019/05/09/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion-iphone-patch-notes-devices-supported/. Retrieved 13 May 2019. 
  5. ↑ "'ROME: Total War - Barbarian Invasion' from Feral Interactive Has Finally Arrived on Android and Here Are the Devices You Need to Play It" (in en-US). 2019-06-18. https://toucharcade.com/2019/06/18/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion-android-supported-devices-full-list-price-released/. 
  6. ↑ Bonifacic, Igor (2021-03-25). "'Total War: Rome Remastered' revives an RTS classic on April 29th" (in en-US). https://www.engadget.com/total-war-rome-remastered-185936111.html. 
  7. ↑ "Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion". 31 August 2005. https://www.gamesradar.com/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion-2/2/. Retrieved 24 February 2019. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Rome: Total Tar Barbarian Invasion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Gillen, Kieron (30 September 2005). "Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_barbarianinvasion_pc. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  10. ↑ Ferris, Duke (14 October 2005). "Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/rome-total-war---barbarian-invasion. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  11. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (10 October 2005). "Rome: Total War Barbarian Invasion Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion-review/1900-6135417/. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  12. ↑ Kosak, Dave (6 October 2005). "GameSpy: Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/rome-total-war-expansion/656643p1.html. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  13. ↑ Butts, Steve (29 September 2005). "Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/30/rome-total-war-barbarian-invasion. Retrieved 23 July 2016. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion". PC Format (180): 95. November 2005. 
  15. ↑ "Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion". PC Gamer: 94. December 2005. 
  16. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090221154943/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3942. 
  17. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status in UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  • 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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  1. ↑ Remaster and ports were developed by Feral Interactive.



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