Software:Shox

From HandWiki
Shox
Developer(s)EA UK
Publisher(s)EA Sports BIG
Director(s)Matt Birch
Producer(s)Nick Channon
Programmer(s)Rajan Tande, Martin Griffiths, Kris Beaumont, Oliver Castle, Leon O'Reilly, Tim Green, Michael Willis
Artist(s)David Kenyon
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • EU: September 23, 2002
  • NA: November 12, 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Shox: Rally Reinvented is an arcade rally racing video game developed by EA UK and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 2 in fall of 2002. Shox features 24 licensed vehicles from real-life makers like Audi, BMW, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Lancia, and Ford. The game introduced a unique concept, "Shox Zones". Within each track there are specially designated areas, or "Shox Zones" where players are awarded Bronze, Silver, and Gold placements based on their driving skills.

Gameplay

Shox: Rally Reinvented features three environments where all tracks are based upon: Arid (a desert-like, sandy environment), Jungle (a densely vegetated, muddy environment), and Ice (an arctic, snowy and icy environment). In every track, there are three "Shox Zones", areas the player must cross while being timed. When the player reaches the end of a Shox Zone, the player is rewarded with cash based on the time taken to cross it, divided into Gold, Silver and Bronze. However, if the player takes too long to cross the zone, beyond the Bronze time, a reward will not be given. Shox doesn't feature the genre's traditional gameplay modes. Instead of time trial, single race, and career modes, Shox has only one: the championship mode where players take one of 24 cars through 30 different races that are spread across five unique leagues.[1] Shox features licensed rally cars, ranging from the Subaru Impreza WRC, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which all feature visual damage and dirt from the tracks. The handling is very arcade oriented. Winning races earns money, which pays for car repairs or new cars. Multiplayer can be played with up to four-player splitscreen, either with races or capture the flag modes. There is also an option to split each controller so four players can be played with only two controllers.

Shox also features the concept of a "Shox Wave", a sort of shockwave that follows the track ahead of the player's car if they successfully pass, within Gold time, through all three Shox Zones, and is activated on the next 'checkpoint' (for lack of a better word) (it is not necessary to achieve Gold time in each Shox Zone within a single lap). During the duration of its presence, the player continually earns cash, but the Shox Zone system is temporarily disabled. The objective of the Shox Wave, should it be activated, is to drive fast enough to catch up to it before it reaches the next checkpoint. While approaching the Shox Wave, the screen will appear increasingly blurry and distorted and make driving at high speed more difficult. Should the player fail to catch up in time, the Shox Wave will disappear and the Shox Zone system will resume. On the other hand, if the player succeeds, the Shox Wave will speed ahead of the player upon passing the checkpoint, for the player to catch up to again.

Development

Electronic Arts announced that an off-road rally car racer was in development for the PlayStation 2 at E3 2002. The game was developed by EA UK studio.[2] Development reportedly took only eight months as the GameCube version was eventually scrapped in favor of a holiday season release.[3] The game used the game engine from F1 2002.[4] Described as a cross between Rally Cross and Ridge Racer, Shox is part of the EA Sports BIG lineup, which targeted casual gamers with slick presentation and over-the-top arcade-style gameplay.

In Japan, the game was released under the name Rally Shox (ラリーショックス, Rarī Shokkusu) and was released on January 9, 2003. This version was published by Electronic Arts Square under the EA Games label instead of the EA Sports BIG label.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic78/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6/10[6]
EGM7/10[7]
Eurogamer7/10[3]
Famitsu30/40[8]
Game Informer7.25/10[9]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
GameSpot7.9/10[1]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[11]
GameZone7.6/10[12]
IGN7.8/10[4]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[13]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Amer Ajami (November 21, 2002). "Shox Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shox-review/1900-2898312. 
  2. ↑ Ricardo Torres (July 18, 2002). "Electronic Arts Announces Shox". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/electronic-arts-announces-shox/1100-2874791. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kristan Reed (September 27, 2002). "Shox". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_shox_ps2. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jeremy Dunham (November 14, 2002). "Shox". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/14/shox. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Shox for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/shox/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  6. ↑ Edge staff (November 2002). "Shox". Edge (Future plc) (116). 
  7. ↑ "Shox". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (161): 218. December 2002. Archived from the original on April 1, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040401004822/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1502404,00.asp. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "ラリーショックス [PS2"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=13350&redirect=no. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  9. ↑ Matt Helgeson (November 2002). "SHOX". Game Informer (GameStop) (115): 128. Archived from the original on November 17, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041117203043/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200211/R03.0731.1103.40122.htm. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  10. ↑ Dan Elektro (November 13, 2002). "Shox Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050212134612/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/27064.shtml. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  11. ↑ Shane Satterfield (November 20, 2002). "GameSpy: Shox". IGN Entertainment. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/shox/569694p1.html. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  12. ↑ Louis Bedigian (November 23, 2002). "Shox - PS2 - Review". Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080226014450/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20807.htm. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  13. ↑ John Davison (December 2002). "Shox". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 172. Archived from the original on June 26, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040626082132/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1502405,00.asp. Retrieved July 14, 2018. 
  • 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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