Software:Sid Meier's Starships

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Short description: 2015 turn-based strategy video game
Sid Meier's Starships
Developer(s)Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)2K
SeriesCivilization
Platform(s)
ReleaseMarch 12, 2015
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy

Sid Meier's Starships is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. It was released on March 12, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and iOS.[1] The game is a stand-alone title but shares the same universe as Civilization, putting the player in control of a fleet of space-faring craft. The player will use the fleet to explore the galaxy, meeting other human and alien forces, and dealing with problems through a combination of military, diplomatic, and other strategic options.[2] Spacecraft in the fleet can be highly customized for meeting certain goals. The game features cross-connectivity features with Beyond Earth for those that own both titles.[2]

Starships was based on Sid Meier's idea of extending the Beyond Earth setting, in which the player guides the development of one of several human colonies on an alien world, and he considers it a further narrative of that game, exploring the universe and encountering other human colonies and threats it may hold. In his concept, Meier wanted to focus on starship creation, including highly configurable ships, and space combat, while providing the player with "a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration".[2] The game was developed by Meier and a small team at Firaxis.[2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
iOSPC
Game InformerN/A7/10[5]
GameRevolutionN/A7/10[6]
GameSpotN/A4/10[7]
GamezeboStarStarStarStarStar[8]N/A
IGNN/A6.5/10[9]
PC Gamer (UK)N/A54%[10]
PCGamesNN/A7/10[11]
Pocket GamerStarStarStarStarHalf star[12]N/A
Polygon6/10[13]6.5/10[13]
ShacknewsN/A7/10[14]
The GuardianN/AStarStarStarStar[15]
TouchArcadeStarStarStarStar[16]N/A
The EscapistN/AStarStarStarStar[17]
National PostN/A8/10[18]
Aggregate score
Metacritic75/100[3]64/100[4]

The iOS version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PC version received "mixed" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][4] IGN said of the same PC version, "Sid Meier's Starships produces a few good tactical battles before its AI loses steam and its strategy gets frustrating."[9]

The Escapist gave the PC version a score of four stars out of five, saying that it "lacks the strategic depth of Civilization, but the added tactical layer, and shorter game times make it a fair substitute, especially if you're looking for bite-sized strategy."[17] National Post gave it a similar score of eight out of ten, saying that the game "may lack the complexity and nuance of other strategy games, and it feels a bit rough around the edges in places, but its accessibility, terrific turn-based combat, and bite-sized duration combine to create a tempting alternative to a multi-evening marathon campaign."[18] Metro gave it a score of seven out of ten, saying, "Fast-paced and accessible are not words commonly used to describe turn-based strategy games, but Sid Meier's latest is a fun, breezy strategic time killer."[19] GameSpot gave the PC version four stars out of ten, saying "it's a strategy game without strategy, enabling you to sleepwalk your way to triumph."[20]

References

  1. ↑ Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (February 24, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships given a March release date". Gamer Network. https://www.vg247.com/sid-meiers-starships-pc-release-date. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Makuch, Eddie (January 19, 2015). "Firaxis Reveals New Interstellar Strategy Game, Sid Meier's Starships". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/firaxis-reveals-new-interstellar-strategy-game-sid/1100-6424728/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Sid Meier's Starships for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sid-meiers-starships/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sid Meier's Starships for PC Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sid-meiers-starships/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  5. ↑ Tack, Daniel (March 13, 2015). "[Sid Meier's Starships Review (PC)"]. Game Informer (GameStop). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/sid_meiers_starships/b/pc/archive/2015/03/13/snack-size-space-strategy.aspx. Retrieved October 16, 2022. 
  6. ↑ Tan, Nicholas (March 12, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review (PC)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/67240-sid-meiers-starships-review. 
  7. ↑ Capozzoli, Nick (March 30, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review (PC)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sid-meier-s-starships-review/1900-6416082/. 
  8. ↑ Squires, Jim (March 12, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review: Rule the Galaxy (iOS)". https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/sid-meiers-starships-review-rule-the-galaxy/. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Stapleton, Dan (March 13, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/14/sid-meiers-starships-review. 
  10. ↑ Griliopoulos, Dan (March 16, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships review". Future plc. https://www.pcgamer.com/sid-meiers-starships-review/. 
  11. ↑ Purslow, Matt (March 11, 2015). "Sir Meier's Starships PC review". Network N. https://www.pcgamesn.com/sid-meiers-starships/sid-meiers-starships-pc-review. 
  12. ↑ Willington, Peter (March 12, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships". Steel Media Ltd. https://www.pocketgamer.com/sid-meiers-starships/sid-meiers-starships-review/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hall, Charlie (April 17, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships review: space oddity". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/2015/4/17/8416749/sid-meiers-starships-review-PC-iOS. 
  14. ↑ Wong, Steven (March 11, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review: Fire All Guns (PC)". Gamerhub. https://www.shacknews.com/article/88539/sid-meiers-starships-review-fire-all-guns. 
  15. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (March 13, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships review – deep-space exploration with a nod to the past (PC)". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/13/sid-meiers-starships-review. 
  16. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (March 23, 2015). "'Sid Meier's Starships' Review – Boss In Space". TouchArcade.com, LLC. https://toucharcade.com/2015/03/23/sid-meiers-starships-review/. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Vanderwall, Joshua (March 19, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review - Touch the Sky (PC)". Gamurs. https://www.escapistmagazine.com/sid-meiers-starships-review-touch-the-sky/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sapieha, Chad (March 12, 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships review: Firaxis compresses epic, galaxy-conquering strategy into single-session experience (PC)". National Post (Postmedia Network). https://financialpost.com/technology/gaming/sid-meiers-starships-review-firaxis-compresses-epic-galaxy-conquering-strategy-into-single-session-experience?r. 
  19. ↑ "Sid Meier's Starships review - warp speed strategy (PC)". Metro (DMG Media). March 16, 2015. https://metro.co.uk/2015/03/16/sid-meiers-starships-review-warp-speed-strategy-5105213/. 
  20. ↑ Capozzoli, Nick (30 March 2015). "Sid Meier's Starships Review". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sid-meier-s-starships-review/1900-6416082/. 
  • Sid Meier's video interview with French newspaper Le Point, about Starships and other games, in English after the 20-seconds intro (February 25, 2015). Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
  • 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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