Software:Silent Hunter II

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Short description: 2001 submarine simulator
Silent Hunter II
Developer(s)Aeon Electronic Entertainment
Ultimation Inc.
Publisher(s)Ubi Soft
Director(s)Troy Heere
Writer(s)Guy Usario
Composer(s)Kevin Manthei
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Submarine simulator
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Silent Hunter II is a 2001 World War II U-boat combat simulation published by Ubi Soft for PCs with Windows 95/98/ME.

Gameplay

The sound room of the U-boat

Silent Hunter II gives the player the command of German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. The game offers single-player missions and multiplayer gameplay. The single-missions include sinking HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus as missing name, avoiding being sunk by Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. as missing name, sinking Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. as missing name, Operation Drumbeat against American shipping, retrieving the war diary from the missing name, the action in Tarrafal Bay, saving the German supply ship Python from Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. and attacking a task force as missing name as the last act of the Battle of the Atlantic.

The campaign, which has the player being sent notes from Admiral Dönitz, spans 21 missions from the start of the war in 1939 to the end of the war in 1945. It includes attacking fleeing Polish navy destroyers during the invasion of Poland, hunting British shipping off the English coast, penetration into Scapa Flow, assisting in the invasion of Norway, Blitzkrieg and Dunkirk evacuation ("Dunkirk little ship" Sundowner appears in this mission), then battling in the North Atlantic, before passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to La Spezia, severing the British lifeline to Malta, Operation Drumbeat, attacking in the Caribbean, attacking Arctic convoys, to the Allies ultimately gaining the upper hand in the Mid-Atlantic gap, repelling the D-Day invasion and finally escaping to Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of the war, whereupon Dönitz sends a final message.[3][4]

German war veteran and U-boat commander Erich Topp was one of the game's technical advisers, and a series of interviews with him appears in the game.[5][6]

Silent Hunter II was developed with multi-player support as a notable feature. Players were able to connect with other players, and engage in sub vs. sub combat. Connectivity to the separate game Destroyer Command, also released by Ubisoft, was available, which enabled sub and surface ship combat.[7]

History

Silent Hunter II was first announced in 1999,[8] and originally developed by Aeon Electronic Entertainment, the developers of Silent Hunter, but they had to leave the project unfinished, and Ultimation Inc. finished it. In November 2001, it was released after three years of work.[9]

After release, instability with the multiplayer feature was found to be commonplace, yet Ubisoft never resolved this issue by releasing another official patch. While in 2002 Ubisoft had ended the official support, they authorized and enabled the game's community at Subsim.com to fix the game themselves by giving them the source code.[7] The fan community raised over $7000 for an unofficial patch development project called Projekt Messerwetzer which ultimately fixed the issues.[7][10] Since then, unofficial expansion packs like the World War II Pacific war theatre-based total conversation "Pacific Aces" were released by community.[11][12]

In June 2009, after many years of commercial non-availability, the game was re-released on the digital distributor gog.com.[13]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic71/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarStar[15]
GameSpot6.1/10[16]
GameSpy87%[17]
GameZone6/10[18]
IGN7.8/10[19]
PC Gamer (UK)61%[20]
PC Gamer (US)75%[21]
PC Zone67%[22]

Silent Hunter II received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[14] A Subsim review rated Silent Hunter II 80/100 in 2005 and named it "the new WWII subsim benchmark".[23][24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Silent Hunter II sur PC" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00008836-silent-hunter-ii.htm. 
  2. ↑ "Silent Hunter II - Released" (in en-US). 2012-05-04. https://www.gamezone.com/news/silent_hunter_ii_released/. 
  3. ↑ Admiral Dönitz: My U-boat men! Six years of U-boat war lie behind us. You have fought like lions. A crushing material superiority has forced us into a narrow area. A continuation of our fight from the remaining basis is no longer possible. U-boat men! Undefeated and spotless you lay down your arms after a heroic battle without equal. We remember in deep respect our fallen comrades, who have sealed with their death their loyalty to the Führer and Fatherland. Comrades! Preserve your U-boat spirit, with which you have fought courageously, stubbornly and imperturbably through the years for the good of the Fatherland. Long live Germany!
  4. ↑ "Naval game tips hints submarine tactics cheats tips". https://www.subsim.com/tips/tip_silenthunter2.php. 
  5. ↑ "Technical Advisor". Silent Hunter II. http://www.silenthunterii.com/advisor.html. Retrieved 2007-10-26. 
  6. ↑ Silent Hunter II: Interview Update with Rick Martinez, https://www.combatsim.com/review.php?id=548
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Trotter, William (May 1, 2003). "Submarine marries Destroyer: The long vaunted union of SSI naval-sims is complete - thanks to fans.". PC Gamer. http://www.subsim.com/ssr/pcgamer_pmarticle.html. Retrieved 2017-05-06. "Gave source code to subsim.com [...] a fund raising drive netted more than $7000 to jump-start Project Messerwetzer [...] Skilled volunteers and playtesters rallied to the call [...] a free 5MB to 6MB patch that will be finally polished and playtested. The original crippling flaw, multiplayer instability, has been dramatically minimized." 
  8. ↑ "Silent Hunter II". 4 September 2001. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/09/04/silent-hunter-ii-2. 
  9. ↑ Special: Silent Hunter 2 - Interview on 4players.de (2001, in German)
  10. ↑ Scott Parrino (24 May 2003). "Behind the LInes #5". The Wargamer. Archived from the original on 30 November 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051130005148/http://www.wargamer.com/articles/behind_the_lines_5/Default.asp. Retrieved 2017-05-06. "Subsim Review served as the gathering place for Projekt Messerwetzer, the project that brought Silent Hunter II - Destroyer Command computability to full fruition." 
  11. ↑ Najciekawsze modyfikacje (15/03/10) on gry-online.pl by Adrian Werner: "Silent hunter II: Pacific Aces - podstawowa wersja gry obsadzała nas w roli kapitana U-Boota na Atlantyku, podczas gdy ten mod dodaje okręty podwodne marynarki amerykańskiej i wody Pacyfiku. Poza tymi dodatkami Pacific Aces wzbogaca grafikę, dźwięk i strukturę misji w kampanii oraz wprowadza szereg poprawek do mechanizmów rozgrywki." (March 15, 2010, in Polish)
  12. ↑ Silent Hunter 2: Pacific Aces on PC Games (February 19, 2004, in German)
  13. ↑ silent_hunter_2 on gog.com (June 25, 2009)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Silent Hunter II for PC Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/silent-hunter-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  15. ↑ McDonald, Thomas L. (February 2002). "Silent Hunter II". Computer Gaming World (211): 91. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_211.pdf. Retrieved 2016-04-24. 
  16. ↑ Chick, Tom (2001-11-14). "Silent Hunter II Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/silent-hunter-ii-review/1900-2824635/. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  17. ↑ Hiles, Bill (2001-11-25). "Silent Hunter II (PC)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2005-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20050217160258/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/silenthunter2/. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  18. ↑ Ovaldog (2001-12-03). "Silent Hunter II Review - PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20081211053231/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r12072.htm. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  19. ↑ Butts, Steve (2001-11-14). "Silent Hunter II". http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/15/silent-hunter-ii. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  20. ↑ "Silent Hunter II". PC Gamer UK. February 2002. 
  21. ↑ Klett, Steve (February 2002). "Silent Hunter II". PC Gamer: 71. Archived from the original on 2006-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315143229/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/silent_hunter_i.html. Retrieved 2014-12-22. 
  22. ↑ "Silent Hunter II". PC Zone. 2002. 
  23. ↑ review silent hunter ii on subsim.com (June 1, 2005, archived)
  24. ↑ "SILENT HUNTER II review by submarine game website". https://www.subsim.com/ssr/sh2/review_silent_hunter_ii.htm. 
  • 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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