Software:Steel Battalion

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Short description: 2002 video game
Steel Battalion
North American box art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Capcom
Director(s)Hifumi Kono
Producer(s)Atsushi Inaba
Artist(s)
  • Hirokazu Yonezuka
  • Sawaki Takeyasu
Composer(s)Naru Shirai
Platform(s)Xbox
Release
  • JP: September 12, 2002
  • NA: November 20, 2002[1]
  • EU: March 28, 2003[2]
Genre(s)Action, vehicle simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a video game created by Capcom for the Xbox console where the player controls a "Vertical Tank"—a bipedal, heavily armed mecha. To control the tank and play the game requires the use of a large controller made specially for Steel Battalion. The controller consists of 44 input points, mainly buttons, but also uses two joysticks, a throttle handle, a radio channel dial, five switches, an eject button, and three foot pedals. Only limited quantities were made available. These quickly sold out, making the game a collector's piece. It has since been re-released in limited quantities worldwide, with blue controller buttons distinguishing it from the first edition with green buttons.

Gameplay

At the beginning of every mission, the player must start up the machine and operating system; this is handled through a series of switches and buttons dedicated to this purpose. If a corner is turned too fast, the machine will tumble over. If the player's machine overheats, its operating system must be reset. The game even simulates window wipers in case of mud hits the monitor. If the player does not eject when prompted, the player's in-game character will die, and the game will delete its own saved data, prompting the player to start over from the beginning.

Vertical tanks (VTs) are the vehicles piloted in the series. Essentially bipedal walking weapons platforms, VTs are classed by their developmental generation and sub-categorised by their combat role. Primary combat roles are standard combat, assault, support, scout, and fast attack. Vertical tanks are divided into three weight classes: light, medium and heavy. As the player progresses, new generations of VTs become available. This allows a newer, more advanced operating system, startup sequence, and combat functions, as well as a wider cockpit view and layout. New generation VTs also handle better and can provide better firepower than previous generations.

Development

The re-released Steel Battalion controller, is identifiable by its blue buttons.

Steel Battalion was developed by Nude Maker (former Human Entertainment developers) in collaboration with Capcom Production Studio 4.[3] Inaba's superiors were skeptical about putting such a game on the market.[4] The number of staff working on the project grew according to the team's experience with making new hardware. The earliest build of the game was created for the PlayStation 2. However, when the Xbox became available, the development team switched to it because of the system's greater power. Online play was taken out of consideration close to the development's start due to being too ambitious.[5] While the game and its special controller received critical acclaim, the project turned little profit.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic83/100[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6/10[7]
EGM8.5/10[8]
Eurogamer6/10[9]
Famitsu35/40[10]
Game Informer9.5/10[11]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[12]
GameSpot7.3/10[13]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[14]
IGN8.3/10[15]
OXM (US)8.9/10[16]

The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 35 out of 40.[10] It was nominated for GameSpot's 2002 "Best Graphics (Artistic)" and "Best Game No One Played" awards among Xbox games, but also the publication's "Most Disappointing Game on Xbox" prize.[17]

Steel Battalion was the fifth best-selling game during its week of release in Japan at about 15,092 copies. While less popular in the United States, an estimated 25,000 were sold during the initial launch of the game/controller combo. In Germany Capcom shipped only 500 units.[18][19] Inaba concluded that the game ultimately broke even in terms of units shipped and units sold.[5]

A reviewer on IGN wrote "where MechAssault and Robotech wouldn't let us into the cockpit, Steel Battalion won't let us out" and joked the US$200 cost was for the controller while the game disc was free.[15]

Sequels

A sequel called Software:Steel Battalion: Line of Contact was released in 2004, and also used the game's unique controller.[20] The third installment called Software:Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor was released in June 2012. This installment uses the Kinect motion sensor control rather than the original controller.

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "Press Releases". 2002-12-08. http://www.capcom.com/news/news.xpml?prid=450025. 
  2. ↑ "Steel Battalion launch farce" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2003-03-28. https://www.eurogamer.net/article-47639. 
  3. ↑ "Production Studio 4" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050206023353/http://www.capcom.co.jp/studio4/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Sheffield, Brandon (October 23, 2006). "Capcom & Clover, Over and Over: Former Clover Head Atsushi Inaba on a Post-Capcom World". UBM plc. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/capcom-clover-over-and-over-former-clover-head-atsushi-inaba-on-a-post-capcom-world. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sheffield, Brandon (March 11, 2005). "Postcard from GDC 2005: Lessons from Viewtiful Joe: Making a Creatively and Financially Successful New Game". UBM plc. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2251/postcard_from_gdc_2005_lessons_.php. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Steel Battalion for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/steel-battalion/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved June 21, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Edge staff (April 2003). "Steel Battalion". Edge (Future plc) (122). 
  8. ↑ EGM staff (January 2003). "Steel Battalion". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (162): 204. 
  9. ↑ Taylor, Martin (March 26, 2003). "Steel Battalion". Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_steelbattalion_x. Retrieved February 9, 2018. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Xbox - 鉄騎" (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 106. June 30, 2006. 
  11. ↑ McNamara, Andy (December 2002). "Steel Battalion". Game Informer (GameStop) (116): 132. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200212/R03.0731.1220.19775.htm. Retrieved February 9, 2018. 
  12. ↑ Tokyo Drifter (November 20, 2002). "Steel Battalion Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050410073252/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/27183.shtml. Retrieved February 10, 2018. 
  13. ↑ Gesrtmann, Jeff (November 22, 2002). "Steel Battalion Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/steel-battalion-review/1900-2898457/. Retrieved February 9, 2018. 
  14. ↑ Meston, Zach (January 4, 2003). "GameSpy: Steel Battalion". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 17, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051217031236/http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/steel-battalion/5513p1.html. Retrieved February 10, 2018. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Boulding, Aaron (November 25, 2002). "Steel Battalion Review". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/25/steel-battalion-review. Retrieved February 9, 2018. 
  16. ↑ "Steel Battalion". Official Xbox Magazine (Future plc): 89. January 2003. 
  17. ↑ GameSpot Staff (December 30, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030207155400/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/. 
  18. ↑ GEE Magazin Nr.6 p. 56
  19. ↑ GamePro Germany 06/2004 P. 121
  20. ↑ Bishop, Stuart (January 6, 2004). "Xbox News: Steel Battalion: Line of Contact retail plans confirmed". Future plc. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025101651/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/99912/steel-battalion-line-of-contact-retail-plans-confirmed/. Retrieved February 9, 2018. 
  • Official website (no longer active)
  • 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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