Software:Stupid Invaders

From HandWiki
Short description: 2000 video game

Stupid Invaders
Developer(s)Xilam Interactive
Titanium Studios (DC)
Publisher(s)Ubi Soft
Programmer(s)Frederic Sarlin
Fabrice Decroix
Writer(s)Nicolas Gallet
Thomas Szabo
Sebastien Hamon
Composer(s)Hervé Lavandier
Ramon Pipin
SeriesSpace Goofs
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh, Dreamcast
ReleaseWindows
  • EU: December 15, 2000
  • NA: February 21, 2001
Dreamcast
  • EU: May 18, 2001
  • NA: June 20, 2001[1]
Macintosh
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Stupid Invaders is an adventure video game developed by Xilam and published by Ubi Soft for Microsoft Windows in 2000 and Mac OS in 2001. A 2001 Dreamcast port was handled by Titanium Studios.[2] The game is based on the animated television series, Space Goofs.

The game was dedicated to Jean-Yves Raimbaud, the co-creator of the TV series, who died before the game was released. Unlike the original show, the game is also reliant on toilet humor and is slightly more adult in nature, making it the first work produced by Xilam to be for an older audience, before Kaena: The Prophecy, Mr. Baby, and then I Lost My Body, which was released decades later.

Most of the staff members from the first season of the original series were involved with the game's production. The original cast reprised their roles as the main aliens, some of whom provide dialogue for some exclusive characters. The game features the additional voices of Billy West, Rob Paulsen and Laraine Newman, with Danny Mann (Gorgious) voicing an evil scientist from "Zero Stuff" and West voicing the antagonist, Bolok from "The Pro".

Plot

The plot centers around the aliens and their attempts to return to space. However, a bounty hunter, the stoic yet serious Bolok, is sent by an evil scientist, to target the aliens. Thus, Etno's attempt to explain his newest idea goes awry as the aliens are frozen solid by Bolok's gun – which forces Bud to retreat to the bathroom. Once he sneaks to the rooftop and sneaks around the house, the player progresses through the large, surreal world within performing very specific (and often absurd) actions, like melting Santa Claus and reducing him into green ooze.

Gameplay

All the main characters of the series are playable through the course of the game. The game rejects or distorts some clichéd aspects of the adventure genre, as standard adventure game tactics such as picking up, talking to, or interacting with anything encountered can often result in instant (albeit highly comical) death for the player's currently-controlled character and the need to reload, for example, often without warning. It should be noted the game does not support autosaving – players need to save manually before they progress any further.

Development

Development of the game initially began at Gaumont through Gaumont Multimédia before the studio was shut down by Gaumont in 1999, and it was originally slated for release in December 1999.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DreamcastPC
Adventure GamersN/AStarStarStarStar[6]
AllGameN/AStarStar[7]
CGSPN/AStarStarStar[8]
CGWN/AStarStarStarHalf star[9]
EGM6.5/10[10]N/A
EurogamerN/A8/10[12]
GameSpot6.2/10[13]6.6/10[14]
GameSpy7/10[15]35%[16]
IGN7/10[17]7.2/10[18]
Next GenerationN/AStarStar[19]
PC Gamer (US)N/A52%[20]
The Cincinnati EnquirerN/AStarStarStarHalf star[22]
Aggregate score
Metacritic64/100[4]65/100[5]

The game received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5] Daniel Erickson of NextGen said that the PC version "would have been better as a non-interactive cartoon."[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Dreamcast". Archived from the original on July 15, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010715192402/http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/homepages/dreamcast/default.asp. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  2. ↑ "Titanium's Games". http://www.titaniumstudios.com/games/games.html. 
  3. ↑ Robertson, Virginia (November 1, 1998). "Gaumont mixes its media". https://kidscreen.com/1998/11/01/23490-19981101/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Stupid Invaders critic reviews (DC)". Fandom. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220517200422/https://www.metacritic.com/game/dreamcast/stupid-invaders. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Stupid Invaders critic reviews (PC)". Fandom. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220629182246/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/stupid-invaders. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  6. ↑ Fournier, Heidi (May 20, 2002). "Stupid Invaders review (PC)". Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220425104253/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17506. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  7. ↑ Laramee, Francois. "Stupid Invaders (PC) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141114150049/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25498&tab=review. Retrieved December 2, 2014. 
  8. ↑ Yans, Cindy (February 5, 2001). "Stupid Invaders". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on March 4, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030304151846/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/031/149/stupidinva-01.html. Retrieved August 15, 2020. 
  9. ↑ Wells, Audrey (May 2001). "The Dimwits From Deep Space (Stupid Invaders Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (202): 86. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230322080953/https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_202.pdf. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  10. ↑ Kim, Jeanne (June 2001). "Stupid Invaders (DC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (143): 103. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230415012653/https://retrocdn.net/images/0/01/EGM_US_143.pdf. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  11. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (February 20, 2001). "Stupid Invaders (PC)". Greedy Productions Ltd.. Archived from the original on July 15, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020715131710/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=5218&full=1. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  12. ↑ Bye, John "Gestalt" (January 20, 2001). "Stupid Invaders (PC)". Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010128130700/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/r_stupid. Retrieved November 3, 2014. 
  13. ↑ Satterfield, Shane (July 11, 2001). "Stupid Invaders Review (DC)". Fandom. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042320/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/stupid-invaders-review/1900-2784166/. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  14. ↑ Dulin, Ron (February 5, 2001). "Stupid Invaders Review (PC)". Fandom. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220425104255/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/stupid-invaders-review/1900-2682281/. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  15. ↑ Celeryface (July 12, 2001). "Stupid Invaders". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124054827/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/stupidinvaders/. Retrieved November 3, 2014. 
  16. ↑ Schembri, Tamara (February 4, 2001). "Stupid Invaders (PC)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 23, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050223214709/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/january01/stupidi/. Retrieved November 3, 2014. 
  17. ↑ Chau, Anthony (June 29, 2001). "Stupid Invaders (DC)". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220425104257/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/29/stupid-invaders. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  18. ↑ Lopez, Vincent (February 27, 2001). "Stupid Invaders (PC)". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231030232751/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/28/stupid-invaders-3. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Erickson, Daniel (March 2001). "Stupid Invaders (PC)". NextGen (Imagine Media) (75): 94. https://archive.org/details/NextGen75Mar2001/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved August 15, 2020. 
  20. ↑ "Stupid Invaders". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 8 (5). May 2001. 
  21. ↑ Chandran, Neal (December 9, 2004). "Stupid Invaders (DC)". Emerald Shield Media LLC. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240509183433/https://www.rpgfan.com/review/stupid-invaders/. Retrieved May 9, 2024. 
  22. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (February 20, 2001). "'Stupid Invaders' an adventure of looks and laughs". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080509083504/http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/022101_stupidinvaders.html. Retrieved November 3, 2014. 
  • Official site (archived)
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.




Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Stupid_Invaders&oldid=4221573"