Software:Ten Pin Alley

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This game is not to be confused with the similarly titled Software:Animaniacs: Ten Pin Alley, which was developed by Saffire.
Short description: 1996 video game
Ten Pin Alley
North American PlayStation Box Art
Developer(s)Adrenalin Entertainment
Publisher(s)ASC Games
Platform(s)PlayStation
Saturn
Windows
PlayStation Network
ReleasePlayStation
Saturn
Windows
PlayStation Network
  • NA: August 13, 2009
Genre(s)Sports game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Ten Pin Alley is a ten-pin bowling simulation game released by ASC Games in 1996 and developed internally at Adrenalin Entertainment.

The game was released on November 28, 1996 in North America, and eventually released in February 1998 in the United Kingdom. Just before its North American release, Sony selected the game's demo to be included on its PlayStation sampler disc.

A sequel to the game entitled Ten Pin Alley 2, by an unknown developer, was mooted for a release on the PlayStation 2, but for unknown reasons was shelved. The sequel, developed by Pronto Games and published by XS Games, was released on the Game Boy Advance to dismal reviews.

Ten Pin Alley should not be confused with an audio game with the same title made by PCS Games.

Gameplay

Players choose from a set of characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.[4] The game play modes are single player, multiplayer, tournament and practice.

Each shot is controlled in a similar fashion to many of the golf games of the era: with an accuracy based pendulum system. With this the player decides the power, accuracy and hook for each shot.

Critical response

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings73% (PS)[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM8.5/10 (PS)[6]
GameSpot7.9/10 (PS)[7]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar (PS)[8]
OPM (US)3/5[5]

Response to the game was favorable. Critics applauded the accurate and realistic physics,[6][7][8][9] the mechanics for controlling the ball's release,[7][8][9] and the humorous behavior of the bowlers.[6][7][8][9] Some critics remarked that the multiplayer capabilities, in combination with its other positive aspects, make Ten Pin Alley an ideal party video game.[6][8][10] Next Generation, for example, called it "the perfect party game, with multiplayer capabilities, wacky characters, and solid game mechanics."[8] GamePro summarized, "Striking sparks into the world of bowling, Ten Pin Alley delivers enough fun per frame to be recognized as the kingpin of its sport."[9] Dean Hager of Electronic Gaming Monthly commented, "Despite its cheesy atmosphere and goof-ball characters, this sleeper-hit delivers an accurate and entertaining bowling game to the 32-bit platform."[6] GameSpot deemed it "more fun than real bowling."[7]

GamePro assessed the Saturn version as inferior to the PlayStation version, elaborating that "Although the [Saturn version] contains new camera angles, the alleys and bowlers don't look as cleanly animated as they do in the PlayStation version." However, they considered it a recommended title for Saturn owners due to its strong gameplay.[10]

Ten Pin Alley was inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame in 1997, with an exhibit including an interactive kiosk.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "American Softworks Corporation [ASC GAMES - Ten Pin Alley (TM)"]. 1997-02-03. http://www.ascgames.com/tenpin/index.html. 
  2. ↑ "ASC Games' Ten Pin Alley "Inducted" Into The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame". October 22, 1997. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151210060654/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ASC+Games'+Ten+Pin+Alley+%22Inducted%22+Into+The+International+Bowling...-a019904017. Retrieved December 29, 2022. 
  3. ↑ Staff (May 1, 1997). "More Games Shipping". http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-04-28.html. Retrieved December 5, 2019. "...[a]lso hitting the stores...[is] Ten Pin Alley, a fun but realistic bowling game."
  4. ↑ "Ten Pin Alley". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (87): 170. October 1996. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Ten Pin Alley for PlayStation". http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198908-ten-pin-alley/index.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Team EGM Box Scores: Ten Pin Alley". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (91): 151. February 1997. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Ten Pin Alley Review". December 1, 1996. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ten-pin-alley-review/1900-2549717/. Retrieved 9 February 2018. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Ten Pin Alley". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (27): 90. March 1997. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Johnny Ballgame (February 1997). "PlayStation ProReview: Ten Pin Alley". GamePro (IDG) (101): 70. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 J. Boogie (December 1997). "Saturn ProReview: Ten Pin Alley". GamePro (IDG) (111): 180. 
  11. ↑ "Picking Up the Spare". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (102): 22. January 1998. 
  • Official website (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. 
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