Software:Test Drive: Off-Road Wide Open

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Short description: 2001 video game

Test Drive: Off-Road Wide Open
North American PlayStation 2 box art featuring the 2001 Hummer H1 (foreground) and the 2001 Ford F-150 (background)
Developer(s)Angel Studios
Publisher(s)Infogrames
SeriesTest Drive
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • NA: August 21, 2001
  • PAL: November 23, 2001
Xbox
  • NA: November 15, 2001
  • EU: May 24, 2002
  • AU: May 31, 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open (known simply as Off-Road: Wide Open in Europe) is a racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Infogrames for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the first game in the Test Drive series to be developed for the sixth generation of gaming systems, and the fourth and final installment of the Off-Road series. Trucks from General Motors make a full return as playable vehicles after being sort of absent in Software:Test Drive: Off-Road 3.

Gameplay

Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open, like the previous installments, focuses on off-road racing and utilizes three-dimensional graphics.

The player has a choice of off-road vehicles from manufacturers such as Hummer, Jeep, Ford, and others. Each vehicle has several variants that differ from each other in appearance and characteristics (climbing ability, top speed, acceleration, and handling): Stock, Modified, Pro, and Unlimited (the last two are unlocked during the game). Each car can be repainted. There is an option to shift weight, which enables to adjust the position of the car while in mid-air. The PlayStation 2 version includes a multiplayer mode with a split-screen for two players and the Xbox version for up to four players. In addition, the Xbox version includes more off-road vehicles.

The game features four modes. In "Single Race," the player chooses a difficulty level (easy, medium, or hard), a track, and an off-road vehicle, and must place first among the eight opponents to win. "Career Race" is a single-player mode that includes tournaments, in which the player earns the money needed to buy new vehicles. In "Free Ride", the player can explore one of three locations; Moab, Utah, Yosemite Park, and Hawaii. "Stadium Race" is a mode available only in the Xbox version, in which competition takes place on special enclosed tracks.

Development and release

Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open was announced on October 19, 2000. Angel Studios, known for another off-road racing game, Smuggler's Run, was responsible for development. The new game was the first in the Test Drive series to be released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox and was the last installment of the Off-Road sub-series. The game was shown at E3 2001. In the making, the graphics, controls, and game modes were greatly improved. Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open was based on the Angel Game Engine (AGE) used in previous games from Angel Studios. The soundtrack includes songs from Metallica, Fear Factory, and others.

It was released on August 21, 2001, on PlayStation 2 and November 15 on Xbox in North America.[1][2] The game was released in Europe and Australia under the shortened title Off-Road: Wide Open for PlayStation 2 on November 23, 2001,[3][4] and for Xbox in 2002 on May 24 and May 31, respectively.[5][6]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS2Xbox
AllGameN/AStarStar[9]
EGM5.67/10[10]N/A
Game Informer(Nov.) 6.25/10[11]
(Sept.) 3.5/10[12]		6.5/10[13]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[14]StarStarStarStar[15]
GameRevolutionB−[16]C+[17]
GameSpot7.6/10[18]6.8/10[19]
GameSpy68%[20]71%[21]
GameZone7.3/10[22]8/10[23]
IGN6.5/10[24]7/10[25]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[26]StarStar[27]
OPM (US)StarStarStar[28]N/A
OXM (US)N/A5.6/10[29]
Maxim8/10[30]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic70/100[7]64/100[8]

Test Drive: Off-Road: Wide Open received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7][8]

Kristian Brogger of Game Informer initially gave the PlayStation 2 version a bad review in the September 2001 issue, stating that the graphics were poor and the sounds were so bad because of bugs in the game.[12] However, he raised the grade up to an average review in the November 2001 issue, saying that the game was "certainly leagues better without the infamous bug, but the game itself still seems to suffer from an attack of mediocre gameplay syndrome."[11]

Jim Preston of NextGen's November 2001 issue called the same console version "An all-too-familiar entry in the Test Drive series, but there's fun to be had."[26] However, in its final issue, the magazine called the Xbox version "a flat and uninspired game, and it certainly can't compare to the large collection of stellar Xbox launch titles."[27]

References

  1. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (August 21, 2001). "Infogrames ships two for the PS2". http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/testdriveoffroadwideopen/news_2806346.html. 
  2. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (October 30, 2001). "Two games confirmed for Xbox launch" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-games-confirmed-for-xbox-launch/1100-2821290/. 
  3. ↑ "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open". https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-2-ps2/00008537-test-drive-off-road-wide-open.htm. 
  4. ↑ "Test Drive Off Road Wide Open". http://gamenation.com.au/product/?action=view&id=672. 
  5. ↑ "2002 Releases". http://eurogamer.net/release-dates.php. 
  6. ↑ "Off Road Wide Open". http://gamenation.com.au/product/?action=view&id=727. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/test-drive-off-road-wide-open/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/test-drive-off-road-wide-open/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved December 1, 2018. 
  9. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (Xbox) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115093514/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=36257&tab=review. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  10. ↑ EGM staff (October 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (147): 146. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Brogger, Kristian (November 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (PS2)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (103): 112. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200111/R03.0806.1038.57059.htm?CS_pid=938198. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Brogger, Kristian (September 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open (PS2)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (101). http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200109/R03.0805.1628.32487.htm?CS_pid=280129. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  13. ↑ "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (Xbox)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (104): 109. December 2001. 
  14. ↑ Jake The Snake (August 27, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 20, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050220213414/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/16366.shtml. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  15. ↑ Dan Elektro (December 19, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on March 10, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050310045122/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/19207.shtml. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  16. ↑ White, A.A. (August 2001). "Test Drive Offroad [sic: Wide Open Review (PS2)"]. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908055748/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/test-drive-offroad-wide-open. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  17. ↑ White, A.A. (February 2002). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (Xbox)". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040215135455/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/xbox/racing/test_drive_offroad_wide_open.htm. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  18. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (August 28, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open Review (PS2) [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/test-drive-off-road-wide-open-review/1900-2808679/. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  19. ↑ Satterfield, Shane (November 30, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open Review (Xbox) [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/test-drive-off-road-wide-open-review/1900-2829095/. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  20. ↑ Padilla, Raymond (September 29, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (PS2)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041212070739/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/september01/testdriveoffroad/. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  21. ↑ Burns, Enid (November 15, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041213175051/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/testdriveoffroadxbox/. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  22. ↑ Krause, Kevin (September 5, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open Review - PlayStation 2". Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070715135833/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17177.htm. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  23. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (December 12, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open (Xbox)". Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204112511/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17177.htm. Retrieved February 8, 2019. 
  24. ↑ Smith, David (August 23, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road -- Wide Open (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/23/test-drive-off-road-wide-open-3. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  25. ↑ Lopez, Vincent (November 7, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road -- Wide Open (Xbox)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/08/test-drive-off-road-wide-open. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Preston, Jim (November 2001). "Test Drive: Off-Road Wide Open (PS2)". NextGen (Imagine Media) (83): 108. https://archive.org/details/NextGen83Nov2001/page/n109/mode/2up. Retrieved September 15, 2021. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open [sic (Xbox)"]. NextGen (Imagine Media) (85): 31. January 2002. https://archive.org/details/NextGen85Jan2002/page/n31/mode/2up. Retrieved October 10, 2021. 
  28. ↑ "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (48). September 2001. 
  29. ↑ "Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open". Official Xbox Magazine (Imagine Media). January 2002. 
  30. ↑ Boyce, Ryan (August 14, 2001). "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open (PS2)". Biglari Holdings. Archived from the original on December 29, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20011229093236/http://www.maximonline.com/articles/review_videogames.asp?videogame_id=1140. Retrieved February 7, 2019. 
  • 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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