Software:The Bible Game

From HandWiki
Short description: 2005 Christian party video game published by Crave Entertainment
The Bible Game
Developer(s)Mass Media
Publisher(s)Crave Entertainment
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
  • NA: October 18, 2005[1]
  • NA: October 30, 2005 (GBA)
  • EU: June 30, 2006 (PS2)
Genre(s)Christian, party
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The Bible Game is a Christian party game developed by Mass Media and published by Crave Entertainment. It is aimed at Christians and is "family-friendly." There are a variety of trivia questions related to the Old Testament. The main two modes are "TV Game Show" and "Challenge Games." The latter lets players choose any minigame.

Gameplay

In the Game Boy Advance version players explore different maps searching for demons. When the player finds one, they must hit the demon with their Bible. At this point the demon challenges the player to Bible trivia in exchange for a piece of key (which opens the end level destination, the church). The home console version features a game show-themed party mode where players compete for the most points and play various Christian-themed minigames.

Development and release

The Bible Game was featured at E3 2005 and was playable at demo kiosks.[2] It was developed by Mass Media, Inc. and published by Crave Entertainment. When asked why they chose to publish a religious game, Crave Entertainment Rob Dyer exclaimed that he wanted to try publishing a different kind of game, given the similarity between Crave's catalogue of games, citing games such as Tomb Raider. Dyer wanted to make a nonviolent game, but also wanted to avoid making a preachy one either. Dyer explained that he did not make the game for personal religious reasons; rather, he desired to fill niches that other publishers did not.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBAPS2Xbox
EurogamerN/A5/10[4]N/A
GamesMasterN/A49%[5]N/A
GameSpotN/A5.4/10[6]5.4/10[6]
IGN3.5/10[7]6.5/10[8]6.5/10[8]
OPM (UK)N/A4/10[9]N/A
PSM3N/A43%[10]N/A
TeamXboxN/AN/A6.1/10[11]
X-PlayN/AN/AStarStar[12]
CiN WeeklyN/A78/100[13]78/100[13]
Aggregate score
Metacritic35/100[14]53/100[15]60/100[16]

The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received "mixed or average reviews," while the Game Boy Advance version received "unfavorable" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[14][15][16] G4TV writer Greg Bemis was critical of the game in his review of the Xbox version. They criticized the game show mechanic and felt that most mini-games were of poor quality, though they felt there were a couple that were the exception.[12] CiN Weekly PJ Hruschak called it a "cheesy game show," though felt that it would appeal to young children, and adults will appreciate its "innocent humor." They also felt that the price point made it a good pick for children to enjoy.[13] IGN writer Juan Castro felt it lacked the "biblical depth" to attract religious people, while also criticizing the mini-games as not being engaging. However, they noted that if a parent was looking for a cheap, non-violent game for their kids, they "could definitely do worse."[8] IGN writer Mark Bozon's review of the Game Boy Advance version was critical, pointing out how poor the gameplay is and how many bugs it has.[7] Eurogamer writer John Walker felt that it was "well-presented" and "contemporary in design" but still "shallow." They felt that there was only a small niche of people who might enjoy it.[4] In discussing mainstream Christian video games, Vice author Emanuel Maiberg described The Bible Game as one of the better examples of a game that came close to the mainstream.[17] GameSpot writer Bob Colayco was critical of the game, calling it "mediocre." They felt that it would be a Christian family friendly product and felt they would enjoy its "commercial Christian pop soundtrack." They felt that the mini-games were "basic" and lacking in variety.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Adams, David (2005-10-19). "The Bible Game Revealed at Retail" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/19/the-bible-game-revealed-at-retail. 
  2. ↑ Lewis, Ed (May 18, 2005). "E3 2005: The Bible Game". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/18/e3-2005-the-bible-game. 
  3. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (May 11, 2005). "Wanna Part The Red Sea On A PlayStation? Behold 'The Bible Game'". MTV Multiplayer. http://www.mtv.com/news/1501675/wanna-part-the-red-sea-on-a-playstation-behold-the-bible-game/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Walker, John (July 10, 2006). "The Bible Game (PS2)". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_biblegame_ps2. 
  5. ↑ "The Bible Game (PS2)". GamesMaster: 72. August 2006. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Colayco, Bob (January 17, 2006). "The Bible Game Review (PS2, Xbox)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-bible-game-review/1900-6142528/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bozon, Mark (December 5, 2005). "The Bible Game (GBA)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/05/the-bible-game. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Castro, Juan (November 14, 2005). "The Bible Game (PS2, Xbox)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/15/the-bible-game-2. 
  9. ↑ "The Bible Game". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine: 83. May 2006. 
  10. ↑ "Review: The Bible Game". PSM2: 75. August 2006. 
  11. ↑ Semsey, Rob (November 2, 2005). "The Bible Game Review (Xbox)". TeamXbox. http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/1041/The-Bible-Game/p1/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bemis, Greg (February 21, 2006). "The Bible Game Review (Xbox)". X-Play. http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/53403/The_Bible_Game_Review.html. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Hruschak, PJ (December 14, 2005). "Player 1: Shamu and The Bible". CiN Weekly. http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051214/ENT09/512140349/1063. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "The Bible Game for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-bible-game/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Bible Game, The (ps2: 2005): Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/biblegame. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "The Bible Game for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-bible-game/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  17. ↑ Maiberg, Emanuel (October 9, 2014). "These Evangelical Twins Want to Make a Bible Video Game That Doesn't Suck". Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/z4my53/the-evangelical-twins-who-want-to-make-a-bible-video-game-that-doesnt-suck. 
  • 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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