Software:The Golf Pro

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 video game
The Golf Pro
Developer(s)Empire Interactive
Publisher(s)Empire Interactive
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: 1 April 1998
  • EU: 1998
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player

The Golf Pro (full title: The Golf Pro Featuring Gary Player) is a 1998 golf video game developed and published by Empire Interactive for Microsoft Windows. The game features professional golfer Gary Player, as well as two golf courses and a mouse-controlled golf swing method known as Mouse Drive. The game was generally praised for its graphics, but criticized for its limited camera angles. By early 1999, The Golf Pro 2 had been released in the United Kingdom.

Gameplay

The Golf Pro features three playable golfers, including professional golfer Gary Player, who also provides advice to the player. Two real golf courses are featured: St Mellion, and Hilton Head (designed by Gary Player).[1][2] To take a golf swing, the player uses a method known as Mouse Drive, in which the computer mouse is moved side-to-side to simulate the swing.[3] Letting go of the left mouse button at certain points in the process alters the height or distance of the swing, depending on when the button is let go.[1][4] For an adequate golf swing, the player must turn the mouse at certain points to alter the performance of the club head.[5][4] The Mouse Drive uses precise movements from the computer mouse, and a mouse calibration process must be completed before playing.[6] The game features commentary relating to the player's golfing.[2]

Development and release

The Golf Pro was developed and published by British company Empire Interactive,[2][7] and was released for Microsoft Windows.[4] The game was in development in 1996, but its release was delayed.[8] The real golf courses were surveyed for use in the game. The game's courses include elements from their real-life counterparts such as trees and hazards.[9] The game's digitized golfers were video-captured using high-speed film.[9][10] The Mouse Drive uses 12,000 frames of animation to represent more than 90 potential golf swing variations. The game does not include a traditional click-based swing method, as Empire Interactive felt confident that the Mouse Drive would be adequate on its own.[9] David Pringle, the game's project manager, said, "There's only so much you can do with the traditional click-click-click system. […] After using our Mouse Drive system, few players will wish to return to the traditional method."[11]

Alistair Cochran was brought in to improve the game physics. Cochran was an expert on golf physics, and was the scientific advisor to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Pringle described Cochran as "basically the expert world-wide on what happens when a club hits a ball." Pringle said he was glad that Cochran worked on the game "because it means the ball physics are a lot better than they would have been."[10]

In the United States, the game was released on 1 April 1998.[12][13][14] The game had also been released in the United Kingdom by that time.[2] At the time of its release, the game did not include a multiplayer feature, although one was intended to be added in later through a patch. Upon release, the game featured computer-controlled golfers for the player to compete against, although they lacked artificial intelligence and their actions were pre-recorded, making their gameplay the same during each round.[3][1]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStar[3]
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[1]
GameSpot7.2/10[5]
PC Gamer (UK)87%[8]
PC Gamer (US)81%[15]
PC PowerPlay87%[6]
PC Zone9/10[2]
69% (1999 review)[16]
The Cincinnati EnquirerStarStarStarHalf star[4]

The Golf Pro was generally praised for its graphics.[3][1][6][2] Some critics also praised the game physics,[1] with Tasos Kaiafas of GameSpot calling them "impressively realistic, so much so that the game could be used as an instructional tool."[5] The game was criticized for its limited camera angles,[3][1][6][2][4] and the small number of courses also received some criticism.[3][6] Kaiafas was disappointed by the game's graphics, which are pre-rendered.[5]

Gordon Goble of Computer Gaming World praised the realism of the Mouse Drive and wrote that The Golf Pro "does mouse driving better, and with more innovation and complexity, than the competition."[1] Patrick McCarthy of PC Zone praised the game but stated that players would need to practice the Mouse Drive in order to use it adequately.[2] Kaiafas stated that for players who have the patience to practice using the Mouse Drive, "The Golf Pro does present some new challenges that can be fun to master."[5] James Bottorff of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that the Mouse Drive "offers as real a swing as I've seen on the PC. […] This is a welcome change from the traditional three-click approach."[4]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "For all its complexities, the Mouse Drive isn't that difficult to pick up" thanks to the advice given by Gary Player.[7] Jeff Lackey of Computer Games Strategy Plus wrote, "If The Golf Pro had come out a couple of years ago, it would have been hailed as an excellent golf sim. In today's environment, it is an average golf sim with a great swing interface."[3] Steve Owen of PC Gamer UK praised the commentary and called The Golf Pro a "very accomplished, impressive and enjoyable game, but there is little that is truly astounding or original about it." Owen criticized the difficult putting, and stated that the Mouse Drive would have been an innovative feature in 1996, but that the game's "unexpected delay, however, means that everyone else has got there first."[8] In a 1999 review, Mark Hill of PC Zone wrote that "there's no excuse for not including an alternative" to the Mouse Drive. Hill considered the Links series and the Tiger Woods series superior.[16]

The Golf Pro was a runner-up for "Best Sports Game" in PC Zone's 1998 Reader Awards, losing to World Cup 98.[17]

The Golf Pro 2

By early 1999, The Golf Pro 2 had been released in the United Kingdom. It features Gary Player and one golf course: Wentworth. Craig Vaughan of PC Zone rated it 70 out of 100, stating that while the name suggests a sequel, "The Golf Pro 2 is merely a disappointing course data disc that fails to deliver anything radically new." Vaughan further described it as a "half-price, cut-down version of the excellent The Golf Pro."[18] PC Gamer UK's Steve Owen rated it 80 percent and again criticized the putting, while stating that the game seemed like an add-on disc.[19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Goble, Gordon (August 1998). "Chip Shot (The Golf Pro Featuring Gary Player Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (169): 211. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_169.pdf. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 McCarthy, Patrick (April 1998). "The Golf Pro". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (62): 84–85. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070209120807/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3529. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Lackey, Jeff (22 April 1998). "The Golf Pro". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 May 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030523213133/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/011/087/golf_pro_review.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Bottorff, James (1998). "'Golf Pro' a little above par". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). Archived from the original on 22 October 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991022051622/http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/golfpro.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Kaiafas, Tasos (12 May 1998). "The Golf Pro Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Archived from the original on 18 January 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050118055352/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/golfpro/review.html. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Saunders, Hendry (May 1998). "The Golf Pro". PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (24): 95. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-024-1998-05/page/n93/mode/2up. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "It's tee time!". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Block Communications): p. 169. 15 May 1998. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90838281/. Retrieved 13 August 2019. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Owen, Steve (June 1998). "The Golf Pro". PC Gamer UK (Dennis Publishing) (56). Archived from the original on 5 January 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010105191700/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=1218. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 May, Scott (February 1998). "Empire Joins the Golf Wars With a Strong Contender". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (163): 63. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_163.pdf. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chick, Tom (1997). "The Golf Pro: It's all in the wrist". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 May 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030523204826/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/003/173/golf_pro_preview.html. 
  11. ↑ Dunkin, Alan (2 February 1998). "Empire Signs Golf Pro Player [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 4 May 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000504121211/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_02/02_player/index.html. Retrieved 29 June 2020. 
  12. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (3 February 1998). "Empire set to unleash The Golf Pro". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 5 July 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030705045101/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/041/golf_pro.html. 
  13. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (30 March 1998). "Empire's golf sim ready to play". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 5 July 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030705054327/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/011/020/golf_pro.html. 
  14. ↑ Jebens, Harley (30 March 1998). "Golf Pro Ships [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 12 June 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000612151839/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_03/30_golf/index.html. Retrieved 29 June 2020. 
  15. ↑ Smolka, Rob (June 1998). "Golf Pro, The". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (6). Archived from the original on 22 December 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991222191621/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/148.html. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hill, Mark (December 1999). "Budget Zone (The Golf Pro)". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (83): 109. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_083_1999-12_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n107/mode/2up. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 
  17. ↑ PC Zone staff (January 1999). "PC Zone Reader Awards 1998 (Best Sports Game)". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (72): 127. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_072_1999-01_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n125/mode/2up. 
  18. ↑ Vaughan, Craig (March 1999). "The Golf Pro 2". PC Zone (Dennis Publishing) (74): 87. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_074_1999-03_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n85/mode/2up. 
  19. ↑ Owen, Steve (March 1999). "The Golf Pro 2". PC Gamer UK (Future plc) (67). Archived from the original on 12 March 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020312202258/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=1219. 
  • 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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