Software:The Italian Job (2003 video game)

From HandWiki
The Italian Job
Developer(s)Climax Brighton
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Producer(s)Nicolas Rodriguez
Designer(s)Serkan Hassan
Programmer(s)Balor Knight
Artist(s)Vassos Shiarlis
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube
ReleasePlayStation 2. Xbox
  • NA: 24 June 2003
  • EU: 12 September 2003
GameCube
  • NA: 15 July 2003
  • EU: 12 September 2003
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The Italian Job (released in Europe and Australia as The Italian Job: L.A. Heist) is a racing video game released in 2003 developed by Climax Brighton and published by Eidos Interactive. The game is based on the 2003 film of the same name. The game features a story mode based on the movie and a multiplayer mode where the player drives Minis through several different circuits in Hollywood and LA. The Windows version was planned, but was cancelled.

Gameplay

The Italian Job is a racing game based on the 2003 film. Players drive vehicles around Hollywood and Los Angeles, earning points for completing small tasks. There are 15 missions in the story mode. Each is designed to reflect a certain part of the movie, with the spoken introduction to each 'section' giving background on what part of the movie is being covered, and what the objective of the mission is going to be. The game's four other modes include racing around tracks, performing stunts for points, free roam, and time trials.

The game was developed to be in the same game style as the classic PlayStation Driver games because of the limitations they had during development having no licence for the actors of the movie.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(GC) 56/100[1]
(PS2) 55/100[2]
(Xbox) 54/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[4]
EGM14/30[5]
Game Informer5/10[6][7][8]
GameProStarStarHalf star[9]
GameRevolutionC+[10]
GameSpot4.4/10[11]
GameSpyStarStar[12]
GameZone(Xbox) 7.1/10[13]
(PS2) 5/10[14]
IGN6.8/10[15]
Nintendo Power2.9/5[16]
OPM (US)StarStar[17]
OXM (US)7.8/10[18]
Maxim5/10[19]

The Italian Job received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[1][2][3] Electronic Gaming Monthly's G. Ford was positive; although acknowledging that the game could be finished within a few days and offered nothing original, the easy and responsive controls, "neat stunts", "cool" story, and "impressive" visuals (particularly the cars and environments), made the experience worthwhile.[5] The magazine's Greg S., however, panned the experience as a set of "boring, repetitive, and annoying missions", made worse by a useless radar system.[5]

Maxim gave it a score of five out of ten and said, "The ordinary race-and-chaser’s loosely knit compilation of repetitive Mini Cooper showdowns has a recognizable scene or two, but that’s about it."[19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Italian Job for GameCube Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-italian-job/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Italian Job for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-italian-job/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Italian Job for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-italian-job/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  4. ↑ Edge staff (October 2003). "The Italian Job". Edge (128): 101. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 EGM Staff (September 2003). "The Italian Job (Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (171): 121. Archived from the original on 2004-01-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20040101161358/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,4364,1304379,00.asp. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  6. ↑ "The Italian Job (PS2)". Game Informer (124): 91. August 2003. 
  7. ↑ "The Italian Job (Xbox)". Game Informer (124): 98. August 2003. 
  8. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (August 2003). "The Italian Job (GC)". Game Informer (124): 93. Archived from the original on 2003-09-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20030919201001/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200308/R03.0807.1700.32145.htm. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  9. ↑ Fennec Fox (2003-07-08). "The Italian Job Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20050208023100/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/30110.shtml. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  10. ↑ Dodson, Joe (July 2003). "The Italian Job Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/the-italian-job. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  11. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (2003-06-30). "The Italian Job Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-italian-job-review/1900-6030864/. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  12. ↑ Pavlacka, Adam (2003-07-06). "GameSpy: The Italian Job". GameSpy. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/the-italian-job/5975p1.html. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  13. ↑ Knutson, Michael (2003-07-27). "The Italian Job - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-10-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20081016000220/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17630.htm. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  14. ↑ Watkins, Rob (2003-07-28). "The Italian Job - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-02-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20080205091134/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17630.htm. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  15. ↑ Robinson, Jon (2003-06-24). "The Italian Job". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/25/the-italian-job-6. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  16. ↑ "The Italian Job". Nintendo Power 172: 137. September 2003. 
  17. ↑ Davison, John (September 2003). "The Italian Job (PS2)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 97. Archived from the original on 2004-05-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20040525113204/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1493641,00.asp. Retrieved 2014-02-12. 
  18. ↑ "The Italian Job". Official Xbox Magazine: 81. September 2003. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Boyce, Ryan (2003-06-25). "The Italian Job". Maxim. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20140306102157/http://www.maxim.com/gaming/the-italian-job. Retrieved 2014-11-29. 
  • 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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