Software:The Political Machine 2008

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Short description: 2008 video game

The Political Machine 2008
Box art
Developer(s)Stardock
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: June 24, 2008
  • EU: October 17, 2008
Genre(s)Government simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The Political Machine 2008 is a government simulation game from Stardock and the second game in The Political Machine series, in which the player leads a campaign to elect the President of the United States. The player accomplishes this goal by traveling from state to state and engaging in a variety of activities to either raise money or raise poll numbers. It is the sequel to The Political Machine released in 2004. The Political Machine 2008 features new candidates such as Barack Obama and John McCain. The game focuses on much more current issues and the constant need for money.[1]

The game features three more scenarios, election in the American Civil War, an election taking place in an alternative European Union, and an alien world.

The developers said that they would add new content into the game before November 4 (the election) and update the issues as they changed in importance. New candidates were also planned once minor bugs were ironed out.[2]

Presidential candidates

Democrats

  • Fmr. President Bill Clinton (D-AR)
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
  • Fmr. Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)
  • Fmr. Vice President Al Gore (D-TN)
  • Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
  • Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
  • Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)
  • Fmr. President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) - unlock
  • Fmr. President John F Kennedy (D-MA) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Woodrow Wilson (D-NJ) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Thomas Jefferson (DR-VA) - unlock
  • Fmr. Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK) - download
  • Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) - download
  • Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) - download

Republicans

A screenshot of the main screen, showing candidates Barack Obama and John McCain
  • Lord Kona (fictional)
  • President George W. Bush (R-TX)
  • Vice President Dick Cheney (R-WY)
  • Fmr. New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)
  • Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
  • Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
  • Fmr. Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)
  • Fmr. President Ulysses S. Grant (R-OH) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Richard Nixon (R-CA) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Ronald Reagan (R-CA) - unlock
  • Fmr. President Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY) - unlock
  • Fmr. President George Washington (VA) -unlock[3]
  • Fmr. President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL) - unlock
  • Fmr. Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) - download
  • Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) - download

It is not possible to run as a third-party or independent candidate.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comC[5]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameSpot7.5/10[7]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[8]
IGN7.3/10[9]
PC Format79%[10]
PC Gamer (US)81%[11]
PC Zone81%[12]
WiredStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[13]

The game received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator website Metacritic.[4] IT Reviews said that "the gameplay is sufficiently engrossing and varied to keep your interest".[14] GameSpy called it "a really solid 'beer & pretzels' strategy game".[8] 1UP.com complained that "with more focus on the real-world conflicts and unpredictable events that plague campaigns, running for office might be a bit less tiresome".[5]

References

  1. ↑ Stardock. "The Political Machine 2008 lets gamers run for President" .
  2. ↑ The Political Machine forum post (about halfway down the page)
  3. ↑ George Washington was an independent, but the game only allows for a two-party system
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Political Machine 2008 for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-political-machine-2008/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Manion, Rory (June 23, 2008). "The Political Machine 2008". http://www.1up.com/reviews/political-machine-2008. 
  6. ↑ Dagley, Andrew (June 30, 2008). "Review: The Political Machine 2008". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/195968.shtml. Retrieved December 24, 2014. 
  7. ↑ Todd, Brett (June 20, 2008). "The Political Machine 2008 Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-political-machine-2008-review/1900-6192765/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Rausch, Allen "Delsyn" (June 20, 2008). "GameSpy: The Political Machine 2008". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-political-machine-2008/883324p1.html. 
  9. ↑ Butts, Steve (June 18, 2008). "The Political Machine 2008 Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/18/the-political-machine-2008-review. 
  10. ↑ "The Political Machine 2008". PC Format (217): 112. September 2008. 
  11. ↑ "The Political Machine 2008". PC Gamer: 75. September 2008. 
  12. ↑ "PC Review: The Political Machine 2008". PC Zone: 64. October 2008. 
  13. ↑ Cavalli, Earnest (June 16, 2008). "Review: Political Machine 2008 Makes Politics Fun, Affordable". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2008/06/review-politica/. Retrieved December 24, 2014. 
  14. ↑ "Kalypso Media the Political Machine 2008 review - IT Reviews". http://www.itreviews.co.uk/games/g504.htm. 
  • Official website
  • 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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