Software:WorldShift

From HandWiki
WorldShift
Developer(s)Black Sea Studios
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Vesselin Handjiev
EngineGamebryo
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • GER: May 8, 2008
  • AU: September 9, 2008
  • NA: November 16, 2009
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

WorldShift is a science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Black Sea Studios and released in 2008.

Plot

In the 21st century, a mysterious object lands on Earth ending all known civilization. WorldShift is set thousands of years after those events, when the human civilization is no more than just a fading myth. The remains of the mysterious object, known as Shard Zero, are still spreading its Plague and reshaping the Earth. The human race has developed a new culture and is now living in five shielded mega-cities, struggling to survive from day to day. The rest of the Earth is populated by what is known to be the Tribes, successors of the early humans that were affected by the Plague, and the Cult, a mysterious alien race with unknown origins.[1]

Gameplay

In WorldShift, there are no technology trees featuring hundreds of upgrades; instead, WorldShift allows the players to discover and acquire a vast number of items and powerful relics that they can use to freely change their gameplay and preferred tactics and to attack their enemies. The players will gather items as they fight their opponents and as rewards for completing missions. There is a three-tiered unit system, with outstanding leader units, strong officer units and then more common basic units. The game is centered on unique cooperative multiplayer gameplay.[1]

Many units in WorldShift have power which the player can spend to perform special actions such as spells, healing, or stronger attacks. Some units also have shields able to absorb the strength of an incoming attack partly or entirely.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic63/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
4Players69%[3]
GameSpot6.5/10[4]
GameStar70%[5]
IGN5/10[6]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Game Information". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080508024753/http://worldshift-game.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=28. Retrieved May 21, 2008. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "WorldShift for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/worldshift/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
  3. Naser, Bodo (May 8, 2008). "Test: WorldShift" (in de). 4Players GmbH. https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/9174/58758/0/WorldShift.html. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
  4. Todd, Brett (November 19, 2009). "WorldShift Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/worldshift-review/1900-6240748/. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
  5. Matschijewsky, Daniel (May 8, 2008). "Worldshift im Test - Der Strategie-Rollenspiel-Mix im Test" (in de). Webedia. https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/worldshift,1945101.html. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
  6. Zoss, Jeremy Matthew (November 20, 2009). "Worldshift Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/20/worldshift-review. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
  • 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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