Software:XCar: Experimental Racing

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Xatax
Cover art
Developer(s)MediaTech West[1]
Publisher(s)Bethesda Softworks
Programmer(s)Brent Erickson[2]
EngineXnGine[3][4]
Platform(s)DOS[5]
Release
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player

XCar: Experimental Racing is a video game developed by MediaTech West and published by Bethesda Softworks for DOS on August 22, 1997.

Gameplay

XCar: Experimental Racing is a game in which sports prototype vehicles are used for a high-tech racing simulator. The game features 16 advanced cars and 10 diverse tracks, ranging from Mayan jungles to American deserts. It includes vehicle customization options, including different engines (with an optional engine editor), a paint shop, and telemetry tools for fine-tuning performance.[1]

Development

Development on the game started as early as 1995.[7][8] The game was originally set to release in January 1997[9] but the release date was pushed to mid August 1997.[10] The game's director of development was Brent Erickson.[11] The development took 8 full time team members.[7]

The game used SciTech Software's Display Doctor Technology.[12]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStarStar[14]
CGWStarStarStarStar[15]
GameRevolutionB[16]
GameSpot6.2/10[17]
GameStar60%[18]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[1]
PC Gamer (US)68%[20]
PC PowerPlay61%[21]
Chicago TribuneStarStarStar[22]

The game received average reviews. Next Generation said, "There are an awful lot of racing titles out there, nearly all aimed at enthusiasts of one particular circuit or class of car. XCar has no license to speak of, throwing out any sort of endorsement in favor of raw performance and[,] above all, speed. For players who just want to go fast, it delivers."[1]

Dennis Lynda of Chicago Tribune said, "If you're a would-be mechanic you will love this complex and intricately detailed game, but others will find their heads spinning long after the tires stop."[22] Bad Hare of GamePro said, "XCar requires a driver's precision and a mechanic's sensibility – in other words, it's perfect for serious fans of Papyrus' ultra-real racing sims. If you don't enjoy the details, steer clear – this one ain't for casual Sunday drivers."[23][lower-alpha 1]

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game a perfect 5/5 for graphics, and three 4/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "X-Car: Experimental Racing". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (35): 208. November 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_35/page/n209/mode/2up. Retrieved November 10, 2021. 
  2. ↑ "XCar". October 1996. p. 112. https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-022/page/n113/mode/2up. Retrieved August 4, 2022. 
  3. ↑ "XCar: Experimental Racing Features". Archived from the original on April 25, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010425011108/http://xcar.bethsoft.com/showcase/features.html. Retrieved February 25, 2023. 
  4. ↑ Gerschwiler, Richard (1997). "XCar Experimental Racing Review". Gamezilla, Inc.. http://www.gamezilla.com/reviews/x/xcar.asp. 
  5. ↑ "The Future of Racing". November 4, 1997. p. 446. https://books.google.com/books?id=hoP9dkY0guAC&pg=bethesdasoftworks446. Retrieved March 22, 2022. 
  6. ↑ Smith, Erica (August 22, 1997). "On the Shelves This Week". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-1073,00.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "XCar: Experimental Racing The Making Of". 1997. Archived from the original on April 25, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010425144229/http://xcar.bethsoft.com/bscenes/design.html. Retrieved March 22, 2022. 
  8. ↑ "Special Feature". March 1996. p. 72,73. https://archive.org/details/game-pro-uk-07/page/72/mode/2up. Retrieved March 1, 2022. 
  9. ↑ Air Hendrix (January 1997). "XCar: Experimental Racing (Preview)". IDG. p. 67. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_100_Volume_09_Number_01_1997-01_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n67/mode/2up. 
  10. ↑ GameSpot staff (May 12, 1997). "X-Car Slowed". Archived from the original on March 11, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000311094937/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/12_xcarr/index.html. Retrieved March 22, 2022. 
  11. ↑ "XCar: Experimental Racing is a Sim Dream!". June 16, 1997. Archived from the original on April 25, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010425203533/http://xcar.bethsoft.com/press/pr.html. Retrieved March 23, 2022. 
  12. ↑ "SciTech Technology Licensed by Bethesda Softworks". August 29, 1997. Archived from the original on October 26, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19971026000404/http://www.scitechsoft.com/in_press9.html. Retrieved September 25, 2022. 
  13. ↑ Mahood, Andy (September 4, 1997). "XCar: Experimental Racing". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-1097,00.html. 
  14. ↑ Bauman, Steve (1997). "X-Car [sic"]. Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/004/081/xcar_review.html. 
  15. ↑ Goble, Gordon (December 1997). "Xtraordinary, Yet Xasperating (XCar: Experimental Racing Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (161): 338–39. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_161/page/n341. Retrieved July 20, 2021. 
  16. ↑ Hubble, Calvin (August 1997). "XCar Experimental Racing Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33016-xcar-experimental-racing-review. 
  17. ↑ Poole, Stephen (September 8, 1997). "XCar: Experimental Racing Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/xcar-experimental-racing-review/1900-2531916/. 
  18. ↑ "XCar: Experimental Racing" (in de). GameStar (Webedia). November 1997. 
  19. ↑ "X-Car : Experimental Racing [sic"] (in fr). Génération 4 (102): 210. September 1997. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Generation%204/generation4_numero102/Page%20210.jpg. Retrieved November 11, 2021. 
  20. ↑ Vaughn, Todd (November 1997). "XCar: Experimental Racing". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 4 (11): 211. http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1195.html. Retrieved November 10, 2021. 
  21. ↑ Wildgoose, David (January 1998). "X-Car [sic"]. PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (20): 80–81. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-020-1998-01/page/n79/mode/2up. Retrieved November 11, 2021. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lynda, Dennis (January 1, 1998). "There's plenty of competition among the auto racing games". Chicago Tribune (Tribune Publishing): p. 61. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84995002/x-car/. 
  23. ↑ Bad Hare (November 1997). "XCar [Experimental Racing"]. GamePro (IDG) (110): 107. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_110_Volume_09_Number_11_1997-11_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n107/mode/2up. Retrieved November 10, 2021. 
  • Official website (archived)
  • 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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