Software:Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs

From HandWiki
Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs
Developer(s)Blue Fang Games
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios
SeriesZoo Tycoon
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: 17 May 2002
  • UK: 19 July 2002
Genre(s)Simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs is a 2002 expansion pack developed by Blue Fang Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the 2001 simulation video game Zoo Tycoon. Dinosaur Digs allows players to add dinosaurs and other extinct animals into the game, introducing new challenges to contain and manage them in their zoo. Upon release, Dinosaur Digs received mixed to average reviews, with praise directed at the novelty and appeal of the game's premise but criticism of how dinosaurs were implemented and the lack of changes to core gameplay mechanics. The dinosaur-themed features in Dinosaur Digs were similarly introduced in the Dino Danger Pack and Extinct Animals DLC packs for Zoo Tycoon 2.

Gameplay

Dinosaur Digs adds new dinosaurs for display and more secure enclosures to keep them contained.


Dinosaur Digs adds a new category of animals containing twenty species of dinosaurs and other extinct animals to the game,[1] which players can display at their park. Dinosaurs are managed with a new employee, the scientist, which plays a similar role to the zookeeper in the original game.[2] Dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex, Allosaurus and Velociraptor, must be purchased as eggs, which are then incubated and hatched by a scientist, although the game adds a few additional extinct mammal species as well, including the woolly mammoth, which are instead added to the zoo like normal animals.[3] Dinosaurs pose greater escape risks compared to other animals, as they are more capable of damaging fencing to escape when they are unhappy, and players must contain dinosaurs in special exhibits surrounded by dinosaur-specific fences, including electrified fences. Players can purchase and deploy a Dinosaur Recovery Team to capture dinosaurs that have escaped from their exhibits.[2]

Dinosaur Digs also features six new scenarios, new decorative objects and buildings, and minor gameplay additions, including a building management tool allowing players to sort and compare buildings to see average profits, as well as a way to toggle the visibility of guests, foliage, and buildings.[4][2]

Reception

Reviews

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic67%[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameSpot6.4[7]
GameSpy69%[3]
IGN7/10[2]
PC Gamer (US)56%[8]
PC Zone40%[9]
GameplanetStarStarStar[1]

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Dinosaur Digs received "mixed or average" reviews from critics. Dan Adams of IGN praised the game for adding "plenty to the formula" with its features and items and said it was "well worth the time" for fans of the game.[2] Elizabeth McAdams of Computer Gaming World considered the game a "refreshing twist" that integrated "seamlessly" into the original gameplay, whilst noting that the expansion did not "drastically revitalize" the core gameplay.[6] Thomas Mahoney of Gameplanet praised the addition of dinosaurs for their "personality" and their "unique" animations and sounds, and considered the expansion to add to the "entertainment factor" and "longevity" of the core game.[1] PC Zone wrote that the expansion added little other than dinosaurs to the game, and critiqued it as "more demanding" than the original due to the "painstaking" fine-tuning of enclosures, requiring "remarkable patience".[9] Describing the premise as "contrived", Matthew Peckham of PC Gamer found the addition of dinosaurs to be "mildly amusing", but their inclusion amounted to "cheap thrill" that did not fundamentally change the core gameplay.[8] Tom Chick of GameSpot found the handling of dinosaurs "disappointing" and not "as visually or audibly rewarding as it could have been", citing the uninteresting animation of the dinosaurs, the superficial damage done by dinosaurs upon escape, and the redundant purpose of the Dinosaur Recovery Team when players are able to manually move escaped dinosaurs and replace broken fencing.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mahoney, Thomas (26 July 2002). "Zoo Tycoon: Dino Digs". Archived from the original on 25 October 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20021025231210/https://www.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Reviews/2395.html. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Adams, Dan (8 July 2002). "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs". https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/08/zoo-tycoon-dinosaur-digs. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harker, Carla (1 June 2002). "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs (PC)". Archived from the original on 12 January 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050112000019/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/june02/dinodigs/. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  4. ↑ "Zoo Tycoon Dinosaur Digs". Gamefreaks (12): 12. August 2002. https://archive.org/details/gamefreaks-12-august-2002/page/12. 
  5. ↑ "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs". https://www.metacritic.com/game/zoo-tycoon-dinosaur-digs/. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 McAdams, Elizabeth (September 2002). "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs". Computer Gaming World (218): 85. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_218/page/n87. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chick, Tom (4 June 2002). "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs Expansion Pack Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/zoo-tycoon-dinosaur-digs-expansion-pack/1900-2869209/. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Peckham, Matthew. "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs". Archived from the original on 15 March 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315141420/https://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/zoo_tycoon_dino.html. Retrieved 17 March 2024. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs". PC Zone (121): 102. November 2002. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_121_November_2002/page/n101. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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