Software:NASCAR 98

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Short description: 1997 video game by Stormfront Studios


NASCAR '98
North American PlayStation cover art featuring the cars of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Labonte, and John Andretti
Developer(s)Stormfront Studios
High Score Entertainment (Saturn)
Publisher(s)EA Sports
SeriesEA Sports NASCAR
Platform(s)PlayStation, Sega Saturn
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: September 24, 1997[1]
  • EU: November 1997
Saturn
Genre(s)Sim racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

NASCAR '98 is a racing simulator video game developed by Stormfront Studios,[3] published by EA Sports, and released in 1997 for Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This was the first game in the EA Sports NASCAR series.

Gameplay

The original (non-collector's edition) version includes 24 NASCAR cars and drivers,[3] including Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, John Andretti, and Terry Labonte; 10 official NASCAR tracks, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and the then Sears Point International Speedway, the short track at Suzuka Japan, and six fantasy circuits, and in-depth car setups. One player can race with all 24 cars or two players can race with 8 cars on the track. There are single-race and Championship Season game modes, and gameplay settings allow the player to race with varying levels of race length, AI difficulty, and realism, among other settings. The AI doesn't pit during long races.

Atlanta Motor Speedway still uses its design from 1996, despite it being modified for 1997.

Features

Instant replay

NASCAR '98 includes an instant replay feature, allowing the user to view the race back until about 30 seconds before the action was paused. It can be watched from any of several angles. Non-user cars cannot be focused on in instant replays.

Damage, wrecks, and cautions

NASCAR '98 has a limited damage system. Portions of the car appear to dent inward after contact, but otherwise nothing changes graphically. A hard enough impact might result in a mechanical failure, or a tire in the region hit hardest might come loose from the car. AI cars stop immediately after contact, while user cars stop accelerating until they slow to a near stop or make contact with a wall or other car. Non-contact random damage consists of an engine failure, in which white smoke pours out from behind the AI car, which slows down and pull to the inside of the track, heading for the pit lane. User cars cannot blow an engine.

Cars can flip, but only after contact with another car and then only rear over front. A car is taken out of the race shortly after a flip in the same way it would after a lost tire.

A caution flag appears after an AI car is taken out of the race. A blue tow truck appears in front of the broken car, and the field gathers into a line just long enough for all the cars to line up. Pitting under caution is not an option, and most cautions do not last a whole lap except at Bristol.

Driver profiles

In the main menu, there is an option to view a small profile about each driver, featuring a small picture of the driver, a small rotating version of their car, a short biography, and that user's stats for racing with that driver.

Collectors edition

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of NASCAR, a collector's edition for PlayStation with a new cover featuring a black and white picture of one of Richard Petty's 3rd generation (1971–1974) Dodge Chargers racing modern 1998 cars of the day was released. Additions to the game included 'King of NASCAR' Richard Petty in his trademark No. 43 car and Darlington Raceway, the original super speedway. The game came with a NASCAR 50th anniversary key chain as well.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PSSaturn
Consoles +85%[4]55%[5]
EGM7.75/10[6]7/10[7]
Famitsu24/40[8]N/A
Game Informer8.5/10[9]9/10[10]
GameFan82%[11]74%[12]
GameRevolutionB+[13]N/A
GameSpotN/A6.5/10[14]
IGN8/10[15]N/A
OPM (US)StarStarStarStar[16]N/A
Sega Saturn MagazineN/A69%[17]

NASCAR 98 received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the authentic handling,[6][14][15][17][18][19] multiplayer mode,[20][17][18] smooth and detailed graphics,[6][7][20][14][15][18][19] and the comprehensive usage of NASCAR licensing, with real world cars, drivers, tracks, and sponsorships.[6][7][20][14][15][17][18][19] Glenn Rubenstein of GameSpot was particularly pleased at the greater number of cars and relatively small tracks, which together ensure that the player is constantly vying for a place.[20] IGN stated that "With a smooth frame rate and very little draw-in, NASCAR 98 looks and moves almost flawlessly. Even with a crowded track the game moves butter smooth."[15] Some warned that the game would appeal only to hardcore simulation fans, and the average gamer would have more fun with an arcade-style racer.[6][7][14][17] However, Kelly Rickards said in Electronic Gaming Monthly, "You don't have to be a fan of NASCAR to enjoy this game. I don't follow the sport, but I can appreciate all the good things EA did with this game."[7] GamePro gave the PlayStation version a 4.5 out of 5 for graphics and sound and a perfect 5.0 for control and fun factor, commenting, "The popularity of NASCAR racing has mushroomed - it's now only rivaled by the NFL - and this game's powerful combination of sleek graphics, detailed features, and fender-crumpling action will satisfy any serious race fan."[18]

Reviews for the Saturn port were somewhat less favorable than those for the PlayStation original due to the prominent pop-up and other graphical differences.[7][17][19] Most felt the game was still good enough to be recommended for Saturn owners.[7][14][19] Sega Saturn Magazine was an exception; additionally citing grainy textures, and the PAL conversion's conspicuous borders and slower speed, they gave it a tentative recommendation to simulation-lovers only.[17] GamePro instead argued, "If you have both systems, the PlayStation NASCAR '98 easily laps the Saturn version. But in a season where Saturn titles are few and far between, NASCAR's a solid buy for Sega racers looking for new tracks to conquer." They gave it 3.5 for sound and a 4.0 for graphics, control, and fun factor.[19]

In Japan, where the game was ported and published by Electronic Arts Victor on March 19, 1998, Famitsu gave it a score of 24 out of 40.[8]

NASCAR 98 was a runner-up for "Racing Game of the Year" (behind Diddy Kong Racing) at Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1997 Editors' Choice Awards.[21] It was also nominated for both "Console Racing Game of the Year" and "Console Sports Game of the Year" at the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, presented by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[22]

References

  1. ↑ GameSpot staff (September 24, 1997). "EA Releases 3 New Games [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 29, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990129042906/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_09/24_eagames/index.html. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  2. ↑ GameSpot staff (December 5, 1997). "VGS Game Calendar [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990220014744/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/05_vcal/index.html. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 EGM staff (June 1997). "NASCAR 98: EA's New Sim Could Solidify them as King of the Racers". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (95): 97. 
  4. ↑ Gia; Spy (October 1997). "NASCAR 98" (in fr). Consoles + (69): 140–41. 
  5. ↑ "NASCAR 98" (in fr). Consoles + (73): 146. February 1998. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero073/Consoles%20Plus%20N73-Page146.jpg. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Review Crew: NASCAR 98". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (100): 197. November 1997. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 "Review Crew: NASCAR 98". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (102): 162. January 1998. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "ナスカー98 [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=16993&redirect=no. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  9. ↑ Reiner, Andrew; McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon (November 1997). "NASCAR 98 - PlayStation". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (55): 60. http://www.gameinformer.com/nov97/nascar.html. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  10. ↑ "NASCAR 98". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (58). February 1998. 
  11. ↑ Joe Kidd; The Rookie (October 1997). "NASCAR 98". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (10): 124. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_10/page/n129/mode/2up. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  12. ↑ Jacques Strap; Mylonas, Eric "ECM" (December 1997). "NASCAR 98". GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (12): 115. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_12/page/n119/mode/2up. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Tony V. (November 1997). "Nascar '98 [sic Review"]. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613222546/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/nascar98.htm. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Smith, Josh (December 18, 1997). "NASCAR 98 Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nascar-98-review/1900-2534006/. Retrieved February 10, 2020. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 "NASCAR '98". Ziff Davis. September 23, 1997. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/09/24/nascar-98. Retrieved February 10, 2020. 
  16. ↑ "NSACAR 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 1 (5). February 1998. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Nutter, Lee (January 1998). "NASCAR '98". Sega Saturn Magazine (EMAP) (27): 72–73. https://archive.org/details/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_027/page/n71/mode/2up. Retrieved December 18, 2020. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Air Hendrix (November 1997). "NASCAR '98 Blasts Across the Finish in First Place". GamePro (IDG) (110): 156. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Air Hendrix (January 1998). "NASCAR '98". GamePro (IDG) (112): 118. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GSPS
  21. ↑ "Editors' Choice Awards". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (104): 88. March 1998. 
  22. ↑ "The Award - Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm. 
  • 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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