2002 FIFA World Cup, sometimes known as FIFA World Cup 2002, is the second EA Sports official World Cup video game and tie-in to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, released for GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It was developed by EA Canada and Creations, with Intelligent Games assisting the development of the PC and sixth-generation console versions, with additional assistance from Tose Software for the GameCube version. The game was published by EA Sports in North America and Europe and published by Electronic Arts Square in Japan. The GameCube version was a launch title for the system in Europe.
A stepping stone between the game engines of FIFA Football 2002 and FIFA Football 2003, the game still incorporates the power bar for shots and crosses but with a steeper learning curve and customisation of the chances of being penalised by the match referee. Some kits are licensed, along with the player likeness and the stadia of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Unlike the previous games in the FIFA series, the game had an original soundtrack composed by Bob Buckley[1] and performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, although "Anthem" by Vangelis is used as one of the match entrance fanfares.
Teams
The game features each of the 32 teams that qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, along with nine other national teams that did not qualify: Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Israel, Norway, Scotland, and Switzerland. In addition to national teams, there are also all-star teams to unlock. They are: European All-Stars, African All-Stars, American All-Stars, Asian All-Stars, and World All-Stars.
2002 FIFA World Cup was met with positive to average reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 79% and 80 out of 100 for the PC version;[2][7] 76.58% and 73 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version;[3][11] 76.05% and 79 out of 100 for the Xbox version;[4][8] 73.59% and 78 out of 100 for the GameCube version;[5][9] and 68.75% and 77 out of 100 for the PlayStation version.[6][10] In Japan, Famitsu gave the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox versions each a score of 30 out of 40.[14][15][16]
The PlayStation 2 version of 2002 FIFA World Cup received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[43] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[44] The game was an immediate hit in Italy, with sales of 90,000 units across all platforms within one day of release.[45]
The game sold 3.5 million copies by October 2002.[46]
Lawsuit
Bayern Munich and German international goalkeeper Oliver Kahn successfully sued Electronic Arts for their inclusion of him in the game without his prior consent despite EA reaching an agreement with FIFPro, the body that represents all FIFA players. As a result, EA was banned from selling copies of the game in Germany and was forced to financially compensate Kahn.[47]
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