Table of Contents Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Circus Maximus

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 5 min

Short description: 2002 racing video game
Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars
Developer(s)Kodiak Interactive
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
ReleaseXbox
  • NA: February 26, 2002[1]
  • EU: June 28, 2002
PlayStation 2
  • EU: July 5, 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player

Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars (also simply called Circus Maximus) is a 2002 video game set in Ancient Rome featuring chariot racing. Players compete against other chariots, each with a horse and a gladiator, and in death matches where players use their gladiator to fight others to the death. The game takes its name from the Circus Maximus outdoor race track in Rome.

The game is most remembered for gameplay that offered a combination of realistic Roman history and chariot driving with combat sequences.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic67/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[3]
EGM3/10[4]
Game Informer6/10[5]
GameProStarStarStarStarStar[6]
GameRevolutionC[7]
GameSpot6.2/10[8]
GameSpy76%[9]
GameZone7.5/10[10]
IGN3.8/10[11]
OXM (US)6.5/10[12]
The Cincinnati EnquirerStarStarStarHalf star[13]
Playboy70%[14]

The Xbox version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] Maxim gave it a score of eight out of ten and said that the game "earns laurels for putting players in simultaneous control of a driver and a passenger who can use a whip or a sword to turn opponents into Caesar salad."[15] However, The Cincinnati Enquirer gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five and said that it was "fun, but only after you master the steep learning curve. The game is tough to learn because all of its controls — buttons, triggers and thumbsticks — must be used for practically any race."[13] Playboy gave it a similar score of 70% and said that it "scores points for an original theme coupled with fresh play mechanics. It then promptly loses them to poor execution."[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Circus Maximus Ships - XboxAddict News" (in en). https://xboxaddict.com/news/1922/Circus-Maximus-Ships.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/circus-maximus-chariot-wars/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars (Xbox) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115103913/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=33704&tab=review. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  4. ↑ EGM staff (April 2002). "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars (Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (153): 141. 
  5. ↑ "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars (Xbox)". Game Informer (108): 83. April 2002. 
  6. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (March 4, 2002). "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars Review for Xbox on GamePro.com"]. GamePro. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050214015518/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/21247.shtml. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  7. ↑ White, A.A. (March 2002). "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars Review"]. Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/circus-maximus. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  8. ↑ Davis, Ryan (March 1, 2002). "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars Review (Xbox)"]. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/circus-maximus-review/1900-2852101/. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  9. ↑ Harms, William (March 9, 2002). "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 14, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020414170401/http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/february02/circusmaximusxbox/. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (March 12, 2002). "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars Review on Xbox". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 1, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050101141120/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17252.htm. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  11. ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (February 26, 2002). "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars (Xbox)"]. http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/26/circus-maximus. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  12. ↑ "Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars". Official Xbox Magazine: 84. April 2002. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Kent, Steven (April 2, 2002). "Xbox titles zoom into overdrive". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080528171342/http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/040202_xboxoverdrive.html. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars] (Xbox)". Playboy. 2002. 
  15. ↑ Porter, Alex (March 1, 2002). "Circus Maximus [Chariot Wars (Xbox)"]. Maxim. Archived from the original on June 6, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020606031749/http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews/review_games_2725.html. Retrieved February 10, 2017. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari




Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Circus_Maximus:_Chariot_Wars&oldid=793220"
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Software:Circus_Maximus:_Chariot_Wars
12 views |
↧ Download this article as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF