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Mad Riders

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 8 min

Mad Riders
Developer(s)Techland
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
EngineChrome Engine 4[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseMay 30, 2012[2]
Genre(s)Off-road racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Mad Riders is a racing video game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. It was developed by Techland and published by Ubisoft.[3] Mad Riders was released in 2012.[4][5][6] The game received mixed reviews upon its release, with critics praising the game's visuals but taking issue with its physics and controls.

Gameplay

Mad Riders is off-road racing video game. Players control an all terrain vehicle (ATV) and race other ATVs around a series of tracks. Players can collect coins placed along the tracks in order to activate a short boost in speed and blue tokens that allow players to temporarily access shortcuts. After launching off of ramps, players can perform tricks, which also give players the ability to activate a short boost in speed. Obstacles are placed both on the ground and in the air, and players have the ability to steer their ATV while airborne.[1][3][7]

The game features 45 tracks that can be played over five different race modes, including a time trial mode and a mode where players try to score as many points as possible by performing stunts. Races can be done either individually or as part of longer tournaments. Players are given experience points for both completing races and for performing stunts, which is used to unlock new vehicles and color schemes. The game also has a multiplayer option with races containing up to twelve players. Players can join multiplayer races that are about to begin directly from single player races that they are currently in.[1][8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS3Xbox 360
DestructoidN/AN/A7/10[9]
EdgeN/AN/A5/10[10]
EGMN/AN/A5/10[11]
Game InformerN/A7.75/10[8]7.75/10[8]
GamesMasterN/AN/A51%[12]
GameSpotN/AN/A5.5/10[13]
HyperN/AN/A6/10[14]
OPM (UK)N/A8/10[7]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A5/10[3]
PC Gamer (UK)67%[15]N/AN/A
The Digital FixN/A6/10[16]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic64/100[6]71/100[4]64/100[5]

Mad Riders received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5][6] Critics drew comparisons between Mad Riders and Techland's previous off-road racing game, Nail'd, with some reviews praising Mad Riders as an improvement over Nail'd. PlayStation Official Magazine – UK commented that "On the surface, it’s reminiscent of 2010 game Nail’d, but far superior",[7] while Official Xbox Magazine UK called the game "structured far more intelligently than its full-priced predecessor".[17] Mad Riders's visuals were largely praised. Sean Evans, writing for GameSpot, praised the game's cel shading as working well with the game's terrain and bringing an "appealing look that adds some much-needed personality".[13] McKinley Noble of EGMNow, however, pointed out that while the courses are "beautiful-looking", boosting "obscures your vision and makes it harder to point out landmarks".[11]

Critics were much less positive about the game's gameplay itself, taking issue with the physics engine and controls. Official Xbox Magazine commented that the handling "feels more like socks on a waxed floor than wheels on dirt",[3] while OXM UK and EGMNow both called it "floaty".[11][17] Critics also took issue with the game's propensity to respawn players (move players back to an earlier point on the map) if they veered even slightly off of the course.[1][3][11] The critics also criticized the game for a lack of originality.[7][8][13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dumlao, Brian (12 July 2012). "XBLA Review - 'Mad Riders'". Worthplaying. http://worthplaying.com/article/2012/7/12/reviews/86577/. Retrieved 20 November 2013. 
  2. ↑ Lien, Tracey (May 21, 2012). "'Dead Island' developer goes into racing mode with 'Mad Riders'" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/5/21/3033492/techland-mad-riders. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lewis, Cameron (30 May 2012). "Mad Riders review". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US). Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120601061253/http://www.oxmonline.com/mad-riders-review. Retrieved 15 February 2017. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Mad Riders Critic Reviews for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mad-riders/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. Retrieved 13 January 2013. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Mad Rider Critic Reviews for Xbox 360". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mad-riders/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. Retrieved 13 January 2013. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Mad Riders for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mad-riders/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 14 January 2013. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gregory, Joel (29 May 2012). "Mad Riders PSN review: cheap downloadable racer wins us over". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK. Future plc. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140829010745/http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/mad-riders-psn-review-downloadable-racer/. Retrieved 15 February 2017. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Kato, Matthew (31 May 2012). "Mad Riders (PS3, X360): A Well-Constructed Combination of Thrills and Speed". Game Informer. http://www.gameinformer.com/games/mad_riders/b/ps3/archive/2012/05/31/a-well-constructed-combination-of-thrills-and-speed.aspx. Retrieved 13 January 2013. 
  9. ↑ Pinsof, Allistair (30 May 2012). "Review: Mad Riders (X360)". https://www.destructoid.com/review-mad-riders-228283.phtml. Retrieved 15 February 2017. 
  10. ↑ Edge staff (12 June 2012). "Mad Riders review (X360)". Edge. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Noble, McKinley (29 May 2012). "EGM Review: Mad Riders (X360)". EGMNow (EGM Media, LLC). Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120604082439/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-mad-riders/. Retrieved 13 January 2013. 
  12. ↑ "Mad Riders (X360)". GamesMaster: 101. September 2012. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Evans, Sean (31 May 2012). "Mad Riders Review (X360)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mad-riders-review/1900-6379109/. Retrieved 15 February 2017. 
  14. ↑ "Mad Riders (X360)". Hyper: 62. October 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Mad Riders". PC Gamer UK (Future plc): 77. September 2012. 
  16. ↑ Marshall, James (4 June 2012). "Mad Riders (PS3)". The Digital Fix. http://gaming.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/941/mad-riders.html. Retrieved 15 February 2017. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Channell, Mike (29 May 2012). "Review: Mad Riders". Official Xbox Magazine UK (Future plc). Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120601234035/http://www.oxm.co.uk/42023/reviews/mad-riders-review/. Retrieved 15 February 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. 
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