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Sheep (video game)

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 13 min

Sheep
Developer(s)Mind's Eye Productions
Publisher(s)Empire Interactive
Platform(s)PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Mac OS X
ReleasePlayStation & Windows
  • NA: 6 November 2000 (PS)
  • EU: 17 November 2000
  • NA: 29 November 2000 (PC)
  • EU: 14 August 2008 (PSN)
Mac OS X
July 2001
Game Boy Advance
  • EU: 15 March 2002
Genre(s)Strategy, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Sheep is a strategy puzzle video game released for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. In 2001 it was released for Mac OS X by Feral Interactive. The Game Boy Advance version was supposed to be released in North America in the spring of 2002, but was canceled for unknown reasons.[1]

Gameplay

Sheep bears some similarity to the video game Lemmings. The player can choose between 4 herders, the people Adam Halfpint and Bo Peep, and the dogs Motley and Shep.

The player must then guide sheep of 4 types (Factorial, Longwool, NeoGenetic, and Pastoral), actually aliens from the planet Ovis Aries, through a series of obstacles to the finish line in the level.

There are a series of different worlds, starting with Polygon Farm and on to others, such as Village Fete and Lost in Space. If the players collect all the golden sheep trophies in a world, they will unlock a bonus game, where they are riding a sheep, and have to collect the trapped sheep in bubbles.

There are several obstacles that vary from world to world, including tractors, knights, archers and demonic chefs. Eventually, the players must thwart the schemes of the mad scientist Mr. Pear and his hench-cows.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBAPCPS
CGSPN/AStarStarStarStar[2]N/A
EGMN/AN/A6/10[3]
EurogamerN/A7/10[4]N/A
Famitsu28/40[5]N/A24/40[6]
Game InformerN/A7.5/10[7]N/A
GameProStarStarStarStar[8]N/AN/A
GameRevolutionN/AC−[9]N/A
GameSpotN/A6.8/10[10]7.7/10[11]
GameZoneN/A7/10[12]N/A
IGN6.5/10[13]7.6/10[14]7/10[15]
Next GenerationN/AStarStarStarStar[16]N/A
Nintendo Power4.4/5[17]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AStarStarStar[18]
PC Gamer (US)N/A79%[19]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic67/100[20]73/100[21]71/100[22]

Sheep received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[20][21][22] AllGame gave the PC version four stars out of five, praising the graphics, soundtrack, controls and its "addictive" gameplay, but noted the occasional difficulty in herding the sheep in some instances, and that the concept of controlling the sheep becomes more challenging at more difficult levels.[23] Reviewing the PC version, Daniel Erickson of Next Generation was positive to graphics and gameplay, and considered the game to be similar to Lemmings.[16] In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported and published by Syscom on 14 June 2001, followed by the Game Boy Advance version by Capcom under the name Hitsuji no Kimochi (ひつじのキモチ。; lit. "Sheep's Kimochi") on 19 April 2002, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40 for the latter version,[5] and 24 out of 40 for the former.[6] Nintendo Power gave the GBA version a favorable review a few months before its supposed release date,[17] and GamePro also gave it a favorable review before it was canceled for unknown reasons.[8]

Computer Games Strategy Plus nominated the PC version for their 2000 "Classic Game of the Year" award.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Craig (27 February 2002). "Sheep (GBA; Preview)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/27/sheep-2. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  2. ↑ Markell, Dave (18 December 2000). "Sheep". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 5 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205052617/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/031/051/sheep_review.html. 
  3. ↑ Johnston, Chris (February 2001). "Sheep (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (139). Archived from the original on 11 February 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010211033240/http://www.zdnet.com/egm/stories/main/0,11589,2668372,00.html. Retrieved 15 August 2020. 
  4. ↑ Bye, John "Gestalt" (11 January 2001). "Sheep (PC)". Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 28 January 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010128122500/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/r_sheep. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "ひつじのキモチ。 [GBA"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=11974&redirect=no. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "シープ [PS"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=19427&redirect=no. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  7. ↑ "Sheep (PC)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (94). February 2001. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Dingo (2 April 2002). "Sheep Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on 13 December 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041213024149/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/22161.shtml. Retrieved 15 August 2020. 
  9. ↑ Liu, Johnny (December 2000). "Sheep Review (PC)". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001131838/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/sheep. Retrieved 15 August 2020. 
  10. ↑ Walker, Trey (7 December 2000). "Sheep Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sheep-review/1900-2662382/. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  11. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (30 November 2000). "Sheep Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sheep-review/1900-2659785/. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  12. ↑ Suzi Sez (18 December 2000). "Sheep - PC - Review". Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090125224021/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r13225.htm. Retrieved 15 August 2020. 
  13. ↑ Chambers, Chadd (10 July 2003). "Sheep (GBA)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/07/10/sheep. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  14. ↑ Kim, Steve (10 November 2000). "Sheep (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/11/sheep-4. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  15. ↑ Nix, Marc (8 December 2000). "Sheep (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/09/sheep-3. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Erickson, Daniel (March 2001). "Sheep (PC)". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (75): 94. https://archive.org/details/NextGen75Mar2001/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Sheep". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 153: 154. February 2002. 
  18. ↑ Steinman, Gary (February 2001). "Sheep". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (41). Archived from the original on 20 February 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010220225600/http://www.zdnet.com/opm/stories/main/0,11891,2667619,00.html. Retrieved 15 August 2020. 
  19. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (February 2001). "Sheep". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 8 (2): 54. Archived from the original on 18 October 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061018000947/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/sheep.html. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Sheep for Game Boy Advance Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sheep/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. Retrieved 25 November 2013. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Sheep for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sheep/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 25 November 2013. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Sheep for PlayStation Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sheep/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation. Retrieved 25 November 2013. 
  23. ↑ Carey, James. "Sheep (PC) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115145651/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=28559&tab=review. Retrieved 14 August 2020. 
  24. ↑ CGSP staff (8 February 2001). "Computer Games Magazine announces nominees for annual best in computer gaming awards". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on 9 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050209070529/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/031/125/010208-07.html. 
  • 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.



  • 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.




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