Wolfenstein RPG

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Wolfenstein RPG
Logo
Developer(s)id Software
Fountainhead Entertainment
Publisher(s)EA Mobile
Director(s)Katherine Anna Kang
Producer(s)Katherine Anna Kang
Designer(s)Matthew C. Ross
Programmer(s)John Carmack
Composer(s)
  • Matthew C. Ross
  • Christian Antkow
SeriesWolfenstein
Platform(s)Java ME, BREW, iOS
ReleaseJava ME, BREW
September 30, 2008
iOS
May 11, 2009
Genre(s)First-person shooter, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Wolfenstein RPG is a first-person shooter and role-playing video game developed by id Software and Fountainhead Entertainment, released in September 2008 for mobile phones and in May 2009 for iOS.[1]

Plot

While the original Wolfenstein 3D contained Nazi castles full of swastikas and sour-looking Hitler portraits, Wolfenstein RPG is decidedly lighter in tone, with mutant chickens, romance novels, and a playful giant named Gunther. Sgt.[2] William "B.J." Blazkowicz of the Wolfenstein series of video games, is being held captured by the Axis military. He must now escape his captors and try to save the world by defeating the Paranormal Division.[3] To stop the Axis' diabolically evil Paranormal Division, he must escape prison, navigate towns, and infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein.[4] On his way he can use tools and items he comes across such as boots, fist and toilets. He will inflict serious damage with weapons such as a flamethrower, a rocket launcher, and a Tesla.[3]

Gameplay

The gameplay follows the recipe from Doom RPG as it is shown in the first person while being a turn-based role-playing game rather than a shooter and puts emphasis on the plot. Combat and movement are turn-based, allowing the player time to select their responses in combat. The player turns at 90 degree angles and moves space by space. One step or action by the player allows all other characters in the area to take one step or action themselves. The game takes advantage of its deliberately slow pace, encouraging players to take their time and check out every little corner, read the books on every bookshelf, and destroy all the furniture to see if anything is hidden within.[5] Levels include underground passages and weapon development laboratories plus a level involving a moving vehicle.

The game also includes two mini games: the card game War as well as Chicken Kicking, where the player is awarded points for kicking a chicken into a score area.

Development

The development of Wolfenstein RPG was a long and difficult task involving id Software, Firemint Software and Electronic Arts and many months of development.[6] The mobile version was released in late 2008. EA Mobile announced the availability of Wolfenstein RPG on August 14, 2009, a new take on the classic game originally created by id, on the App Store. Wolfenstein RPG is a worldwide release to all territories that host the iTunes App Store, including Germany. It is compatible with iPhone and iPod touch and the minimum requirement is iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later. Wolfenstein RPG is the fourth generation of turn-based titles under EA Mobile.[7] John Carmack, founder and technical director at id Software, said that "the App Store version is dramatically better than on any other platform, with by an order of magnitude more media in high resolution graphics and audio, all rendered fast and smooth with hardware OpenGL graphics acceleration."[8]

The game was available for most JRE-capable mobile phones, as well as the various iDevices. The mobile versions and the iOS version have some differences, but they are all largely the same game except that the iOS version has improved sound and graphics, and is more accessible to most gamers than the JRE version. The iPhone version recycles a lot of sound and music from Return to Castle Wolfenstein but the graphics are all new, taking on an exaggerated comic book style similar to Orcs & Elves.[5] It is different from id Software's Wolfenstein Classic. Wolfenstein Classic is a fast-paced retro FPS, while Wolfenstein RPG is a turn-based action RPG that sees you exploring Castle Wolfenstein square by square. It is much like id's other casual RPGs Doom RPG and Orcs 'n' Elves.[6]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings87.50%[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
G43/5 [10]
GameSpot75/100[11]
IGN8.5/10[12]

Wolfenstein RPG has received generally favorable reviews upon its release, holding a score of 87.50% on GameRankings[9] and 75 on GameSpot[11] based on a dozen reviews by major video game critics. The game was praised for its weapon variation, humour, slow turn base pace, and attention to detail, classic Wolfenstein style, RPG elements nicely blended in, while the lack of animation design were pointed out as the shortcomings. Appspy gives the game a rate of 5 which means great. It describes its advantages as "controls work well", "very user friendly", "looks and sounds great", "remains uniquely Wolfenstein while being updated". IGN gave the game 8.5/10 with IGN's Levi Buchanan praising the game for its "more cartoon-y than the mobile game", "the art direction." and he calls it a "polished production".[12] Pocketgamer reviewed the game 8/10. It points out the unique of the game which is "a distinctly different pace" and "wonderful black humour".[13]

References

  1. "30 Years of Butt-Kicking: The History of Wolfenstein". 20 May 2014. http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/games-the-history-of-wolfenstein. 
  2. "Wolfenstein RPG Review". http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/wolfenstein-rpg-review/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Wolfenstein RPG for iPhone". http://www.ea.com/wolfenstein-rpg-iphone. 
  4. "Wolfenstein RPG". http://www.ign.com/games/wolfenstein-rpg/iphone-14325614. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Wolfenstein RPG - Mobile, iOS (2008)". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wolfenstein/wolfenstein5.htm. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Martin, Joe. "Wolfenstein RPG released for iPhone". http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/08/12/wolfenstein-rpg-released-for-iphone/1. 
  7. "EA Mobile and id Software Launch Wolfenstein RPG on the App". https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a.NdN7RuGl2Y. 
  8. "EA Mobile and id Software Launch Wolfenstein RPG on the App Store". https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2009/EA-Mobile-and-id-Software-Launch-Wolfenstein-RPG-on-the-App-Store/default.aspx. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Wolfenstein RPG reviews". http://www.gamerankings.com/iphone/972614-wolfenstein-rpg/index.html. 
  10. "Wolfenstein". http://www.g4tv.com/games/pc/34110/wolfenstein/. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Wolfenstein RPG reviews". 7 October 2009. http://www.gamespot.com/wolfenstein-rpg/reviews/. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 Buchanan, Levi (12 August 2009). "Wolfenstein review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/12/wolfenstein-rpg-review. 
  13. Spencer, Spanner (14 January 2009). "Wolfenstein RPG". http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/Wolfenstein+RPG/review.asp?c=10737. 
  • Wolfenstein RPG on EA Mobile
  • 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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