Sega Worldwide Soccer 97

Short description: 1996 video game

Sega Worldwide Soccer 97

Developer(s)| Sega (Team Aquila)
Publisher(s)| Sega
Director(s)| Toshinori Asai
Producer(s)| Akira Kozu
Composer(s)| Jun Senoue
Seirou Okamoto
Series| Sega Worldwide Soccer
Platform(s)| Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows
Release| Sega Saturn

* EU: October 17, 1996[2]
* NA: October 28, 1996[1]
* JP: November 29, 1996

Windows

* NA: September 3, 1997[3]
* JP: September 25, 1997

Genre(s)| Sports
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

Sega Worldwide Soccer 97 (known as both Sega Worldwide Soccer PC and Victory Goal Worldwide Edition in Japan) is a football video game by Sega released for the Sega Saturn in 1996. It was followed by three more titles: Sega Worldwide Soccer '98 still on the Saturn and two editions of Sega Worldwide Soccer 2000, the second being Sega Worldwide Soccer 2000 Euro Edition for the Dreamcast.

Sega Worldwide Soccer 97, produced by Sega themselves, was one of the Saturn's killer apps in the peak of popularity for the console.[4] It was the sequel to Victory Goal, one of the debut titles of the console, which had a poor performance critically and commercially.[5] However, there was little overlap in the development staff of the two games.[5] The gameplay was also highly praised, and was the top-rated football game until International Superstar Soccer 64 was released one year later.[6] The game was ported to Microsoft Windows, with this version being released in Japan only on September 25, 1997.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Reception
* 3 References
* 4 External links
* 5 Features
* 6 History
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## Gameplay

The game features international teams and league, play-off and tournament modes. Although it used fictional player names (due to the lack of a license), the non-volatile memory of the Sega Saturn allowed editing of names. The team kits were as close to the official 1996 kits as possible.

In exhibition mode, the player(s) compete in a single match. In tournament mode, they go through an entire tournament, and in championship mode, they battle for the title of league champions.[5]

The game includes a create-a-player feature.[7]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
Game Informer| 9.25/10[8]
GameSpot| 7.6/10 (SAT)[9]
Next Generation|  (SAT)[10]
Sega Saturn Magazine| 94% (SAT)[11]

The original Sega Saturn release was met with critical acclaim. Tom Hall of GameSpot said it "may be the best soccer game ever released";[9] GamePro called it "a completely fresh, must-play gaming experience";[12] Rob Alsetter wrote in Sega Saturn Magazine that it was "perhaps the best soccer sim yet";[11] and Next Generation's review concluded, "Quite simply, WWS '97 is the best recreation of any sport, ever."[10] Common subjects of praise were the smoothness of the player animations,[9][10][12] the easy-to-learn controls,[10][12] the realistic soccer elements,[9][10][11] and the way the game encourages players to be spontaneous and creative.[9][10][11][12]

Though Electronic Gaming Monthly never reviewed the game, less than a year after its release they rated the Saturn version the 74th best console video game of all time, saying that it "set the standard for all other soccer games to follow. As such, it is considered to be the 'Madden' or 'NHL' of soccer." They cited the player animations, intelligent AI, realistic passing, and graphics.[13]

The game sold over 340,000 units in Japan[14] and entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[15]

It was also one of the top selling Sega Saturn games of 1996 in the UK.[16]

## References

1. ↑ "Game Informer News". Game Informer. 1999-02-09. http://www.gameinformer.com/news/oct96/102896a.html. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
2. ↑ "Hull Daily Mail 16 Oct 1996, page 11" (in en). https://www.newspapers.com/image/900679219/. "Wipeout 2097 and Actua Golf on the PlayStation are out on Friday and are expected to do well. As is Worldwide Soccer '97 on the Saturn which is out on Thursday."
3. ↑ "Sega Online: Central (Press Releases)". 1998-02-02. http://www.sega.com/central/press_releases/sep97/sei_soccer.html.
4. ↑ "Sega Update". Saturn Power (Future Publishing) (6): 38. November 1997.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bright, Rob (September 1996). "Escape to Victory!". Sega Saturn Magazine (EMAP) (11): 42–45.
6. ↑ "Sports Games". Computer and Video Games (183): 53. February 1997.
7. ↑ "Sega Worldwide Soccer '97". GamePro (IDG) (98): 147. November 1996.
8. ↑ "Legacy Review Archives". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/legacyreviews. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Tom Ham (1 December 1996). "Sega Worldwide Soccer 97". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-worldwide-soccer-97-review/1900-2534182/. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 "Kicking Ass". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (25): 178. January 1997.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Allsetter, Rob (October 1996). "Review: Sega Worldwide Soccer 97". Sega Saturn Magazine (EMAP) (12): 64–65.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 The Weekend Warrior (January 1997). "Sega Worldwide Soccer '97". GamePro (IDG) (100): 136.
13. ↑ "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (100): 114. November 1997. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
14. ↑ "Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)". http://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SSM_JP_19971114_1997-39.pdf&page=69.
15. ↑ "週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧" (in ja). http://geimin.net/da/db/cross_review/index.php.
16. ↑ "Editorial". Computer and Video Games (United Kingdom: EMAP) (183 (February 1997)): 6–7. 10 January 1997. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_183_1997-02_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n5/mode/2up.

## External links

* "Sega Worldwide Soccer '97". https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1992.
* 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

## 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.
18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628.

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