MobyGames

MobyGames stands as a monumental archive within the video game world, meticulously documenting the vast landscape of interactive entertainment. Its core strength lies in its expansive and deeply detailed database, covering an unparalleled breadth of platforms and eras. Users can delve into the history of gaming, explore obscure titles, and discover games beyond their usual scope.

Key features and benefits include:

• Massive Game Catalog: Explore millions of entries covering virtually every video game ever released.
• Platform Diversity: Information available for hundreds of gaming platforms, from retro consoles to modern PCs and mobile devices.
• Detailed Game Profiles: Each game entry includes release information, credits, technical details, trivia, and user contributions.
• Company and People Databases: Track the work of developers, publishers, and individuals involved in game creation.
• Review and Rating System: Contribute your own reviews and ratings, or explore the opinions of the MobyGames community.
• Robust Search Functionality: Easily find games by title, platform, developer, genre, and numerous other criteria.
• Contribution System: The database grows and improves through the active contributions of its passionate user base.
• Historical Context: Gain insights into the evolution of genres, technology, and the industry itself through the extensive game documentation.
• Community Features: Connect with other gamers, discuss titles, and share your gaming experiences.

Whether you are looking to identify a forgotten childhood game, research the credits on a favorite title, or simply browse the history of electronic entertainment, MobyGames provides the tools and information needed. Its commitment to thoroughness and accuracy, driven by a dedicated community, makes it an essential resource for anyone with an interest in video games.

MobyGames: An In-Depth Review of the Premier Video Game Database

MobyGames stands as a cornerstone resource for anyone with a deep or even casual interest in video games. Functioning as a vast, community-driven database, it aims to catalog every video game ever released across every conceivable platform. This ambitious goal, while perhaps never fully attainable in a rapidly evolving industry, is pursued with remarkable dedication and accuracy, making MobyGames an invaluable tool for gamers, collectors, researchers, and industry professionals alike.

Database Magnitude and Depth

The sheer scale of MobyGames' database is its most striking feature. Navigating the site reveals millions of entries, each representing a distinct video game title or variation. The scope is truly global, encompassing releases from North America, Japan, Europe, and other regions. Crucially, MobyGames doesn't solely focus on mainstream hits; it embraces the obscure, the indie, the forgotten, and the niche, providing a nearly encyclopedic overview of the medium's history. The coverage extends far beyond personal computers and major consoles, including entries for arcade games, handhelds, mobile platforms, and even less common systems like dedicated handheld LCD games and interactive fiction releases from decades past.

Detailed Game Profiles

Beyond simply listing titles, MobyGames excels in the depth of information provided for each game. A typical game profile is a wealth of data. Users can find comprehensive release information, detailing launch dates across different regions and platforms. Credits are meticulously listed, often including developers, publishers, composers, artists, and even testers – providing fantastic insight into the teams behind the games. Technical details cover specifications like supported operating systems, hardware requirements, and even in-game resolution for older titles. Furthermore, profiles often feature box art scans, screenshots, gameplay videos, and links to external reviews or related articles. One of the most valuable aspects is the inclusion of trivia sections, often populated by community members, which can unearth fascinating facts and anecdotes about a game's development or legacy.

Platform and Company Documentation

MobyGames' organizational structure is robust. The database is not just a list of games but also extensively documents the platforms they run on and the companies that created and published them. Users can browse profiles for hundreds of gaming platforms, each detailing its history, technical specifications, and the games available for it. Similarly, company profiles provide a history and list of games associated with specific developers and publishers. This interconnectedness allows users to explore the web of relationships within the industry, tracing the lineage of game series, the evolution of development studios, and the publishing history of major corporations.

Community Contribution and Accuracy

A significant factor in MobyGames' success is its reliance on a dedicated and knowledgeable community of contributors. The database is not static; it is constantly being expanded and updated by users who submit new information, correct errors, and add missing details. This collaborative model, while requiring moderation to ensure accuracy, allows for a level of detail and coverage that would be difficult for a centralized team to achieve alone. The submission process is structured and reviewed by experienced editors, helping to maintain a high standard of data integrity. This community aspect also fosters a sense of ownership and passion among its users, creating a vibrant ecosystem of gaming enthusiasts.

Review and Rating System

MobyGames includes a user review and rating system. While not as extensive as some dedicated gaming review sites, it provides a platform for community members to share their opinions and experiences with games. These reviews, when present, offer additional perspectives beyond the factual data in the main profile. The rating system provides a quick consensus view on a game's reception among MobyGames users.

Utility and Use Cases

The utility of MobyGames is wide-ranging. Collectors frequently use it to track their collections, identify missing titles, and verify release information. Researchers and journalists utilize it for historical context, verifying facts, and finding contact or credit information. Developers and publishers may use it for competitive analysis or to track their own release history. For the casual gamer, it's a fantastic tool for discovering new games, revisiting nostalgia, identifying those 'what was that game called?' moments, and delving deeper into the backgrounds of their favorite titles. The advanced search and filtering options are particularly useful for finding games based on specific criteria, such as genre, platform, year of release, or even specific developers.

Technical Aspects and API

MobyGames offers a free API, allowing developers to integrate its vast dataset into their own applications or services. This provides opportunities for third-party development that leverages the rich information within the database. While the core website is primarily a browser-based experience, the availability of an API demonstrates the platform's commitment to being a valuable resource for the wider gaming ecosystem.

Areas for Potential Improvement

While MobyGames is an exceptional resource, there are minor areas for potential consideration. The user interface, while functional and information-rich, can sometimes feel a bit dated compared to more modern web designs. Navigation, especially for new users, might initially require some adjustment due to the sheer volume of information. Also, while the community is active, coverage for some extremely niche or localized titles might still be incomplete, though this is a challenge inherent to any database of this scope.

Conclusion

In conclusion, MobyGames is more than just a database; it's a historical archive, a community hub, and an indispensable resource for anyone invested in the world of video games. Its comprehensive coverage, meticulous detail, and community-driven model set it apart as the premier authority for video game information. Despite a utilitarian interface, the wealth of data within more than compensates, providing unparalleled insight into the history and breadth of interactive entertainment. For students of gaming history, avid collectors, or simply those seeking detailed information on their favorite titles, MobyGames is an essential bookmark.