Software:Technicbeat

From HandWiki
Short description: Early 2000s video game
Technicbeat
Technicbeat Box Cover (U.S. Release)
Developer(s)Arika
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Kiminori Tsubouchi
Producer(s)Ichirō Mihara
Designer(s)Kiminori Tsubouchi
Ryuji Mikawa
Programmer(s)Hiroshi Nakamura
Yukio Yoshida
Yoshiyuki Imano
Composer(s)Shinji Hosoe
Ayako Saso
Yousuke Yasui
Hiroto Saitō
Norihiro Furukawa
Platform(s)Arcade, PlayStation 2
ReleaseArcade
  • JP: July 2002
PlayStation 2
  • JP: November 7, 2002
  • NA: November 2, 2004
Genre(s)Music
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNamco System 246

Technic Beat (テクニクビート, Tekuniku Bīto) is an arcade music video game developed by Arika. It is a sequel to the PlayStation 2 game Technictix. The PlayStation 2 version of Technic Beat was published in North America by Mastiff. It was released in Japan in 2002[1] and the United States in 2004. In this game, players select a song from a preset list and then “play” their chosen song using their on-screen character.

Gameplay[2]

Most of Technic Beat’s gameplay takes place on a square-shaped area called a “stage”. During gameplay, circle-shaped “markers” appear on the stage. When these markers first appear, a small circle appears in the center of each marker and then expands like a ripple toward the marker's outer edge. The player's goal is to “activate” all the markers that appear by placing their on screen character on top of the marker and pressing a button when the marker's inner circle overlaps its outer edge.

Each marker that appears on the stage corresponds to a note or set of notes in the player's selected song. If the player successfully activates a marker, it will play its corresponding note(s) and then disappear. If the player does not activate a marker before the marker's inner circle has expanded past its outer edge, the player is considered to have "missed" the marker, and the marker will disappear.

Every time a player activates a marker, they receive a ranking depending on how well they timed their activation. The ranks in order from best to worst are: perfect, great, good, and bad. A bad ranking is also given when a player misses a marker.

Similar to the groove gauge in Beatmania, Technic Beat has a “tension indicator” to notify a player of how well he or she is performing. This indicator fills when a player activates a marker and empties when the player misses a marker. In order to “pass” a song, the player must fill their tension indicator past a certain point, known as the “clear line”. If the player's tension indicator is not filled past the clear line at the end of the song, the player will get a game over.

In addition to normal activation, markers can also be activated by using “chains”. If two markers overlap, and one of them is successfully activated, the second marker will become “reserved”. Reserved markers play automatically, without any player action. A reserved marker will also reserve any markers touching it. Thus, by activating one of several overlapped markers, players can form a chain of reserved markers. A player can also create a “chord” by activating two or more non-touching markers at the same time.

At the end of each song, players are rewarded with points based on their accuracy, their timing, and the number of chains and chords formed.

Characters[3]

Technic Beat has six playable characters. Each character has a unique "action" that allows that character to move markers from one place to another. In addition, each character also has their own individual "super action" that can only be used a certain amount of times depending on the game mode. All six characters are listed below:

  • Knitty: Knitty is a small, striped creature with two balloon-like ears. Her normal action allows her to pick up a single marker and carry it to another location. Knitty's super action creates a large marker, called "Marker King", that, when activated, will activate all other markers touching it.
  • Rain: Rain is a little girl wearing a dress that has pigtails. Her normal action allows her to pick up and move a single marker. Rain can't move as fast when she is carrying a marker, however, the marker will grow bigger while she is carrying it. Her super action makes all the markers on the screen larger.
  • Hassy: Hassy is a platypus that wears a snorkel and swinfins. Hassy's normal action makes him slide across the screen, activating any marker that he runs over. When he uses is super action, hassy increases in size and activates any marker he touches.
  • Bot: Bot is a tiny clockwork robot. His normal action allows him to pick up and move a single marker. The marker grows bigger when bot carries it without moving, and when he moves he will get incredibly fast, but the marker will shrink in size. Bot's super move allows him to shoot a laser beam that activates any marker that it touches.
  • Willie: Willie is a large teddy bear that wears a scarf. He is the slowest of all the characters, but his normal action allows him to pick up and move multiple markers at once, he also becomes slightly faster when carrying a marker. His super action creates a circular wave that activates any marker that it touches.
  • Cart: Cart is a man who wears a suit and carries a keyboard on his back. Cart's normal action allows him to kick a marker, moving it in the direction he is facing. His super action creates a reserved marker that he can kick around the stage to reserve other markers.

Music

Technic Beat contains seventy-three unique songs. The music selection covers a wide range of electronic music, including trance, techno, and drum 'n bass. The game also contains remixes of songs from classic Namco games, including Mappy, Dig Dug, Galaxian 3, Burning Force, along with Arika's earlier Street Fighter EX.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic67/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu32/40[5]
Game Informer7.5/10[6]
GameSpyStarStarStar[7]
GamesTM7/10[8]
GameZone7.5/10[9]
IGN7.5/10[10]
OPM (US)StarStarStar[11]
PSM8/10[12]
X-PlayStarStar[13]

The PlayStation 2 version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40.[5] IGN gave it a favorable review over a month before its U.S. release date.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Technic Beat (PS2)". Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070627064846/http://www.arika.co.jp/arika_eng/release/technicbeat_ps2/technicbeat_ps2.html. 
  2. ↑ Technic Beat Instruction Booklet, pages 6, 7
  3. ↑ Technic Beat Instruction Booklet, pages 24, 25
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Technic Beat for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/technic-beat/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved September 8, 2019. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "プレイステーション2 - テクニクビート" (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 81. June 30, 2006. 
  6. ↑ "Technic Beat". Game Informer (GameStop) (139): 158. November 2004. 
  7. ↑ Schiaparelli, Frank (November 29, 2004). "GameSpy: Technic Beat". IGN Entertainment. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/technic-beat/569099p1.html. Retrieved September 8, 2019. 
  8. ↑ "Review: Technic Beat". GamesTM (Future plc): 116. September 2005. 
  9. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (December 1, 2004). "Technic Beat - PS2 - Review". Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081004030115/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r24286.htm. Retrieved September 8, 2019. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lewis, Ed (September 20, 2004). "Technic Beat". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/20/technic-beat. Retrieved September 8, 2019. 
  11. ↑ "Technic Beat". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 87. February 2005. 
  12. ↑ "Review: Technic Beat". PSM (Future US): 92. December 2004. 
  13. ↑ Leeper, Justin (January 26, 2005). "Technic Beat Review". G4TV. Archived from the original on April 4, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050404004308/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/50877/Technic_Beat_Review.html. Retrieved September 8, 2019. 
  • 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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