MobyReed (325) on 3/1/2019 4:50 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
That’s an amazingly long time in the world wide web. There aren’t many sites that have managed to stay alive for 2 decades!
With the help of our wonderful contributors, we have meticulously documented almost 200,000 games from 266 platforms. Including 793,123 developers, 33,015 companies, 850,321 screenshots, 524,875 pieces of cover art and much more! And did you know we now have an API (in beta) that you can access for free?
Many, many thanks to all of our contributors and approvers! Without their tireless efforts, our database would be quite lonely. Also special thanks to Simon Carless (who helps me, Reed, run the site in-between our day jobs), Brian Hirt for helping with infrastructure emergencies and the intricacies of the codebase, and Tracy who helps with updates and built the API. And of course thanks to Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt who started this amazing project way back in 1999! Check out Jim’s excellent in-depth retrospective.
What next?! We’re just beginning! We’ll always be documenting and growing the database. However, the MobyGames platform needs a lot of work and improvements. As you might imagine, things are getting a bit old in the tooth! Combined with the overall complexity of the site it makes for a daunting task with no full-time staff.
We want to improve the platform and ensure we’re around another 20 years! If you find MobyGames useful and are able to help us with this goal, please consider supporting our Patreon. If even 1% of those reading this contributed, we’d be able to bring on help and make meaningful progress toward improving the platform.
Thank you everyone, here’s to another 20 years!
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 3/1/2019 5:48 PM · Permalink · Report
200 000 games in 20 years is about 27 games approved per day.
Not shockingly active, but nothing to sniff at, and more to the point -- a difficult pace to maintain for two decades, running on volunteer labour.
Trixter (8952) on 3/1/2019 6:49 PM · Permalink · Report
I said it in the article, but I'll say it again here: Huge thanks to the entire community of volunteers who have kept the database relevant, updated, accurate, and growing. You're a testament to the entire industry. Thank you so much.
Also, a huge thanks to Simon and Reed for grabbing the reins years ago and fighting the good fight. I owe you a debt of gratitude.
jnlgame on 3/2/2019 2:08 AM · Permalink · Report
Wow wow! 20 years!!!
We, J&L Game have been running physical game store in NYC since 1994 too!(https://www.jnlgame.com/pages/our-stories)
I am pretty sure it takes tons of blood and sweat to build this enormous database and I must admit we sometimes need to find game cover thru MobyGames too! Keep up the good work!!
BTW, Can you let me know if there is any way to sell new/used items from your platform, or use it to build a site? Hit me up
James
Kam1Kaz3NL77 (569120) on 3/2/2019 5:45 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Happy Birthday to Moby.....Here's to another 20 years. Cheers!
Patrick Bregger (301024) on 3/2/2019 8:55 PM · Permalink · Report
I don't regret spending one decade (only one month off!) and countless hours of my life with contributing to this site. I think that's the biggest praise I can give.
Kennyannydenny (128164) on 3/3/2019 9:28 PM · Permalink · Report
Happy birthday Mobygames, I always love editting on here and can't wait to see whats in store for us in the future! Hope we can continue doing this for a long time :)
MaxFreeman (1672) on 3/4/2019 5:36 AM · Permalink · Report
20 years of excellence, congratulations MobyGames!
MAT (240968) on 3/4/2019 7:13 AM · Permalink · Report
In a way, this is all of us' legacy for future generation to come. In 20 more years some young gamers will look at some old DOS box covers and say... phew, I wish I could get my hand of such a cool old game in such pristine condition, but at least I can see how it looked back then ;)
Almost half of my life spent on this site. Probably one of good things is that I almost never saw any banner ad here which made this site much prettier and easier to navigate.
Alright, next MobyGoal is 30 years or 300 000 games, whichever comes first :p
GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 3/6/2019 4:48 PM · Permalink · Report
The little database that could. Congrats on 20 years, and to many more!
Pedro Ferreira (2627) on 3/14/2019 7:13 PM · Permalink · Report
Happy birthday guys. This is the best gaming database on the Internet.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 3/17/2019 10:51 AM · Permalink · Report
Happy birthday, dear MobyGames. All the joyful hours and days and years I spent with this website. Still recall that day, 18 years ago, when I joined. Cheers! Many more years and decades and centuries and millennia to MobyGames! :-))
Katakis | カタキス (43091) on 3/18/2019 5:22 AM · Permalink · Report
Happy birthday, MobyGames.
Funny how David Berk never got a mention.
MAT (240968) on 5/9/2019 12:14 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
David Berk joined later as an admin and helped with approvals. Otherwise Rob Lim could've been mentioned as well. It was about people who created this site, not all who joined afterwards, I guess. Plus, aside from people who were here from early days, like you and me, this information may be unknown.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 5/9/2019 3:40 PM · Permalink · Report
Didn't Berk leave under a cloud of ignominy? Or is this you stirring the pot? 8)
Taking to Google to get up to speed, this telling quote surfaces: "When I told MobyGames' David Berk about Game Couch he offered a ton of advice, but his truest words were, "running a website will break your heart."."
Sea Dolphin II on 5/12/2019 4:47 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
What an impressive achievement. I had no idea the site was so old. Congratulations!
trusteft (6) on 5/19/2019 8:18 AM · Permalink · Report
I don't remember many sites I used to visit 20+ years ago that I still visit today, either because they are gone or times have changed. While it took me almost that amount of time to create an account here, I always used this site, as far as I remember.
I wish you even better success and to at least another 20 years of kicking ass.
A. Dumitrescu (561) on 12/15/2019 2:09 PM · Permalink · Report
Wooha! Congratulations MobyGames!
I find it extremely hard to trust people nowadays but I will think about becoming part of that 1%.