News and information about other online game databases

[MZ per X]

While the data model seems to be limited, they do some things right:

Indeed, it's the first project I see that has open source code. I also like the general look and feel of it, even though it's hopelessly simplified at the moment. But the main thing is that it's run by a single person, who can sell it to GameFly when it's gotten valuable. And I can not find licensing information at all.

[Rola]

While you talk about API etc. it reminded me about
www.freebase.com/cvg
...that is scraping the net as we speak (swallowed by Google in 2010).

[MZ per X]

Yeah, the true world database. Freebase and Wikipedia should merge to produce the ONE encyclopedia project.

[Rola]

They've recently developed such companion for Wikipedia, it's called Wikidata.

[Ultyzarus]

MobyGames is back! Maybe the start of a new collaboration? It was acquired by those who run gamasutra...

[jotaroraido]

While I have a huge amount of respect for the team at Gamasutra -- it's pretty much my only games-related "daily reading" -- they have quite a battle ahead of them rebuilding the community and goodwill to its old watermark. I'll be watching with a cautious optimism.

[gene]

MobyGames is back! Maybe the start of a new collaboration? It was acquired by those who run gamasutra...

Wow! That's unexpected...

Here is the official thread.

[hydr0x]

The Gamasutra bit is completely false. It just happens that "some guy" who works for the company running Gamasutra financed the purchase of MobyGames, but the new owner is Blue Flame Labs, which has no relation whatsoever to Gamasutra.

[Rola]

...and I was watching MobyGames' Alexa rank sinking week by week, wondering when it would be "ripe" for takeover (having lost enough value). At least MZ per X should remember my September suggestions "boycott the site until they sell it".

[MZ per X]

Okay, this is an early XMAS present for the games documentation community! Just glad that this invaluable ressource is back.

But let's wait and see what plans for the future the new owners will unveil, and what they mean for Oregami.

[Ultyzarus]

Okay, this is an early XMAS present for the games documentation community! Just glad that this invaluable ressource is back.

But let's wait and see what plans for the future the new owners will unveil, and what they mean for Oregami.

Seems like they want to put pressure on documenting more recent games. I'm not too sure how that'll go... They may forget the quality over quantity ideals. Anyways, it gives me a place to dump all my finds (which I'll also keep elsewhere with the sources) until Oregami is live. Because let's face it, Oregami will be far better organized.

[gene]

Things are getting interesting.
Simon Careless (he invested money in Blue Flame Labs to acquire mobygames) wrote in the announcement thread:

To clarify on some of the comments over longer-term ownership of data, Daniel Saner's suggestion is going to be the one that we're most likely to try to move towards in the longer-term.

("A dual licensing model would definitely agree best with MG. Free license for non-commercial use, paid services for everything else... Commercial users pay for things like API access etc. The commercial users pay the bills, as they should, while the project as a whole is allowed to benefit everyone.")

[hsssh]

Reverting to old design and adding two new platforms is nice and all that, but hardly a game changer. What matters is whats going to happen in next 6 months.

[MZ per X]

Seems like they want to put pressure on documenting more recent games. I'm not too sure how that'll go... They may forget the quality over quantity ideals.

I also got this impression from reading their comments, seems like heading for some ROI to me. But okay, as long as it's only for new AAA titles where the provenance is much, much easier anyway...

[MZ per X]

So, okay, the MobyGames community is coming back with impressive force. My wish for the New Year is that they don't get burned again.