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A '''sports game''' is a [[computer game|computer]] or [[video game]] that emulates the playing of traditional [[sport]]s. They are extremely popular, the genre including some of the highest-selling games.
A '''sports game''' is a [[computer game|computer]] or [[video game]] that simulates the playing of traditional [[sport]]s. They are extremely popular, the genre including some of the best-selling games.


Almost every familiar sport has been modelled with a game, including [[baseball]], [[Association football|soccer]], [[American football]], [[boxing]], [[golf]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey]], [[tennis]], [[bowling]], [[rugby football|rugby]], [[hunting]], [[fishing]], etc.
Almost every familiar sport has been recreated with a game, including [[baseball]], [[Association football|soccer]], [[American football]], [[boxing]], [[golf]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey]], [[tennis]], [[bowling]], [[rugby football|rugby]], [[hunting]], [[fishing]], etc.


Some emphasize actually playing the sport (such as the [[Madden NFL series]], while others emphasize the strategy behind the sport (such as [[Championship Manager]]). Others satirize the sport for comic effect (such as [[Arch Rivals]]). This genre emerged early in the history of video games and remains popular today and is extremely competitive, just like real-world sports.
Some games emphasize actually playing the sport (such as the [[Madden NFL series|''Madden NFL'' series]]), while others emphasize the strategy behind the sport (such as ''[[Championship Manager]]''). Others satirize the sport for comic effect (such as ''[[Arch Rivals]]''). This genre has been popular throughout the history of video games and is extremely competitive, just like real-world sports.


A number of games series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes.
A number of games series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes.


==Types of sports games==
There are two types of sports games: arcade and simulation. The arcade style of play is generally more unrealistic and focuses on a quicker gameplay experience. Examples of this include the NFL Blitz and NBA Jam series. The simulation style of play is a usually a more realistic rendition of the real-life sport it emulates. Examples include the Madden NFL series and the NBA Live series.
===Arcade===
Sports games have traditionally been very popular [[arcade game]]s. The competitive nature of sports lends itself wel to the arcades where the main objective is usually to obtain a [[high score]]. The arcade style of play is generally more unrealistic and focuses on a quicker gameplay experience. Examples of this include the NFL Blitz and NBA Jam series.
===Simulation===
In comparison to arcade sports games, the simulation style of play is a usually a more realistic rendition of the real-life sport it emulates. Examples include the Madden NFL series and the NBA Live series.
===Management===
Sports management games put players into the role of [[Coach (sport)|team manager]]. Whereas fantasy games are often played online against other players, management games usually pit the player against [[Artificial Intelligence|AI]] controlled teams. Players are expected to handle strategy, tactics, transfers, and financial issues.
===Fantasy===
A [[Fantasy sport]] is a [[game]] where fantasy owners build a team that competes against other fantasy owners based on the [[statistics]] generated by individual players or teams of a professional [[sport]].


==History==
==List of sports games==
{{main|History of computer and video games}}
*''[[2K Sports]]'' series from [[Sega]], now [[Take Two]]
===Beginnings of sports games===
*''[[AFL Premiership 2005]]
One of the first video games in history, ''[[Tennis for Two]]'' ([[1958 in video gaming|1958]]), was a sports game.
*''[[All-Star Baseball]] series''

*''[[Andretti Racing]]''
Computer games prior to the late [[1970s]] were primarily played on university [[mainframe]] computers under [[timesharing]] systems that supported multiple [[computer terminals]] on school campuses. The two dominant systems were the [[Digital Equipment]] [[PDP-10]] and the [[Control Data]] Corp. [[PLATO System]]. These systems displayed no graphics, only text. In the early 1970s they printed the text on [[teletype]] machines and [[line printer]]s, but by the mid-seventies the text printed on single-color [[CRT]] screens.
*''[[Arch Rivals]]''

*''[[Backyard Sports]]'' series
Highlights of this era in sports games include:
*''[[Baseball (Computer Game)|Baseball (1971 mainframe computer game)]]''

*''[[Baseball Mogul]]'' series
* ''[[Baseball (Computer Game)|Baseball]]'' ([[1971 in video gaming|1971]] — Written by [[Don Daglow]] at [[Pomona College]], ''Baseball'' was the first computer [[baseball]] game, now recorded in the baseball [[Hall of Fame]] in [[Cooperstown, New York]]. He continued to expand and refine ''Baseball'' throughout the 1970's, and its [[sabermetric]] approach provided the foundation for Daglow's later commercial games ''[[Intellivision World Series Baseball]]'' ([[1983 in video gaming|1983]], with [[Eddie Dombrower]]), ''[[Earl Weaver Baseball]]'' ([[1988]], also with Dombrower), ''[[Tony La Russa Baseball]]'' ([[1991 in video gaming|1991]] through [[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) and ''[[Old Time Baseball]]'' ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]).
*''[[Championship Manager]]''

*''[[Deer Hunter]]''
In the late 1970s [[arcade games]] began to appear, and sports were a popular genre. Highlights of this era include:
*''[[Earl Weaver Baseball]]'' series

*''[[Ferrari Formula I]]''
* The first racing game was ''[[Night Driver]]'' ([[1976 in video gaming|1976]]).
*''[[FIFA Series]]'' soccer games

*''[[Football Mogul]]'' series
* ''[[Golf (Atari 2600)|Atari Golf]]'' ([[1978 in video gaming|1978]]),
*''[[Hardball (computer game)|Hardball]]'' series

*''[[Intellivision World Series Baseball]]''
===1980's===
*''[[Jaleco Baseball]]''
Between 1980 and 1984 [[Atari 2600|Atari]] and [[Intellivision]] waged a series of high-stakes TV advertising campaigns promoting their respective systems during the first round of [[console wars]]. Atari normally prevailed in [[arcade games]] and had a deeper installed base due to its lower price, while Mattel's Intellivision touted its visually superior sports games. Sports writer [[George Plimpton]] was featured in the Intellivision ads, which showed the parallel games side by side. Both Atari and Mattel fielded at least one game for baseball, football, hockey, basketball, auto racing and soccer.
*''[[Jose Canseco Baseball]]''

*''[[Knockout Kings]]'' series
* ''[[Activision Tennis]]'' ([[1981 in video gaming|1981]])
*''[[Madden NFL]] Football'' series

*''[[MVP Baseball]]'' series
* ''[[Track & Field (video game)|Track & Field]]'' ([[1982 in video gaming|1982]])
*''[[NASCAR Racing]]'' series

*''[[NBA Jam]]'' series
* ''[[Pole Position]]'' ([[1982 in video gaming|1982]]).
*''[[NHL series|NHL]]'' series

*''[[NHLPA Hockey]]'' series
In 1983 [[EA]] produced their first sports game ''[[Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One]]'' by [[Eric Hammond]], which was also the first licensed sports game based on the names and likenesses of famous athletes. The game was a major hit.
*''[[Old Time Baseball]]''

*''[[Pete Rose Baseball]]''
In 1983 [[Mattel]] released ''[[Intellivision World Series Baseball]]'' by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, the first game to use multiple camera angles to show the action. Games prior to this displayed the entire field on screen, or scrolled across static top-down fields to show the action. ''IWSB'' mimicked television baseball coverage by showing the batter from a modified "center field" camera, showing baserunners in corner insets, and showing defensive plays from a camera behind home plate. It was also the first sports game to introduce players with spoken words (as opposed to text) using the Mattel [[Intellivoice]] module. It received limited distribution due to the [[video game crash of 1983]], and today is one of the most rare and expensive [[Intellivision]] cartridges on the collectibles market.
*''[[Rumble in the Rink]]''

*''[[Tecmo Super Bowl]]'' series
In [[1984]] game designer [[Scott Orr]] founded [[GameStar]], a game publisher specializing in [[Commodore 64]] sports games, and served as lead designer. GameStar was the most successful sports game company of its era, and Orr sold the company to [[Activision]] in 1986. The company's titles included:
*''[[Tiger Woods PGA Tour]] Golf'' series
*''[[Tony La Russa Baseball]]'' series
* ''[[On Court Tennis]]'' (1984)
*''[[Track & Field (video game)]]''
* ''[[Championship Baseball]]'' (1984)
* ''[[GFL Championship Football]]'' (1985) -- American Football
*''[[Triple Play (video game)|Triple Play Baseball]]'' series
*''[[World Tour Golf]]''
* ''[[Star Rank Boxing]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Gamestar Basketball Association (GBA) Championship Basketball - Two-on-Two]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Star Rank Boxing II]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Top Fuel Eliminator]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Face Off!]]'' ([[1987]])

In 1988 EA released ''[[Earl Weaver Baseball]]'' by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, which for the first time combined a highly accurate [[sim]] game with a high quality graphical action-style game. This was also the first game in which an actual [[baseball manager]] provided the computer [[AI]]. In 1996 ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' named '''EWB'' to the #25 position on its list of the Best 150 Games of All Time, the second highest ranking for any sports game in that 1981-1996 period (after ''FPS Sports Football'').

In [[1989 in video gaming|1989]], [[Anco]] published ''[[Kick Off]]''; it was immediately considered the pioneer of computer soccer games due to its many original features.

===1990s===

'''16-bit systems'''

'''The Creation of EA Sports''' -- In [[1989 in video gaming|1989]] [[EA]] producer [[Richard Hilleman]] hired Gamestar's Scott Orr to re-design ''John Madden Football'', then a disappointing [[Apple II]] game, for the fast-growing [[Sega Genesis]]. Orr and Hilleman together developed the game that we still recognize today as ''Madden Football'', the best-selling title in the history of games in North America. They focused on producing a great head-to-head two-player game with an intuitive [[interface]] and responsive controls. When the game shipped it immediately became a major hit.

Orr joined EA full-time in [[1991 in video gaming|1991]] after the success of ''Madden'' on the Genesis, and began a ten-year period of his career when he personally supervised the production of ''Madden Football''. During this time Hilleman, Orr and their EA teams also created the following [[EA Sports]] hits, each of which was updated annually:

* ''[[NHLPA Hockey]]''
* ''[[NCAA Football]]''
* ''[[Andretti Racing]]''
* ''[[NASCAR 2000|NASCAR Racing]]'' (later called ''[[NASCAR Thunder]]'')
* ''[[Knockout Kings]]''


[[Sensible Software]]'s ''[[Sensible Soccer]]'' ([[1992 in video gaming|1992]]) still retains a cult following today. The 16-bit era also saw the launch of many of the [[EA Sports]] sports franchises, inlcuding the [[FIFA Series|FIFA]], [[NHL series|NHL]], [[NBA Live series|NBA Live]] and [[Madden NFL]] series.

'''32-bit / 64-bit systems'''
The arrival of Sony's [[PlayStation]] and [[graphics processing unit|3D graphics cards]] on the [[Personal computer game|PC]] enabled sports games to make the leap into 3D. ''[[Actua Soccer]]'' was the first soccer game to make use of a 3D engine.

'''On PC'''
* In [[1995 in video gaming|1995]] [[Sierra Online|Sierra]] released ''[[FPS Sports Football]]''. The next year ''Computer Gaming World'' named it to the #12 position on its list of the Best 150 Games of All Time, the highest ranking for any sports game in that 1981-1996 period.

===[[Extreme sports]] enters into the mainstream===

===Sports gaming becomes big business===
On [[13 December]] [[2004]], [[Electronic Arts]] began a string of deals that granted exclusive rights to several prominent sports organizations, starting with the [[National Football League|NFL]]<ref>{{web reference
| author=Robinson, Jon and Doug Perry
| title=Only Game in Town
| publisher=ign.com
| publishyear=December 13, 2004
| work=
| url=http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/572886p1.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref>. This was quickly followed with two deals in January securing rights to the [[AFL]]<ref>{{web reference
| author=Surette, Tim
| title=EA scores exclusive AFL deal
| publisher=gamespot.com
| publishyear=January 10, 2005
| work=
| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116065.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref> and [[ESPN]] licenses<ref>{{web reference
| author=Feldman, Curt
| title=Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal
| publisher=gamespot.com
| publishyear=January 10, 2005
| work=
| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/17/news_6116473.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref>. This was a particularly hard blow to [[Sega]], the previous holder of the ESPN license, who had already been affected by EA's NFL deal. As the market for football brands was being quickly taken by EA, [[Take-Two Interactive]] responded by contacting the [[Major League Baseball Players Association]] and signing a deal that granted exclusive third-party major-league baseball rights<ref>{{web reference
| author=Thorson, Tor
| title=Take-Two inks agreement with MLB Players Association
| publisher=gamespot.com
| publishyear=January 24, 2005
| work=
| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116946.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref>; a deal not as restrictive, as first-party projects were still allowed. The [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] was then approached by several developers, but declined to enter into a exclusivity agreement, instead granting long-term licenses to [[Electronic Arts]], [[Take-Two Interactive]], [[Midway Games]], [[Sony]], and [[Atari]]<ref>{{web reference
| author=Surette, Tim
| title=NBA evades exclusivity
| publisher=gamespot.com
| publishyear=March 22, 2005
| work=
| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6120864.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref>. In April, EA furthered its hold on football licensing by securing rights to all [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] football brands<ref>{{web reference
| author=Surette, Tim
| title=EA scores NCAA Football rights
| publisher=gamespot.com
| publishyear=April 11, 2005
| work=
| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/11/news_6121995.html
| date=2006-01-16
}}</ref>.

==Games and televised sports==
{{sect-stub}}
More and more, video sports games are starting to look and act like their TV counterparts. Additionally, televised sports, namely [[American football]], have added ''Madden''-style cameras to their coverage, further blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Sports commentators will often play a game of ''[[Madden Football]]'' before a big game (such as the [[Superbowl]]), to help gain insight on the outcome.
Recently several studies have come out that state that the drop in ratings of profeessional sports is directly linked to the rise of popularity of the video game versions of those same sports.

There is also the [[Madden NFL#The "Madden Curse"|Madden curse]].

==Sports games today==
The sports genre is currently dominated by [[EA Sports]] and [[2K Sports]], who hold licenses to produce games based on official leagues. EA's franchises include the [[FIFA Soccer]] series, the [[NBA Live]] series, the [[Madden Football]] series, the [[NASCAR (video games)|NASCAR]] series and [[Tiger Woods]] series. All of these games feature real leagues, competitions and players. These games continue to sell well today despite many of the product lines being over a decade old, and receive, for the most part, consistently good reviews. EA Sports' ''[[Need for Speed]]'' series continues to be one of the best-selling in the racing genre, although it is not based on a license.

With EA Sports' domination, the market has become very difficult to enter; competing games in any of the above genres, with the exception of racing games, tend to be unsuccessful. This has led to a sharp drop in sports-themed titles over recent years. One of the most notable exceptions is [[Konami]]'s ''[[ISS Evolution Soccer]]'' series, which is often hailed as an alternative to the ''FIFA'' series, but does not contain licensed teams, players, kits, or competitions. Racing games, due to the variation that the sport can offer in terms of tracks, cars and styles, offer more room for competition and the selection of games on offer has been considerably greater. Sports management games, while not as popular as they used to be, live on through small and indepedent software development houses. Management titles today have transitioned to the very popular [[fantasy sports]] leagues, which are available through many websites such as ''[[Yahoo]]''.

[[Nintendo]] has been able to make an impact upon the sports market by producing several [[Mario]]-themed titles, such as ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' and ''[[Mario Tennis]]''. These titles sell respectfully, but are only available on Nintendo's [[video game console]], the [[GameCube]].

==The fantasy element==
Some sports games are based on fictional sports, usually of a [[fantasy]] or [[science fiction]] nature. One of the most notable examples of this is the ''[[Speedball]]'' series; ''[[Speedball 2]]'' was a huge success, particularly on the Commodore Amiga. Essentially a spin-off of American football, the game introduces a number of futuristic gadgets that affect the gameplay immensely. Brutality is permitted; it is considered legal and acceptable to bash opponents with a metal ball. A number of sports have received the sci-fi treatment over the years, most frequently in the racing genre. ''[[Wipeout]]'' popularized the futuristic racing genre, and was followed by a number of sequels.

A number of games introduce fantasy elements to existing sports, subtle or otherwise, to add comedic effect to a game, such as ''[[Brutal Sports Football]]'', released by [[Millennium (developer)|Millennium]] in 1992. Like ''Speedball'', the game was inspired by American football, but placed a larger focus on injuring, maiming, and even killing opponents. It is possible to win a match by simply decapitating the entire opposing team.

In some titles contained within this extended genre, the fantasy element is less prominent, particularly in titles such as ''[[Ready 2 Rumble (video game)|Ready 2 Rumble]]'' and ''[[Outlaw Golf]]'' &mdash games that, while strategically true to the sport, introduce comedy elements that would not realistically be seen in a serious simulation. For example, in ''Outlaw Golf'', the choice of characters includes a [[stripper]], a [[rapper]], a Latin American [[Casanova]]-style figure and a mad scientist. Golf balls leave trails of smoke and fire when hit hard and the game features an over-enthusiastic and sarcastic commentator.

==Notable sports games by type==
===Team sports===
'''Baseball''' &ndash; ''[[RBI Baseball]]'', ''[[MVP Baseball]]'', ''[[Hardball]]'', ''[[Earl Weaver Baseball]]'', ''[[Tony La Russa Baseball]]''

'''Basketball'''
:[[NBA]] &ndash; ''[[NBA Live series]]'', ''[[NBA 2K]]''
:[[NCAA basketball|NCAA]] &ndash;
:Other &ndash; ''[[NBA Street]]'', ''[[NBA Jam]]'', [[One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird]], ''[[Omni-play Basketball]]'' (a.k.a. ''[[Magic Johnson's MVP]]'')

'''Cricket''' &ndash; ''[[EA Sports Cricket 2005]]'', ''[[Allan Border's Cricket]]''

'''Football (American)'''
:* NFL &ndash; [[ESPN NFL Football]]'' (''NFL 2K'' series), ''[[Madden NFL]]'', ''[[Tecmo Super Bowl]]''
:* Arena (there is at least one of these for Xbox)
:* ''[[XFL]]''
:* NCAA &ndash; ''[[NCAA Football 2005]]''
:* Football (Australian)

'''Hockey''' &ndash; ''[[NHL series]]'', ''[[Blades of Steel]]'', ''[[SuperStar Ice Hockey]]'', ''[[Faceoff!]]''

'''Rugby''' &ndash; ''[[EA Sports Rugby 2005]]'', ''[[M.U.D.S.]]'', ''[[Shane Warne Cricket]]'', ''[[Ian Botham's Cricket]]'', ''[[Australian Rugby League (video game)|Australian Rugby League]]''

'''Soccer''' &ndash; ''[[FIFA Series]]'', ''[[Winning Eleven]]'', ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]'', ''[[International Superstar Soccer]]'', ''[[Sensible Soccer]]'', ''[[Kick Off]]'', ''[[Virtua Striker]]''

'''Volleyball''' &ndash; ''[[Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball]]'', ''[[Kings of the Beach]]'', ''[[Power Spike Pro Beach Volleyball]]'', ''[[Summer Heat Beach Volleyball]]'', ''[[Beach Spikers]]''

===Individual Sports===
'''Billiards/Pool/Snooker''' &ndash; ''[[Virtual Pool]]'', ''[[Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker]]'', ''[[Pool Challenge]]''

'''Bowling''' &ndash; ''[[King Pin]]'', ''[[10th Frame Bowling]]'', ''[[PBA Bowling]]'', ''[[Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling]]''

'''Boxing''' &ndash; ''[[Punch-Out!!]]'', [[Fight Night]]

'''Darts''' &ndash; ''[[World Darts]]'', ''[[Bully's Sporting Darts]]''

'''Fishing''' &ndash; ''[[Sega Bass Fishing]]'', ''[[Gone Fishin' (video game)|Gone Fishin']]'', ''[[BassTour]]'', ''[[BassDuel]]'', ''[[Reel Fish'n]]''

'''Golf''' &ndash; ''[[Links 386 Golf]]'', ''[[Tiger Woods PGA Tour]]'', ''[[Golden Tee]]'', ''[[Outlaw Golf]]'', ''[[Hot Shots Golf (series)|Hot Shots Golf]]''

====Vehicle Racing====
{{main|Racing game}}
'''Auto Racing'''
:NASCAR &ndash; ''[[NASCAR Thunder]]''
:Motorcycle racing &ndash; ''[[Moto Racer]]''
: Motocross &ndash; ''[[Motocross Madness]]''
: Boat Racing &ndash; ''[[Hydro Thunder]]''
: ATV Racing &ndash; ''[[ATV Offroad Fury]]''
: Snowmobile Racing &ndash;
: Jet-ski Racing &ndash; ''[[Wave Race 64]]''
: BMX (biking) &ndash; ''[[Dave Mirra's BMX Biking]]'', ''[[Mat Hoffman Pro BMX]]'', ''[[BMX XXX]]''

===Miscelaneous sports===

'''Horse Racing''' &ndash; ''[[Quarterpole]]'', ''[[Sport of Kings (video game)|Sport of Kings]]'' (a.k.a. Omni-play Horse Racing)

'''Karate (tournament style)''' &ndash; ''[[Karate Master]]'', ''[[Yi-ar Kung Fu]]'', ''[[World Karate Championship]]''

'''Poker''' &ndash; ''[[Pokerstars|Pokerstars.net]]''

'''Skateboarding''' &ndash; ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater]]'', ''[[Skate or Die!]]''

'''[[Skiing]]/[[Snowboarding]]''' &ndash; ''[[SSX]]'', ''[[Amped]]'', ''[[Ski or Die]]''

'''[[Winter Olympics]]''' &ndash; [[Epyx]]'s ''[[Winter Games]]'', [[Accolade]]'s ''[[The Games: Winter Challenge]]''

'''[[Surfing]]''' &ndash; ''[[Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer]]'', ''[[Surf Ninjas (video game)|Surf Ninjas]]''

'''[[Tennis]]''' &ndash; ''[[Virtua Tennis]]'', ''[[Top Spin Tennis]]'', ''[[Tennis Arena]]''

'''[[Summer Olympics]]/Track and Field''' &ndash;''[[World Class Track Meet]]'', ''[[Hyper Olympics]]'', ''[[Crash and the Boys Street Challenge]]'', ''[[Summer Games]]''

'''[[Ultimate fighting]]''' &ndash; ''[[UFC Fighting Championship]]'' (Dreamcast)


{{VideoGameGenre}}
{{VideoGameGenre}}

==References==
<div style="font-size: 90%">
<references/>
</div>

==External links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/sports/ Sports games] at [[MobyGames]]
* [http://www.the-underdogs.org/genre.php?id=9 Sports games] at [[Home of the Underdogs]]
* [http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/gaming-evolution.ars/2 The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade] from [[Ars Technica]]
* [http://www.gamespot.com/features/6132408/ History of Mario Sports] from [[Gamespot]]


[[Category:Sports computer games| ]]
[[Category:Sports computer games| ]]


[[de:Sportspiel]]
[[cs:Sportovní hra (počítačová)]]
[[cs:Sportovní hra (počítačová)]]
[[fr:Jeu vidéo de sport]]
[[fr:Jeu vidéo de sport]]

Revision as of 01:12, 23 January 2006

Template:Current-GCOTW

File:Mariotennis.png

A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the playing of traditional sports. They are extremely popular, the genre including some of the best-selling games.

Almost every familiar sport has been recreated with a game, including baseball, soccer, American football, boxing, golf, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, bowling, rugby, hunting, fishing, etc.

Some games emphasize actually playing the sport (such as the Madden NFL series), while others emphasize the strategy behind the sport (such as Championship Manager). Others satirize the sport for comic effect (such as Arch Rivals). This genre has been popular throughout the history of video games and is extremely competitive, just like real-world sports.

A number of games series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes.

Types of sports games

Arcade

Sports games have traditionally been very popular arcade games. The competitive nature of sports lends itself wel to the arcades where the main objective is usually to obtain a high score. The arcade style of play is generally more unrealistic and focuses on a quicker gameplay experience. Examples of this include the NFL Blitz and NBA Jam series.

Simulation

In comparison to arcade sports games, the simulation style of play is a usually a more realistic rendition of the real-life sport it emulates. Examples include the Madden NFL series and the NBA Live series.

Management

Sports management games put players into the role of team manager. Whereas fantasy games are often played online against other players, management games usually pit the player against AI controlled teams. Players are expected to handle strategy, tactics, transfers, and financial issues.

Fantasy

A Fantasy sport is a game where fantasy owners build a team that competes against other fantasy owners based on the statistics generated by individual players or teams of a professional sport.

History

Beginnings of sports games

One of the first video games in history, Tennis for Two (1958), was a sports game.

Computer games prior to the late 1970s were primarily played on university mainframe computers under timesharing systems that supported multiple computer terminals on school campuses. The two dominant systems were the Digital Equipment PDP-10 and the Control Data Corp. PLATO System. These systems displayed no graphics, only text. In the early 1970s they printed the text on teletype machines and line printers, but by the mid-seventies the text printed on single-color CRT screens.

Highlights of this era in sports games include:

In the late 1970s arcade games began to appear, and sports were a popular genre. Highlights of this era include:

1980's

Between 1980 and 1984 Atari and Intellivision waged a series of high-stakes TV advertising campaigns promoting their respective systems during the first round of console wars. Atari normally prevailed in arcade games and had a deeper installed base due to its lower price, while Mattel's Intellivision touted its visually superior sports games. Sports writer George Plimpton was featured in the Intellivision ads, which showed the parallel games side by side. Both Atari and Mattel fielded at least one game for baseball, football, hockey, basketball, auto racing and soccer.

In 1983 EA produced their first sports game Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One by Eric Hammond, which was also the first licensed sports game based on the names and likenesses of famous athletes. The game was a major hit.

In 1983 Mattel released Intellivision World Series Baseball by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, the first game to use multiple camera angles to show the action. Games prior to this displayed the entire field on screen, or scrolled across static top-down fields to show the action. IWSB mimicked television baseball coverage by showing the batter from a modified "center field" camera, showing baserunners in corner insets, and showing defensive plays from a camera behind home plate. It was also the first sports game to introduce players with spoken words (as opposed to text) using the Mattel Intellivoice module. It received limited distribution due to the video game crash of 1983, and today is one of the most rare and expensive Intellivision cartridges on the collectibles market.

In 1984 game designer Scott Orr founded GameStar, a game publisher specializing in Commodore 64 sports games, and served as lead designer. GameStar was the most successful sports game company of its era, and Orr sold the company to Activision in 1986. The company's titles included:

In 1988 EA released Earl Weaver Baseball by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, which for the first time combined a highly accurate sim game with a high quality graphical action-style game. This was also the first game in which an actual baseball manager provided the computer AI. In 1996 Computer Gaming World named 'EWB to the #25 position on its list of the Best 150 Games of All Time, the second highest ranking for any sports game in that 1981-1996 period (after FPS Sports Football).

In 1989, Anco published Kick Off; it was immediately considered the pioneer of computer soccer games due to its many original features.

1990s

16-bit systems

The Creation of EA Sports -- In 1989 EA producer Richard Hilleman hired Gamestar's Scott Orr to re-design John Madden Football, then a disappointing Apple II game, for the fast-growing Sega Genesis. Orr and Hilleman together developed the game that we still recognize today as Madden Football, the best-selling title in the history of games in North America. They focused on producing a great head-to-head two-player game with an intuitive interface and responsive controls. When the game shipped it immediately became a major hit.

Orr joined EA full-time in 1991 after the success of Madden on the Genesis, and began a ten-year period of his career when he personally supervised the production of Madden Football. During this time Hilleman, Orr and their EA teams also created the following EA Sports hits, each of which was updated annually:


Sensible Software's Sensible Soccer (1992) still retains a cult following today. The 16-bit era also saw the launch of many of the EA Sports sports franchises, inlcuding the FIFA, NHL, NBA Live and Madden NFL series.

32-bit / 64-bit systems The arrival of Sony's PlayStation and 3D graphics cards on the PC enabled sports games to make the leap into 3D. Actua Soccer was the first soccer game to make use of a 3D engine.

On PC

  • In 1995 Sierra released FPS Sports Football. The next year Computer Gaming World named it to the #12 position on its list of the Best 150 Games of All Time, the highest ranking for any sports game in that 1981-1996 period.

Extreme sports enters into the mainstream

Sports gaming becomes big business

On 13 December 2004, Electronic Arts began a string of deals that granted exclusive rights to several prominent sports organizations, starting with the NFL[1]. This was quickly followed with two deals in January securing rights to the AFL[2] and ESPN licenses[3]. This was a particularly hard blow to Sega, the previous holder of the ESPN license, who had already been affected by EA's NFL deal. As the market for football brands was being quickly taken by EA, Take-Two Interactive responded by contacting the Major League Baseball Players Association and signing a deal that granted exclusive third-party major-league baseball rights[4]; a deal not as restrictive, as first-party projects were still allowed. The NBA was then approached by several developers, but declined to enter into a exclusivity agreement, instead granting long-term licenses to Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Midway Games, Sony, and Atari[5]. In April, EA furthered its hold on football licensing by securing rights to all NCAA football brands[6].

Games and televised sports

More and more, video sports games are starting to look and act like their TV counterparts. Additionally, televised sports, namely American football, have added Madden-style cameras to their coverage, further blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Sports commentators will often play a game of Madden Football before a big game (such as the Superbowl), to help gain insight on the outcome. Recently several studies have come out that state that the drop in ratings of profeessional sports is directly linked to the rise of popularity of the video game versions of those same sports.

There is also the Madden curse.

Sports games today

The sports genre is currently dominated by EA Sports and 2K Sports, who hold licenses to produce games based on official leagues. EA's franchises include the FIFA Soccer series, the NBA Live series, the Madden Football series, the NASCAR series and Tiger Woods series. All of these games feature real leagues, competitions and players. These games continue to sell well today despite many of the product lines being over a decade old, and receive, for the most part, consistently good reviews. EA Sports' Need for Speed series continues to be one of the best-selling in the racing genre, although it is not based on a license.

With EA Sports' domination, the market has become very difficult to enter; competing games in any of the above genres, with the exception of racing games, tend to be unsuccessful. This has led to a sharp drop in sports-themed titles over recent years. One of the most notable exceptions is Konami's ISS Evolution Soccer series, which is often hailed as an alternative to the FIFA series, but does not contain licensed teams, players, kits, or competitions. Racing games, due to the variation that the sport can offer in terms of tracks, cars and styles, offer more room for competition and the selection of games on offer has been considerably greater. Sports management games, while not as popular as they used to be, live on through small and indepedent software development houses. Management titles today have transitioned to the very popular fantasy sports leagues, which are available through many websites such as Yahoo.

Nintendo has been able to make an impact upon the sports market by producing several Mario-themed titles, such as Super Mario Strikers and Mario Tennis. These titles sell respectfully, but are only available on Nintendo's video game console, the GameCube.

The fantasy element

Some sports games are based on fictional sports, usually of a fantasy or science fiction nature. One of the most notable examples of this is the Speedball series; Speedball 2 was a huge success, particularly on the Commodore Amiga. Essentially a spin-off of American football, the game introduces a number of futuristic gadgets that affect the gameplay immensely. Brutality is permitted; it is considered legal and acceptable to bash opponents with a metal ball. A number of sports have received the sci-fi treatment over the years, most frequently in the racing genre. Wipeout popularized the futuristic racing genre, and was followed by a number of sequels.

A number of games introduce fantasy elements to existing sports, subtle or otherwise, to add comedic effect to a game, such as Brutal Sports Football, released by Millennium in 1992. Like Speedball, the game was inspired by American football, but placed a larger focus on injuring, maiming, and even killing opponents. It is possible to win a match by simply decapitating the entire opposing team.

In some titles contained within this extended genre, the fantasy element is less prominent, particularly in titles such as Ready 2 Rumble and Outlaw Golf &mdash games that, while strategically true to the sport, introduce comedy elements that would not realistically be seen in a serious simulation. For example, in Outlaw Golf, the choice of characters includes a stripper, a rapper, a Latin American Casanova-style figure and a mad scientist. Golf balls leave trails of smoke and fire when hit hard and the game features an over-enthusiastic and sarcastic commentator.

Notable sports games by type

Team sports

BaseballRBI Baseball, MVP Baseball, Hardball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony La Russa Baseball

Basketball

NBANBA Live series, NBA 2K
NCAA
Other – NBA Street, NBA Jam, One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, Omni-play Basketball (a.k.a. Magic Johnson's MVP)

CricketEA Sports Cricket 2005, Allan Border's Cricket

Football (American)

HockeyNHL series, Blades of Steel, SuperStar Ice Hockey, Faceoff!

RugbyEA Sports Rugby 2005, M.U.D.S., Shane Warne Cricket, Ian Botham's Cricket, Australian Rugby League

SoccerFIFA Series, Winning Eleven, Pro Evolution Soccer, International Superstar Soccer, Sensible Soccer, Kick Off, Virtua Striker

VolleyballDead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Kings of the Beach, Power Spike Pro Beach Volleyball, Summer Heat Beach Volleyball, Beach Spikers

Individual Sports

Billiards/Pool/SnookerVirtual Pool, Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker, Pool Challenge

BowlingKing Pin, 10th Frame Bowling, PBA Bowling, Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling

BoxingPunch-Out!!, Fight Night

DartsWorld Darts, Bully's Sporting Darts

FishingSega Bass Fishing, Gone Fishin', BassTour, BassDuel, Reel Fish'n

GolfLinks 386 Golf, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Golden Tee, Outlaw Golf, Hot Shots Golf

Vehicle Racing

Auto Racing

NASCAR – NASCAR Thunder
Motorcycle racing – Moto Racer
Motocross – Motocross Madness
Boat Racing – Hydro Thunder
ATV Racing – ATV Offroad Fury
Snowmobile Racing –
Jet-ski Racing – Wave Race 64
BMX (biking) – Dave Mirra's BMX Biking, Mat Hoffman Pro BMX, BMX XXX

Miscelaneous sports

Horse RacingQuarterpole, Sport of Kings (a.k.a. Omni-play Horse Racing)

Karate (tournament style)Karate Master, Yi-ar Kung Fu, World Karate Championship

PokerPokerstars.net

SkateboardingTony Hawk's Pro Skater, Skate or Die!

Skiing/SnowboardingSSX, Amped, Ski or Die

Winter OlympicsEpyx's Winter Games, Accolade's The Games: Winter Challenge

SurfingKelly Slater's Pro Surfer, Surf Ninjas

TennisVirtua Tennis, Top Spin Tennis, Tennis Arena

Summer Olympics/Track and FieldWorld Class Track Meet, Hyper Olympics, Crash and the Boys Street Challenge, Summer Games

Ultimate fightingUFC Fighting Championship (Dreamcast)

References

  1. ^ Robinson, Jon and Doug Perry (2006-01-16). "Only Game in Town". ign.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Surette, Tim (2006-01-16). "EA scores exclusive AFL deal". gamespot.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Feldman, Curt (2006-01-16). "Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal". gamespot.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Thorson, Tor (2006-01-16). "Take-Two inks agreement with MLB Players Association". gamespot.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Surette, Tim (2006-01-16). "NBA evades exclusivity". gamespot.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Surette, Tim (2006-01-16). "EA scores NCAA Football rights". gamespot.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)