Giving 110 percent
Dave Gerardi -- Playthings, 9/1/2001
Coming off a Rose Bowl loss, Michigan State is wooing a blue-chip quarterback prospect. He's got a cannon for an arm and can scramble out of the pocket—faster, scouts say, than originally projected. Problem is, the Florida native is hesitant to bundle up for Michigan's frozen winters. He's leaning towards Miami. A visit from Michigan State's head coach and a follow up phone call, however, convince the future Heisman winner to take a shot up north.
These little dramas play out every year across the country. This scenario in particular, however, took place in my basement. I am playing Electronic Arts' NCAA Football 2002, the collegiate version of its venerable Madden series, and I've just picked up the final piece to what I hope will be a successful run at the national championship.
In addition to the game's authentic gridiron play, players can realistically recruit high school prospects from across the country. Variables include a school's location, a coach's notoriety and a program's reputation. It's a far cry from the 8-bit classic, Tecmo Bowl.
The playability and graphics of modern sports software are so detailed, it's difficult to imagine what software developers and publishers can do to stay innovative. "We will reach a point where we'll top out," says Justin Kubiak, product manager at Konami.
In the meantime, when they are not pushing the limits of a straight simulation (Sony's Formula 1 2001, boasts Associate Product Manager Ron Eagle, features excruciatingly detailed lighting effects and a full damage simulator), companies are breaking down the sport to its essence. EA Big's NBA Street turns street-style basketball into a trash-talking, high-flying, jam fest. It's basketball "you can only dream about," says Assistant Product Manager Otis Perrick. Midway's NFL Blitz 20-02 and NHL Hitz 20-02 pare down the number of players on the field (8-on-8 football and 3-on-3 hockey, respectively) in favor of huge, bone-crunching hits.
Software makers are giving extreme sports games the same second-look. Activision practically invented the modern trick-based game with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Its success ushered in a flood of "me too" titles. Most improvements to the genre have been to the graphics, the sheer range of sports and a park editor option. THQ is putting a spin on extreme sports by wrapping a snowboarding game around a story line in Dark Summit. As the plot progresses, the player receives access to courses higher up on the mountain. Product Manager Laura Naviaux says this trend will continue. "There's only so much you can do with racing and tricks."
