The Rise and Fall of 989 Sports

Feature Article

Submitted on: 01/16/2012 by Phil Varckette

It was September 1, 1995.

If I recall correctly it was a cold and rainy day. I had been saving money for months in anticipation; It was Sony Playstation's launch. My father and I drove to a local department store that had no ridiculous linesorn campers. We just walked right in and there it was. My dad grabbed the system and I grabbed the game I had been longing for months: NFL Gameday. 989 Sports was born.

When we got everything home and set up, my dad and I decided to play a game. I couldn’t tell you what teams we were, but the one thing I do remember was how awesome the game was. It was a true leap in quality from anything we have seen in the past. Not only were the graphics amazing for their time, the gameplay was as well. Who could forget the thunder and lightning on a big hit while playing in the rain. Those memories will always stay with me.

989 Sports really had the market cornered. EA had missed the boat with their football game when the Playstation launched. Gameday was a critical success and they followed that up with NCAA Gamebreaker , NBA Shootout and NHL Faceoff. All was good for Sony.

Sony had to know it wouldn’t be too long before EA got in the game. The very next sports gaming season EA released Madden 97, NBA Live 97, NHL 97 andTriple Play 97 as their major sports titles. The competition was on.

As the next year went on, the competition was stiff. Both companies put out some quality games. Many people preferred Madden to Gameday and vice versa. The only game that 989 Sports didn’t have an answer to one of EA’s games was baseball. In '97, we were introduced to MLB 98. Met with critical acclaim, in just one year 989 had proven to be the better baseball game over Triple Play.

With 989 on a roll, it looked as though they were poised for a great future in sports videogames. We all know that wouldn’t be the case. With one exception of course, but we will get to that later.

On April 1, 2000, 989 Studios was merged into Sony Computer Entertainment of America, or SCEA as a first party development group, in order to get set for the then-upcoming PlayStation 2. Over the next several years Sony did continue to use the 989 brand for its sports games, the only problem was they were mostly terrible. NFL Gameday suffered a horrible transfer to the next gen system, along with NBA Shootout and MLB 2004. After the '04 iteration of NFL Gameday, the once proud franchise was canceled. Sony also canceled their NCAA franchises, along with their NBA franchises (only to be resurrected later asNBA 07 and to be canceled again)

When MLB 2005 was released, you could tell Sony had made some strides. It looks like, at this point, they were getting serious about baseball. As the years went on, we all know what became of the MLB series. It scratched, clawed and showed steady improvement year in and year out until it finally took over as the best baseball game on the market, a true testament to the dedication of the MLB team. What is now MLB The Show was able to survive, and prosper into a fantastic game today.

I will always have fond memories of 989 Sports. Some of my favorite games and gaming moments will be forever intertwined with 989. Its really too bad that it isn’t still a player today. Competition is a great thing. Unfortunately the odds of us seeing the triumphant return of 989 sports are slim to none. This now only leaves us with a brand lost with time.

Member Comments

# 21 jyoung @ 01/17/12 04:17 PM

989/Sony Imagesoft/SCEA/Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA)

etc.

Are all the same studio.

They just had a lot of name changes and corporate shuffling over the years.

# 22 youvalss @ 01/17/12 08:20 PM

I had NBA Shootout 2002 and 2003 on the PS1, then 2003 and 2004 on the PS2. They could have been good, if only I could edit players and make them more like real life, rather than everyone dunking all over the place. Then it became NBA '06 (actually, "NBA" was the 2005 edition) until NBA '09, which in my opinion, were a waste of time/money (mine and theirs).

# 23 savoie2006 @ 01/17/12 08:57 PM

NFL Gameday and NHL Faceoff started off with SO MUCH promise, but fell off so quickly. A crying shame really, because at the time EA was crap.

# 24 spottieottiedop @ 01/17/12 10:54 PM

Gameday was the joint back in the day. Plus they had the best commercials. I remember they had Packers WR Robert Brooks. Long story short, he was playing the game w/ 989 reps and his virtual self dropped a pass as if he was slowed by his real life knee injury. Of course he took offense to that notion

# 25 TarHeelPhenom @ 01/18/12 03:58 AM

Gameday was the first game I bought for my Playstation as well. I actually bought the game before i had a system. The first game me and my cuz was the 49ers and Raiders. The game was great but the only thing I didn't like was the fact that you couldn't bluff your calls. So, he could see what play i was calling and vice versa.

Gamebreaker on the other hand...was innovative for it's time in that they allowed the star of the teams to show out. Truth be told it may have been overdone. I took Darnell Autry of Northwestern in one game and rushed for a thousand yard by just hitting the stiff arm button and running away from people.

# 26 infernoisdead @ 01/19/12 12:08 AM

I used to play the heck out of the old FaceOff games. Growing up in a family that didn't like hockey at all, it was my first big step into what hockey was. I've loved hockey ever since.

# 27 MrCWS83 @ 01/19/12 02:00 AM

I remember having NCAA Final Four, I loved that game, I went with my hometown Creighton and won the national title. Rodney Buford was a beast for me. I remember getting Gameday once and not liking it, kept it over at my grandmas and never really played it, I preferred Madden myself

# 28 Blak_Baki_Hanma @ 01/19/12 03:39 AM

Those "Thunder/Lightning" hits are still fresh in my mind.

989 had lightning in a bottle... for a minute... Those were the good ol days.

# 29 CuseGirl @ 01/19/12 12:58 PM

Gamebreaker with Eddie George on the cover, my first game!!

# 30 jyoung @ 01/19/12 01:40 PM

NHL Faceoff was really good on the PS1. I liked it better than EA's NHL games at the time.

They even had Doc Emrick doing commentary!

# 31 TheBadazz @ 01/20/12 04:28 PM

Gameday. The first game with a real time injury. When a runner would grab they hammie. If you speed burst too much.

# 32 pietasterp @ 01/20/12 06:15 PM

Gameday shamed Madden out of the market completely when they were the first to put out a full 3D game (after EA claimed that wasn't possible on the Playstation hardware...). I think at that point, EA decided on their corporate strategy to buy out the market rather than compete on a technical level. NFL2k5 just re-affirmed that on a level playing field, Madden can't compete.

My sports gaming love has really waned in the competition-less environment...It's been forever since I even bought a sports game. Welcome to the dark ages of sports gaming...

# 33 ajs41072 @ 01/21/12 03:01 PM

Though I never played it, they had a soccer game too, World Tour Soccer

# 34 Culture Rot @ 01/22/12 08:00 PM

a bit short

# 35 Jordanfan23 @ 01/22/12 09:02 PM

Yeah, I remember being very wowed by Gameday the first time I oplaye a PS1!!!! It really was a huge leap in football gaming! First time I saw NFL2K on the Dreamcast I felt the same wow, but haven't really since! And they gave us the MLB series which is incredible so thank you for that!!!!

# 36 winningfreak @ 01/23/12 01:32 AM

I had there NCAA basketball game for PS2 and hated it! I thought it was the worst game I every bought but Gameday was great.

# 37 Culture Rot @ 01/23/12 03:44 AM

Would of liked to know where the company went wrong, and know the names. They nose dived bad on ps2 it ws embarrassing

# 38 AUChase @ 01/23/12 02:49 PM

To this day, Gameday 98 is still my favorite sports game ever made. I too got the game at the same time as my PS1. Probably my favorite Christmas as a kid..

# 39 TallyBoi7 @ 01/24/12 01:49 AM

I remember the first time I saw NFL Gameday...I think it was at EB Games or Gamestop in the mall. I had to be about 9 or 10 years...it was late 1996 or early 1997. I still was playing games on my Sega Genesis. That Christmas I got a Playstation with NFL Gameday 98...I played that game all day everyday.

# 40 BIGROC @ 01/24/12 07:43 AM

Gameday was phenomenal... But to me, the best game 989 put out was Faceoff 98. Possibly the greatest hockey game of the decade. While the games we play now are incredible there will always be a fondness for the 989 brand. The hours and hours of me and my friends playing Gameday, NBA Shootout, and Faceoff will always have a place in my heart.

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