We all know that major sports like football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer are faithfully recreated in videogames several times a year. These days, even sports like tennis, rugby, NASCAR, and golf, receive the videogame treatment. Generally, a sport is only made into a game if it has a solid fan real-life fan base. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if you could pick any five sports to be played on the digital playground? Well I can, and my list is as follows.

1. Lacrosse

While I can recall at least one video Lacrosse offering in the past decade, I remember it being a sub-par gaming experience. What we need is a lax game backed by a real developer, with real licenses and professional gameplay. Now since lacrosse is becoming exponentially more popular in this country, with thorough competitive networks from the elementary school to professional levels, it shouldn’t be that far-fetched of an idea for a developer to take a chance.

I’m imagining a game with very simple controls (pass and shoot) that could be accessible to every type of sports gamer. It could include college, as well as professional teams, and could have some sort of career mode that integrates the two levels. Perhaps it’s set-up like NCAA Football’s Race for the Heisman mode, where you have to make a college team, and then work your way to a spot in the pros. Throw in some equipment licenses from companies like Warrior and Under Armour, and you have a comprehensive, and marketable, videogame offering.

Unfortunately, there has been no word on any lacrosse games that may already be in the works. As long as developers can make money by updating the rosters and minor gameplay issues of their previous sports game offerings, I see little reason why they would gamble on a foray into uncharted waters. Nevertheless, a market is there, and I hope someday a developer does take that chance.

2. Ultimate Frisbee

If accessibility is a concern, what better choice for a game than one of the most accessible sports in the world? Ultimate has gained a tremendous amount of popularity in the past few years, with teams sprouting up in high schools, and on college campuses all across the country. It’s such a simple sport, requiring only a field and a Frisbee, and its self-officiating and spirit of the game principles makes it a friendly one as well.

The flow of the game is very simple, and would be relatively easy to recreate in a videogame. Furthermore, the controls would again be very simple, as there is really only one button you would need to use: pass. Perhaps the other buttons could be used as modifiers to throw such passes as flicks, hammers, scoobers, etc. This could allow for a wide range of difficulty, with inexperienced and experienced gamers being catered to alike.

Although it’s an extremely fun sport to play, and is very entertaining to watch, especially at the elite levels, the lack of any type of formal league or licenses could undermine the legitimacy of any Ultimate videogame offering. Furthermore, despite the fact that almost everyone has at least played Ultimate Frisbee in some form or another, very few people are avid enough players to want to shell out money to play a videogame version. For this reason, it is extremely unlikely that we will ever see an Ultimate Frisbee game, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed just in case.

3. Field hockey

Hear me out on this one. Although field hockey in the United States is played almost exclusively by women, it is actually one of the most popular sports for men and women worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion people play, or watch, field hockey across the world, mostly in Asia, Australia, and Europe. The sport becomes extremely competitive at the elite levels, and the national scene is one of intense passion and pageantry.

Once again, the pace of the game would be very conducive to a videogame, and the controls could allow for various different passes and maneuvers that would be unique to the movement and momentum of the sport. Although I personally know very little about the nuances of field hockey, I understand enough to see how it could be fun to play in a videogame.

Unlike Ultimate, which is extremely popular but not very marketable, I could see a field hockey game being the opposite. Although most of us would probably not be interested, with 2 billion players and fans worldwide, the international market could be very promising. Furthermore, with very few sports games catered to women, that could be a market here in the States that would benefit from such a title.

4. Volleyball

Whether you admit to it or not, we all know that volleyball has been done before. Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball was in my opinion one of the more pathetic games ever made. However, the gameplay mechanics of the actual volleyball portion of the game were surprisingly effective. If a game were to come along that focused on the sport first, and the bikini-clad women second, I could imagine it being a very entertaining videogame experience.

The controls would be set up with different buttons for set, spike, and simple returns, and could allow for more advanced moves like diving and blocking. It would be great to include traditional indoor style volleyball with college teams -- maybe even men’s and women’s -- as well as having a beach option that could include real-life professional players. The game would be great for multiplayer, and the online options could include pick-up games, leagues, tournaments, etc.

Again, while many people play volleyball recreationally, the number of videogame enthusiasts among the truly die-hard fans of the sport is probably pretty limited. That’s why DOA:XBV focused more on the girls than the game. Nevertheless, I could see the game attracting younger gamers, and perhaps could tap into the elusive female market I discussed above. I think it could only be a matter of time before we see a developer take another shot at making a solid volleyball game.

5. Sepak Takraw

Lastly, I offer you Sepak Takraw. If you’ve never seen sepak takraw, go to YouTube right now and check it out. (Try these link: here and here) Basically, it’s a cross between hacky sack and volleyball, played on a badminton court with a wicker ball (called a takraw) the size of a mini-basketball. Two teams of three attempt to volley the takraw back and forth over the net, using only their feet and heads. The most sensational part of the game involves spiking, which is done using bicycle kicks. The game is extremely popular in Thailand, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian and Pacific countries. I had the fortune of seeing the game played locally, and I assure you, it’s truly remarkable. You can find kids playing it right on the street, and while it looks simple at first, the first time you see a 12-year-old Malaysian boy do a back flip and spike a small wicker ball over a 6 foot net with his foot, and then land without killing himself, you will be convinced it’s the most remarkable sport in the world.

The controls would be simple; the animations would be unprecedented. Unfortunately, with so little recognition in areas outside of Pacific Southeast Asia, the market is extremely small. There are no leagues, only local teams and international team events. Therefore, I deem the likelihood of ever seeing a Sepak Takraw game to be next to impossible. Still, I hold out hope that maybe a developer somewhere would take a chance, and make either a dedicated Sepak Takraw game, or at least include it as a mini-game. It could be a great mode in the volleyball game we talked about earlier. Whatever happens, I would love to see sepak takraw get more recognition, especially in the United States. I’ve introduced it to you, now go teach your friends and try it for yourselves!