OLD TYME SPORTS

Maybe game developers know something I don't by avoiding this as a game series, but in the last few decades we've seen more than a resurgance of the "throwback" in professional sports. It's a freaking maelstrom: From uniforms and stadium design, old-school promotions and giveaways, the "back to basics" approach to professional sports is something that is more than coveted by todays fans, and in turn by today's gamers.

Think about it: What's the most requested (and hotly contested) update immediately following launch of a current title? You know the answer: alternate uniforms. And a good 70% of those are throw backs.

Pat Patriot defeats new school Buffalo uniform, every time.

Stop making "classic play" an afterthought and bring it into the forefront. Take uni and arena creation a step further, and borrow a page from text-based sim games (the Baseball Mogul and OOTP books are quick references), to build the National Freaking Pastime. Use history to create history. Run a team from the PBL or the PFL (or whatever name is tied to the title) and try to survive The Great Depression, 2 World Wars, rising salaries, scandals and the like. Scout players from the farms and create farm teams (even in sports that don't have them)! Build an open-air stadium in Anchorage! Be the first owner to bring integration to a sport! Recruit a Chinese giant! Sign a Japanese girl! Widen the playing field! Vote against the 24 second clock! The historical tie-ins are a plenty, and the re-playability seems endless. The sky's the limit.

Throw in possible movie ties to classic alternate reality "biopics" like The Natural, Cobb, Knute Rockne All-American, Eight Men Out, (not to mention the more recent success of LEATHERHEADS, THE EXPRESS and WE ARE MARSHALL), and you've got an imagery that's already in the public's mind, and holds an extra special place in sports fans'.

Think of it as education, think of it as nostalgia, or even just good old fashioned family fun. Either way, it's gonna sell. I'd buy it.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

So really, what's holding EA (or 2K) back from this one? Never-waining popularity and increased coverage (Yahoo! plus ESPN and FOX broadcast tie-ins are both available), connection to current titles (who wouldn't rather recruit players from St. Ignatius HS rather than "Cleveland, OH" in NCAA), unlimited branding (since there's no players' association to deal with), and a National draw.

It seems a no-brainer.

It seems to me the NCAA games have always been aimed at the students and alum of the schools they feature, as well as the fans (aka the dudes who wished they went to or played for that Division 1 school) in their home state. Now everyone at least went to high school in this great country, and chances are about 1000% better every gamer was or knows someone who played on that Varsity team.

Think about it: in towns and cities across the country -- even the smallest of the small. Do more people care about HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL or say, the ARENA League?

But there's 1000s of schools nationally. How do you devote the development resources to all that background?

My simple solution: you don't.

Simply pick the top 100 teams from the nation for any given year to ship the game with, along with their JV squad. Or pick the top teams form general regions in each state. [Or ship the game with 100% "generic" teams and players. Whatever -- none of these scenarios lessen the importance of the next step here.] The true attraction of this game: really open up to a community effort -- via the beloved, yet abandoned CREATE-A-SCHOOL feature of NCAA of a generation passed. Users work on their local favorite team, tendencies, rosters, and logos and upload these "created" teams to the EA locker and rest of us can import team after team to our hearts' content onto the home system.

*sniff*

It really shouldn't be that much of a hassle -- since EA still has the city names and regional tendencies built into their recruiting and Campus Legend systems in NCAA, reintegration of C-A-S shouldn't pose such a problem.

Throw in story-lines like players staying academically eligible, players moving, recruiting violations, players having jobs, girlfriends, etc . . .

And no, this has nothing to do with me thinking FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is maybe the best non-comedic tv show ever made.



Well, maybe a little.


PRO BASEBALL MANAGER

Oh snap. Good job, 2K.

About. Freaking. Time.

Seriously -- I've been waiting with baited breath for a true-sim game for my consoles since forever. I don't know about the rest of you -- but since I've "grown up (a little) I just can't bring myself to sit in front of the computer unless I'm at work. Give me a couch, wireless controller and my 42 inch LCD and I'm loving life.

NCAA HEAD COACH

Think NFL Head Coach, but to extremes not yet imagined. This title would have to have DIV II and III schools to even be worth the plastic it's etched on. Start fresh out of your college playing days as an assistant coach and work your way through a program and accept or decline new positions based on offerings and loyalties. Done right, this would destroy the NFL title. I know I can't get enough of college football rivalries and story-lines, can you?

Clear minds and full hearts . . . Can't Lose!