Welcome to Sports Gaming, my own attempt to make some sense of the ironic world of participating in a sport without leaving the house. In fact it’s without even leaving the sofa – pick up your controller and you’re a footballer or a Formula 1 driver or a participant in one of a number of activities that can’t really be called a sport even when you’re actually outside doing them. A notable Dilbert comic strip from way back in 1995 sums it all up pretty well:
Nevertheless, and despite Liz’ protestations, the market for sports related gaming just got bigger and bigger every year. Golf is an interesting one – I had a golf game in the early 1990s which was a little too much for the computer on which it was running. Every hole would take about 30 seconds to render as the environment was literally drawn out in front of you – gridlines followed by sand, grass and trees. I remember it being notable for the ability to hit the ball in any direction. On the first tee you could turn right round and smash the ball into the car park, or at the club house, or wherever you wanted.
I am also old enough to have played Pong in the early days which was arguably a sports game. Turning the dial on the controller perhaps counted as some wrist exercise but that’s a body part which doesn’t really need any more building up, especially in teenagers.
So I digress but this blog is just a platform for the things I want to write about the genre; the top quality games which have shaped the industry as well as the laughable attempts to convert a physical activity into a bunch of pixels on the screen. Please check back regularly for updates, funny videos and other stuff.