The Rise of Soccer in Video Gaming

The history, development and future of football video games

FIFA 14 video game cover artSoccer video games have been around for a while now. Just like other video games, they are awesome tools for fun and entertainment. Better still, they are suited for everyone, old and young.

They say that a little play time can make people more creative and even strengthen ties and relationships. Most soccer PC or console gamers do agree that the games are immensely fun as they let players try out countless features during play. However, this has not always been the case as it was a whole different experience over 20 years ago.

History of Soccer in Video Games

Sensible World of soccer box art made in 1994Soccer video games were innovated years before the introduction of the current consoles. Early soccer games were created in the early 1980s.

Those that played the earliest versions of soccer video games recall remarkable games such as International Soccer, Kick Off, Match Day, NES Soccer, Atari 2600 RealSports, Goal! and Italia ’90. In all these, the graphics were appalling and so was the game play compared to the modern games. Yet, that did not make it any less interesting for the earlier gamers.

The previous creations set up the style for current gameplay. The Sensible World of Soccer developed in 1994 incorporated the whole professional footballing world. Gamers could enter many divisions around the world and engage in career mode. It set the template for the versions of soccer games that followed.

Just as it is always the case with emerging products, improvements and modifications are usually evident to follow. The next phase involved the introduction of more advanced soccer video games owing to the improvement in the power of computers and consoles.

The major improvements in football video games is attributed to Sony and Microsoft. Better games have been created after the emergence of Xbox and PlayStation consoles. They have improved video games in terms of game play and graphics.

Lastly, the internet is the latest tool to drive changes in this industry. It has provided a platform for soccer on line games allowing anyone around the world to play. Things have essentially changed and currently you can enjoy a game with realistic action, high quality graphics and live commentary.

Most Notable Soccer-Based Video Games

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on PS2Each soccer video game has an interesting feature that keeps players glued to their computer or console. The FIFA franchise is notably the most popular soccer video game. FIFA ’94 was a major break in gaming since it allowed gamers to have a deeper involvement while playing.

FIFA soccer is regarded as among the top soccer video games ever probably due to the license permits for the names of clubs and players. The quality of the match commentators is unique and the gameplay is very even. Furthermore, FIFA soccer features an online competition.

Then comes the major competitor to FIFA, the Pro Evolution Soccer. PES, also referred to as the Winning Eleven, made its breakthrough during 2006 to 2009. It features online play and holds the UEFA Champions League official license. To add fun to the game, PES Edit lets one create their own players and add soccer legends to the game.

Those fascinated by strategy games would quickly choose the Football Manager and Championship Manager as their best games. Football Manager allows one to entirely manage a club, which involves making player transfers, setting match tactics, training schedules and signing sponsors among other management roles. This game is made of simple graphics but the lifelike duties of a manager make it much fun.

Finally, I Am Playr cannot miss a mention. This game entails in-depth involvement of a gamer who has to play as a soccer star. This is a certain pointer to the progress the soccer gaming sector has undergone.

Future of Soccer Video Games

Talk of advancing from times when the ball was a square to having realistic features in the soccer video game. Each year sees more advanced creations from developers and this makes predicting the future of soccer video games an excruciating endeavor. Gaming is incredibly changing more so with the online gaming features.

Video games have changed in terms of graphical quality making a real life scene similar to a video game. The trend points to a more immersive gaming era. The gaming brands are greatly expected to tap to the growing market for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. More secondary gaming devices would not come as a shock to compliment Wii U, Sony Cross-Play and SmartGlass.

Nowadays, there are numerous free games which suggests the industry will get to a point of open-source gaming or relatively cheap products. Cloud gaming, when introduced, can play a major role in making games easily accessed as well as updates for high-quality games. Generally, the soccer gaming is pushing the limits, heading towards an entirely different level.