Post by Cubbyfan99 on Apr 11, 2005 19:59:06 GMT -5
When the news broke about EA and the NFL, IGN Sports also broke the news that Midway was developing a new unlicensed football game that was going to push the boundaries of the sports game genre. Because of that story, Midway is now set to officially announce the game Thursday morning.
Blitz: Playmakers promises to introduce gamers to the harsh realism and troubling, behind-the-scenes stories of a fictional professional football league. The game has been in development for over a year at Midway's Chicago studio with collaboration with one of the key writers of ESPN's controversial "Playmakers" TV series.
The game's campaign mode is highlighted by on-field violence, off-field fallout, and the front-office politics of professional football where players take control of a downtrodden football franchise and retool the players and coaching staff in a quest to guide them to a league championship. Also included in the game will be head-to-head online play and complete customization of players, teams, and stadiums.
"Midway's Chicago studio has laid the foundation over the past year for what is the ultimate alternative to watered down NFL sanctioned football games," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer of Midway. "No longer bound to the NFL license, there will be no league restrictions on content and gamers will finally experience what makes playing a football videogame really fun: off-field controversies, dirty hits, excessive celebrations and much more. Blitz: Playmakers buyers will be assured of one thing - our game will include all the gameplay and fun the NFL won't allow."
Check back to IGN Sports for the latest news on Blitz: Playmakers as we continue to find out more about this highly-intriguing alternative to the "No Fun League".
And
Blitz: the League First Look
A classic series returns with brand new approach. Exclusive screenshots, gameplay footage and developer interview.
by David Clayman
March 31, 2005 - When EA bought the exclusive rights to the NFL license in December of last year it looked like the competition had officially been put down. The licensing agreement included the rights to NFL teams, stadiums, and players. Football fans responded with outrage and lamented the end of what most thought was a healthy competition within the genre. Was this the end of non-EA football titles for the next five years?
Actually, the deal excluded any non-licensed football games and Midway was quick to announce that it was revamping the Blitz franchise without the help of the NFL. A Midway spokesperson announced Blitz The League by stating: "Enough of the 'No Fun League'...it's now time to talk about and prepare for the game the NFL wouldn't let anyone make...Blitz the way it should be played."
(Ed's Note: For a full interview on Blitz: The League, check sports.ign.com.)
It turns out that being associated with the NFL puts more boundaries on a project than most people realize. Take, for example, the show Playmakers on ESPN. This was a scripted series about a fictional pro football team and the dysfunctional lives of the athletes associated with it. Although the show was a critical success and gained large fan base in its first season, it was ultimately cancelled due to pressure from the NFL. Apparently, the suits at the National Football League were not happy with the show's focus on the darker side of professional sports which included dealings with drugs and infidelity. In a brilliant tie-in, Midway hired the writer of Playmakers to develop their new title which would feature all the elements that the NFL wasn't happy with.
When a development team is working on a licensed game they are handed a style guide by the NFL that dictates exactly what they can and cannot do. So by ditching the license, this also allowed them to be more creative and create all original logos, teams, and rivalries. There are now 18 original teams with their own managers, rosters, and background stories. With the writers from Playmakers on board, gamers can expect to see some very interesting characters and interwoven plot lines.
A new level of detail.
Gamers don't just advance through a normal season; they enter a "campaign mode" that takes a team from its inception to the championship. Players are put in charge of a team that is coming off of a bad season and requires some significant regrouping. Instead of a normal play schedule there are three tiers of competition that must be completed in order to reach the final game which is comparable to the Super Bowl.
Off the field, the gamer will have to make some moral choices that will directly affect the gameplay. Considering the writers, we speculate that we'll be seeing some dirty dealings like harming rival athletes and the use of performance enhancing substances.
Blitz: The League looks to combine these story based elements with the brutal tackles and action based gameplay that the Blitz series is known for. As you can tell from the footage, the tackles are no longer goofy, over-the-top moves that are seemingly ripped from a cartoon. Instead, they have taken on a grittier quality and include brutal facemasks, stiff arms, and clothes lines. These tackles don't just look rough; they can be used to purposely harm opposing teammates. This version of Blitz definitely looks more realistic than previous versions of the series, with some impressive weather effects and a lively stadium in the background.
Another new aspect of Blitz: The League is the ability to upgrade your team as the season progresses. In campaign mode, players have the ability to improve their team, facilities, and of course your cheerleaders. While you start out with a rather mundane squad, they can eventually be replaced with a top-tier set of women. Midway is not only working with professionals to make sure the story line is high quality; they are also partnering with FHM for the creation of the premier cheerleaders.
We recently had the opportunity to attend an FHM photo shoot set against the pristine waterfront of Miami. The women were not only photographed for features in the magazine, their likeness was also captured and will be transferred into the game. This included a set of high resolution images that were taken against a drop screen that included profiles and T-poses.
Judging from the real thing, the cheerleaders will certainly be an upgradeable feature worth working towards. Look forward to an upcoming article on babes.ign.com that will detail the lovely ladies of Blitz, complete with the results of the photo shoot and video interviews.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the gameplay footage below with commentary on the game's features directly from the developer. Midway plans on releasing more information about Blitz: The League around E3, so stick with IGN for further coverage.
A classic series returns with brand new approach. Exclusive screenshots, gameplay footage and developer interview.
by David Clayman
March 31, 2005 - When EA bought the exclusive rights to the NFL license in December of last year it looked like the competition had officially been put down. The licensing agreement included the rights to NFL teams, stadiums, and players. Football fans responded with outrage and lamented the end of what most thought was a healthy competition within the genre. Was this the end of non-EA football titles for the next five years?
Actually, the deal excluded any non-licensed football games and Midway was quick to announce that it was revamping the Blitz franchise without the help of the NFL. A Midway spokesperson announced Blitz The League by stating: "Enough of the 'No Fun League'...it's now time to talk about and prepare for the game the NFL wouldn't let anyone make...Blitz the way it should be played."
(Ed's Note: For a full interview on Blitz: The League, check sports.ign.com.)
It turns out that being associated with the NFL puts more boundaries on a project than most people realize. Take, for example, the show Playmakers on ESPN. This was a scripted series about a fictional pro football team and the dysfunctional lives of the athletes associated with it. Although the show was a critical success and gained large fan base in its first season, it was ultimately cancelled due to pressure from the NFL. Apparently, the suits at the National Football League were not happy with the show's focus on the darker side of professional sports which included dealings with drugs and infidelity. In a brilliant tie-in, Midway hired the writer of Playmakers to develop their new title which would feature all the elements that the NFL wasn't happy with.
When a development team is working on a licensed game they are handed a style guide by the NFL that dictates exactly what they can and cannot do. So by ditching the license, this also allowed them to be more creative and create all original logos, teams, and rivalries. There are now 18 original teams with their own managers, rosters, and background stories. With the writers from Playmakers on board, gamers can expect to see some very interesting characters and interwoven plot lines.
A new level of detail.
Gamers don't just advance through a normal season; they enter a "campaign mode" that takes a team from its inception to the championship. Players are put in charge of a team that is coming off of a bad season and requires some significant regrouping. Instead of a normal play schedule there are three tiers of competition that must be completed in order to reach the final game which is comparable to the Super Bowl.
Off the field, the gamer will have to make some moral choices that will directly affect the gameplay. Considering the writers, we speculate that we'll be seeing some dirty dealings like harming rival athletes and the use of performance enhancing substances.
Blitz: The League looks to combine these story based elements with the brutal tackles and action based gameplay that the Blitz series is known for. As you can tell from the footage, the tackles are no longer goofy, over-the-top moves that are seemingly ripped from a cartoon. Instead, they have taken on a grittier quality and include brutal facemasks, stiff arms, and clothes lines. These tackles don't just look rough; they can be used to purposely harm opposing teammates. This version of Blitz definitely looks more realistic than previous versions of the series, with some impressive weather effects and a lively stadium in the background.
Another new aspect of Blitz: The League is the ability to upgrade your team as the season progresses. In campaign mode, players have the ability to improve their team, facilities, and of course your cheerleaders. While you start out with a rather mundane squad, they can eventually be replaced with a top-tier set of women. Midway is not only working with professionals to make sure the story line is high quality; they are also partnering with FHM for the creation of the premier cheerleaders.
We recently had the opportunity to attend an FHM photo shoot set against the pristine waterfront of Miami. The women were not only photographed for features in the magazine, their likeness was also captured and will be transferred into the game. This included a set of high resolution images that were taken against a drop screen that included profiles and T-poses.
Judging from the real thing, the cheerleaders will certainly be an upgradeable feature worth working towards. Look forward to an upcoming article on babes.ign.com that will detail the lovely ladies of Blitz, complete with the results of the photo shoot and video interviews.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the gameplay footage below with commentary on the game's features directly from the developer. Midway plans on releasing more information about Blitz: The League around E3, so stick with IGN for further coverage.
Game photo's
