Beyond the Sideline Football: American Football Career Game (OOTP)

[Grim.Reaper]

Looks like all the hints about OOTP doing a football game is coming true.....link to a page at operationsports.

http://www.operationsports.com/news/705404/beyond-the-sideline-football-features-and-teaser-leaked/

Below is the "leaked" feature list...pretty awesome if this turns out accurate.

Beyond the Sideline Football Features

•A realistic modern day American football experience with all current rules and regulations.
•All 32 real American football teams with their real players and current rosters.
•A 2D engine that represents all the action on the field, with the ability to call plays and watch them unfold, complete with the roar of the crowd and other sound effects.
•FaceGen support allows realistic images of all players.
•You dictate the action on the field: Set depth charts and develop strategies around your preferred style of play.
•A complete box score for every game played in the league during its history, so you can always look back on thrilling victories and agonizing defeats.
•The ability to sim decades into the future and watch teams' fortunes rise and fall as dynasties emerge, crumble, and eventually renew themselves.
•You call the shots from the front office: Participate in the draft for your team every spring; trade players; and negotiate contracts with draft picks and free agents.
•All of the (non-playable) Division I colleges as well as many more, with real players, so you can draft the next crop of superstars every year.
•A living, breathing world full of news articles from around the league and a message system that lets you field offers from other GMs and hear what your players have to say.
•A realistic sim engine whose creation was informed by 15 years of experience developing OOTP's sim engine
•Complete histories, including stats, transactions, injuries, and contracts, for all players who have participated in a training camp during the past decade.
•Nearly 50 tracked stats, allowing you to go beyond the usual numbers and dig deep into players' performance.
•Each player features a Health Scan that lets you quickly assess their current situation by showing you which areas of their body are hurt, which areas are okay, and which ones are worn.
•A clear, clean interface that lets you easily find the information you need.
•Customization options, including the ability to change team names, the number of teams, the league structure, the league's country, and a variety of settings.

[bbmike]

Wow, you called that one Grim! I'm floored and it better be true!

[BanzaiCat]

Wow, you called that one Grim! I'm floored and it better be true!

+20

[Grim.Reaper]

Wow, you called that one Grim! I'm floored and it better be true!

+20

I hope they announce tomorrow that early access is available:)  I would jump in immediately!  If I have to wait a year, I am going to go nuts:)

[RedArgo]

that looks great if they can pull it off

Go Broncos!

[Bison]

Awesome!

[KyzBP]

My only fear is that it rolls out like Franchise Hockey Manager.  Don't get me wrong, I'm excited but I'm going to taper my expectations until about a month after it gets released.

Btw, I haven't given up hope on FHM.  I think it will eventually be very good.

[Nefaro]

Oh hell damn yes!

Excellent news, if this is true.

[Grim.Reaper]

Official announcement so it is true.....but a ways off for release.  Says beta in a year and release sometime 2015.  Still good news but will be hard to wait.

http://files.ootpdevelopments.com/newsletters/nl0134/index.html


Official forum
http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/bts-general-discussions/

[bbmike]

Awesome new. So the question is will Gridiron Solitaire get me through to 2015? If no what will?

[sandman2575]

Dang -- I was really hoping their next project would center on basketball   :'( 

(yeah, wet blanket, I know)

[JudgeDredd]

Absolutely cannot wait for this bad boy.

[Nefaro]

Awesome new. So the question is will Gridiron Solitaire get me through to 2015? If no what will?

You didn't feel like wrestling with FOF7?

[Grim.Reaper]

Hardest part will be waiting a year or so before release....I really hope they do this game justice.

[Grim.Reaper]

Awesome new. So the question is will Gridiron Solitaire get me through to 2015? If no what will?

You didn't feel like wrestling with FOF7?

I wonder the impact on Front Office Football.......I really think FOF missed a golden opportunity all these years.  The game was first released in 1998 and pretty much was/is the only American Football career sim on the market worth playing.  Although the product has a fairly solid engine, just seems after 16 years a big missed opportunity really evolving the product.  He had a captive audience and really no competition (maybe that was the downfall).  Over these years, he should have put so many features/graphics into the game where it would have prevented any newcomer from entering the market since it would have had a huge advantage.  But sadly that did not happen and has left the door wide open for OOTP to blow past FOF and bury them for good.  I am sure it will take OOTP a few versions to catch up in some areas, but they will be a bulldog and evolve the new product far more than FOF ever did.

It's a shame since FOF could have really cornered the market but the developer really stuck to the safe stuff and was always resistant to change (i.e. graphics, gameplay, making things easier, etc.).