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Why so few sport simulators?

8 replies [Last post]
Thu, 01/03/2013 - 10:21
giobbe77
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Joined: 01/02/2013

I noticed there is a very limited choice in terms of sport simulation board games, also they seem to be overly complicated with lots of notes to be taken down (I checked on the BGG database).

Do you think a game on, say, soccer management might interest a wide range of people, or those into sports would probably prefer sticking to computer simulators?

I have some ideas for a game like that but I'm afraid it would get overlooked... any thoughts?
Thanks.

p.s. I'm based in Europe, hence the choice of soccer instead of other sports more popular in the US.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 11:17
#1
ledbetter_13
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Why so few sport simulators?

Right or wrong, I think the general sentiment is that the board game audience is not the same as the sports fan audience, and sports video games are so dominant in the market that there is no room for board games. On top of that, most publishers do not even consider sports simulation games to put into the market, so you have a bit of a chicken/egg problem. I have a pretty good American football simulation game that I think could be one of the better ones out there, but I have mostly abandoned it for the above reasons.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 11:19
#2
larienna
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It depends how much you want

It depends how much you want to actually similate. There are the stat-0-matic games that I would never want to play because it`s just too complex for no reason. But I might be tempted to play blood bowl and even more blood bowl team manager.

Personally, it`s not the theme that scares me but rather the mechanics involved behind which are not elegant and does not catch the feeling of the sport. Team management is very interesting and it does not have to catch the action of a game because the board games cover manay games.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:30
#3
McTeddy
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Joined: 11/19/2012
I'm pretty much in agreement

I'm pretty much in agreement with the above posters. Sports are a niche in the board game world... simulators are another niche... people who want both are a VERY small market. More than likely it will be overlooked.

My advice if you want to keep going with the idea, keep the "sim" elements lite and fluid. By keeping the game fast and simple you allow casual players to enjoy it. No one will need to spend hours learning and bookkeeping before they can have fun. Keeping that initial investment low will give you a much better chance to succeed.

You can also follow the example of Advance Squad Leader by having a simple game-y version with additional complexity being optional. This will let casual players enjoy the game, but still let you create the simulationist experience you want to create.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:50
#4
munio
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Joined: 11/12/2012
i eel like a great charm of

i eel like a great charm of sports is the physical thrills that come with, someting that is not really captured by pushing plastic pieces around on a gameboard

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 17:12
#5
ender7
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The stuff that makes sports

The stuff that makes sports great isn't so much fun when abstracted. The time pressure, the recognizable stars, the physical beauty of incredible athletic moves, and the joy of being a fan - none of these things translate really well into board games.

That said, there has been some innovation in this space. Blood Bowl Team Manager takes the approach of managing a team and simulating a season, but to be honest, the game isn't a football game at all. Jab Realtime Boxing brings a realtime element to it that's pretty fun... though boxing is a pretty simple sport, so it's easier to abstract in this way. 1st and Goal brings deck-building ideas into football, which is pretty clever, might be worth a look for inspiration.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 17:16
#6
lewpuls
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Simplicity, not stats

I recall some lads in college (that's 40 years ago) who loved Strat-o-matic - because they loved the statistics. Now computers can keep track of all those statistics for you, why would you do it by hand?

I think the major opening left for tabletop games, then, is something simple, that just catches some essence of the physical game - such as Football Strategy catches the essence of coaches trying to outguess and outthink one another. Seems to me I saw a "Finger Football" being played at PfrezCon last year. And Pitch Car is a very simple version of auto racing.

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Thu, 01/03/2013 - 21:10
#7
Shoe
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ledbetter_13 wrote:Right or

ledbetter_13 wrote:
Right or wrong, I think the general sentiment is that the board game audience is not the same as the sports fan audience, and sports video games are so dominant in the market that there is no room for board games. On top of that, most publishers do not even consider sports simulation games to put into the market, so you have a bit of a chicken/egg problem. I have a pretty good American football simulation game that I think could be one of the better ones out there, but I have mostly abandoned it for the above reasons.

pretty much my sentiment as well. Most gamers I know dont care for sports or simulations thereof, that said...pizzza box football supposedly was a good game.

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Fri, 01/04/2013 - 18:55
#8
giobbe77
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Joined: 01/02/2013
thanks to everyone for your

thanks to everyone for your replies, after reading them I have decided not to gift humanity with the greatest sport simulator of all time. Sorry about that.

:D

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