Sports RPGs: A Match Made in Heaven?

[DevP]

There's always Fightball, for inspiration.

Ah, cheese! Leave it to James Earnest to beat ya to the punch.

Well, I'm just saying violent sports are out there in various memes. My vague mojo tells me Mr. Ernest would like to see such things if you wanted to just adapt Fightball, but this would be more promotional than anything. (There's not that much content in there, but you could interest lots of CheapAss games players.)

[Ben Lehman]

Some Thoughts--

First of all, a sports RPG is not going to sell to the types that already play RPGs -- we're going to lasershark it to the point that your target audience (sports fans) would NEVER play it.

Second of all, such games already exist in some respect.  I played a lot of Strat-o-Matic Baseball as a kid, which is essentially a baseball "wargame."  Man, it's fun to make an all-century all-star team and have Babe Ruth batting after Sammy Sosa.  Like most RPG play, Strat-o-Matic is a very different experience depending on locale, and I learned it as a very "RPG style" experience, complete with drama, announcers, and rivalries.  I know that the company produces games for Basketball, Hockey and Football as well, and possibly Soccer.

Google:  It seems to me mostly computer games now.  
http://www.gussomo.com/
http://www.strat-o-matic.com/
Still, these might be good people to get in touch with and run your ideas past.

Another good, existing source to check out is "sports fiction."  There is a lot of this, although it has been dying out recently.  Off the top of my head, I can think of a gazillion movies, as well as some very good Japanese animated TV shows if that's your deal.

Lastly, I think that this is a great idea, potentially a Vampire-level RPG success.  Go Go GO!

yrs--
--Ben

[Jonathan Walton]

First of all, a sports RPG is not going to sell to the types that already play RPGs -- we're going to lasershark it to the point that your target audience (sports fans) would NEVER play it.

Leave it to Ben to tell it like it is. Reading this thread, this was exactly my reaction too.  <tongue enters cheek> I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THE GAME FOR YOU LOSERS!  Lasershark, smasershark.  You guys wouldn't like anything if it didn't have magic, spaceships, violence, or bikinis.  Rollerball?  Heavens to betsy, guys!  And we're trying to break gamer stereotypes here, remember?  We're trying to write for non-traditional audiences, remember?  (Well, at least some of us are.) <tongue exits cheek>

Off the top of my head, I can think of a gazillion movies, as well as some very good Japanese animated TV shows if that's your deal.

Hell yeah.  I watched "Slam Dunk" religiously when I was in China, along with 1.2 billion other people.

Guess I'll just have to attempt the impossible then.  Let me get Argonauts out and we'll see what I can come up with.

[Andrew Norris]

Interestingly enough, there is a baseball tactical miniatures game coming out (see the front page of WizKids.com). They've realized that they'll likely make good money selling collectable sports figurines, whether or not the game itself is played.

I realize it's not an RPG, but it's a good example of taking something that's quite niche (collectible miniatures wargaming) and transitioning it to a broader audience. It'll be interesting to see how it does.

[Michael S. Miller]

I do believe there is a audience who would like to play an RPG where you play a sports star or a movie star or... a Rock star.

Slightly off-topic, In a strange twist of synchronicity, this is the third time this week that something has reminded me to pursue my backburner project of Limelight: Movie Star Role-Playing. Maybe the third time's the charm.