Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

[LeonM]

I like Madden. It is heavily flawed but the graphics and license keeps me coming back for more. The game hasn't been great since Madden 05 however.

With that being stated, I am excited about alternative football titles hitting the market. I have been anticipating Backbreaker for awhile. Euphoria, 2 Franchise modes and Total team/player customization has me sold on BB. It's already been pre-ordered by me.

Everyone is focusing on the whole Madden vs Backbreaker aspect of this release but I think that the direct competitor for BB is Tecmo Bowl Throwback. I think that TB throwback will get alot of attention from the football gamer community.

You can't compete with Madden right now. Even though sales have been down. They have a built in customer base and the NFL license. The real competition for BB is Tecmo Bowl. For the first time in awhile, football video gamers have two alternative choices.

Growing up, I was a huge Tecmo Bowl fan. That game lived on even after all the consoles upgraded. It's back and it looks promising. The game is a true classic and it can be stated that no football game has ever been as fun as Tecmo since. The fact that the game has 32 teams and player/team customization is a huge selling point for me and while Tecmo is a downloadable game. It is rumored to be released before Backbreaker. My bet is that for nostalgic reasons. Football gamers like myself, will play this game and spend some significant time towards it. Will Tecmo Bowl being on the market effect people's interest and attention level in Backbreaker?

[TheWatcher]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

No.

[rm217]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Whenever there's less attention given to a game by a potential customer it definitely can't help. I can't speak for everyone but me being a loyal Tecmo Bowl fan I'm buying it day one but I'm also willing to give Backbreaker a try because it's striving for a totally different experience. The one thing we can all agree on is that it's nice to have a choice again and have us debating about such things like this. Competition is good!

[o Mass Murda o]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

nah...two diff games and two different price points. TSB is for nostalgia. BB is for the future. i still have the original TSB on nintendo with the NFL rosters. never gets old, but its just not the same type of game IMO.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Let's see.

An 8-bit game compared to a game with the most revolutionary sports gameplay engine to date. Nope.

[TheWatcher]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

^^^ The game will be in 3D with an optional 16-Bit version included that you can switch back and forth to. Sound pretty cool.

The reason I say "no" to the topic question is because of the channels both games are going through. One is going to be a physical product (BackBreaker) the other will be an XBL/PSN download (Throwback). I wouldn't look at these as competing channels right now, but as hard drives continue to become larger and cheaper, over the next few years as physical games start to become a totally antiquated idea, at that point then I'd look at this as a situation but not right now.

[kjcheezhead]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

I think UFC will hurt BB more than tecmo. Not sure if it was a good idea to move the release date and go head to head vs that game.

[boxboy99]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

^^^UFC will hurt way more than Tecmo. I think UFC sold something crazy like 4 million copys very quickly last year. I'll have all 3 Tecmo, BB, and UFC. BB and Tecmo are different. I consider Tecmo like a party game. It something that is a blast to play head to head with some friends. Perfect fit for XBL. BB is suppose to be the future.

[poisedjase]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

No i don't think tecmo throwback will hurt bb at all other games might

[GlennN]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

nah...two diff games and two different price points. TSB is for nostalgia. BB is for the future. i still have the original TSB on nintendo with the NFL rosters. never gets old, but its just not the same type of game IMO.

Very well put! I agree.

[JMD]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

I think UFC will hurt BB more than tecmo. Not sure if it was a good idea to move the release date and go head to head vs that game.

I didn't know the UFC game was going to feature a football mode, I may have to check it out.

[LeonM]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Tecmo Throwback and Backbreaker are clearly two different football games. The reason that I feel that Tecmo could hurt the market place for BB is because it will garner attention away from them. A good portion of the football gamer community will be drawn to Throwback and play that game and it hits the market before Backbreaker.

The focus this spring will be on two football games this spring, not just one.

[ChampIsHere42]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

If you put this engine in Madden, it would be the greatest football game ever created. Yeah, I said it

[CreatineKasey]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Tecmo may prevent me from buying a copy of BB, but BB would never prevent me from buying Tecmo. It's got the nostalgia lock on me.

I feel if Tecmo is legitimately Tecmo that I'll become much more "wait and see" on Backbreaker.

[TheWatcher]

Re: Will Tecmo Throwback Hurt Backbreaker?

Tecmo Throwback and Backbreaker are clearly two different football games. The reason that I feel that Tecmo could hurt the market place for BB is because it will garner attention away from them. A good portion of the football gamer community will be drawn to Throwback and play that game and it hits the market before Backbreaker.

The focus this spring will be on two football games this spring, not just one.

I think both games will be just fine. There have been similar situations like this in other genres, and there has never been any evidence to suggest that an XBLA/PSN game had any adverse effect on a physical product. To reiterate, these games are being sold through two different channels. There is no real rivalry between physical and non-physical games on 360/PS3. XBLA games by nature are smaller games made cheaply, targeting a casual audience.

It should also be understood that a physical game is, by nature of the beast, promoted far heavier than online network console games. Many of these downloadable games receive little to no promotion at all and certainly nothing anywhere close to the scale that a physical release would. So, physical presence and promotion is going to give a physical game an enormous edge every time. We just haven't reached the point yet where there is a legitimate concern about what effect an XBLA/PSN game will have on a physical product.

The last thing is, when game companies stopped developing football games after the EA/NFL disaster in 2004, the market all but disappeared from its once thriving state, but the gamers never did. They still exist and have just been waiting for more product to come along. In other words, there is enough for everyone to eat and get full. I think both projects will do well based on the size and scope of each since both are much smaller by comparison to productions created by large studios.

I said last year that I believe the football gaming sector of the market will find a resurgence through smaller independent companies and that prediction is certainly coming true right now as there is a healthy number of indies making football games right now when combining PC, Mobile, and Console projects and so far the PC and Mobile games have been making money. I don't know how well BCFX did, but I hope it's at least been profitable. The two other console games on the horizon doing well will be another huge step forward to resurrection. But gamers have to start buying. Gamers have more power right now than they've ever had to help steer the course.