Why don't Americans like text-sims?

[Tolstoy]

Football Manager has a cult-like following in Europe, and yet the best American Football text-sim we have in the states is PFS. With all the clamoring for "better franchise mode" and "better dynasty mode" in Madden and NCAA, why isn't there more demand for a football sim on the level of OOTP or FM?

God, if there was a college football game as deep as OOTP I'd never play anything else.

[LingeringRegime]

I agree. I would love an NFL or NBA text sim.

[kehlis]

I don't get the thread title. What does it have anything to do with "Americans"?

Text sims overall are very underrated and I don't understand what it has to do with any particular country...

[Tolstoy]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

I don't get the thread title. What does it have anything to do with "Americans"? Text sims overall are very underrated and I don't understand what it has to do with any particular country...

They just haven't taken off here in the States. The U.S. is at least as passionate about football as England is about soccer, and yet they have Football Manager (where Football manager 2010 is just behind FM 2011 as the top two selling PC games in the country) while we have... Front Office Football 2007. You just don't see the kind of fanatic devotion to sports management sims here like you do overseas.

My question is, why?

The follow-up question is this: is the lack of demand due to the lack of a top-quality product, or is the lack of a top-quality product due to the lack of demand?

[dickey1331]

I think it’s more that PC gaming isn’t very popular along most Americans. If they were able to bring this to the video game consoles maybe it will changed but I just don’t see it ever becoming very popular. American and European interests are very different.

[Bellsprout]

Because I don't want to read, I want to play. Similar to how things like Manager Mode in The Show or NFL Head Coach have never appealed to me.

[dickey1331]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dayman

Because I don't want to read, I want to play. Similar to how things like Manager Mode in The Show or NFL Head Coach have never appealed to me.

Good points. I think that the vast majority of America agrees with you.

[GlennN]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tolstoy

They just haven't taken off here in the States. The U.S. is at least as passionate about football as England is about soccer, and yet they have Football Manager (where Football manager 2010 is just behind FM 2011 as the top two selling PC games in the country) while we have... Front Office Football 2007. You just don't see the kind of fanatic devotion to sports management sims here like you do overseas. My question is, why? The follow-up question is this: is the lack of demand due to the lack of a top-quality product, or is the lack of a top-quality product due to the lack of demand?

I disagree that football is as popular here as soccer is elsewhere in the world. Once the football season ends here, generally folks get into baseball, then hockey and/or basketball. As I understand it, outside the US, soccer is the sport no matter what. We don't have a devotion to a specific sport like that here.