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Is it just me or is there a real lack of sports games available through Xbox Live Arcade? The issue came up for me when I sorted through the list of over 100 games that are currently available, and noticed that very few bore any name that resembled something from the sports genre.

In looking into this further, I found out there are about 112 arcade games in total currently up for grabs on Xbox Live, with an estimated 80 or more expected to drop this year. Of all of those, two are considered “Sports Games,” four are “Bar Sports” and at least seven are “Racing Games.”

That’s 13 games combined that fall under a “sports” banner in one way or another, which is paltry compared to what else is already available, not to mention all the titles expected to be released this year. At the very least, the numbers are depressing.

Right now, all you’ll get for sports on Xbox Live Arcade are 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures and Sensible World of Soccer, each available for 800 Microsoft points. Both are decent games, but they’re not complemented by anything else.

In looking into this further, it made me wonder if it’s possible that the lack of a sporting presence has more to do with the fact that a lot of the games some of us pumped quarters into in days gone by have been remade into newer franchises.

NBA Jam is a great example. Here is a cornerstone arcade game that was a massive hit in the 1990s, but it doesn’t seem to have a chance of ever gracing our screens again on Xbox Live Arcade. Could it be that EA’s NBA Street series has killed any prospect of that happening? It’s possible, but the word “street” clearly differentiates it from what NBA Jam really was. It was fun, easy to pick up and play and was two-on-two in an arena, not three-on-three on the street.

Same goes for NHL Open Ice 2-on-2 Challenge. If anyone remembers this game, it was pretty much the “NBA Jam of hockey,” featuring two-on-two action in a similar over-the-top style. It was released to arcade in 1995, then ported to the Sony Playstation in ’96 and the PC in ’97. Why not bring back this game on Xbox Live by updating it with today’s players?

Moreover, you could include legendary players and have the same over-the-top powerups that characterized the original. You could even have hidden players (Gordie Howe was one in the original) or legendary teams like the 1950s (or 1970s) Montreal Canadiens, 1980s New York Islanders or the Edmonton Oilers of the same decade. Even the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s could qualify.

Given the hard sell that NHL hockey can be south of the border, it’s hardly surprising that this isn’t a priority for the NHL, NHLPA, Microsoft or Midway (who may or may not still hold the rights to the franchise).

The pond hockey game that 2K Sports uses in their NHL games is a really fun alternative (especially since you can play online), but it’s not the same. There are no outrageous extras that give it the same sort of character as NHL Open Ice. I mean, if games like NBA Street, NFL Street, FIFA Street and NFL Blitz can keep being churned out every year, why not make something based on the NHL with a lower budget for Xbox Live Arcade?

Moving on with the two-on-two theme, a beach volleyball game would be a good one to put together for Xbox Live as well, regardless of whether it’s more realistic or not. Even a tennis game might not be a bad idea.

And if a one-on-one theme is in the offing, why not make or remake a boxing game to compete with what Nintendo has in their Wii Sports arsenal?

Anyway you slice it, sports is easily the most underrepresented genre on Xbox Live Arcade. With the right deals in place among the various parties involved, old and successful franchises can be brought back from the dead, while new ones could be created to take advantage of the huge void.

The unfortunate part is that we won’t see any real progress on the sporting side for at least another year.

About G4 in Canada
G4 Canada (formerly TechTV Canada) launched in September 2001. G4 is the one and only television station that is plugged into every dimension of games, gear, gadgets and gigabytes. Owned Rogers Media Inc., the channel airs more than 24 original series. G4 is available on digital cable and satellite. For more information, see www.g4tv.ca.

Tech News on G4

Xbox Live Arcade

February 05, 2008

By Ted Kritsonis - G4 Canada