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Sega open to developing more niche MMOs
With the success of Football Manager Live in the U.K., Sega is open to the possibility of making other niche MMOs in the future. During a Sega event in New York City last week, I spoke with Sega West president Mike Hayes about the MMO market. He said that the company's subscription-based sports MMO is doing well, and he discussed upcoming plans for the game. "Football Manager Live was a very U.K.-specific launch, and our next task is localization to take it to other territories," he said. "So whether that be France, Korea, Brazil or wherever there's a good football fanbase. It's certainly a project we're quite pleased with in terms of the progress we've made. As for future projects... we're looking at things." But if you're a soccer fan in the U.S., don't hold your breath if you're waiting for Football Manager Live to come Stateside.
Football Manager to bring MMOs to the pitch
If ever there was a group of gaming fanatics to rival those that call MMOs their home, it would be those crazy footie fans that drive the sales of soccer simulators like the Football Manager series with their dreams of Championship League glory. While combining the two may at first appear like an unholy alliance, the off-spring of their union, Football Manager Live, is actually a much more intuitive blend than it might have seemed. Players customize their teams' looks, name, and home field, and are then given a small sum of cash to acquire their first players. From there they can then join online leagues catered to their skill levels and compete in matches that look largely like the Football Manager fans already know and love.What makes it more than just an online version of Football Manager is the persistent elements that have been added in to the mix. Managers assign themselves skills and abilities, all of which affect their ability to control and develop players on the pitch. Players have to build their teams up from the ground-level in order to compete at the highest levels, and competition in that sphere will be intense. It's sort of funny to think of the Premier League as the sports equivalent of Black Temple, but it's apt. Football Manager Live is currently in its beta phase, and looks to launch later this year. Finally we'll have an MMO we can brag about at a bar without getting funny looks!
