Sensible Soccer (series)

Infobox VG
title=Sensible Soccer" series


caption="Sensible Soccer" (Sega Mega Drive) screenshot
developer=Sensible Software
publisher=
distributor=
designer=Jon Hare, Stoo Cambridge
series=
engine=
version=
released=1992 - Sensible Soccer
1994 - Sensible World of Soccer
1998 - Sensible Soccer 98
2006 - Sensible Soccer 2006
2007 - Sensible World of Soccer (Xbox 360 / Windows)
genre=Sports, football
modes=Single player, 2 player
ratings=
platforms=Primarily Amiga and Atari ST, latterly Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Windows Vista (see below for details of other platforms for individual titles in the series)
media= Floppy disk (Amiga, Atari ST)
CD-ROM (PC)
Download (Xbox 360)
requirements=
input=

"Sensible Soccer", often affectionately known as "Sensi", is a football (soccer) video game series which was highly popular in the early 1990s and which still retains a cult following. Developed by Sensible Software and first released for Amiga and Atari ST computers in 1992 as well as for the PC, it featured a zoomed-out bird's-eye view (most games until then such as "Kick Off" and "Matchday" used a closer top-down or side view), editable national, club and custom teams and gameplay utilising a relatively simple and user-friendly control scheme. The game topped charts such as Amiga Power's "All Time Top 100". The graphic style of the game was used in other Sensible Software games, such as "Mega Lo Mania", "Cannon Fodder" and "Sensible Golf".

History

Origins

"Sensible World of Soccer", commonly referred to as "SWOS", was released in 1994. It became a first in video games when it attempted to encompass the entire professional footballing world into one game. Featuring many divisions in many countries around the globe, it featured a twenty season career mode which allowed players to manage and play as thousands of different clubs from across the globe, many of which were very obscure.

Next generation

On November 1 2005, it was announced in an interview at gaming website Eurogamer that the series would make a return in the Summer of 2006, with a full 3D title to be released on PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=61490] . Codemasters, the holders of the licence, would release the game across all PAL territories, with the design capabilities overseen by Jon Hare, the original designer of the game. On June 9 2006, it was released in Europe. No North American release is planned at this time.

Xbox Live Arcade

On September 27 2006, Codemasters announced a new version of Sensible World of Soccer for the Xbox 360 to be released in summer 2007 on Xbox Live Arcade. It features both the classic "retro" visuals of the original SWOS, as well as new improved high definition graphics, and retains the exact gameplay of the "96/97" version of "Sensible World of Soccer". [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=78471 Sensible World of Soccer 96/97] at Eurogamer.net] Due to problems with the game's network performance, the release was delayed in order for "significant proportions" of the network code to be rewritten. [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=86760 Codemasters talks Sensible Soccer XBLA] at Eurogamer.net] After missing several previous release dates, the game appeared on Xbox Live Arcade on December 19 2007 [ [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6183397.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;1 Gamespot - XBLA getting Sensible Dec. 19] ] but was quickly pulled. A statement from Microsoft confirmed that an incorrect version of the game had been made available, in which online play was not possible. [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=89651 SWOS pulled from Live Arcade] , Eurogamer, 19 December 2007.] The fixed version of the game was released two days later on December 21. The Windows version is still yet to be given a release date.

Awards

On March 12, 2007, the New York Times reported that The Sensible World of Soccer (1994) was named to a list of the ten most important video games of all time by Stanford Professor Henry Lowood and the four members of his committee — the game designers Warren Spector and Steve Meretzky; Matteo Bittanti, an academic researcher; and Christopher Grant, a game journalist. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink 2] This list was also announced at the 2007 Game Developers Conference.

"Sensible World of Soccer 1995/96" received review scores of 96% from both "Amiga Power" and "Amiga Format", the joint highest mark given for any game by either magazine. [ [http://amr.abime.net/top_scoring_reviews_5 Amiga Power top scoring reviews] at Amiga Magazine Rack] [ [http://amr.abime.net/top_scoring_reviews_4 "Amiga Format" top scoring reviews] at Amiga Magazine Rack]

"Sensible World of Soccer" (1994) received recognition as one of the Ten Most Important Video Games of All Time by the History of Science and Technology Collections at Stanford University. [ [http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/10-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-as-judged-by-2-design/ 10 most important video games of all time] , Joystiq.com]
*The game was almost published by Virgin Games, but they insisted on it being called Virgin Soccer. [ [http://www.gamersnet.nl/previews/sensible_soccer/ Jon Hare interview] at gamersnet.nl]

Games in the series

Coverdisk games

*At Christmas 1993, a free Sensible Software minigame was included on an "Amiga Format" cover disk. Called "Cannon Soccer", it was essentially two bonus levels of "Cannon Fodder" (one of Sensible Software's other titles) in which the soldiers fought hordes of "Sensible Soccer" players in a snowy landscape. [ [http://hol.abime.net/4759 "Cannon Soccer"] at Hall of Light]
*On the "Amiga Power" Coverdisk 21 one of the demos was "Sensible Soccer: England vs Germany", also known as "Sensible Soccer Meets Bulldog Blighty". [ [http://hol.abime.net/3856 "Sensible Soccer: England vs Germany"] at Hall of Light] This featured a mode of play that involved replacing players with soldiers from "Cannon Fodder", and the ball with a hand grenade. The grenade would randomly begin to flash eventually exploding, killing any nearby players.
*"Sensible World of Moon Soccer" a free covermount disk included with an issue of "Amiga Action" magazine in the UK,play as Moon united. featured low gravity, a cratered pitch and hordes of alien players to trade. [ [http://hol.abime.net/4681 "Sensible World of Moon Soccer"] at Hall of Light]
*The developers released a humorous spin-off called "unSensible Soccer" which consisted of apples vs oranges instead of men. It was released as a free covermount disk with "Amiga Action" in March 1993. [ [http://hol.abime.net/3602 "Unsensible Soccer"] at Hall of Light]

References

External links

* [http://www.codemasters.co.uk/sensiblesoccer/ Sensible Soccer 2006 on Codemasters.com]
* [http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/sensibleworldofsoccerxboxlivearcade Sensible World of Soccer on Xbox.com]
* [http://swos.gazchap.com/ Swos database with Amiga/XBLA name conversion table]