Sensible World of Soccer

Infobox VG
title=Sensible World of Soccer


developer=Sensible Software
publisher=Renegade, GT Interactive (1994-1996), Codemasters, Microsoft (2007)
release=1994, 1995 (Edition '95/'96), 1996 (ECE and '96/'97), 2007
platforms=Amiga, PC (MS-DOS and Windows 95), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
genre=Sports game (Football/Soccer), Sports management
modes=Singleplayer, Multiplayer (local and internet)
input=Joystick, Keyboard (PC), Xbox 360 Controller
requirements=486DX 50 (preferably Pentium), MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, alternatively Windows 95, at least 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended and needed for voice output) for PC version or an Amiga or WinUAE for Amiga versions or an Xbox 360 for the remake.
media=Floppy disks (2 for Amiga/3 or 4 for PC), CD-ROM (PC), Download (XBLA)Sensible World of Soccer's first release was 1994 as successor of the Sensible Soccer sequel. It combined the 2D football with a manager mode. All teams of the professional leagues from that time are included, additionally the national and international contests of club and national teams from all continents. Altogether there are about 1,600 teams and 22,000 players.

Although the gameplay is very simple (just one fire button needed) a lot of actions can be performed without any predefined keys.

Henry Lowood, Curator for History of Science and Technology Collections in the Stanford University, game designers Warren Spector and Steve Meretzky as well as researcher Matteo Bittanti and journalist Christopher Grant compiled a list of the ten most important video games ever, Sensible World of Soccer is included as the latest game. [" [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Is That Just Some Game? No, It’s a Cultural Artifact] ". In: "The New York Times", 12th of March 2006]

The Career Mode

As special feature, the game has got a career mode, which makes it possible to choose a club, to play and coach the team as player manager. Every team has got a squad of 16 players who have individual skills, for example power of headers, tackles or shots. Their price on the transfer market is calculated on basis of these values. The user can buy players from other clubs by offering an amount of money and/or players from the own squad in a part exchange offer. To be able to buy stronger players and to keep them it is necessary to earn money with success in the various competitions. In the time of a career which lasts 20 years the player manager can get job offers from other clubs and also from a national team, depending on his success.

The Title Song

"Goal-scoring Superstar Hero" by Richard Joseph († 2007) and Jon Hare, sung by Jackie Read, was composed for SWOS. The CD versions include the studio recording as an audio track.

Lyrics:

:"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"You let your hair down and play to the fans":"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"And every goal says you're the best in the land"

A remix of this song, which was made for "Sensible Soccer 2006", has got two verses to it:

:"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"We sing your song and you turn up the heat":"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"And with your ball control you have the world at your feet"

:"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"I got your name on the back of my shirt":"You're a goalscoring superstar hero":"You drive me wild I wanna be your superstargirl"

History

ensible World of Soccer

The first release from 1994 for Amiga had some bugs which were fixed with a free update disk a few months later (SWOS v1.1). A PC version came later, in 1995, as floppy disk version and as CD-ROM (including voice commentary).

ensible World of Soccer '95/'96

The '95/'96 Edition was an improved version for Amiga, with updated data, new menus and an enhanced gameplay (now with the possibility to do headers from standing positions and low passes with curling effect), which was also content of subsequent releases.

WOS European Championship Edition

In time of the UEFA Euro 1996, the European Championship Edition (aka ECE or SWOSECE) was released. This version is equal to '95/'96 Edition, but included the actual European Championship as a preset competition with updated teams. This version was released for PC as well as for Amiga computers.

ensible World of Soccer '96/'97

2007.

Other Releases

Also 1996 an upgrade was released in a double CD case of SWOS '96/'97, for PC (CD) and Amiga (disks), with this one the user was able to upgrade an older version of SWOS to '96/'97. Nowadays they are only interesting for collectors, because of their rarity. Later there was also a White Label version, it contained the European Championship Edition and was published by Virgin Interactive. Sometimes it was offered combined with the '96/'97 upgrade.

After the SWOS development ended in 1996, some fan projects tried to keep SWOS up-to-date, like the Creswell brothers from England who collected data from several internet forums and created an unofficial update to '97/'98 for Amiga with it. During the 1998 World Cup in France they made a special update, which was based on '97/'98 and contained also some new graphics. This "World Cup 98 update" was officially supported by Sensible Software and released on the Cover CD number 24 of the magazine "CU Amiga". But to use this update a hard disk installation was assumed which officially doesn't exist.

Also there were some demo versions (Amiga) on several cover disks. One of the most known is "Sensible World of Moonsoccer", where the user could try the in-game options, but the scene was based on the moon, with craters on the pitch and moon-like ball physics.

The Comeback

Any attempts since 1998 to bring back Sensible Soccer as a 3D game were not very successful and aren't quite accepted as a part of the series by many fans. So it became quiet about Sensible Soccer after Codemasters' takeover of Sensible Software in 1999. So it was 2005 where Sensible Soccer was released again as a mobile phone game. Although the controls on mobile phones are usually a bit complicated, the game sold well enough to make new releases of the series possible. After a 2 Player Plug 'n' Play version, a small mini console with two controllers and TV-out (which contained Mega lo Mania and Cannon Fodder besides Sensi Soccer), Codemasters decided to release Sensible Soccer 2006 during the World Cup in Germany. But the game seemed to be unfinished and had some bugs which Codemasters never tried to fix. About the same time they released with Sensible Soccer Skillz another game for mobile phones which contained just a few mini games such as penalties or corner kicks.

. First it was planned for August 2007, but it was delayed due problems with the online mode. But still this online mode was the reason to pull the game from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace just after its release. So the real premiere of SWOS was two days later, on 21st of December 2007, without any official announcements.

The game is based on the Amiga version of SWOS '96/'97 and uses some elements of the PC release. The graphics are enhanced (HD mode), but during the game the user is able to switch to the classic graphics mode. SWOS is the first XBLA game which uses the technology of Massive Inc. to show commercials within the game, updated over the network. The game's price is 800 MS Points. Meanwhile there are packs of SWOS-related gamer pictures and themes, the price for both in each case is 150 MS Points and they can be downloaded on the Marketplace.

Errors in the online mode were reported by consumers in the official forum, but Codemasters announced that there are no plans for patches, bugfixes or other SWOS-related releases in the near future. In regard to this the previously announced Windows Vista version will not be released.

Competitions and Events

In the early 1990s two official Sensible Soccer World Cups took place, the latest was hosted in the City Pride pub of Farringon and the winner was Symon Byron.

Since then, two official Xbox 360 SWOS tournaments were organized by Codemasters. During a press event for the XBLA release on the 5th of July 2007, the Challenge Cup took place in the Sports Café in London, which was won by Tomslav. Additionally there was an official World Cup on the 14th of March 2008 at the Codemasters Connect 2008. The winner of this tournament and the prize money of 1,000 British Pounds was Brian Davidson.

Apart from that, SWOS tournaments are mainly organized by the fans themselves. Some of the best-known events are the World SWOS Tournaments (WST) of the "SWOS Witnesses" in Serbia and the tournaments of the ISSA (International Sensible Soccer Association) in Copenhagen/Denmark, both played with the PC version. But the game is also very popular in Poland and Germany, tournaments with more than 40 players take place there on a regular basis (on Amiga as well).

Furthermore, the world's biggest online community SensibleSoccer.de is organizing the "Sensible Days" once a year, a meeting of fans with international SWOS championships on PC and Amiga. The latest Sensible Days took place on the weekend of 18th and 19th of August 2007 in Pirmasens/Germany. With more than 40 players from 12 nations, with top players from all existing rankings, it was so far the offline event with the strongest of known competitors overall. Philipp Habermann aka Playaveli from Germany was able to win both tournaments, thus being respected by many fans as the currently world's best SWOS player.

The upcoming Sensible Days will take place on 9th and 10th of August 2008, again in Pirmasens. The SWOS tournaments of this event are the first time acknowledged by Codemasters, so both winners will be the first official SWOS World Cup Winners on PC resp. Amiga.

Online competitions take place since 2003 which are mainly managed via the SensibleSoccer.de website. A special version of WinUAE with Kaillera client (netplay function) makes it possible to play the Amiga version through the internet. Besides national leagues there are also European cups and other tournaments. Meeting point for online players is IRC channel #sensible on QuakeNet servers.

The Fans

The game has gained cult status among its fans. Untypical for games of that age, players of all ages are travelling through Europe, mainly to meet like-minded people. These privately organized events are of noncommercial nature and this reflects in their views. Many of them don't like the trend of modern football games, focused on realistic graphics instead of an uncomplicated gameplay. Around this game many regional fan bases emerged and also some special ceremonies, for example in Denmark where a group of approx. 30 people have a walk through the center of Copenhagen two times per year, leaded by the champion (called "Den Bedste"), holding a torch, the "Sensible Flamme".

External links

* [http://www.swos-game.com/ www.swos-game.com] - Official site
* [http://www.sensiblesoccer.de/ www.sensiblesoccer.de] - Biggest SWOS community
* [http://swosfootballfantasy.forumcircle.com/ swosfootballfantasy.forumcircle.com] - Xbox SWOS Community
* [http://www.purplesensi.co.uk/ www.purplesensi.co.uk] - Infosite around Sensible Software
* [http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/s/sensibleworldofsoccerxboxlivearcade/ www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/s/sensibleworldofsoccerxboxlivearcade] - Info site on Xbox.com
* [http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/livearcade/sensibleworldofsoccer/ www.xbox.com/en-GB/livearcade/sensibleworldofsoccer] - Mini site on Xbox.com
* [http://database.swos.info/ database.swos.info] - Complete database of SWOS '96/'97
* [http://www.codemastersconnect.com/ www.codemastersconnect.com] - Codemasters Connect
* [http://www.sensibledays.de/ www.sensibledays.de] - Sensible Days

References