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{{Short description|Sports-simulating video game}}
#REDIRECT [[Sports video game]]
{{Distinguish|Esports}}
{{VG Simulation}}
A '''sports video game''' is a [[video game]] that simulates the practice of [[sports]]. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including [[team sport]]s, [[track and field]], [[extreme sport]]s, and [[combat sport]]s. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport (such as ''[[FIFA (video game series)|FIFA]]'', ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]'' and ''[[Madden NFL]]''), whilst others emphasize strategy and [[sport management]] (such as ''[[Football Manager]]'' and ''[[Out of the Park Baseball]]''). Some, such as ''[[Need for Speed]]'', ''[[Arch Rivals]]'' and ''[[Punch-Out!!]]'', satirize the sport for comic effect. This genre has been popular throughout the history of video games and is competitive, just like real-world sports. A number of game series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes. The sports genre is one of the oldest genres in gaming history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200810/physicshistory.cfm|title=October 1958: Physicist Invents First Video Game|website=www.aps.org}}</ref>


{{Redirect category shell|
==Game design==
{{R from move}}
{{Expand section|date=February 2009}}
}}

Sports games involve physical and tactical challenges, and test the player's precision and accuracy.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Most sports games attempt to model the athletic characteristics required by that sport, including speed, strength, acceleration, accuracy, and so on.<ref name="fundamentals" /> As with their respective sports, these games take place in a stadium or arena with clear boundaries.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Sports games often provide play-by-play and color commentary through the use of recorded audio.<ref name="fundamentals"/>

Sports games sometimes make use of different [[Mode (videogame design)|modes]] for different parts of the game. This is especially true in games about [[American football]] such as the [[Madden NFL]] series, where executing a pass play requires six different gameplay modes in the span of approximately 45 seconds.<ref name="fundamentals">{{cite book|last=Rollings|first=Andrew|author2=Ernest Adams |title=Fundamentals of Game Design|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=2006|url=http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14052/3597510.cw/index.html}}</ref> Sometimes, other sports games offer a menu where players may select a strategy while play is temporarily suspended.<ref name="fundamentals"/> [[Soccer|Association football]] video games sometimes shift gameplay modes when it is time for the player to attempt a penalty kick, a free shot at goal from the penalty spot, taken by a single player.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Some sports games also require players to shift roles between the athletes and the coach or manager. These mode switches are more intuitive than other game genres because they reflect actual sports.<ref name="fundamentals" />

Older 2D sports games sometimes used an unrealistic graphical scale, where athletes appeared to be quite large in order to be visible to the player. As sports games have evolved, players have come to expect a realistic graphical scale with a high degree of verisimilitude.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Sports games often simplify the game physics for ease of play, and ignore factors such as a player's inertia.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Games typically take place with a highly accurate time-scale, although they usually allow players to play quick sessions with shorter game quarters or periods.<ref name="fundamentals" />

Sports games sometimes treat button-pushes as continuous signals rather than discrete moves, in order to initiate and end a continuous action. For example, football games may distinguish between short and the long passes based on how long the player holds a button. Golf games often initiate the backswing with one button-push, and the swing itself is initiated by a subsequent push.<ref name="fundamentals"/>

==Types==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2009}}

===Arcade===
Sports games have traditionally been very popular [[arcade game]]s. The competitive nature of sports lends itself well to the arcades where the main objective is usually to obtain a [[high score]]. The arcade style of play is generally more unrealistic and focuses on a quicker gameplay experience. However the competitive nature of sports and being able to gain a high score while competing against friends for free online, has made online sports games very popular. Examples of this include the ''[[NFL Blitz]]'' and ''[[NBA Jam]]'' series.

===Simulation===

Simulation games are more realistic than arcade games, with the emphasis being more on realism than on how fun the game is to pick up and play. Simulation games tend to be slower and more accurate while arcade games tend to be fast and can have all kinds of ad-hoc rules and ideas thrown in, especially pre-2000.

===Management===
A sports management game puts the player in the role of [[Coach (sport)|team manager]]. Whereas some games are played online against other players, management games usually pit the player against [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] controlled teams in the same [[Sports league|league]]. Players are expected to handle strategy, tactics, transfers, and financial issues. Various examples of these games can be found in the [[:Category:Sports management video games|sports management category]].

===Multi-sport===
{{See|Olympic video games}}

Since ''[[Track & Field (video game)|Track & Field]]'' (1983), various [[multi-sport]] video games have combined multiple sports into a single game. ''[[Wii Sports]]'' and ''[[Wii Sports Resort]]'' are recent examples. A popular sub-genre are [[Olympic video games]], including ''Track & Field'' and other similar titles. Multi-sport tournaments are becoming the basis for computer games.

===Sports-based fighting===
Sports-based fighting games are titles that fall firmly within the definitions of both the [[fighting game]] and sports game genres, such as boxing and wrestling video games. As such, they are usually put in their own separate subgenres. Often the fighting is far more realistic than in traditional fighting games (though the amount of realism can greatly vary), and many feature real-world franchises or fighters. Examples of this include the ''[[Fight Night (EA video game series)|Fight Night]]'', ''[[UFC 2009 Undisputed]], [[EA Sports UFC]]'' and ''[[WWE 2K]]'' series.

==History==
{{For|the history of auto racing games|Racing game}}
{{For|martial arts tournament games|Fighting game}}
{{see also|History of video games|History of arcade games}}

===Origins (1958–1972)===
[[File:Signed Pong Cabinet.jpg|thumb|''[[Pong]]'' (1972) [[arcade cabinet]].]]

Sports video games have origins in sports [[electro-mechanical game]]s (EM games), which were [[arcade games]] manufactured using a mixture of electrical and mechanical components, for [[amusement arcades]] between the 1940s and 1970s. Examples include [[boxing]] games such as [[International Mutoscope Reel Company]]'s ''K.O. Champ'' (1955),<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=20–5, 55, 8, 63–5}}</ref> [[bowling]] games such as [[Bally Manufacturing]]'s ''Bally Bowler'' and [[Chicago Coin]]'s ''Corvette'' from 1966, [[baseball]] games such as [[Midway Manufacturing]]'s ''Little League'' (1966) and Chicago Coin's ''All Stars Baseball'' (1968),<ref name="CB105">{{cite magazine |title=Coin Machines Equipment Survey |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=20 October 1973 |page=105 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox35unse_16/page/105 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.}}</ref> other [[team sport]] games such as [[Taito]]'s ''Crown Soccer Special'' (1967) and ''Crown Basketball'' (1968),<ref>{{KLOV game|16047|Crown Soccer Special}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Munves' Southern Tour Reveals High Earnings For Several Games At Tampa Fair |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=9 March 1968 |page=61 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox29unse_31/page/61 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.}}</ref> and [[air hockey]] type games such as [[Sega]]'s ''MotoPolo'' (1968)<ref>{{cite news |title=セガ60周年スペシャルインタビュー。伝説の筐体R360や『バーチャファイター』などアーケード開発者が開発秘話をたっぷり語る！ |trans-title=Sega 60th Anniversary Special Interview: Arcade developers of the legendary chassis R360 and "Virtua Fighter" tell a lot of development secrets! |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/202006/28200872.html |access-date=18 April 2021 |work=[[Famitsu]] |date=2020-06-28 |language=ja}}
*{{cite web |author=B Clark |date=2020-06-14 |title=Arcade Developers Talk Sega's History of Taking On Challenges |url=http://www.onemillionpower.com/arcade-developers-talk-segas-history-of-taking-on-challenges/ |website=One Million Power}}</ref> and ''Air Hockey'' (1972) by [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick Billiards]].<ref name="Brunswick Billiards History">{{cite web |title=History of Brunswick Billiards |url=http://www.history.brunswickbilliards.com/ |website=Brunswick Billiards |access-date=11 September 2020}}</ref>

The earliest sports video game dates backs to 1958, when [[William Higinbotham]] created a game called ''[[Tennis for Two]]'', a competitive [[Multiplayer video game|two-player]] [[tennis]] game played on an [[oscilloscope]]. The players would select the angle at which to put their racket, and pressed a button to return it. Although this game was incredibly simple, it demonstrated how an [[action game]] (rather than previous puzzles) could be played on a computer.<ref name="Ars Technica">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/10/gaming-evolution.ars/2|title=The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade|work=Sports games|date=10 October 2005|first=Jeremy|last=Reimer|access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref> Video games prior to the late 1970s were primarily played on university [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]] computers under [[Time-sharing|timesharing]] systems that supported multiple [[computer terminal]]s on school campuses. The two dominant systems in this era were [[Digital Equipment Corporation]]'s [[PDP-10]] and [[Control Data Corporation]]'s [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO]]. Both could only display text, and not graphics, originally printed on [[teleprinter]]s and [[line printer]]s, but later printed on single-color [[Cathode ray tube|CRT]] screens.

[[Ralph Baer]] developed ''Table Tennis'' for the first [[video game console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]], released in 1972. While the console had other sports-themed game cards, they required the use of television overlays while playing similarly to [[board games]] or [[card games]]. ''Table Tennis'' was the only Odyssey game that was entirely electronic and did not require an overlay, introducing a ball-and-paddle game design that showcased the potential of the new video game medium. This provided the basis for the first commercially successful video game, ''[[Pong]]'' (1972), released as an [[arcade video game]] by [[Atari, Inc.]]<ref name="Williams"/>

===Ball-and-paddle era (1973–1975)===
Numerous ball-and-paddle games that were either clones or variants of ''Pong'' were released for arcades in 1973. Atari themselves released a four-player [[cooperative multiplayer]] variant, ''[[Pong Doubles]]'' (1973), based on [[tennis doubles]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wolf |first1=Mark J. P. |title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming |date=2012 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-37936-9 |page=145 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deBFx7QAwsQC&pg=PA145}}</ref> In the United States, the best-selling [[1973 in video games|arcade video game of 1973]] was ''Pong'', followed by several of its clones and variants, including ''Pro Tennis'' from [[Williams Electronics]], ''Winner'' from [[Midway Manufacturing]], ''Super Soccer'' and ''Tennis Tourney'' from [[Allied Leisure]] (later called Centuri), and ''TV Tennis'' from [[Chicago Coin]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baer |first1=Ralph H. |author1-link=Ralph H. Baer |title=Videogames: In the Beginning |date=2005 |publisher=Rolenta Press |isbn=978-0-9643848-1-1 |pages=10–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/VideogamesInTheBeginningRalphH.Baer/page/n31/mode/2up}}</ref>

In Japan, arcade manufacturers such as Taito initially avoided video games as they found ''Pong'' to be simplistic compared to more complex EM games, but after Sega successfully tested-marketed ''Pong'' in Japan, Sega and Taito released the clones ''Pong Tron'' and ''Elepong'', respectively, in July 1973,<ref name="Smith">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |pages=191–95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT191}}</ref> before the official Japanese release of ''Pong'' by Atari Japan (later part of [[Namco]]) in November 1973.<ref name="Akagi">{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=13 October 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |pages=28, 40–1, 51, 129 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n29/mode/2up}}</ref> [[Tomohiro Nishikado]]'s four-player ''Pong'' variant ''[[Tomohiro Nishikado#Soccer and Davis Cup|Soccer]]'' was released by Taito in November 1973,<ref name="Smith"/><ref name=Kohler-16>Chris Kohler (2005), ''Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life'', p. 16, [[BradyGames]], {{ISBN|0-7440-0424-1}}</ref> with a green background to simulate an [[association football]] playfield<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4054|title=The Arcade Flyer Archive - Video Game Flyers: Soccer, Taito|first=Daniel Hower, Eric Jacobson|last=www.arcadeflyers.com|website=flyers.arcade-museum.com|access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref> along with a goal on each side.<ref name="Smith"/> Another Taito variant, ''[[List of Taito games|Pro Hockey]]'' (1973), set boundaries around the screen and only a small gap for the goal.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9128|name=Pro Hockey}}</ref>

Tomohiro Nishikado wanted to move beyond simple rectangles to character graphics, resulting in his development of a [[basketball]] game,<ref name="Smith"/> Taito's ''[[TV Basketball]]'', released in April 1974.<ref name="Akagi"/><ref name="RePlay">{{cite book |title=RePlay |date=October 15, 1986 |quote=Foreign control over the American video game industry has been increasing gradually since Taito America opened its doors in 1973. The first landmark event came in February, 1974, when Taito licensed the first Japanese video, ''TV Basketball'', to Atari.}}</ref> It was the earliest use of character [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] to represent human characters in a video game.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Colby |first1=Richard |last2=Johnson |first2=Matthew S. S. |last3=Colby |first3=Rebekah Shultz |title=The Ethics of Playing, Researching, and Teaching Games in the Writing Classroom |date=27 January 2021 |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=978-3-030-63311-0 |page=130 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZoXEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA130}}</ref> While the gameplay was similar to earlier ball-and-paddle games,<ref name="Smith"/> it displayed images both for the players and the baskets, and attempted to simulate [[basketball]]. Each player controls two team members, a [[Forward (basketball)|forward]] and a [[Guard (basketball)|guard]]; the ball can be passed between team members before shooting, and the ball has to fall into the opposing team's basket to score a point.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7025|name=Basketball}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Basketball, Taito (EU) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4036 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=2 May 2021}}</ref> The game was released in North America by Midway as ''TV Basketball'', selling 1,400 [[arcade cabinet]]s in the United States, a production record for Midway up until they released ''[[Speed Race|Wheels]]'' the following year.<ref>{{cite book |title=RePlay |date=April 15, 1986 |quote=Midway licensed ''TV Basketball'' from Taito and set a production record of 1,400 games. Midway topped that record when it introduced ''Wheels''}}</ref><ref name="Ali">{{cite book |last1=Ali |first1=Reyan |title=NBA Jam |date=22 October 2019 |publisher=[[Boss Fight Books]] |isbn=978-1-940535-20-3 |pages=18–22, 34–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zC-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA18}}</ref> [[Ramtek (company)|Ramtek]] later released ''Baseball'' in October 1974,<ref name="Akagi"/> similarly featuring the use of character graphics.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |title=The 70s: The Genesis of an Industry |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=March 2014 |issue=127 |pages=24–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_127/page/26/mode/2up}}</ref>

In 1975, [[Nintendo]] released ''EVR-Race'', a [[horse racing]] [[simulation game]] with support for up to six players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lostmediawiki.com/EVR_Race_(lost_arcade_Nintendo_game;_1975)|title=EVR Race (lost arcade Nintendo game; 1975) - The Lost Media Wiki|website=lostmediawiki.com|access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref> It was a mixture between a video game and an electro-mechanical game, and played back video footage from a [[video tape]].<ref name="iwataasks1">{{cite web|date=2009-08-07|title=Iwata Asks: Punch-Out!! - The Proposition is to Use Two Televisions|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/punchout/0/0|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111064027/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/punchout/vol1_page1.jsp|archive-date=January 11, 2010|access-date=2009-08-07|publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref>

===Decline (1976–1982)===
After the market became flooded with ''Pong'' clones, the ''Pong'' market crashed around the mid-1970s.<ref name="Smith"/> Sports video games would not regain the same level of success until the 1980s.<ref name="Lendino">{{cite book |last1=Lendino |first1=Jamie |title=Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games |date=27 September 2020 |publisher=Steel Gear Press |pages=272, 334 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ}}</ref>

In 1976, Sega released an early [[combat sport]] game, ''[[Heavyweight Champ]]'', based on [[boxing]] and now considered the first [[fighting game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/20-years-street-fighter|title=20 Years of Whoop-Ass |website=[[1UP.com|1UP]]|access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref>

In March 1978, Sega released ''[[List of Sega arcade video games|World Cup]]'', an [[List of association football video games|association football game]] with a [[trackball]] controller.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sega Arcade History |date=2002 |series=[[Famitsu DC]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |page=34 |url=https://archive.org/details/segaarcadehistoryfamitsudc/page/n35 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WORLD CUP（ワールドカップ） |url=https://sega.jp/history/arcade/product/15316/ |website=[[Sega]] |access-date=2 May 2021 |language=ja}}</ref> In October 1978, Atari released ''[[Atari Football]]'',<ref name="atari_production99">{{cite web|title=Production Numbers|url=http://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|publisher=[[Atari]]|access-date=19 March 2012|year=1999}}</ref> which is considered to be the first video game to accurately emulate [[American football]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atarifootball.com/joomla/index.php/history-football |title=History of Atari Football |publisher=Atarifootball.com |date=4 July 2009 |access-date=2011-07-19}}</ref> it also popularized the use of a trackball, with the game's developers mentioning it was inspired by an earlier Japanese association football game that used a trackball.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stilphen |first1=Scott |title=Michael Albaugh interview |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/michael_albaugh/interview_michael_albaugh.html |access-date=2 May 2021 |work=Atari Compendium |date=2017 |quote=I saw a soccer game with one (I remember only that it was Japanese, and a soccer game. Taito is plausible)}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Steve L.|last=Kent|author-link=Steven L. Kent|year=2001|title=[[The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world]]|publisher=Prima|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=118|quote=Contrary to a popular notion, Football was not the first game to use a trak-ball controller. According to Dave Stubben, who created the hardware for Atari Football, Taito beat Atari to market with a soccer game that used one. According to Steve Bristow, when his engineers saw the game, they brought a copy into their lab and imitated it.}}</ref> ''Atari Football'' was the second highest-earning [[1979 in video games|arcade video game of 1979]] in the United States, below only Taito's [[shoot 'em up]] blockbuster ''[[Space Invaders]]'' (1978), though ''Atari Football'' was the only sports game among the top ten highest-earners.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Video Games |journal=RePlay |date=November 1979}}</ref>

In 1980, [[Mattel]]'s ''[[Basketball (1980 video game)|Basketball]]'' for the [[Intellivision]] was the first basketball video game to be licensed by the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA).<ref name="Ali"/> On home computers, [[Microsoft]]'s ''[[Olympic Decathlon]]'' (1980) was one of the first sports-related programs to mix game and simulation elements, and was an early example of an Olympic track-and-field game.<ref name="reed">{{cite web|last1=Reed|first1=Matthew|title=Olympic Decathlon|url=http://www.trs-80.org/olympic-decathlon/|website=TRS-80.org}}</ref> The first association football management simulation, ''[[Football Manager (1982 series)|Football Manager]]'', was released for the [[ZX Spectrum]] computer in 1982.

Between 1981 and 1983, the [[Atari 2600|Atari's VCS (2600)]] and Mattel's Intellivision waged a series of high-stakes TV advertising campaigns promoting their respective systems, marking the start of the first [[console wars]]. Atari prevailed in [[arcade game]]s and had a larger customer base due to its lower price, while Intellivision touted its visually superior sports games. Sports writer [[George Plimpton]] was featured in the Intellivision ads,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/space.html#comments|title=Intellivision Apace Action Network|publisher=Intellivision Lives|access-date=2009-05-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129200759/http://intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/space.html|archive-date=2009-11-29}}</ref> which showed the parallel games side by side. Both Atari and Intellivision fielded at least one game for baseball, American football, hockey, basketball and association football. Atari's sports games included ''[[Tennis (Activision video game)|Activision Tennis]]'' (1981).

===Resurgence (1983–1985)===
Sports video games experienced a resurgence from 1983. As the [[golden age of arcade video games]] came to an end, arcade manufacturers began looking for ways to reinvigorate the [[arcade video game]] industry, so they began turning to sports games. The arcade industry began producing sports games at levels not seen since the days of ''Pong'' and its clones, which played a role in the recovery of the arcade market by the mid-1980s.<ref name="Lendino"/> There were initially high expectations for [[laserdisc games]] to help revive the arcade industry in 1983, but it was instead non-laserdisc sports games that ended up being the most well-received hits at [[amusement arcade]] shows by late 1983.<ref name="JAMMA"/><ref name="CashMachine"/>

====Arcades====
[[File:Auron from Final Fantasy X playing Punch-Out.jpg|thumb|''[[Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Punch-Out]]'' (1984) arcade cabinet.]]

In March 1983, Sega released [[ADK (company)|Alpha Denshi]]'s arcade game ''[[Champion Baseball]]'', which became a blockbuster success in Japanese arcades,<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite book |title=Sega Arcade History |date=2002 |series=[[Famitsu DC]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |page=47 |url=https://archive.org/details/segaarcadehistoryfamitsudc/page/n48 |language=ja}}</ref><ref name="Champion">{{cite web |title=チャンピオンベースボール |trans-title=Champion Baseball |url=https://sega.jp/history/arcade/product/7497/ |website=[[Sega]] |access-date=2 May 2021 |language=ja}}</ref> with Sega comparing its impact on Japanese arcades to that of ''Space Invaders''.<ref name="eg_baseball">{{cite magazine|title=Japan's Latest Coin-Op Set To Hit North America|magazine=[[Electronic Games]]|date=December 1983|volume=2|issue=22|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Games_Volume_02_Number_10_1983-12_Reese_Communications_US/page/n11|page=12}}</ref> ''Champion Baseball'' was a departure from the "[[Shoot 'em up|space games]]" and "cartoon" [[action games]] that had previously dominated the arcades,<ref name="CB">{{cite magazine |title=#1 Game In Japan: Sega Electronics To Bring 'Champion Baseball' Vid to U.S. |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=June 16, 1983 |pages=33–4 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/CB-1983-06-18.pdf#page=33}}</ref> and subsequently served as the prototype for later [[List of baseball video games|baseball video games]].<ref name="Famitsu"/><ref name="Champion"/> It had a split-screen format, displaying the [[playfield]] from two [[camera angles]], one from the outfield and another close-up shot of the player and batter, while also giving players the option of selecting relief pitchers or pinch hitters, while an umpire looks on attentively to make the game calls.<ref name="eg_baseball"/><ref>{{KLOV game|2728|Champion Baseball}}</ref> The game also had digitized voices for the umpire,<ref name="Champion"/> and individual player statistics.<ref name="Famitsu"/><ref name="Champion"/>

Sports games became more popular across arcades worldwide with the arrival of [[Konami]]'s ''[[Track & Field (video game)|Track & Field]]'',<ref name="Lendino"/> known as ''Hyper Olympic'' in Japan, introduced in September 1983.<ref name="JAMMA">{{cite magazine |title="Somber" JAMMA Show Hosts Five Laser Disc Games |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=October 15, 1983 |pages=32, 34 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/CB-1983-10-15.PDF#page=45}}</ref> It was an [[Olympic video games|Olympic-themed]] [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]] game that had multiple [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[track-and-field]] events (including the [[100 metres|100-meter]] dash, [[long jump]], [[javelin throw]], [[110 metres hurdles|110-meter hurdles]], [[hammer throw]], and [[high jump]]) and allowed up to four players to compete.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10180|name=Track and Field}}</ref> It had a horizontal [[side-scrolling]] format, depicting one or two tracks at a time, a large scoreboard that displayed world records and current runs, and a packed audience in the background.<ref name="Lendino"/> Despite the industry's hype for [[laserdisc games]] at the time, ''Track & Field'' became the most well-received game at the [[Amusement Machine Show]] (AM Show) in Tokyo<ref name="JAMMA"/> and the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) show in the United States.<ref name="CashMachine">{{cite magazine |title=Cash Machine |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=November 12, 1983 |pages=30–4 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/CB-1983-11-12.PDF#page=32}}</ref> The game sold 38,000 arcade units in Japan,<ref>''RePlay'', January 1984</ref> became one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1984 in the United States,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=September 8, 1984 |page=28 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-09-08.pdf#page=28}}</ref> and the top-grossing [[1984 in video games|arcade game of 1984]] in the United Kingdom.<ref name="YS">{{cite magazine |title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune |magazine=[[Your Sinclair]] |date=January 1986 |issue=1 |page=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53}}</ref> It was also the basis for an organized [[video game competition]] that drew more than a million players in 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Chris |title=How 'Track & Field' Launched World's Biggest Video Game Tournament |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/how-konamis-track-field-launched-worlds-biggest-game-tournament-103592/ |access-date=6 October 2021 |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=16 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Sharpe">{{cite magazine |last=Sharpe |first=Roger C. |title=1984—Every Which Way But Up |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 1984 |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=39, 49–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-23-december-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2023%20-%20December%2015th%201984/page/49}}</ref> The success of ''Track & Field'' spawned other similar [[Olympic video games]].<ref name="YS"/>

Numerous sports video games were subsequently released in arcades after ''Track & Field'', including [[List of American football video games|American football games]] such as ''[[10-Yard Fight]]'' (1983) by [[Irem]] and ''Goal to Go'' (1984) by [[Stern Electronics]], [[List of boxing video games|boxing video games]] such as Nintendo's ''[[Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Punch-Out]]'' (1984), [[martial arts]] sports [[fighting games]] such as ''[[Karate Champ]]'' (1984),<ref name="Lendino"/><ref name="Sharpe"/> the [[Nintendo VS. System]] titles ''[[Vs. Tennis]]'' and ''[[Vs. Baseball]]'', Taito's [[golf]] game ''[[Birdie King|Birdie King II]]'', and [[Data East]]'s ''[[Tag Team Wrestling]]''.<ref name="Sharpe">{{cite magazine |last=Sharpe |first=Roger C. |title=1984—Every Which Way But Up |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 1984 |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=39, 49–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-23-december-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2023%20-%20December%2015th%201984/page/49}}</ref> ''10-Yard Fight'' in 1983 had a [[Be-a-pro mode|career mode]], where the player progresses from [[High school football in North America|high school]], to [[College football|college]], [[Professional sports|professional]], [[National Football League playoffs|playoff]], and [[Super Bowl]], as the difficulty increases with each step.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=6761|name=10-Yard Fight}}</ref> Irem's [[waterskiing]] game ''[[List of Irem games#1983|Tropical Angel]]'' had a female [[player character]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Tropical Angel, Irem |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1245 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=23 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{KLOV game|id=10205|name=Tropical Angel}}</ref> and was one of the two most well-received games at the September 1983 AM Show (along with ''Hyper Olympic'') for its graphics and gameplay.<ref name="JAMMA"/> Another sports game with female player characters was Taito's [[List of Taito games|''Joshi Volleyball'' (''Big Spikers'')]],<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8241|name=Joshi Volleyball}}</ref> which topped the Japanese [[table arcade cabinet]] chart in December 1983.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=225|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 December 1983|page=33|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831201p.pdf#page=17}}</ref> [[Kaneko]]'s ''Roller Aces'' was a [[roller skating]] game played from a third-person perspective,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7314|name=Fighting Roller}}</ref> while [[Technōs Japan]] released the [[wrestling]] game ''[[Tag Team Wrestling]]''.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10009|name=Tag-Team Wrestling}}</ref>

In the field of [[List of association football video games|association football games]], Alpha Denshi's ''[[Exciting Soccer]]'' (1983) featured digitized voices<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7728|title=Exciting Soccer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101010101/https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7728|archive-date=2014-01-01|url-status=dead|website=[[All Media Network#AllGame|AllGame]]}}</ref> and a top-down overhead perspective, which was later popularized by ''[[Tehkan World Cup]]'' (1985) from [[Tehkan]] (later Tecmo).<ref name="Stuff">{{cite web |last1=Grannell |first1=Craig |title=The 25 best football games ever |url=https://www.stuff.tv/features/25-best-football-games-ever |access-date=13 May 2021 |work=[[Stuff (magazine)|Stuff]] |date=29 May 2018}}</ref> ''Tehkan World Cup'' was a [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] association football game with a [[trackball]] controller,<ref>Manual for [[Tecmo Classic Arcade]], page 2</ref> where a button was used for kicking the ball and the trackball used for the direction and speed of the shot, with gameplay that was fairly realistic.<ref>{{KLOV game|10057|Tehkan World Cup}}</ref> It was a landmark title for association football games, considered revolutionary for its trackball control system, its top-down perspective that allows players to see more of the pitch,<ref name="IGN">{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=John |title=IGN's History of Football Games |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/01/igns-history-of-football-games |access-date=12 May 2021 |work=[[IGN]] |date=1 July 2014}}</ref> and its trackball-based [[game physics]].<ref name="Retro">{{cite magazine |title=The Sensible Game: Jon Hare Reveals the Drive and Inspiration – Direct and Indirect – For the Beautiful Game That Became Sensible Soccer |magazine=[[GamesTM|Retro: The Ultimate Retro Companion from Games<sup>TM</sup>]] |date=2010 |volume=3 |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |location=United Kingdom |pages=224-231 (228-9) |url=https://issuu.com/topov81/docs/retro_volume_3/228}}</ref><ref name="Zzap">{{cite magazine |last1=Wallström |first1=Andreas |title=Another Sensible Interview with John Hare |magazine=[[Zzap!64]] |date=July 2005 |issue=108 |pages=19–21 |url=https://archive.org/details/zzapp_64_issue_108_600dpi/page/n18}}</ref> It provided the basis for later [[List of association football video games|association football games]] such as ''[[MicroProse Soccer]]'' (1988) and the ''[[Sensible Soccer]]'' series (1992 debut).<ref name="Retro"/><ref name="Zzap"/><ref name="RG33">{{cite journal |title=Developer Lookback: Being Sensible |journal=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=January 2007 |issue=33 |pages=36–41 |url=https://archive.org/details/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_033/page/36/mode/2up}}</ref>

Several sports [[laserdisc games]] were released for arcades in 1984, including [[Universal Entertainment Corporation|Universal]]'s ''Top Gear'' which displayed 3D animated race car driving,<ref>{{KLOV game|10151|Top Gear}}</ref> while Sega's ''GP World''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7874|name=GP World}}</ref> and Taito's ''Laser Grand Prix''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8383|name=Laser Grand Prix}}</ref> displayed live-action footage. Sega also produced a [[bullfighting]] game, ''[[List of Sega arcade games#Sega System series|Bull Fight]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7231|name=Bull Fight}}</ref> and a multiple-watersports game ''Water Match'' (published by [[Midway Games|Bally Midway]]), which included swimming, [[kayaking]] and [[boat racing]];<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10412|name=Water Match}}</ref> while Taito released a [[female sports]] game based on [[High school sports|high-school]] track & field, ''The Undoukai'',<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10267|name=Undoukai, The}}</ref> and a [[dirt track racing]] game ''[[List of Taito games|Buggy Challenge]]'', with a [[Dune buggy|buggy]].<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7230|name=Buggy Challenge}}</ref> Other dirt racing games from that year were [[dirt bike]] games: [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Excitebike]]''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7725|name=Excitebike}}</ref> and [[SNK Playmore|SNK]]'s [[motocross]] game ''[[List of SNK games#1984|Jumping Cross]]''.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=12730|name=Jumping Cross}}</ref> Nintendo also released a four-player [[List of racquet sports|racquet sport]] game, ''Vs. Tennis'' (the [[Nintendo Vs. System]] version of ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|Tennis]]'').<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10372|name=Vs. Tennis}}</ref>

That same year, [[ice hockey]] games were also released: Alpha Denshi's ''[[ADK (company)#Early arcade games|Bull Fighter]]''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7232|name=Bull Fighter}}</ref> and Data East's ''[[DECO Cassette System#Game list|Fighting Ice Hockey]]''.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7786|name=Fighting Ice Hockey}}</ref> Data East also released a [[Lawn game|lawn sports]] game ''Haro Gate Ball'', based on [[croquet]],<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8082|name=Haro Gate Ball}}</ref> while [[Nihon Bussan|Nichibutsu]] released a game based on [[roller derby]], ''Roller Jammer''.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9359|name=Roller Jammer}}</ref> Meanwhile, Technos Japan released a game based on [[sumo]] wrestling, ''Syusse Oozumou'',<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9990|name=Syusse Oozumou}}</ref> and the first [[martial arts]] combat-sport game, ''[[Karate Champ]]'', considered one of the most influential fighting games.<ref name="tao1">Spencer, Spanner, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-tao-of-beat-em-ups-article?page=2 The Tao of Beat-'em-ups (Page 2)], ''Eurogamer'', 6 Feb 2008, Retrieved 18 Mar 2009</ref><ref name="games.ign.com">{{cite web | url = http://games.ign.com/articles/840/840621p1.html | title = IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games | website = IGN | author = Ryan Geddes & Daemon Hatfield | date = 10 December 2007 | access-date = 2009-04-14 | archive-date = 2012-02-13 | archive-url = https://www.webcitation.org/65QXtSleq?url=http://games.ign.com/articles/840/840621p1.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> In 1985, Nintendo released an [[arm wrestling]] game, ''[[Arm Wrestling (video game)|Arm Wrestling]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|id=6921|name=Arm Wrestling}}</ref> while Konami released a [[table tennis]] game that attempted to accurately reflect the sport, ''[[Konami's Ping Pong]]''.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8349|name=Konami's Ping Pong}}</ref>

====Homes====
[[File:IWSB.gif|thumb|''[[Intellivision World Series Baseball]]'' (1983), considered the earliest sports video game to incorporate multiple camera angles in a manner resembling a [[sports television]] broadcast.]]

On home consoles, [[Mattel]] released ''[[Intellivision World Series Baseball]]'' (''IWSB''), designed by [[Don Daglow]] and [[Eddie Dombrower]], in late 1983.<ref name="RE">{{cite magazine |last1=Goodman |first1=Danny |title=Videogames '83 |magazine=[[Radio Electronics]] |date=June 1983 |page=58 |url=https://archive.org/details/RadioElectronics_422/RadioElectronics1983-06/page/n55}}</ref> It is considered the earliest sports video game to use multiple camera angles to show the action in a manner resembling a [[sports television]] broadcast. Earlier sports games prior to this had displayed the entire field on screen, or scrolled across static top-down fields to show the action. ''IWSB'' mimicked television baseball coverage by showing the batter from a modified "center field" camera, the [[Baserunning|baserunner]]s in corner insets and defensive plays from a camera behind the batter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalhollywood.com/08DHSpring/DHSp08Tues20.html|title=Digital.Hollywood|access-date=2009-05-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123094406/http://digitalhollywood.com/08DHSpring/DHSp08Tues20.html|archive-date=2009-01-23}}</ref> It was also one of the first sports video games to feature audibly-speaking digitized voices (as opposed to text), using the Mattel [[Intellivoice]] module. The game was sophisticated for its time, but was a commercial failure, released around the time of the [[video game crash of 1983]] when the North American home video game market collapsed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barton |first1=Matt |last2=Loguidice |first2=Bill |title=A History of Gaming Platforms: Mattel Intellivision |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3653/a_history_of_gaming_platforms_.php?print=1 |access-date=2 May 2021 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |date=May 8, 2008}}</ref>

Nintendo released a series of highly successful sports games for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] console and the arcade [[Nintendo Vs. System]], starting with ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|Baseball]]'' (1983) and ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|Tennis]]'' (1984). They played an important role in the [[history of the Nintendo Entertainment System]], as they were the earliest NES games released in North America, initially in the arcades and then with the console's launch.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=6 August 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-8420-8 |pages=130–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3D0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA130}}</ref> Nintendo's arcade version ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|VS. Baseball]]'' (1984) was competing with Sega's earlier hit ''Champion Baseball'' in the arcades.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=6 August 2020 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-8420-8 |pages=132–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3D0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA135}}</ref>

On home computers, ''Track & Field'' spawned similar hit Olympic games for computer platforms,<ref name="YS"/> such as [[Ocean Software]]'s ''[[Daley Thompson's Decathlon]]'' (1984).<ref name=oceanthehistory>{{Cite book|last1=Wilkins|first1=Chris|title=Ocean - The History|last2=Kean|first2=Roger M|publisher=Revival Retro Events|year=2013|url=https://archive.org/details/The_History_of_Ocean_Software_Retro_Fusion_Books/page/n43|pages=42,106}}</ref> [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) produced their first sports game for home computers, the basketball title ''[[One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird|Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One]]'' (1983),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/dr-j-and-larry-bird-go-one-on-one|title=Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One|publisher=MobyGames|access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref> which was the first licensed sports game based on the names and likenesses of famous athletes; the inclusion of famous real world athletes would become one of the most important selling points for sports games.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Games 'n' Gear |magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=98 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=November 1996 |page=22}}</ref> ''One on One'' became Electronic Arts' best-selling game, and the highest-selling computer sports game. having sold 400,000 copies by late 1988 <ref name=cgwsales>{{cite magazine| author=Staff |title=Michael Jordan and ''CGW'' Go One on One |date=October 1988 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_52/page/n31/mode/2up|issue=52| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=32, 33 }}</ref>

===Further growth (1986–1994)===
In the late 1980s, [[List of basketball video games|basketball video games]] gained popularity in arcades. Konami's ''[[Double Dribble (video game)|Double Dribble]]'' (1986) featured colorful graphics, five-on-five gameplay, cutaway animations for [[slam dunks]], and a digitized version of "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" theme.<ref name="Ali"/> It was considered the most realistic basketball game upon release, with fast-paced action, detailed players, a large side-scrolling court, innovative cinematic dunks, and detailed sound effects, beginning a trend where presentation would play an increasingly important role in sports games.<ref name="allgame-review">{{cite web |title=Double Dribble - Overview |publisher=[[Allgame]] |access-date=May 5, 2015 |url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=11906|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115003754/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11906&tab=review|archive-date=November 15, 2014 |last=Miller|first=Skyler}}</ref> ''[[Magic Johnson's Fast Break]]'' (1988) by [[Arcadia Systems]] had detailed characters and audio clips of [[Magic Johnson]]'s voice. Midway, who had not released a basketball game in sixteen years since Taito's ''TV Basketball'' in 1974, released ''[[Arch Rivals]]'' (1989), a two-on-two game featuring large players with distinct looks, a [[basketball court]], a crowd, [[cheeleaders]], four periods, the ability to rough up an opponent, and big dunks capable of [[backboard shattering]].<ref name="Ali"/> Konami's ''Punk Shot'' (1990) is an arcade basketball game with an element of violence, allowing players to physically attack each other, which ''[[CU Amiga]]'' magazine compared to the film ''[[Rollerball (1975 film)|Rollerball]]'' (1975).<ref name="CUAmiga">{{cite magazine |last1=Cooke |first1=John |title=Arcades: Coin-Op Crisis |url=https://archive.org/details/CUAmigaIssue010Dec90/page/n101/mode/2up |magazine=[[CU Amiga]] |issue=10 (December 1990) |publisher=[[EMAP]] |date=November 1990 |location=United Kingdom |pages=102–103}}</ref>

The success of the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) in North America led to the platform becoming a major platform for [[American sports]] video games. Basketball games included a port of ''Double Dribble'', with a halo mechanic signifying the optimum release for shots, and ''[[Tecmo NBA Basketball]]'' (1992). [[List of American football video games|American football video games]] included ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]'' (1987), which was ported to the NES with the [[NFL Players Association]] license, and ''[[Tecmo Super Bowl]]'' (1991), which introduced a season mode with nearly the entire [[NFL]] roster.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite book |last1=Nelson |first1=Murry R. |title=American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 volumes]: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas |date=23 May 2013 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=978-0-313-39753-0 |page=1418 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tfTXAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1418}}</ref> ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' is considered to be one of the greatest<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=100 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=November 1997|page=120}}</ref><ref name="IGN Top 100 NES">[http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/53.html IGN Top 100 NES]</ref> and most influential games of all time, as it was the first mainstream sports video game with both the league and player association licenses,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Jeffrey L.|title=The 10 Most Influential Video Games of All Time|url=https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1206,l=251652&a=251651,00.asp|work=[[PC Magazine]]|access-date=April 19, 2012|date=June 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411053612/http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1206,l=251652&a=251651,00.asp|archive-date=April 11, 2012}}</ref> with [[ESPN]] ranking it the greatest sports video game of all time.<ref name="ESPN">[http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/story?id=6165623 ESPN Top Sports Games] retrieved August 31, 2011</ref> Sega also developed American football games for their competing [[Master System]] console, ''Great Football'' in 1987<ref name="Nelson"/> and ''American Pro Football'' (''Walter Payton Football'') in 1989, the latter very well-received by critics at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=American Pro Football / Walter Payton Football / Futebol Americano - Games |url=https://www.smspower.org/Games/AmericanProFootball-SMS |website=SMS Power |access-date=3 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Complete Guide to Consoles |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=16 October 1989 |page=48 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf#page=48}}</ref>

The late 1980s is considered the "Golden Age" of [[List of baseball video games|baseball video games]]. [[Namco]]'s ''[[Pro Baseball: Family Stadium|R.B.I. Baseball]]'' (1986) and the [[Atlus]] title ''[[Major League Baseball (video game)|Major League Baseball]]'' (1988) for the NES were the first fully licensed baseball video games. [[SNK]]'s ''[[Baseball Stars]]'' (1989) was a popular [[Arcade genre|arcade-style]] NES game, while [[Jaleco]]'s NES title ''[[Bases Loaded (video game)|Bases Loaded]]'' (1987) was a [[simulation game]] with statistics.<ref name="Nelson"/> In 1988, EA released ''[[Earl Weaver Baseball]]'', developed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, which for the first time combined a highly accurate simulation game with high quality graphics. This was also the first game in which an actual [[Manager (baseball)|baseball manager]] provided the computer [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]. In 1996 ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' named ''EWB'' the 25th of its Best 150 Games of All Time, the second highest ranking for any sports game in that 1981–1996 period (after ''[[Front Page Sports Football|FPS Football]]'').<ref name="150 best">{{cite web|url=http://www.cdaccess.com/html/pc/150best.htm|title=150 Best Games of all time|publisher=[[Computer Gaming World]]|year=1996|access-date=2009-05-14|archive-date=2012-07-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724034534/http://www.cdaccess.com/html/pc/150best.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 1990s began in the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit era]], as a wave of fourth generation video game consoles were created to handle more complex games and graphics. The [[Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]] in particular became renowned for its sports video games, as it was more powerful than the NES and with Sega targeting an older audience than Nintendo's typically younger target demographic at the time. [[List of basketball video games|Basketball video games]] included EA's ''[[Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs]]'' (1991), which launched the ''[[NBA Live]]'' series. ''[[World Series Baseball (1994 video game)|World Series Baseball]]'' (1994) introduced the "catcher-cam" perspective, launching the ''[[World Series Baseball (series)|World Series Baseball]]'' series and becoming the first game in the Sega Sports line.<ref name="Nelson"/>

In 1989, [[Electronic Arts]] [[video game producer|producer]] [[Richard Hilleman]] hired GameStar's [[Scott Orr]] to re-design ''[[John Madden Football (1988 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' for the fast-growing Sega Genesis. In 1990, Orr and Hilleman released [[John Madden Football (1990 video game)|''Madden Football'']]. They focused on producing a head-to-head two-player game with an intuitive [[User interface|interface]] and responsive controls. Electronic Arts had only expected to sell around 75,000 units, but instead the title sold around 400,000 units.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brady |first=James |title=Exploring the (weird) story of the very first 'John Madden Football' game |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2018/8/7/17599240/john-madden-football-apple-ii-genesis-original-story-trip-hawkins |access-date=22 June 2020 |website=SBNation|date=7 August 2018 }}</ref>

In 1990, Taito released ''[[Football Champ]]'', an association football game that allows [[Multiplayer video game|up to four players]] in both competitive and [[Cooperative video game|cooperative gameplay]]. It also let players perform a number of actions, including a back heel, [[Soccer kick|power kick]], high kick, [[sliding tackle]], super shot, and [[Foul (association football)|fouling]] other players (kicking, punching, and pulling shirts), which the player can get away with if the [[Referee (association football)|referee]] isn't looking, or get a yellow or red [[penalty card]] for if he is.<ref>{{KLOV game|7721|Euro Football Champ}}</ref> In 1991, the American football game ''[[Tecmo Super Bowl]]'' was the first mainstream sports game to feature both the league and player association licenses of the sport it emulated; previous titles either had one license or the other, but ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' was the first to feature real [[National Football League|NFL]] players on real teams.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Jeffrey L.|title=The 10 Most Influential Video Games of All Time|url=https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1206,l=251652&a=251651,00.asp|work=[[PC Magazine]]|access-date=19 April 2012|date=11 June 2010}}</ref>

Orr joined EA full-time in 1991 after the success of ''Madden'' on the Sega Genesis, and began a ten-year period of his career where he personally supervised the production of the ''Madden Football'' series. During this time EA formed [[EA Sports]], a brand name used for sports games they produced. EA Sports created several ongoing series, with a new version released each year to reflect the changes in the sport and its teams since the previous release.

Sega launched its own competing ''NFL'' series on the Sega Genesis. The gameplay of Sega's earlier 1987 Master System title ''Great Football'' (1987) was the basis for ''[[Joe Montana Football]]'' (1991), developed by EA and published by Sega for the Genesis. Sega then released their own sequel without EA's involvement, ''Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football'' (1991), which became the first American football game with audio commentary. After Sega acquired the NFL license, they shortened the title to ''[[NFL Sports Talk Football '93|NFL Sports Talk Football Starring Joe Montana]]'', which later became known as Sega's ''NFL'' series. Due to strong competition from ''Madden'', the series was cancelled in 1997.<ref name="Nelson"/>

Licensed basketball games began becoming more common by the early 1990s, including Sega's ''[[Pat Riley Basketball]]'' (1990) and [[Malibu Comics|Acme Interactive]]'s ''[[David Robinson's Supreme Court]]'' (1992) for the Sega Genesis, and [[Hudson Soft]]'s ''[[Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball]]'' (1991) for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES). EA followed ''[[Jordan vs. Bird: One on One]]'' (1988) with ''[[Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs]]'' (1989), the latter ported to the Genesis in 1991, which added more simulation aspects to the subgenre.<ref name="Ali"/> In the arcades, Midway followed ''Arch Rivals'' with ''[[NBA Jam (1993 video game)|NBA Jam]]'' (1993), which introduced [[digitized]] sprites similar to their [[fighting game]] ''[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]'' (1992), combined with a gameplay formula similar to ''Arch Rivals''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Craig |title=Boom Shakalaka! Jam Through the Years |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/03/08/boom-shakalaka-jam-through-the-years |access-date=3 May 2021 |work=[[IGN]] |date=9 May 2012}}</ref> In its first twelve months of release, ''NBA Jam'' generated over {{US$|1 billion|long=no}} to become the [[List of highest-grossing arcade games|highest-grossing arcade sports game]] of all time.<ref name="digitalpress">{{cite news |title=Mark Turmell |url=https://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/digitalpress/dp52.pdf |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Digital Press |issue=52 |date=May–June 2003 |page=17}}</ref>

''[[FIFA International Soccer]]'' (1993), the first game in EA's ''[[FIFA (video game series)|FIFA]]'' series of [[List of association football video games|association football video games]], released on the [[Sega Mega Drive]] and became the best-selling [[1993 in video games|home video game of 1993]] in the United Kingdom. In contrast to the top-down perspective of earlier association football games, ''FIFA'' introduced an [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric perspective]] to the genre. ''[[International Superstar Soccer (video game)|International Superstar Soccer]]'' (1994), the first game in [[Konami]]'s ''[[International Superstar Soccer]]'' (''ISS'') series, released for the SNES. A rivalry subsequently emerged between the ''FIFA'' and ''ISS'' franchises.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Ben |title=Fifa v PES: the history of gaming's greatest rivalry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jun/26/fifa-v-pes-pro-evolution-soccer-the-history-of-gamings-greatest-rivalry |access-date=30 April 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=26 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="guardianFIFA">{{cite news |title=Fifa: the video game that changed football |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/21/fifa-video-game-changed-football |work=The Guardian |first=Simon |last=Parkin |date=2016-12-21 |access-date=2019-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170645/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/21/fifa-video-game-changed-football |archive-date=2018-10-30 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Transition to 3D polygons (1994–1997)===
In the 1990s, [[3D graphics]] were introduced in sports games. Early uses of flat-shaded polygons date back to 1991, with home computer games such as ''[[4D Sports Boxing]]'' and ''[[Winter Challenge]]''.<ref name="poulter199201">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=90 | title=Champions on a Computer Canvas | work=[[Computer Gaming World]] | date=January 1992 | access-date=21 November 2013 | author=Poulter, Wallace | pages=8, 28}}</ref> However, it was not until the mid-1990s that 3D polygons were popularized in sports games.

[[Sega]]'s arcade title ''[[Virtua Striker]]'' (1994) was the first [[association football]] game to use 3D graphics, and was also notable for its early use of [[texture mapping]].<ref>{{KLOV game|10875|Virtua Striker}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Sierra Online]] released American football title ''[[Front Page Sports Football]]'' in 1995 for the PC. The following year, ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' named it twelfth of the Best 150 Games of All Time, the highest ranking sports game on the list.<ref name="150 best" />

''[[International Superstar Soccer Pro]]'' (''ISS Pro''), released for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] in 1997, was considered a "game-changer" for association football games, which had been largely dominated by rival ''FIFA'' on home systems for the last several years. Developed by [[Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo|Konami Tokyo]], ''ISS Pro'' introduced a new 3D engine capable of better graphics and more sophisticated gameplay than its rival. Whereas ''FIFA'' had a simpler "[[Arcade genre|arcade-style]]" approach to its gameplay, ''ISS Pro'' introduced more complex [[simulation game]]play emphasizing tactics and improvisation, enabled by tactical variety such as nine in-match strategy options.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref name="guardianFIFA"/>

In 1997, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' reported that sports games accounted for roughly 50% of console software sales.<ref>{{cite magazine |author1=Kraig Kujawa |author2=Sushi-X|title=The War on AI |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=99 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=October 1997|page=72}}</ref>

===Extreme sports enter into the mainstream (1996–2001)===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:SSX blur screenshot.jpg|thumb|''[[SSX Blur]]'' on the [[Wii]] console]] -->
{{See also|Snowboarding video game}}

At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, [[extreme sport]] video games began to appear more frequently.

[[Namco]]'s ''[[Alpine Racer]]'' (1994) was a [[skiing]] [[winter sports]] simulator that became a major success in [[Arcade game|arcades]] during the mid-1990s. This led to a wave of similar sports games capitalizing on its success during the late 1990s, from companies such as [[Sega]], Namco, [[Konami]] and Innovative Concepts.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Webb |first1=Marcus |title=Arcadia: "Me Too" Syndrome |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |date=17 December 1996 |issue=25 (January 1997) |page=24 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c1/NextGeneration_US_25.pdf#page=26}}</ref>

In 1996, two [[snowboarding video games]] were released: [[Namco]]'s ''[[Alpine Surfer]]'' in the arcades,<ref>{{KLOV game|6872|Alpine Surfer}}</ref> and the [[UEP Systems]] game ''[[Cool Boarders]]'' for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] console.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/games/cool-boarders/ps-71|title=Cool Boarders - IGN.com|access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref> The following year, [[Square (video game company)|Square]]'s popular [[role-playing video game]], ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', included a snowboarding [[Minigames of Final Fantasy|minigame]] that was later released as an independent snowboarding game, ''[[Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding]]'', for mobile phones.<ref>{{cite web | last=Buchanan | first=Levi | date=10 March 2005 | title=Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding | url=http://wireless.ign.com/articles/594/594902p1.html | website=IGN | access-date=16 July 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210090625/http://wireless.ign.com/articles/594/594902p1.html | archive-date=10 February 2009 }}</ref> In 2000, ''[[SSX]]'' was released. Based around [[Snowboard cross|boardercross]], the game featured fast downhill races, avoiding various objects whilst using others to perform jumps and increase the player's speed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164022p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207160309/http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164022p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 7, 2008|title=SSX Review|website=IGN|date=23 October 2000|access-date=2009-05-10|first=David|last=Zdyrko}}</ref>

In 1997, Sega released one of the first mainstream [[skateboarding]] games, ''[[Top Skater]]'',<ref name=GSpot-Tony/> in the arcades, where it introduced a [[skateboard]] [[Game controller|controller]] interface.<ref>Mark J. P. Wolf (2008), [https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC ''The video game explosion: a history from PONG to Playstation and beyond''], p. xx, [[ABC-CLIO]], {{ISBN|0-313-33868-X}}</ref> ''Top Skater'' served as a basic foundation for later skateboarding games.<ref name="RG131">{{cite magazine |title=The Making of ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'' |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=131 |year=2014 |pages=84–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_131/page/84/mode/2up}}</ref> The following year saw the release of the console skateboarding game ''[[Street Sk8er]]'', developed by Atelier Double and published by [[Electronic Arts]]. In 1999, the subgenre was further popularized by ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater]]'', an arcade-like skateboarding game where players were challenged to execute elaborate tricks or collect a series of elements hidden throughout the level.<ref name=GSpot-Tony>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/sports/tonyhawksproskater/review.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123234810/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/sports/tonyhawksproskater/review.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 January 2013|title=Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=2009-05-10|date=29 September 1999|first=Jeff|last=Gerstmann}}</ref> ''[[Tony Hawk's]]'' went on to be one of the most popular sports game franchises.<ref name="RG131"/>

===Sports games become big business (2002–2005)===
Association football games became more popular in the 2000s. Konami's ''ISS'' series spawned the ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]'' (''PES'') series in the early 2000s. A rivalry subsequently emerged between ''FIFA'' and ''PES'', considered the "greatest rivalry" in the history of sports video games. ''PES'' became known for having "faster-paced tactical play" and more varied [[emergent gameplay]], while ''FIFA'' was known for having more licenses.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref name="guardianFIFA"/> The ''FIFA'' series had sold over {{nowrap|16 million}} units by 2000,<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Computer Games: Best-Selling Soccer Game |title=[[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records 2001]] |date=2000 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=978-0-85112-102-4 |page=121 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00enfi/page/121}}</ref> while the ''PES'' series had sold more than {{nowrap|10 million}} units by 2002.<ref name="multiplayer">{{Cite web |url=http://www.multiplayer.it/b2b/articoli.php3?id=6278 |title=Pro Evolution Soccer 2: un milione in Europa |date=5 December 2002 |website=Multiplayer.biz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031013101135/http://www.multiplayer.it/b2b/articoli.php3?id=6278 |archive-date=13 October 2003 |url-status=dead |access-date=13 October 2003|language=it}}</ref> The sales gap between the two franchises had narrowed by the mid-2000s.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref name="guardianFIFA"/>

On December 13, 2004, [[Electronic Arts]] began a string of deals that granted exclusive rights to several prominent sports organizations, starting with the [[National Football League|NFL]].<ref>{{cite web| author=Robinson, Jon and Doug Perry| title=Only Game in Town| website=IGN| date=13 December 2004| url=http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/572886p1.html| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref> This was quickly followed with two deals in January 2008 securing rights to the [[Arena Football League|AFL]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Surette|first=Tim| title=EA scores exclusive AFL deal| website=[[GameSpot]]| date=10 January 2005| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116065.html| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref> and [[ESPN]] licenses.<ref>{{cite web|last=Feldman|first=Curt| title=Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal| website=[[GameSpot]]| date=17 January 2005| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116473/electronic-arts-espn-ink-exclusive-15-year-deal| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref> This was a particularly hard blow to [[Sega]], the previous holder of the ESPN license, who had already been affected by EA's NFL deal. As the market for football brands was being quickly taken by EA, [[Take-Two Interactive]] responded by contacting the [[Major League Baseball Players Association]] and signing a deal that granted exclusive third-party major-league baseball rights;<ref>{{cite web|last=Thorson|first=Tor| title=Take-Two inks agreement with MLB Players Association| website=[[GameSpot]]| date=24 January 2005| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116946.html| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref> a deal not as restrictive, as first-party projects were still allowed. The [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] was then approached by several developers, but declined to enter into an exclusivity agreement, instead granting long-term licenses to [[Electronic Arts]], [[Take-Two Interactive]], [[Midway Games]], [[Sony]], and [[Atari]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Surette|first=Tim| title=NBA evades exclusivity| website=[[GameSpot]]| date=22 March 2005| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6120864.html| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref> In April 2005, EA furthered its hold on American football licensing by securing rights to all [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] brands.<ref>{{cite web|last=Surette|first=Tim| title=EA scores NCAA Football rights| website=[[GameSpot]]| date=11 April 2005| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6121995/ea-scores-ncaa-football-rights| access-date=2006-01-16}}</ref>

===Motion detection===

====Sega Activator: IR motion detection (1993–1994)====
{{Main|Sega Genesis#Peripherals}}

In 1993, Sega released the [[Sega Activator]], a [[motion detection]] game controller designed to respond to a player's body movements, for their Genesis console.<ref name="Activator">{{cite web |title=Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers |url=http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=85&title=Genesis%20Accessory%20&%20Peripheral%20Guide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206204922/http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=85&title=Genesis%20Accessory%20&%20Peripheral%20Guide |archive-date=2010-02-06 |work=Sega-16 |access-date=2010-12-04 |last=Horowitz |first=Ken |date=3 August 2004}}</ref> The Activator was based on the Light Harp, a [[MIDI controller]] invented by Assaf Gurner.<ref>{{cite video |title=Light Harp at CES 1993 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoxsnCiX05k |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/YoxsnCiX05k |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|publisher=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2010-07-06}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He was an Israeli musician and Kung Fu martial artist who researched inter disciplinarian concepts to create the experience of playing an instrument using the whole body's motion. It was released for the Mega Drive (Genesis) in 1993. It could read the player's physical movements and was the first controller to allow full-body motion sensing, The original invention related to a 3 octaves musical instrument that could interpret the user's gestures into musical notes via MIDI protocol. The invention was registered as patent initially in Israel on May 11, 1988 after 4 years of R&D. In 1992, the first complete Light Harp was created by Assaf Gurner and Oded Zur, and was presented to Sega of America.

Like the Light Harp, the Activator is an octagonal frame that lies on the floor. [[Light-emitting diode]]s (LEDs) on the frame vertically project thin, invisible beams of [[infrared]] light. When something, such as a player's arm or leg, interrupts a beam, the device reads the distance at which the interruption occurred, and interprets the signal as a [[Command (computing)|command]]. The device can also interpret signals from multiple beams simultaneously (i.e., [[Chord (music)|chords]]) as a distinct command.

Sega designed special Activator motions for a few of their own game releases. By tailoring motion signals specifically for a game, Sega attempted to provide a more intuitive gaming experience. A player could, for example, compete in ''[[Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring]]'' or ''[[Eternal Champions]]'' by miming punches.

Despite these efforts, the Activator was a commercial failure. Like the [[Power Glove]] of 1989, it was widely rejected for its "unwieldiness and inaccuracy".<ref name="Activator"/>

====Wii Remote: IR motion detection with accelerometry (2006–2009)====
[[File:Mario & Sonic.jpg|thumb|240px|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'' (2007), a Wii game played by miming sports activity.]]
{{Main|Wii Remote}}
In 2006, Nintendo released ''[[Wii Sports]]'', a sports game for the [[Wii]] console in which the player had to physically move their [[Wii Remote]] to move their [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]] known as a [[Mii]].<ref name="Wii Sports">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/wii_sports_2781.html|title=Wii Sports|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref> The game contained five different sports—[[boxing]], [[bowling]], [[golf]], [[tennis]], and [[baseball]]—which could all be played individually or with multiple players. Players could also track their skill progress through the game, as they became more proficient at the different sports, and use the training mode to practice particular situations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/745/745708p1.html|title=Wii Sports Review|website=IGN|first=Matt|last=Casamassina|date=13 November 2006|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref> As of 2013, ''Wii Sports'' became the second-highest selling video game of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 15 Best-Selling Video Games Of All Time|url = http://www.techtimes.com/articles/32614/20150213/15-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time.htm|website = Tech Times|date = 2015-02-13|access-date = 2015-10-18}}</ref>

''Wii Sports'' opened the way for other physically reactive sports-based video games, such as ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'', the first official title to feature both [[Mario]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]], in which players used the Wii Remote to simulate running, jumping and other [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] sports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6179938.html|title=Sega Unveils Details for Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games|date=26 September 2007|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=2009-05-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917200251/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6179938.html|archive-date=17 September 2011}}</ref> In 2008, Nintendo released ''[[Wii Fit]]'', which allowed players to do [[Aerobic exercise|aerobic]] and [[Physical exercise|fitness exercises]] using the [[Wii Balance Board]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/wii_fit_2841.html|title=Wii Fit|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref> In a similar light, 2008 saw the release of ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', a [[Racing video game|racing game]] which allowed the player to use their remote with a [[Wii Wheel]] to act as a steering wheel, akin to those on traditional arcade racing games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/mario_kart_wii_7387.html|title=Mario Kart Wii|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref>

===Sports games today (2010–present)===
The most popular subgenre in Europe is [[List of association football video games|association football games]], which up until 2010 was dominated by [[EA Sports]] with the ''[[FIFA (video game series)|FIFA]]'' series and [[Konami]] with the ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]'' (''PES'') series. While ''FIFA'' was commercially ahead, the sales gap between the two franchises had narrowed. ''FIFA'' responded by borrowing gameplay elements from ''PES'' to improve ''FIFA'', which eventually pulled ahead commercially by a significant margin in the 2010s and emerged as the world's most successful sports video game franchise.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref name="guardianFIFA"/>

In North America, the sports genre is currently dominated by [[EA Sports]] and [[2K Sports]], who hold licenses to produce games based on official leagues. EA's franchises include the ''[[Madden NFL]]'' series, the ''[[NHL (video game series)|NHL]]'' series, the ''FIFA'' series, and the ''[[NBA Live (video game series)|NBA Live]]'' series. 2K Sports' franchises include the [[NBA 2K]] and [[WWE 2K]] series. All of these games feature real leagues, competitions and players. These games continue to sell well today despite many of the product lines being over a decade old, and receive, for the most part, consistently good reviews.

With 2K & EA Sports' domination and many sports leagues carrying [[Exclusive right|exclusive lisences]], the North American sports video game market has become very difficult to enter; competing games in any of the above genres, with the exception of racing games, tend to be unsuccessful. This has led to a sharp drop in sports-themed titles over recent years especially with arcade titles. One of the most notable exceptions is Konami's ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' series, which is often hailed as an alternative to the ''FIFA'' series, but does not contain as many licensed teams, players, kits, or competitions. Another deviation from the norm is Sony's ''[[MLB The Show]]'' series, which now has a monopoly on the baseball genre after the withdrawal of [[2K Games|2K]] after ''[[MLB 2K13]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Kahlil|title=MLB 2K14 Release Date: 2K Cancels Series, No Baseball Games Available For Xbox 360 And Xbox One|url=http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/21390/20140107/mlb-2k14-release-date-2k-cancels-series.htm|newspaper=International Business Times|access-date=6 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211221416/http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/21390/20140107/mlb-2k14-release-date-2k-cancels-series.htm|archive-date=11 February 2014}}</ref> Racing games, due to the variation that the sport can offer in terms of tracks, cars and styles, offer more room for competition and the selection of games on offer has been considerably greater (examples being [[Formula One video games|F1]] and the [[World Rally Championship (video game series)|World Rally Championship]], and many unlicensed games). Sports management games, while not as popular as they used to be, live on through small and independent software development houses. Management titles today have transitioned to the very popular [[fantasy sport]]s leagues, which are available through many websites such as ''[[Yahoo!|Yahoo]]''. Independent developers are also creating sports titles like [[Super Mega Baseball]], [[The Golf Club]], and Freestyle2: Street Basketball.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sillis|first1=Ben|title=The amazing indie sports games you've never played|url=http://www.redbull.com/ca/en/games/stories/1331714827286/5-amazing-indie-sports-games-you-ve-never-played|access-date=May 12, 2015|agency=RedBull|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

[[Nintendo]] has been able to make an impact upon the sports market by producing several [[Mario]]-themed titles, such as ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'', ''[[Mario Golf: Super Rush]]'', ''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'', and ''[[Mario Strikers: Battle League]]''. These titles sell respectfully, but are only available on Nintendo's [[video game console]]s, for example [[GameCube]], [[Nintendo 64]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii]], [[Wii U]] and [[Nintendo Switch]].

==See also==
{{div-col}}
{{Portal|Sports|Video games}}
*[[Lists of sports video games]]
{{div-col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{cite journal|last1=Crawford|first1=G.|date=19 January 2015|title=Is it in the Game? Reconsidering Play Spaces, Game Definitions, Theming, and Sports Videogames|url=http://usir.salford.ac.uk/33499/|journal=Games and Culture|volume=10|issue=6|pages=571–592|doi=10.1177/1555412014566235|s2cid=143970698}}
*{{cite book|author1=Mia Consalvo|author2=Konstantin Mitgutsch|author3=Abe Stein|title=Sports Videogames|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-19199-2|date=2013-07-18}}
{{Sport}}
{{VideoGameGenre}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sports Game}}
[[Category:Video game genres]]
[[Category:Sports video games| ]]
[[Category:Video game terminology]]

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