Sunday, March 28, 2010

USFL: The Game

Hi, everybody!  I had a very important idea and, if I understand copyright laws the way I think I understand copyright laws, I'm gonna put it out here right now!  I want to make an alternate history video game based on the premise that the NFL folded in 1985 and the USFL kept going.  Obviously it would be expensive to license all these individual names to make it awesome but I think it could work out.  Maybe not as a franchise but as a one-off title it could reap some profits from nostalgia.  OR!  Instead of starting with the 1986 season, make it a sports RPG where you have to help steer the league through the early years from 1983 on and BEAT the NFL and then go on to the glory of Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders and Andre Ware (in my video game universe Ware would not become a bust) playing in USFL unis. 

Why do I like the RPG angle?  Because that way the Washington Federals would never become the Orlando... Predators?  Am I remembering that correctly?  I loved the USFL and this brainstorm is sponsored by eBay.  I was perusing the eBays for some fly-y-y-y-y-y Federals gear when I thought of it.

I would like my model to be based on online expansion rather than a new disc every year (fuck you, EA).  That is to say, I love DLC and I would love to just pay a few bucks every year to download the new players and new uniforms and new playbooks ($14.95 sounds about right) and just keep the same gameplay options.  Maybe the base disc could be more expensive ($79.95) to make up for the loss in annual revenue.  That way you could come out with a new disc every couple of years when you've completely overhauled the gameplay, more like an OS, and save some cost.  Not sure if the NFLPA would ever strike a deal to let current players in the game but they should.  You know why?  Because it's money for nothing.  Goddammit, I love thinking about the USFL.  Rosebud, indeed.