Backyard Sports, the iconic sports video game franchise from the 1990s and 2000s, is officially back. The long-dormant series is set to return to consoles everywhere this year. Their official TikTok page shared an announcement teaser video and their website also confirms it. Unlike other games that get rebooted or brought back, this one will not exactly be modernized. It will run for modern gaming, but the style and aesthetic will remain the same.
Playground Productions Confirms Return of Backyard Sports
Playground Productions, the production company that often does family-friendly work, said that the Backyard Sports series would be back “in the coming months.” We expect that new Backyard Baseball, Backyard Football, and more will be back on shelves likely by the holiday season. The series has been dormant since the 200os, though a mobile game did come out in 2015.
Chris Waters, chief product officer at Playground Productions, said in a statement, “We’re incredibly excited to reintroduce Backyard Sports to a new generation of players. We’re taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today’s audience expects. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’re building on the Playground.”
Backyard Baseball was the first title in the franchise, debuting in 1997. It sought to recreate what it was like to play a sports game in pick-up fashion in your own neighborhood. Quickly, the original developers, Humongous Entertainment and Atari, branched out into Backyard Football, Backyard Soccer, Backyard Hockey, and Backyard Basketball. The franchise quickly boomed but it eventually petered out. 2010 was the last truly active year it had.
New Games May Not Pair With Sports Leagues
Once Backyard Sports really took off, the developers began to partner with sports leagues for cross-promotion. It’s not as if Steve Smith was in anyone’s neighborhood in 2006, but he was in Backyard Football 06. The same was true of some other NFL players, and other video games followed suit. Kevin Garnett, Lisa Leslie, Brandi Chastain, Cobi Jones, Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Jerry Rice, and Joe Sakic were among the stars who got backyard versions of themselves.
The new announcement didn’t say whether or not Backyard Sports would do the same in its revival. They may or may not be able to partner with the MLB, NFL, NBA, and others to get licensing and all that is required for such an endeavor. However, as the rollout continues, more announcements will be made. In the coming months, which is the stated timeline of the release, we’ll have plenty more information.
Lindsay Barnett, founder and CEO of Playground Productions, said in a statement.”Backyard Sports is more than just a game; it’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people. I look at media as the largest classroom in the world. As such, our goal is to produce meaningful content that not only entertains but also educates and inspires. The return of Backyard Sports is the perfect embodiment of that goal.”
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