Many fans of sports videogames have been eagerly awaiting to arrival of Legendary British developer’s Jon Hare’s latest foray into the world of Football videogames, Sociable Soccer. The wait is almost over, however, as the title will be released for Steam Early Access on 12th October.
Jon Hare was famed through the 16-bit era for producing titles such as Microprose Soccer and the influential Sensible World of Soccer and its sequels. Sociable Soccer is a virtual reality (VR) spiritual successor to the Sensible Soccer titles, bringing the stripped down, arcade-style gameplay back to an area of videogaming that has become somewhat stagnant.
The Steam Early Access version of the title will feature a single player campaign mode along with classic local multiplayer and online multiplayer. An online team mode is being developed and should be available in a future update. Sensible Soccer is planned to feature over 1,000 clubs and national teams from around the world, along with 67 international football trophies available to compete for.
“We’re hugely excited to be launching on Steam Early Access. This is the first step towards our vision of a new, truly cross-platform, online and offline football action game,” said Hare, also referencing the console, mobile and various VR platforms to follow. “Steam Early Access will help us to tweak gameplay, introduce more game modes and respond to fan feedback.”
The Steam Early Access version will be available for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. A price point has yet to be set. The title is also planned to be released on Samsung Gear VR and PlayStation VR, though a release date has not yet been confirmed.
A teaser trailer for the Steam Early Access version is available to view below.
VRFocus will continue to bring you news on Sociable Soccer as it becomes available.
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Even without the updates seen in the 2D versions, Sociable Soccer presents an appealing case for a traditional football videogame in VR. Taking the viewpoint of a cameraman on the sideline, the panning of the player’s camera is controlled by their own head and, as lead designer Jon Hare rightfully stated, the player’s eyeline will naturally follow the ball just as with watching a live football match in the stands.
Sociable Soccer is the spiritual successor to the 1990s smash hit, Sensible Soccer, a videogame that boils down the essence of virtual football, stripping away all of the modern flourishes and instead offering an experience that relies on player skill. This was evident even in the early build that