Playmakers get "Blitz"ed @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on December 23, 2004

News: Midway is moving forward with a game based on the ESPN show "Playmakers"

With the fallout of the EA-NFL deal still looming, Midway took this oppurtunity to announce Blitz: Playmakers for a Late 2005 release on "multiple consoles".

According to Midway, Blitz: Playmakers has been in development for over a year and will use the cancelled ESPN show Playamakers as a backdrop for it's new football game. The game is said to "explore the on-field violence, off-field fallout and front-office politics of professional football." On the Playmakers television show that involved steroids, narcotics, hookers, groupies, homossexuality and plain old violence.

Due to it's portrayal of professional football players, the NFL asked ESPN to cancel Playmakers and they complied. Midway, however, believes it is the perfect entry into the NFL-less football market.

"Midway's Chicago studio has laid the foundation over the past year for what is the ultimate alternative to watered down NFL sanctioned football games," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer of Midway. "No longer bound to the NFL license, there will be no league restrictions on content and gamers will finally experience what makes playing a football videogame really fun: off-field controversies, dirty hits, excessive celebrations and much more. Blitz: Playmakers buyers will be assured of one thing - our game will include all the gameplay and fun the NFL won't allow."

The main game mode of Blitz: Playmakers will build off of a Bad News Bears-like idea of taking a downtrodden team and replacing players, coaches and front office staff to create a championship team.

It sounds ridiculous, but we'll keep you posted on Blitz: Playmakers right up until the fourth quarter.