forms of discrimination too- out of football,” says Miles
Jacobson, studio director of
Sports Interactive. “We’ve also
supported many other causes –
some financially, like War Child,
who get a donation for each
PC game we sell, some with
in-game adverts, like GamesAid,
SpecialEffect, and four other
charities each year. The ads in
the game are also in-situ – they
appear on ad hoardings around
the side of the pitch the same
way they do at football grounds,
but are clickable so people can
find out more info – and lots of
people do exactly that, which
is great.”
At a time when some major
developers appear to be
actively trying to disengage
with political issues, Sports
Interactive’s record of grappling
with these topics and creating
representation in their games
is refreshing to see. Depicting
real-world issues that affect the
sport also feeds into the game’s
sim status. “It is about creating a
realistic world – the suspension
of disbelief is essential to
everything that we do, but I
do think it’s educational too,”
Jacobson explains. “Brexit
was added because it’s part
of the real world, and will
affect football in the UK – so
I spent time working out all
the possibilities of what could
happen football-wise post-
Brexit and tried to work out the
percentage chances, consulting
with some academics and
politicians to ensure it seemed
sane. In the real football world,
most of these scenarios are
still on the table, and it’s still
a subject I find myself talking
about far too often!”
It can be easy for games to
claim a disconnect with the real
world, but Football Manager
shows us how a sports game
can act as a positive influence
on the sporting culture on
which it’s based – whether
through charity, representation,
or by educating players about
the issues and injustices facing
the sport. But such an approach
can also spark controversy,
Jacobson points out. “I’ve now
got used to getting hate mail,tweets, death threats... Threats
can come from anything –
even people losing matches.
Players coming out in-game
was probably the worst for
hate mail. Although I got quite
a bit from Brexit, too, mainly
from people who didn’t like
the tiny percentage chance –
so small that I doubt anyone
saw it in-game – of Northern
Ireland splitting from the UK.
And lots of love from some
people in Scotland who liked
the idea of Scotland breaking
away because of Brexit – even
though as a proud Brit, I don’t
like the idea of them splitting
away at all.”
Games like these show
the power that perspective
plays in changing the genre,
whether it’s disliking a sport,
reimagining the rules to create
something wholly fresh, or
taking a stand on political issues
and committing to realism.
When some of the most
popular games in the football
genre seem slow to innovate,
it’s exciting to see developers
showcase how rich and
multifaceted the sport can be.humour is actually an essential
component of a healthy football
passion,” reflects Polsinelli.
“Football mixes sacred ritual
with playfulness, and it works
when the two go together
somehow. One of the most
praised features of the game by
football fans is that they finally
found a game where writing
and illustration are filled with
that profane spirit that is a part
of football.”
POLITICS IN PRACTICE
Football Manager has become
a beloved series since its 2004
launch, as well as one of the
most successful football sims
ever. Throughout that time,
developer Sports Interactive has
also championed the in-game
representation of many political
movements within the sport
itself. “We made a decision
more than 20 years ago to put
the Kick It Out logo in the game
just to help promote their work.
They’re a great organisation
who’ve worked tirelessly to
kick racism – and now other
Football Drama pokes
fun at the sport, but its
intentions are good.The beautiful game: the studios redefining footballInterface
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