Few could argue that the NFL branding is one of the most popular licensed properties in video games. Electronic Arts’ Madden franchise has been officially licensed by the NFL in 1993, has sold well over 100 million games, and is a massive success with each annual release. Attaching the NFL branding to a virtual reality game brings with it the potential of a very large audience, one that may not have delved into virtual reality prior.
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Of course, potential is only valuable when its realized. NFL Pro Era may have the NFL branding but it’s still an unproven experience. Developer StatusPRO believes that it can capitalize on the opportunity, though. It describes a mix of “innovative technology, data, and direct insights from athletes” as what will drive NFL Pro Era’s success.
For those curious what that means, mixing technology and data with NFL player insights, StatusPRO does offer a hint. Both StatusPRO and the NFL have previously said that a planned virtual reality football experience, now confirmed to be NFL Pro Era, will prove to be a “complementary” experience to other NFL games. In other words, they imply that NFL Pro Era could tie into the Madden NFL franchise in one way or another. No official details on that possibility have been confirmed yet, but it’s certainly a subject worth paying attention to going forward.
NFL Pro Era will otherwise be a football game, as it should be. Players will take on the role of a quarterback in what’s described as an “authentic on-the-field” virtual reality experience. Players will also be able to lead their team to the Super Bowl, as well as improve their skills through training experiences. The full extent of NFL Pro Era’s features have yet to be revealed, but StatusPro has set expectations high.
A selection of pre-alpha screenshots for NFL Pro Era shows that the game is as what has been described. Players experience a football game in first-person as their chosen team’s quarterback, where they’ll evaluate defenses and throw for touchdowns. Here’s hoping a gameplay trailer isn’t too far away.
NFL Pro Era releases fall 2022 on Meta Quest 2.
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