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Get your popcorn and gaming consoles ready. The popular video game series Backyard Sports is getting resurrected, per Variety. The once tremendously popular game is getting a new release after a first-look trailer dropped on Tuesday.
#backyardsports pic.twitter.com/XQyF5fjPfc
— Backyard Sports (@_BackyardSports) August 20, 2024
The trailer features a group of kids getting ready to play a pick up baseball game on a neighborhood baseball diamond. It features pop and electronic music in the background. It ends with a voice yelling out, “Play Ball!”
The game grew in popularity during the late 1990s and 2000s. It usually features kid-sized versions of professional athletes, and provided a more accessible approach to sports gaming.
“We're incredibly excited to reintroduce Backyard Sports to a new generation of players,” Playground Productions chief product officer Chris Waters said in a statement, per Sports Illustrated. “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.”
The Backyard Sports return to gaming
The game's re-release is part of a new marketing strategy for the popular franchise. Backyard Sports will also see a movie in development, as well as merchandise to tie into the game's return.
“’Backyard Sports’ is more than just a game; it’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people,” Backyard Sports creator and Playground Productions founder and CEO Lindsay Barnett said, per Variety. “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.”
The video game franchise hasn't released a title since 2015. The series grew into a massive enterprise during its heyday, with releases of individual sports games. This included “Backyard Baseball,” “Backyard Football” and even “Backyard Skateboarding.”
It's unclear if the new game will feature sports other than baseball, or if professional athletes will be featured in the game. It's certainly an exciting time for sports gaming, as EA Sports College Football also returned this past year with a new game.
