The first-person VR football simulator will be available this fall.
Get ready for the NFL in VR! Announced during today’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, the sports technology and gaming company StatusPRO, Inc. is releasing the first-ever NFL-licensed VR simulation game title that will have you taking snaps and making lightning-fast decisions to win the game.
The Madden-style game will have you playing from the perspective of the QB. You can reference plays by looking at play sheets on your forearm, calling out audibles when you notice holes in the defense, and throwing the ball downfield to an open receiver. The game is designed to deliver a realistic football experience by allowing you to play for your favorite NFL teams from a first-person perspective. Depending on if you’re the home team or away team, the crowd will either cheer you on or ferociously boo your existence.
“Utilizing player data was a must-have to create a truly authentic NFL player experience,” said Troy Jones, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of StatusPRO in an official press release. “We felt today’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase provided the perfect opportunity for StatusPRO to share a sneak peek of NFL Pro Era. Through our product, fans will feel the excitement of what it’s like to be an NFL quarterback such as Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, or Lamar Jackson and stare in the face of a pass rush while maintaining command of the offense. Fans will get to experience the energy of thousands of fans cheering in their favorite stadium while gaining a new appreciation for what it takes to compete at the highest level.”
Think of the VR headset as your helmet. The moment you slip it on, you’re fully immersed in the QB experience. You’ll psych yourself up in the pre-game locker room before walking through the stadium’s tunnel and charing onto the field to the explosive sounds of the crowd.
Andrew Hawkins, co-founder and President of StatusPro, added, “Most people experience football from the eye of the observer, yet we’re giving fans the experience of what it feels like to be on the actual field. At StatusPRO, we are using our combined knowledge of being players in the game to share that first-person experience in NFL Pro Era for fans everywhere.”
2D football games like Madden, while excellent sports simulators in their own rights, offer little to no physicality, other than standing up to celebrate a touchdown. StatusPro is looking to change that by offering a new type of immersive sports experience that gets you up and off the couch.
For an extra sense of immersion, you could always suit up in football gear or use weights on your VR controllers as you play, but it’s not necessary. That said, you may want to have a towel and some Gatorade handy because you’ll most likely work up a sweat.
Just recently, we saw developers like Cix Liv and Bart Trzynadlowski announce their own VR sports initiative, REK.tv.
“Whether you’re an NFL football fan or an avid gamer, the connection you feel when immersed in the action of NFL Pro Era is so authentic that fans will truly understand the excitement of what it’s like to lead your team and compete under the bright lights with thousands of cheering fans,” said Derrick Levy, StatusPRO Director of AI & Gameplay, adding “We’ve combined innovative technology, historical data and direct insights from athletes to orchestrate and unlock a unique experience for fans to really immerse themselves in the game.”
NFL Pro Era will be available this fall for the Meta Quest and Sony PlayStation VR headsets. To learn more about the game, head on over to the StatusPRO website.
Image Credit: StatusPRO
