Really wished you could have been in Leipzig last week and I could have answered these questions in person.

One of the sentiments we take to heart with Empire of Sports is that the game is not targeted at one set of gamers or another. The idea of the casual or hardcore gamer is entirely artificial as you’ll find hardcore online players who play console games to relax etc. We all have games we love and those we can take or leave.

With Empire of Sports we fully expect to see a variety of players:

i) Those who will have a game of tennis with a friend or try and set a personal best in a sport every couple of weeks

ii) The players who choose to specialise in a single sport who train, play and compete as individuals, perhaps not playing team sports at all or seeing team sports as something they play casually or as some form of free agent

iii) But most importantly the player led teams and clubs. Not just in the team sports but the essential part of the social side of the game helping to train and support the Star Players of the game

The idea of teams and clubs in Empire of Sports has been at the heart of the game from the start, they are vital. You only control one avatar so the when you play as part of a team there is a new challenge and dynamic for players as they have to learn the skills, communication and tactics that you’d usually leave to an AI. The 3 sports intended for release are Basketball, Tennis, Skiing as well as the Virtual Gymnasium Games. These represent 3 different sporting dynamics but there are other sports in development there will be more team sports and I promise there will be more news on in the coming weeks and months.

On the issue of this to do in game the metabolism being built into the Avatars is far more than simply leveling a set of statistics, it’s designed to help your avatar react like a real athlete. You will get tired during matches so will need to think tactically about they way you play a lot more than other sports games, the way you train and play the game will effect your performance in all sports as they are all connected which also means the Avatar will adjust to your play style over a prolonged period of time. Just as importantly as a skill based game the training will give you an edge but you still need to hit the right button at the right time.

Ideas like tournament structures, in game currency, equipment, coaching, the potential impact of injuries, sponsorship and crafting etc. are ideas we intend to discuss in more depth as we get closer to release. If you have any questions or would like me to go into more depth please just let me know.

Alex (Empire of Sports Community Relations Manager)