Grass Roots (2006)

Given the timeless popularity of sports games, I was puzzled that nobody had ever looked into the genre more deeply and given it an RPG twist - whereby the characters were more important than the teams (and even the sport itself). That was my intention with Grass Roots - an urban 5-a-side soccer sim, which saw an ever-changing team of amateurs playing their way around the globe. That refreshing twist aside, the game could never hope to match the smooth gameplay and polished presentation of its mainstream counterparts. They, like my wrestling games, had been honed to perfection over numerous years - whereas this was my first stab at a notoriously tough nut to crack. The project floundered under the pressure of those mainstream comparisons, and failed to find an audience with even the most diehard of soccer fans. The casual concept and fictitious setting didn't appeal to purists, and yet no amount of gimmicks could convert a player that wasn't already sold on the sport itself. It remains a popular request and a genre close to my heart, but it's simply not a team I'm qualified to play for!