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Developer: Clay Dreslough
Publisher: Sports Mogul
Release Date: Sept. 18, 2008
System: PC
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site
0:00 I'm knowledgeable enough about football to follow a game easily, but not nearly smart enough to run a team. Still, I'm willing to see how well I'd handle some virtual team management.
0:01 A barebones options screen is the first thing to greet me. The lack of background music is a bit jarring. I choose to manage the Redskins at the "Fan" difficulty level (also available: Coach, Head Coach and Mogul). It's like they know me!
0:02 I'm thrown into a basic, Excel-style grid with the NFL standings and some columns of stats, all of which are at zero, of course, since the season has yet to start. The first week we're playing the NY Giants. I'm ... really not sure what to do here. Let's check out that help menu...
0:03 "The goal of Football Mogul is to accumulate the best Mogul Rating by successfully carrying your team through a decade or more of success." A decade or more? Looks like this will take more than an hour! Success is measured purely in wins and losses, although teams from small markets get a bonus and teams from big markets get a penalty.
0:06 Good lord, this is getting complex fast. I have to keep track of any number of "formations" for both offense and defense, budget for player salaries and other team expenses, set ticket and concession sales, scout for new players to trade for ... and that's just the start. I'm obviously in way over my head.
0:09 I could keep reading the help file all day, but the only way I'm gonna learn is by doing, so off we go into the maze of menus.
0:10 I start off with an A for scouting and a B+ for medical spending. I have $18 million in cash on hand for a $105.6 million payroll. Damn! I'd better sell some tickets!
0:12 The default price is $68 a ticket. On the one hand, that's highway robbery. On the other hand, those salaries aren't gonna pay themselves ... Better up it to $100 even. Hey, these Washington fans will pay it. I've seen them. They're NUTS!
0:13 $6.50 for a drink? $8.50 for a pretzel? That's ludicrous! Let's make it $10 each.
0:14 Time to simulate a game. The simulator takes its sweet time going through each Week 1 game in the NFL, throwing up the results as they "happen." When it comes time for WSH vs. NYG, I get a pre-game report. They have the edge in passing, but we have the edge in special teams. Otherwise, we're evenly matched. Should be a good game. Let's watch!
0:15 Or, rather, let's play! Apparently I can simulate the game on a play-by-play level, choosing formations as I go. The game is simulated via lines of play-by-play text, rather than any graphical display. "Hixon is back for New York. Washington kicks it away. Hixon gets it at the 6-yard line. Quarterman makes a good block for Hixon. Heads upfield. Tackled by Doughty. Hixon returns kickoff 35 yards to his 41." It's like
Madden NFL 09 if the Commodore 64 was still the king of the gaming world.