Another Soccer Game Steps Onto the Pitch, VIVA Football Announced

Dino Dini and DC Studios take a shot.

Posted by Staff
SNES version of Kick Off - a slice of Dino Dini genius in the absence of any VIVA Football images
SNES version of Kick Off - a slice of Dino Dini genius in the absence of any VIVA Football images
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Some would argue that the football genre is nearing saturation point these days. There’s Konami’s superb Pro Evolution series, there’s EA’s officially licensed, pedantically-detailed FIFA games, and many more besides. Whilst this proves that soccer games are popular and profitable, the competition faced by new entrants to the market is nothing short of monumental.

That’s why news of another football game - VIVA Football from DC Studios - could easily be swept under the carpet. If it’s not FIFA or PES, making an impact will be enormously difficult. However, this latest Dino Dini-assisted project is promising revolutionary gameplay.

“The current generation of football games have no focus on the player. The game itself is the spectacle. This is a problem” suggests Dini, “It is the player’s experience which is accessible, playable and has long term appeal.” Whilst many would debate the idea that, for example, Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is lacking in long-term appeal, the ‘single-player experience’ is an intriguing idea hitherto unexplored.

Having collective work experience in developing Kick Off, Player Manager, Goal!, Dino Dini’s Football and Mia Hamm Soccer 64, the team offers a reasonably deep working knowledge of the genre. However, recent output from DC Studios has been fairly lacklustre, with Salt Lake 2002, NBA Jam 2002 and Tour De France failing to set hearts alight.

Whether or not VIVA Football can leave any kind of impression on a devoted fanbase remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure though - if DC can manage a release across every format, its chances of success will be significantly boosted. Indeed, versions are already planned for PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, PC, GBA, DS and PSP, so perhaps good things will happen.
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Comments

Joji 12 Jul 2004 12:07
1/7
Well nice to have another option, footy wise. I'll have to check out a demo.

Good to concentrate on what you do best. I'll still be buying FiFA though. Nice to see Dino is still in the game. LOL.

Darkpsyde 12 Jul 2004 13:18
2/7
WHAT A SHAME THAT PEOPLE DONT EVEN RECOGNIZE that VIVA football was a tried and tested name that flopped about 3 years back when VIRGIN called its game VIVA football 3-5 years ago...

someone do their research..!!!!



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config 12 Jul 2004 13:26
3/7
Bonzer! Dino Dini is back on the scene.

I think Viva should forego the 3D frivolity and return to the top-down wonder that Dino is known and loved for.

Of course, this would rule out any release on Sony hardware due to its numb-skulled no-2D stance.

config 12 Jul 2004 13:28
4/7
Darkpsyde wrote:

>WHAT A SHAME THAT PEOPLE DONT EVEN RECOGNIZE that
>VIVA football was a tried and tested name that
>flopped about 3 years back when VIRGIN called its
>game VIVA football 3-5 years ago...


See here...

http://spong.com/x?vid=11023109

SPOnG user ratings show a rather average score of 6.2 / 10.

micta 12 Jul 2004 16:15
5/7
Darkpsyde wrote:

>VIVA football was a tried and tested name that
>flopped about 3 years back when VIRGIN called its
>game VIVA football 3-5 years ago...

Same name, different developer this time around, therefore a new game, no? Dino Dini had nothing to do with VIE's 3 year old Viva Football from 3-5 years ago. A game developed by Crimson, incidentally, prolly about three, four, maybe five years ago, maybe more, but seeing as i like you, i'll go with your 3-5 year shot. And tonight i'm gonna rock you tonight, BTW...

[Post edited 3-5 years ago]

simon_humber 13 Jul 2004 06:06
6/7
That name was trademarked as far as I recall. So unless it's expired or went down with Virgin/Titus/Avalon I don't think they'll be calling it Viva. Simon Swift came up with the name for the record. Last heard of at Blue 52.

Interesting interview with Dino on Eurogamer perhaps (can't recall). Aparantly he's not done any football since Kick Off 2. So what was Three Lions then? Apart from as bad as Viva ;)
micta 13 Jul 2004 08:42
7/7
simon_humber wrote:

>So what was Three
>Lions then? Apart from as bad as Viva ;)

Ah, Three Lions, what a sack o's**te that was. What was with all that target-setting before shooting at goal? Worra shambles.

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