A Dundee based digital developer has launched a football manager game for mobile devices as it eyes a growing share of a global market set to reach $100 billion within the next two years.
Digital Sports Arena (DSA) has signed a deal with international games group Playstack for its latest product, GameDayLive.
The developers say the game is the world’s first real-time, player versus player soccer management game for mobile devices and was developed in partnership with Hyper Luminal Games.
Football team management games are popular with console gamers but have previously been time consuming for players to build their team and play competitively.
GameDayLive allows players to get their team into action in a short time frame, making it more attractive to the casual gamer using mobile devices.
DSA comprises a BAFTA award-winning team of games industry executives who previously developed the successful Championship Manager mobile franchise for Square Enix.
Sean Tracey, chairman of DSA, said: “DSA is excited to have its first developed game signed up by the London-based international gaming publishers Playstack, specialists in mobile handheld games.
“We look forward to working on this exciting collaboration in 2021 and the opportunity of bringing the game to the mobile gaming marketplace.”
The game is already available in some territories but is set for a global launch later this year.
Stuart Martin, chief executive of Hyper Luminal Games described the game as a crossover between traditional hard core football management simulations and the casual strategy experiences typically found on mobile devices.
Mobile gaming
He said: “Looping-in causal players takes the game to a bigger market rather than just the hardcore football fans.
“Football management games typically have a high barrier to entry.
“Gamers have to play them for days or even weeks to get to the point where you have a full squad that you can compete with.
“What we wanted to do was beat that curve and have something that within two or three minutes you can be competing and playing at with the best players across the world.
“The game should be a whole different experience for players within that sphere, but also be very familiar so gamers will feel comfortable and know exactly what they have to do.”
Mr Martin said football is a global phenomenon which is set to give the game global appeal.
He said:” We love the game and early market tests are promising and we hope that will continue through until the global launch and we’ll see the game up there with some of the best.”
The mobile games market was valued at $77bn in 2020 and is forecast to grow to more than $100bn by 2023.
Investors in DSA include St Andrews-based investment firm Eos Advisory.
Kevin Grainger of Eos Advisory said although the firm’s investment focus has now evolved into early-stage deep science, it had belief in DSA’s vision for a new type of casual football management game from the start.
He said: “We are delighted DSA have signed this publishing deal with Playstack and look forward the next stage as the game gets launched onto the global market.”
