Is the Time Ripe for a Competitive Soccer Card Game?
Many collectible card games made the transition to a digital format well, with Magic: The Gathering being the perfect example. There are now countless online trading games in every genre, but few have found as much success in the eSports industry as Hearthstone.
Developers are scrambling to think of ideas to compete with the Blizzard Entertainment offering, and the answer could be right in front of them. Soccer is one of the world’s most popular sports, and related pastimes are all the rage. Could a soccer-themed online card game be a hit in the world of eSports?
Soccer-related Pastimes are Hugely Popular
The reason why a soccer-themed online card game could be a huge hit is that 43 percent of the world’s population are soccer fans. Millions of these people also enjoy soccer-related activities around the matches, as these act as other ways to interact with the sport.
An example of this is the massive betting industry that exists around soccer. Bettors don’t just have the option to wager on the results of matches, but they can also bet on who they think will score first and how many corners there will be in the game. The wealth of online betting sites highlights how many people enjoy staking. There is now so much competition in this thriving market that sites offer bonuses and promotions, like deposit match bonuses, cash back and profit boosts, to try and stand out from competitors. There’s no reason why this successful industry cannot be replicated in a new format.
This has already been achieved with fantasy sports. There’s an enormous crowd for fantasy soccer, with players choosing their teams each week and hoping to score more points than the competition. Of course, there are the popular console titles like EA Sports’ FIFA that already exist in the eSports industry, but a card game could represent a unique alternative to these. It seems there’s a gap in the market and a soccer card game could be just the thing.
Some Soccer Card Games Exist
There are already a few soccer-based card games on the market, and these include LaLiga Top Cards 2020, Top Stars: Football Match, and Ole. However, none of these games have set the world alight. Indeed, they have barely done enough to appeal to soccer fans, let alone card lovers. Judging by the popularity of the FIFA console games, players love using official teams and players. If a developer can get an official license of FIFA to create a competitive card game, there is a strong chance it could attract a lot of players.
Taking inspiration from Hearthstone, which has succeeded as an eSport, players could build their own decks and pit them against others. The Blizzard Entertainment title features mages and hunters, which obviously wouldn’t work with soccer. However, there is the potential to give strikers, midfielders, and defenders different abilities. Competitors of the card game could also rise through the rankings to win cards featuring the best players in the world. With all the combinations of players in the sport, there would be great potential for massive variance in the matchups.
With the eSports industry blowing up and there only being a few competitive card games to choose from, it seems like the perfect time for a new offering to hit the market. As soccer is the world’s most popular sport, it makes sense that there should be a detailed card game based on it.
Photo by Thomas Serer on Unsplash