Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka

Digital Pictures

Industry	Video games
Fate	Declared bankruptcy
Successor	Flash Film Works (acquired rights to multiple titles)
Products	Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka

Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka is a football video game released in 1995 by Digital Pictures for the Sega Saturn, 3DO, and MS-DOS platforms. The title features Mike Ditka serving as the player's head coach and centers on delivering an authentic quarterback simulation experience, rather than managing an entire team. The supporting characters are depicted using full motion video (FMV), a stylistic choice that resulted in varied critical opinions.

The production, which had a budget of $2 million, involved filming over a span of two weeks. Reflecting on his role in the filming process, Mike Ditka remarked, "I've been called a lot of things, and being called 'an actor' has been one of them. It's not that hard to do, really."

Footage from Quarterback Attack was subsequently incorporated into the movie Game Over.

After Digital Pictures declared bankruptcy, a group including the visual effects firm Flash Film Works acquired rights to multiple titles. In December 2016, Quarterback Attack was remastered using the original source videos and launched as a mobile application on both Google Play and iTunes.

Reception

Reviewers from Electronic Gaming Monthly lauded the innovative FMV approach, emphasizing the game's engaging gameplay despite its unconventional format. A critic from Next Generation praised the game's brisk tempo and seamless video transitions that enhanced the football simulation's authenticity, although he noted that the video quality fell short of Saturn's typical standards. Greasy Gus from GamePro highlighted the realistic quarterback mechanics such as play calling, audibles, and scrambling abilities, while mentioning that graphics and audio were satisfactory but lacked the depth found in traditional football game modes. Coach Kyle’s review of the 3DO edition complimented the humor and video presentation but pointed out drawbacks including no multiplayer option, missing licensing agreements, and absence of full team control.

External links

• Quarterback Attack at Flash Film Works