On Wednesday, Meta held its annual Meta Quest Gaming Showcase event. The event was packed with new game announcements coming to the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset in the future. But what many fans were watching for were games that would help continue to grow the Meta Quest and virtual reality’s audience into the future. There was perhaps no bigger example thanNFL Pro Era, which is an officially licensedNFLgame, announced for release later this year.Few could argue that the NFL branding is one of the most popular licensed properties in video games.Electronic Arts’Maddenfranchisehas been officially licensed by the NFL in 1993, has sold well over 100 million games, and is a massive success with each annual release. Attaching the NFL branding to a virtual reality game brings with it the potential of a very large audience, one that may not have delved into virtual reality prior.RELATED:Madden NFL Pattern May Suggest When Fans Will Learn More About NFL 23Of course, potential is only valuable when its realized.NFL Pro Eramay have theNFL brandingbut it’s still an unproven experience. Developer StatusPRO believes that it can capitalize on the opportunity, though. It describes a mix of “innovative technology, data, and direct insights from athletes” as what will driveNFL Pro Era’s success.
For those curious what that means, mixing technology and data with NFL player insights, StatusPRO does offer a hint. Both StatusPRO and the NFL have previously said that a planned virtual reality football experience, now confirmed to beNFL Pro Era, will prove to be a “complementary” experience to otherNFL games. In other words, they imply thatNFL Pro Eracould tie into theMadden NFLfranchise in one way or another. No official details on that possibility have been confirmed yet, but it’s certainly a subject worth paying attention to going forward.
NFL Pro Erawill otherwise be a football game, as it should be. Players will take on the role of a quarterback in what’s described as an “authentic on-the-field” virtual reality experience. Players will also be able to lead their team to the Super Bowl, as well as improve their skills through training experiences. The full extent ofNFL Pro Era’s featureshave yet to be revealed, but StatusPro has set expectations high.
A selection of pre-alpha screenshots forNFL Pro Erashows that the game is as what has been described. Players experience afootball gamein first-person as their chosen team’s quarterback, where they’ll evaluate defenses and throw for touchdowns. Here’s hoping a gameplay trailer isn’t too far away.
