If you’re trying to make a college football game, you’re going to run into a few problems. And one developer is using cash in an attempt to distract you from those issues.
BoomBit Games launched its College Football Hero game for iOS today. This is a simple-yet-challenging take on the amateur version of the sport where you must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds by running down a field and evading defenders. Of course, College Football Hero doesn’t have real players, the NCAA license, or university mascots. So, to attract fans, the London-based studio is collaborating with real-money tournament company Cashplay.
In College Football Hero’s “Play for Cash” mode, you can pay to enter tournaments against other players. The winner gets a real cash prize in return.
In a statement, BoomBit cofounder Hannibal Soares said that real-money tournaments are a “great way to engage players.” It is also a good way for both BoomBit and Cashplay to make some money, since they take a chunk of each entry fee.
To encourage players to give this a shot, BoomBit and Cashplay are giving everyone who enters a “Play for Cash” battle a free $3 to put toward tournaments. If you win, you can claim your cash prize by signing up for a Cashplay account. This promotion is going on now, and it lasts through the National Football League’s Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
College football is a market that no longer has a console game serving it. In September 2013, publisher EA Sports announced that it would no longer make NCAA Football games after NCAA Football 14. The student athletes represented in EA’s games have never received compensation as part of the NCAA rules, and many have considered suing. Both EA and the NCAA want to avoid any legal actions, and the two groups mutually agreed to end the franchise.