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I was one of the few people that really saw a lot of potential in Backbreaker.  I felt that there was a lot of promise with the title, but a ton of bugs and flaws have kept me from seriously recommending this purchase to anyone.  Sure, part of my joy was in seeing a non-Madden football title, but also, because of the way they were trying to do something different with football.  Again however, bugs and hiccups have made me shy away, and I figured this game was doomed to see little playtime in my 360.

Well, 505 Games seems to have heard the brutal, and rightly so, frank disappointment with some of the game mechanics, and they have announced a huge update for the game.  Called Greathouse, the update will fix the atrocious passing game, which right now results in about 80% of passes ending up as interceptions.  Also to be fixed are a new replay camera system, a comprehensive review of penalties, a new catch system, better control of players for interception opportunities and over 100 new plays for the playbook.  The patch is currently on its way to certification and will hopefully be released before the end of August.

Does all of this make you look at Backbreaker as a possible purchase, or has the brand already suffered an unrecoverable blow to its ability to become a hit in the football genre?

NaturalMotion and 505 Games Announce Full Details of Major Backbreaker Update, Codenamed Greathouse

Response to Community Feedback will Radically Enhance the Backbreaker Experience

OXFORD – August 2, 2010 – NaturalMotion Games have lifted the lid on Greathouse, the forthcoming update to their revolutionary, euphoria-powered football game, Backbreaker. The update introduces brand new features, gameplay enhancements and dozens of important tweaks, resulting in a greatly enriched Backbreaker experience.

“We are lucky to have such a passionate community who have supported us throughout the development of Backbreaker and continue to do so post-launch,” said Todd Gibbs, Head of Game Development, NaturalMotion Games. “Greathouse will give them what they have asked for, packed as it is with additions, changes, tweaks and requests taken directly from our online forums, reviews, as well as from individual players who spent time at our offices testing the latest features. I am extremely proud of what the team has managed to achieve in just a month.”

Major features in Greathouse include:

• Brand new replay system with the addition of seven fully functional cameras, including free flight mode and a cinematic ‘ball-lock’ option.

• More than 100 new plays added, including an additional nine formations.

• Improved Quarterback camera view and passing game.

• A user-catch system, giving the player a much greater level of control over the on-field action.

• Interception control, the user is now given full control over interception attempts when controlling a defensive player.

• Comprehensive review of the penalty rulings following an analysis of reported errors.

“We were stunned by the sheer volume of user videos that were posted on YouTube following the release of Backbreaker,” said Ant Lewis, Lead Designer, NaturalMotion Games. “It is obvious that the community loves the realism and live nature of the game and wants to share their unique moments. The new suite of cameras introduced with Greathouse will give them complete creative control over their footage and we are excited to see what appears as a result.”

The Greathouse update is currently progressing through final tuning and is scheduled for release in early August.

Backbreaker, developed by NaturalMotion Games and published worldwide by 505 Games, is the world’s first truly live sports title. Utilizing the studio’s own euphoria engine, Backbreaker brings a revolutionary in-game animation system to the on-field action, meaning no two tackles will ever be alike. Backbreaker is available on Xbox 360™ and PlayStation® 3.