Strat-O-Matic fans frequently write and ask why Somworld.com doesn’t cover the basketball game more frequently on our web site?  That’s a good question.  Frankly, most of the people associated with the publication don’t play the game.  I play 20 to 30 times a year using the board version mainly because the DOS game isn’t compatible with my computer. 

Basketball is the least popular offering from Strat-O-Matic, ranking, in my estimation, far behind the second tier sports, football and hockey.  In my opinion, I’d be surprised if the company even breaks even on this product.  Then again, they might do quite well with the basketball game, not from the actual sales, but because the product development costs over the past few years have remained relatively low.

That changes to a certain degree with the upcoming release of the new Windows computer basketball game.  The work on the game has progressed nicely, though not to the point where the company feels comfortable setting a release date.  The financial outlays for this product won’t come close to touching what the company spent for the football game as the new basketball product is primarily a reworking of the DOS game. 

The company will attract existing board game players with the new Windows product, probably convert a number of the customers who have moved on to competing products, too.  The key question for the second group consists of viability for draft league play.  Many users will not switch back to the Strat-O-Matic basketball game given difficulties or hazards associated with running or managing draft leagues.  From my recollection, the DOS game stands out quite well in this area, probably more suitable than either the existing football or hockey games for enhancing or promoting draft league play.

Then again, the company probably won’t attract a high percentage of new gamers with a new basketball game.  As the fortunes of the NBA decline, so too does the passion and enthusiasm for the Strat-O-Matic basketball game.  Unlike baseball, where I think people enjoy Strat-O-Matic more than the actual game of baseball itself, the experience with basketball seems entirely different, especially since basketball itself doesn’t necessarily translate into a gaming adventure as successfully as a sport like baseball.

Just how many people play the basketball game?  The Somworld.com site contains listings for various Strat-O-Matic draft leagues.  The unique visitor count since February 01, 2003 is as follows:

Baseball – 3,213
Hockey – 623

Football - 503
Basketball - 313

Though far from precise, the unique visitor count for the past three months provides some indication of the distance in terms of interest between the baseball and the basketball game.  The web page for baseball draft leagues is 10 times as popular as the one for basketball leagues.  The actual numbers, by my estimation, is probably slightly higher than that in terms of actual sales. 

The ranking of hockey ahead of football represents an anomaly for the hobby.  Football primarily derives its following via replays.  Unlike the healthy mixture between draft and replays with the other sports, football just doesn’t translate well for draft leagues.  The computer game, to be frank, does a poor job in this area, especially without a proper drafting module.  Furthermore, in most cases, those who play in “draft” football leagues due so with contemporary or historical teams, not entirely new rosters.

For the most part, Strat-O-Matic follows a safe, conservative mode of operation.  They don’t attempt to “rock” the boat or change their manner of presentation regarding their products too often.  I think, in retrospect, that this hurts the basketball game.  Most Strat-O-Matic customers don’t know a great number of details about the game, other than that the reported compatibility issues surrounding the DOS game. 

When Strat-O-Matic eventually releases their Windows version for basketball, they need to place special emphasis in terms of promoting its strengths and playability.  The game engine works really well, making a pleasant, enjoyable gaming experience.  The player cards work well, providing an accurate and realistic depiction of player attributes in conjunction with the game engine.  The number of strategy options far surpasses any of their other games with the exception of coaching the defense in Strat-O-Matic football.

Basically, you get a lot for your money with Strat-O-Matic basketball, from rebounding, passing, to various shot-making opportunities.  Changing opposing defensive strategies, not to mention double-teaming and inside/outside positions, changes individual and team performance, sometimes to almost radical proportions. 

That’s what makes Strat-O-Matic basketball such a great game.  The coaching options and various strategies really test your ability for making in-game and personnel decisions, much more so than other sports like baseball, where so many of the game options come across as rote skills, rather than insightfulness or creativity.