Don Cherry in Video Games?

[Ze_ro]

Being the Canadian that I am, I was thinking about hockey the other day... and it occured to me that I didn't know of a single video game that had Don Cherry in it at all. Considering Grapes is pretty much the most recognizable guy in hockey, this seemed odd to me. He's pretty much the John Madden of the NHL, and yet there aren't any video games with his face on them? What's with that? Is he too Canadian (and therefor, obscure) to be marketable in the states or something? (I'm still waiting for a football game with CFL teams)

I'd love to see a licensed Hockey Night In Canada game, with Coaches Corner and Behind the Mask segments and everything. I'd love to hear Grapes yell at me for not covering the point, or stacking my D with europeans... and Kelly Hrudey remark on how good/bad my goalie did. Extra kudos if the programmers made Don Cherry's suit change color/pattern between games.

--Zero

[Bighab]

I love Don Cherry but sadly I don't think the CBC will be renewing his contract :( I would love to see a CFL videogame. But I doubt if it will ever happen.

[Dr. Morbis]

You can't find a Canadian who doesn't know who Don Cherry is, but I'd be very interested to know how well known he is to the average American. Is he a household name? Is he even on the map???

And you can also mark me down as another guy who's still waiting for a CFL game.

[chrisbid]

:o

http://www.sami.se/art/berger/don/don.jpg

[Lady Jaye]

Don Cherry? Nah, not as long as he's with the CBC. Bring him to a US network, and then you're more likely to see him in games, à la Madden.

As for a CFL game, I think you guys should write to EA Sports Canada about this. Since their studio is located in B.C., they're more likely to be interested in doing a CFL game than, say, Sega Sports would be. The website for EA Canada is www.eacanada.com

[chrisbid]

Midway might be interested, they made an arena football game for cripes sake!

[Ze_ro]

I remember trying to argue with my friends that EA should just include CFL teams in one of the Madden games, and have Canadian rules as an option (Sort of like how International rules are an option in hockey games). For whatever reason, they were completely convinced that you'd never be able to program the games AI to be able to compensate for Canadian rules... like it was a completely different game or something :roll: Sheesh, the rules aren't THAT different.

I doubt having CFL players and Canadian rules would be a big selling point... but seriously, how much could a CFL license cost? $5? Hell, the CFL would probably pay EA for all the advertising and publicity they'd get out of having their teams in a video game!

--Zero

[SoulBlazer]

I think it's a good idea. After all, if we have the European teams, why can't we have the Canadian teams?

I need to read up on the differences between the two countries football teams....I just remember seeing highlights on ESPN that show them to be much high scoring, pass oreinted games.

I think there's a better chance of Sega and ESPN including the CFL then EA, though.

[Captain Wrong]

:o

http://www.sami.se/art/berger/don/don.jpg

A) you beat me to that

B) I'm impressed someone else thought the same thing I did.

[Ze_ro]

I need to read up on the differences between the two countries football teams....I just remember seeing highlights on ESPN that show them to be much high scoring, pass oreinted games.
Most of the differences are fairly minor.. the major differences are that we play with a larger field (longer and wider), with enormous end-zones. One extra man on the field for each team. And we play with 3 downs instead of 4. There are some other odd rules, like you can still get a point off of a missed field goal if the other team doesn't manage to run it out of the end zone (remember, our end-zones are big).

I think Australian football is played with different rules too... but I'm not sure how they work.

--Zero

[ClubNinja]

Don Cherry's excellent; but besides John Davidson, I can't really recall any other non-active player/coaches included in NHL games. Of course, I could be wrong. I highly doubt that it's because he's too Canadian. It would be my impression that he's probably just too hockey (yes, even for a hockey game), since that's lowest on the sports totem pole around these parts... unfortunately.

[IntvGene]

The closest thing I can think of is Coach Lebut (Labut?) in the Sega Saturn All-Star Hockey game. Damn, that was funny. There were only like 10 different videos to watch, but he was hilarious spitting out French insults and kicking over the garbage can.

[Lady Jaye]

@Chrisbid and Cap'n wrong: you guys have the wrong Don Cherry in mind. If case you've never seen a picture of him, here's what the former hockey coach and current hockey commentator Don Cherry looks like:

http://www.sugarray.com/tourjournal/pics/don_cherry.jpg

He used to have a small dog like that old Budweiser mascot. I can't remember its name, though (I'm sure the others will remember)

[Ze_ro]

Wow, I can't remember the last time I saw him in a single-breasted suit... Oh, and his dog's name was "Blue" I think.

What I meant before by "too Canadian", is that I wasn't sure if Americans even really knew who he was. Even though he's pretty much a hockey legend at this point, he only ever shows up on the CBC, so I'm guessing he gets very little exposure in the states. If Americans don't know him well enough, then it wouldn't make much sense to slap his picture on the box when you could just get Iginla or Lecavalier or some other actual player.

--Zero

[chrisbid]

@Chrisbid and Cap'n wrong: you guys have the wrong Don Cherry in mind. If case you've never seen a picture of him, here's what the former hockey coach and current hockey commentator Don Cherry looks like:

http://www.sugarray.com/tourjournal/pics/don_cherry.jpg

He used to have a small dog like that old Budweiser mascot. I can't remember its name, though (I'm sure the others will remember)

i knew that, i just thought id throw the mandatory toss to first base to keep the base runner from falling asleep

anyway, Don Cherry's Free Jazz Innovator 2005 would be a kick ass game :D

[Atarileaf]

I emailed EAsports a couple years ago to try to get them to consider Don Cherry as the color commentator in the NHL games. No response, instead, they give us that idiot Don Taylor. x_x