As far as games involving Arsenal go, we've been fairly spoilt for choice. All the big licensed titles, like the FIFA series (now EA Sports’ FC) and Football Manager, have faithfully recreated the Gunners' squad, kits, and stadiums. Pro Evolution Soccer may have used the moniker ‘North London’ until 2017, but it now offers Gooners the opportunity to play as their stars.

However, while the Arsenal are included in these games, so are many other teams. The Football Manager series offers players the opportunity to manage teams all the way down to the National League North and South in England, as well as teams worldwide. The FC games cover all of the Football League, too.

There's one game that many may have forgotten about, which focused solely on the Gunners, though. All the way back in the early 2000s, Club Football on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 offered players a club-specific title for several European teams, including Arsenal. So, just how good was the forgotten game, and why do sports titles continue to spawn multiple franchises?

Club Football - A Sports Title in a Sea of Sports Titles

Sports-themed games are some of the most ubiquitous in digital gaming. We've already discussed how there are many different kinds of football games on the market, and this barely even scratches the surface of what has been produced. Chris Kamara had his own licensed game, and the Sensible World of Soccer brought football to the console.

It's not only console gaming, either. Sports gaming has become so widespread that even the iGaming industry has been touched by the craze. Taking a look at Karamba casino for UK players, there are a number of sports-themed slot titles and live casino games, including Football Studio Dice. There's no shortage of football games available for fans.

Therein lies the problem with Club Football. It was forgettable for the simple reason that there were so many games already on the market. Obviously, FIFA was the biggest and best, but the early days of console gaming saw every developer looking to find a football niche, meaning that only those with the financial might for significant marketing could stay the distance.

Below-Par Gameplay Relegated Club Football to Bargain Bin

The Club Football series was unique due to its release strategy. The game was released as licensed editions for a number of European football teams, including Ajax and, strangely…Birmingham City. In each game, players would see out their chosen club's season and aim to win trophies with them.

That may be an interesting concept now, where club-licensed games are nowhere to be seen, but the gameplay severely hampered that unique approach. A review from Eurogamer from 2003 explained that the games, while impressive in recreating the chosen clubs’ home stadiums, kits , and players, lacked quality in execution.

The graphics were poor, making it difficult to tell your Martin Keowns from your Ray Parlours, and the physics were all over the place. It was like a stripped-back version of the FIFA and PES series that were setting the benchmark. This meant poor controls that felt formulaic and lacked any real fluidity.

Single-Club Licensed Games Unlikely to Make a Comeback

The poor quality of the games was ultimately what put an end to the series. However, one of the biggest issues with a series of games released with different club versions is that it limits the market. Yes, Gooners are plentiful. You can find them all across the planet and in good numbers, too. But that still means that you're restricted to just those fans to sell to.

Games like Football Manager are so popular because they give players of almost every club the chance to take charge of their own side, or a number of different sides, and lead them to glory. Expecting non-Gooners to have an interest in a game like Club Football: Arsenal is not a good business plan.

Instead, it's unlikely that we will see any single-club games returning to the market in the near future. Clubs like Arsenal may be tempted to release their own mobile games or apps, but the likelihood of licensed console games making a comeback is next to zero. Because of that, the nostalgia of Club Football might fill that gap.