Iconic basketball-themed game “NBA Jam” will be the focus of a new documentary.
Initially released more than 25 years ago as an arcade game, it shattered records by earning more than $1 billion in quarters, becoming a memorable piece of pop culture.
BestCrosses Studios, the production arm of the basketball-themed social media platform BestCrosses created by Jack Sussman, has optioned Reyan Ali’s book “NBA Jam” to produce a feature documentary about the history and success of the game.
Emmy-nominated Sean Menard, who has several sports documentaries to his credit, including the acclaimed “The Carter Effect” about now-retired NBA superstar Vince Carter, will develop and direct.
The book, released by Boss Fight Books in October 2019, is built on extensive research and dozens of original interviews with developers, journalists, fans and NBA players. When programmer Mark Turmell and his team at Midway Games released the original “NBA Jam” in 1993, it had an immediate...
Initially released more than 25 years ago as an arcade game, it shattered records by earning more than $1 billion in quarters, becoming a memorable piece of pop culture.
BestCrosses Studios, the production arm of the basketball-themed social media platform BestCrosses created by Jack Sussman, has optioned Reyan Ali’s book “NBA Jam” to produce a feature documentary about the history and success of the game.
Emmy-nominated Sean Menard, who has several sports documentaries to his credit, including the acclaimed “The Carter Effect” about now-retired NBA superstar Vince Carter, will develop and direct.
The book, released by Boss Fight Books in October 2019, is built on extensive research and dozens of original interviews with developers, journalists, fans and NBA players. When programmer Mark Turmell and his team at Midway Games released the original “NBA Jam” in 1993, it had an immediate...
- 1/15/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Football is violent and fast. Brutal injuries are inherent to the action when 300-pound bodies slam into one another like cars at a demolition derby. In the late 1990s, no video game simulated that feeling more than the most anti-sim football game ever made: NFL Blitz.
Unfortunately, the world may never see a game like Blitz again. To be sure, football video games are as popular as ever—or at least EA Sports’ Madden franchise is, since it’s the only football sim officially licensed by the NFL. Spiritual successors to the Blitz brand of arcade-style football have come along here and there, with EA’s former NFL Street franchise and the 2017 reinvention of Mutant Football League by Digital Dreams Entertainment the most noteworthy. Even 2K Games plan to return with an NFL-licensed non-sim in the near future, and Madden NFL 21 has a new backyard-football mode called The Yard. But...
Unfortunately, the world may never see a game like Blitz again. To be sure, football video games are as popular as ever—or at least EA Sports’ Madden franchise is, since it’s the only football sim officially licensed by the NFL. Spiritual successors to the Blitz brand of arcade-style football have come along here and there, with EA’s former NFL Street franchise and the 2017 reinvention of Mutant Football League by Digital Dreams Entertainment the most noteworthy. Even 2K Games plan to return with an NFL-licensed non-sim in the near future, and Madden NFL 21 has a new backyard-football mode called The Yard. But...
- 9/25/2020
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
An essential documentary for video game fanatics of a certain age (and perhaps only for that demographic), Insert Coin is a comprehensive look at Williams-Bally-Midway, best known for their over-the-top arcade games like Mortal Kombat, Rampage, and Narc. Director Joshua Tsui enjoys access to the talent that had been at the Chicago firm and created groundbreaking bitmap designs using early motion-capture techniques to add a certain realism in 2D gaming. While the film is a rather in-depth exploration of the personalities at the company, from the executives to designers (along with a few fans including Ready Player One author Ernest Cline), it seems laser-like in its focus on the timeline. One wishes it offered a few more viewpoints along the way with more archival footage to flesh out the cultural landscape beyond the arcade. We’re told early on in an energetic title sequence that Williams was the punk rock...
- 3/22/2020
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
As gamers, we’re always looking for the next big thing, whether it’s a disruptive new way to play (e.g. virtual and augmented reality) or an innovation in what makes games tick (ray tracing). But sometimes we’re so busy pushing forward that we forget to look back. Fortunately, two upcoming documentaries will take us back to the days when arcades were still swallowing our quarters and Nintendo and Sega ruled our living rooms.
Insert Coin, by 25-year game industry veteran and indie filmmaker Josh Tsui, chronicles the history of Midway Games, the legendary studio behind such arcade classics as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and many more. Console Wars, which tells the story of how Sega tried to bring down Nintendo with the Genesis, is the documentary version of the beloved non-fiction book of the same name by Blake J. Harris, who directed the film with documentarian Jonah Tulis.
Insert Coin, by 25-year game industry veteran and indie filmmaker Josh Tsui, chronicles the history of Midway Games, the legendary studio behind such arcade classics as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and many more. Console Wars, which tells the story of how Sega tried to bring down Nintendo with the Genesis, is the documentary version of the beloved non-fiction book of the same name by Blake J. Harris, who directed the film with documentarian Jonah Tulis.
- 3/19/2020
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Developer Pop Quiz is a weekly interview series in which we ask developers from around the industry the same 10 questions and post their responses.
Playing "NBA Jam" in the arcades in the early 1990s was an experience that most gamers have never forgotten, but one fan, Trey Smith, turned it into much more than just a memory. Going from playing the game in the arcades to helping create a revitalized version, Smith has helped put the "NBA Jam" name back on the map as the game's Creative Director, and he's answering our questions about video games in this week's Developer Pop Quiz.
Name: Trey Smith
Title: Creative Director
Company: Electronic Arts
Job Description: Part Director, part Designer, part Producer
First title worked on: "Spider-Man" PS1/Dreamcast
Most recent title worked on: "NBA Jam"
What game has most influenced you, and why?
Honestly, I'd have to say the original "NBA Jam.
Playing "NBA Jam" in the arcades in the early 1990s was an experience that most gamers have never forgotten, but one fan, Trey Smith, turned it into much more than just a memory. Going from playing the game in the arcades to helping create a revitalized version, Smith has helped put the "NBA Jam" name back on the map as the game's Creative Director, and he's answering our questions about video games in this week's Developer Pop Quiz.
Name: Trey Smith
Title: Creative Director
Company: Electronic Arts
Job Description: Part Director, part Designer, part Producer
First title worked on: "Spider-Man" PS1/Dreamcast
Most recent title worked on: "NBA Jam"
What game has most influenced you, and why?
Honestly, I'd have to say the original "NBA Jam.
- 10/8/2010
- by Jason Cipriano
- MTV Multiplayer
Google the name, Mark Turmell, and you’ll find a sea of URLs taking you to a ton of websites that have covered this gaming guru. Mark is one of the gaming industry’s most recognizable and respected figures. He is the mastermind who not only created the insanely successful 1990s Midway arcade games, 'NBA Jam' and 'NFL Blitz,' but he is also the Senior Creative Director at EA Tiburon.
It’s no secret as to why Mark has been so successful, having acquired a college degree before the age of 16, we could say he is the "Doogie Howser" of the gaming world. If you don’t know who Doogie Howser is, then you should Google that too.
Iae got a chance to sit down and interview Mark about his amazing career, and to pick the brain of this gaming pioneer.
Iae: Please tell us where you’re from...
It’s no secret as to why Mark has been so successful, having acquired a college degree before the age of 16, we could say he is the "Doogie Howser" of the gaming world. If you don’t know who Doogie Howser is, then you should Google that too.
Iae got a chance to sit down and interview Mark about his amazing career, and to pick the brain of this gaming pioneer.
Iae: Please tell us where you’re from...
- 8/18/2010
- I Am Entertainment Magazine
Ever since EA Sports announced that they would relaunch the "NBA Jam" franchise via the Wii, slam dunk and George Clinton fans have had a lot of burning questions. Just what the revival will look like has now been established, though, thanks to a handful of preliminary screenshots featuring the larger-than-life heads, Air Jordan-style boom shakalaka'ing and flagrant pushing that everyone expects.
The new shots premiered on GameTrailers TV, according to Kotaku, who posted them in non-video form.
EA has been running polls on their official "NBA Jam" page at EASports.com to find out which players everyone wants to see appear in the new title, but these images seem to suggest that a few players may have already been locked in. Meanwhile, the series' creator Mark Turmell was officially brought aboard to work on EA's Madden and Ncaa games, and he has since confirmed that he'll be providing input...
The new shots premiered on GameTrailers TV, according to Kotaku, who posted them in non-video form.
EA has been running polls on their official "NBA Jam" page at EASports.com to find out which players everyone wants to see appear in the new title, but these images seem to suggest that a few players may have already been locked in. Meanwhile, the series' creator Mark Turmell was officially brought aboard to work on EA's Madden and Ncaa games, and he has since confirmed that he'll be providing input...
- 2/3/2010
- by Brian Warmoth
- MTV Multiplayer
NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell has joined EA Sports as senior creative director, it has been reported. The news follows rumours that the studio has acquired the rights to the classic basketball sim, although Turmell has expressed an interest in working on its Madden and Ncaa franchises. "I have long marvelled at EA and their ability to ship quality games on a yearly schedule," he said. "That's incredibly hard. And I've also marvelled at how EA management or marketing (more)...
- 1/9/2010
- by By Mark Langshaw
- Digital Spy
EA's rumored "NBA Jam" relaunch for the Wii looks like it may be a little closer to becoming reality today, even if it isn't quite official yet. When Espn.com broke the story earlier this week, they said EA intended to hire the game's creator Mark Turmell. The man behind classics like "Smash TV" and "NFL Blitz" now holds the title of senior creative director at EA Tiburon.
"I'm a huge sports fan, love making video games, and trust that this senior management team will navigate the very difficult and challenging waters of game development as we move forward in this rapidly changing business," Turmell said in an interview on EASports.com. "No other publisher has the vision and instincts to capitalize like EA does. And now that I'm here and have been exposed to the awesome development talent, it's clear that we are going to make hugely successful games as we move forward.
"I'm a huge sports fan, love making video games, and trust that this senior management team will navigate the very difficult and challenging waters of game development as we move forward in this rapidly changing business," Turmell said in an interview on EASports.com. "No other publisher has the vision and instincts to capitalize like EA does. And now that I'm here and have been exposed to the awesome development talent, it's clear that we are going to make hugely successful games as we move forward.
- 1/8/2010
- by Brian Warmoth
- MTV Multiplayer
In addition to keeping Tiger Woods, EA may be fortifying its library with a title that's legendary in the arena of sports gaming. "NBA Jam" was arcade royalty during its incarnation at Midway, and to the best of my knowledge it's the only hoops title to ever let you play as both Bill Clinton and George Clinton -- even though Michael Jordan ducked out the back door due to his own licensing agreement for the less than classic EA game "Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City." Now, EA has reportedly lined "NBA Jam" up at the line for a relaunch exclusively on the Wii.
The new game will be announced later this month, according to Espn.com. Espn's anonymous sources also claim that EA will sweeten the new arrival by hiring the game's creator Mark Turmell and another unnamed "NBA Jam" vet -- possibly Tim Kitzrow, the original announcer who immortalized "Boomshackalacka!
The new game will be announced later this month, according to Espn.com. Espn's anonymous sources also claim that EA will sweeten the new arrival by hiring the game's creator Mark Turmell and another unnamed "NBA Jam" vet -- possibly Tim Kitzrow, the original announcer who immortalized "Boomshackalacka!
- 1/5/2010
- by Brian Warmoth
- MTV Multiplayer
EA Sports is reportedly preparing to revive the popular 1990s basketball game NBA Jam exclusively for the Wii console. According to Espn, original game creator Mark Turmell will oversee development of the new version from EA's Vancouver studio. Speculation about NBA Jam's potential return first surfaced last month when EA Sports community manager Alain Quinto tweeted that the firm was preparing to unveil a new game. After first launching in Us arcades in 1993, NBA Jam went on to become a worldwide phenomenon for its over-the-top, two-on-two basketball packed with special moves and effects. Turmell said that the title smashed all spending records for (more)...
- 1/5/2010
- by By Andrew Laughlin
- Digital Spy
Racketboy, a site dedicated to retro gaming, recently sat down with Mark Turmell and Eugene Jarvis, two names that you probably saw a lot in early '90s arcades. One of their most beloved arcade games, "Smash TV," has stolen many a quarter over the years and proved to be one of the best retro purchases in the early days of Xbla.
During the podcast the two speak about the possibility of a sequel to "Smash TV." You can listen in here. Personally it's the sorta game that would really only work in downloadable format, but dreaming of the murder game show, dual-stick shooter with 3D graphics and tons of fabulously worthless prizes makes my heart flutter. Make it happen, people!
During the podcast the two speak about the possibility of a sequel to "Smash TV." You can listen in here. Personally it's the sorta game that would really only work in downloadable format, but dreaming of the murder game show, dual-stick shooter with 3D graphics and tons of fabulously worthless prizes makes my heart flutter. Make it happen, people!
- 11/10/2009
- by Russ Frushtick
- MTV Multiplayer
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