Pablo Sanchez and the rest of the “Backyard Sports” crew are coming back as Playground Productions has announced the relaunch of the beloved video game franchise, which will also now expand across multiple verticals such as film, television, merchandise and more. The company assures fans the games will return “bigger and better than ever while staying true to what made the franchise so special.”
“’Backyard Sports’ is more than just a game; it’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people,” said Backyard Sports creator and Playground Productions founder and CEO Lindsay Barnett in a statement. “I look at media as the largest classroom in the world. As such, our goal is to produce meaningful content that not only entertains but also educates and inspires. The return of ‘Backyard Sports’ is the perfect embodiment of that goal.”
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The “Backyard Sports” franchise kicked off in 1997 with the release of “Backyard baseball,” which was originally developed by Humongous Entertainment and published by Atari. The series grew to include a handful of other sports with the launches of “Backyard Basketball,” “Backyard Football,” “Backyard Soccer,” “Backyard Hockey” and “Backyard Skateboarding.” The franchise hasn’t released a new video game since 2015.
“We’re incredibly excited to reintroduce ‘Backyard Sports’ to a new generation of players,” added Playground Productions chief product officer Chris Waters in his own statement. “We’re taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today’s audience expects. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’re building on the Playground.”
The franchise is well known for its original characters like Pablo Sanchez, many of whom remain a childhood touchstone for later millennials. Playground Productions said it hopes the new games will “resonate with today’s kids while honoring the nostalgia of their parents and uniting generations.”
“We’re excited to embark on this next chapter of ‘Backyard Sports’ led by Playground Productions,” stated producers Ari Pinchot and Stuart Avi Savitsky in a joint statement.
Watch the trailer announcing the “Backyard Sports” relaunch in the video below.
