1980: Hyper-Realistic COMPUTER FOOTBALL | Tomorrow's World | Retro Gaming | BBC Archive

Judith Hann and Kieran Prendiville demonstrate the a computer football game, featuring realistic graphics and gameplay. With ten players on screen at all times, how does the computer cope? Michael Rodd explains how programmers use "sprites" to smoothly and accurately simulate the intricacies of the beautiful game.

Originally broadcast 12 June, 1980.

You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.

[CarrotUK]

The little squeal Judith gives out at 1:47 when she tries to save the ball is hilarious.

[yaosio]

Graphics will never get better than this.

[by]

Not a single monetization gimmicks in sight!

[jeshkam]

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

[BuckRolly]

These graphics are AMAZING... when is it out?

[ryanparker]

"I'm a gentleman, so I'll go first"

[Larry]

Ah, wow, it's just like being at a real football match!!!

[badhamian]

Reminds me of so called 'computer club' at school in the 80s where we all just sat around playing JetPac on the ZX Spectrum. Great days!

[candjim]

For one moment I actually thought I was watching a real football match.

[NeverStopRolling]

When did we stop "punching in" text? :( We need to bring that back...

[fredo]

£1000 in 1980 would be £4000 today, ouch.

[cammaster]

So realistic! I am immersed in its glory

[OlafProt]

I was at a posh school in Guildford in 1983 and it had banks of BBC Micro (and one hallowed IBM bathed in light at its own desk that only 6th formers could touch). But the BBC was just immense. We all had the 5 1/4 floppy discs and played Aviator endlessly.

Everything around the time of this TW programme to about 1995 was just huge steps forward into realms we couldn’t even get our heads around. Such exciting and hopeful times.

The way internet has been allowed to develop though, has destroyed any sense of wonder. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I think history might see Tim Berners-Lee in a similar light to Oppenheimer.

[OmegatRG]

It makes my zx81 with optional 16k plug in ram pack look rather futuristic 😊

[swaneknoctic]

I don’t think anything has come so far in such a short space of time……..Video games.

[MrFaceHead]

Looks quite fun as a two-player game, like table football.

[starfleetbrat]

Texas Instruments! I had one of those when I was a kid in the 80s - a 99/4a, and Im pretty sure I actually played this game. There were some good games on that!

[videogamebookreviews]

"...and the computer analyses your tactics..." 0:37

[joebryant]

That looks very close to how Utd and specifically Maguire have been playing for the last couple yrs 🤣

[djdrwatson]

FIFA '80?! 😂 Today's hyper realistic computer graphics have come a very long way since these humble beginnings.
Quite a few dodgy decisions in the game. Where's VAR and goal line technology when you need it? (another 30+ years in the future).