Nestled within the creative hub of Melbourne, a small studio by the name of Wicked Witch Software have been hard at work developing not fantasy games where the sedentary can find themselves escaping reality (although such games are a part of their repertoire), but two sports titles based on activities that couldn’t be further away from the actual act of game development itself. As they sit and program at their desks, the images appearing on their screens show the fittest and burliest of athletes executing spectacular sporting moves and taking the roughest of tumbles.

As curious it is to hear about the usually tech and programming oriented making games about an activity that we normally wouldn’t associate with their industry, the managing director of Wicked Witch Software and producer on the titles AFL and NRL Challenge, Daniel Visser, has said that it’s really not that bizarre a coupling.

“Sports games have been around on video game systems ever since Pong and, I dare say, after table tennis, soccer was not far behind… so in this regard, a lot of the work has been done. Gamers are familiar and expect general controls and interfaces which are common to many sports games,” Visser said.

“These games appeal to the sport lovers primarily… [They are a] fantasy for sports fans to experience that is beyond playing in the yard or watching the sport on television.”

And there are bucket loads of truth in that statement. With the success of titles such as the FIFA, Pro Evo, and a plethora of sporting and athletic simulations that have made their way out onto consoles over the past two decades, sports games definitely have a noticeably large market. But of more interest is how these games, which have proven incredibly popular with gamers and sports fans alike — are made to begin with. How do game developers take a physical activity that is so well known and understood by such a wide demographic and turn it into a successful video game? At what point does the tough and rough side of AFL meet the intricately geeky programming side of game development, and when do they know they’ve gotten it right?

“Each sport does present its own unique challenges,” Visser says.

“A huge amount goes into making any game; official games have their own challenges. We absolutely have to study the game, the players, the culture, the technical details, deal directly with the AFL and NRL to get a huge range of official information on the game, the teams, the players, the stats, the stadia, the rules, the advertisers, the television and radio personalities, official photo shoots, 3D modelling players, animating them, taking motion capture data, recording sound effects, sourcing music, focus testing, bug testing, approval processes and much, much more. The list is very extensive!”

The team behind AFL and NRL Challenge consisted of sports fans and those who knew nothing of the sports in the beginning, so a lot of the time was devoted to communicating ideas and understanding the way the sport work, Visser explained. For a studio whose portfolio features a range of licensed movie games such as Space Chimps and Ned Kelly, MMORPGS, puzzles and strategy games, the team had to take a different approach to making a sports game.

“Sports games are fairly different from an RPG or RTS,” Visser said.

“The good thing about a sports game is that the ‘game’ part is the same thing over and over, even though it does have lots of rules, this can make it easier to test than an RPG, that has hundreds of unique levels.”

“On the other hand, in an RPG you can usually make up parts and work around problems; when you are making a simulation of something that is real, you are forced to work on implementing almost everything!”

So it seems there is a middle ground where the geeks and sports heads can meet, mingle, and nut out a game that both sides can play without the threat of abominable wedgies. Or, in Wicked Witch Software’s case, both sides may even be able to win each other over.

“People here have developed much more of an interest in the sports, which is good to see!” Visser said.

“The best result for us is to ensure we satisfy gamers and sports fans as well as everyone in between!”

Playing With Balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go your mother’s team!

FIFA – Soccer (or “football” for purists, Europeans, and those British backpackers down at the pub who keep harking on about “the Motherland”) (1995-present) Multiplatform
For lovers of football, it is impossible to look past FIFA, especially the upcoming FIFA 10. Striking the perfect balance between football simulation and arcade gameplay, FIFA delivers an accurate representation of a real football match. It has won over many football lovers with its attention to detail and all the licensed teams that gamers can play as and, in its latest iteration, has been said to have surpassed its main rival, Pro Evo.

NBA Jam – Basketball (1993) Multiplatform from 16bit era
One of the first playable arcade basketball games, NBA Jam pumped the ball-dribblin’, player-jumpin’, slam-dunkin’ action greater than or equal to the max. Featuring some of the most recognised licensed teams of its time, NBA Jam allowed players to defy the laws of human physics and play the game in the way we wanted to — exaggeratedly, amazingly and awesomely.

Tiger Woods PGA 10 – Golf (2009) Multiplatform
Golf: a somewhat sedentary sport that has the potential to procure epic amounts of snoring when turned into a video game. But no snores will be had with Tiger Woods PGA 10, with the game being so immersive and accurate (when combined with the Wii Motion Plus sensor) that you actually feel like you’re there, trying (and failing so hard) to get that hole-in-one. Admittedly, golf isn’t for everyone, but for those who fancy a bit of virtual pro-putting, PGA 10 looks and handles the best.

Top Spin – Tennis (2003) Original Xbox, PC, PS2
While it’s hard these days to find a tennis game that doesn’t require you to waggle like a maniac to execute simple serves and backhand moves, we can thank our Wii-mote damaged plasma screens that there’s always Top Spin. A relative oldie but a definite goodie, you could play as licensed athletes through a fast-paced career-mode or enjoy an equally fast-paced quick match. The game shone in the choices it offered players and even allowed us to change our athlete’s DNA. Gotta love eugenics.

Football Manager – Football (2005-present) PC and MAC
Like a soccer star who has fractured too many ribs or a netball player with messed-up knees, sometimes all the sporting action—even that of the virtual kind—is just too much to handle. But if you love the sport, then, like many former athletes, you can try your hand at managing a team. Playing with numbers, stats and organising your team, Football Manager lets you step into the shoes of a manager to buy players, organise how your team will play, and then watch it all unfold in 2D. Subdued, yes, but utterly riveting for those whose loins are stirred by their passion for football.

Ashes Cricket 2009 – Cricket (2009) Multiplatform
Cricket: another sport that has so much potential to be dull in video game-form, but has defied the odds in Ashes Cricket 2009 and turned out to be an engaging video game that can satiate the appetite of fans and pique the interest of newcomers. It’s easy enough to pick up and play but also provide enough depth to keep gamers playing for the entire duration of a test.

UFC 2009 Undisputed – Mixed martial arts (2009) PS3 and Xbox 360
Admittedly, it’s difficult to talk about UFC Undisputed without making some kind of reference to the (sometimes) distractingly suggestive man-on-man action, because it really could be taken the wrong way. Thankfully, here at Gizmodo, we have nothing but clean minds, so we’ll just say that this is an accurate depiction of the hardcore fighting championship and will give fans of technical fighters something to salivate over. And we’re not kidding when we say it’s technical; button-mashing will only get you so far.

California Games – Misc. Sports (1987) Multiplatform from 8bit era
California in the 1980s: Big hair, equally big shoulder pads and an even bigger sports game that found a place in the hearts of gamers everywhere. There was an unparalleled joy that could be found in competing on the west coast in sports that were purportedly popular in the sunny state — freestyle footbagging, skateboarding, surfing, roller skating, flying disc and the ever-extreme BMX riding. The hours that people spent trying to impress the virtual judges in the game are a testament to how good it is.

Skate 2 – Skateboarding (2009) PS3 and Xbox 360
Skateboarding isn’t easy and it doesn’t get much easier just because it’s in a videogame. But, unlike real skateboarding, which tends to solicit broken shins, bruised limbs and a tad blow to the ego, Skate 2 gives players a chance to ease into the sport of riding your own set of wheels, performing stunts and tricks and feeling like you’re really there, being cool. Thank goodness for games.

Track and Field – Athletics (1983) Multiplatform from 8bit era
There’s button-mashing and then there’s button-mashing. This Olympic-themed arcade game was the original “smash the same button over and over again until you win!” sports title, and while senseless button-mashing may be frowned upon these days, there was something undeniably fun at the time about bashing a key to achieve athletic victory.

Playing With Balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go Hazelbrook Under 5s!

1. Segway Polo

The king of geek sports. Wealthy nerds ride around a field on Segways hitting a ball with a mallet in a high-tech perversion of the sport of Kings. Considering the Segways can hit speeds of up to 20km/h, and each team has five players on the field at any time, there’s the potential for some fairly major Segway pileups. It’s also one of the few sports where Apple founder Steve Wozniak could be a poster boy, which makes us admire the man all the more. [Segway Polo]

2. Powerbocking

Strap yourself into a pair of spring-loaded stilts, and you’re suddenly transformed from mortal man to mortal man with a pogo stick on each foot. But you’ll feel like a superhero. With the ability to jump up to 1.5 metres into the air and run up to 20km/h with 2.7-metre strides, it’s not a sport for the uncoordinated or lazy. But then again, sport in general isn’t for the uncoordinated or lazy, is it? [Powerbocking]

3. Chessboxing

It’s like chess—the original nerd sport—but with added punching to spice things up a bit. With 11 rounds, alternating between four minutes of speed chess and three minutes of belting the living shit out of each other (with a minute between each round to change gear). To win, you must either KO your opponent in the ring or checkmate him on the chessboard. It actually has a governing body—the World Chess Boxing Organisation—whose motto is “Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board.” Kinda makes you want to take up the sport, doesn’t it? [Chess Boxing]

4. Zorbing

Imagine you were a hamster. In a hamster ball. Rolling down a hill. In New Zealand. That’s essentially what Zorbing (or ‘sphereing’) is all about. You hop inside a big plastic ball, generally around two metres in diameter, which sits inside another ball about three metres wide. Between the two is a layer of air, which acts as a cushion for bumps and jolts, and hundreds of small ropes. Then you roll down a hill, or around a flat surface, or even on water, while all the people around you look and laugh at you for being stuck in a bubble voluntarily. [Zorbing]

5. Extreme Ironing

This one’s fairly self-explanatory. It’s ironing clothes, but it’s Extreme. Competitors take their ironing boards and creased business shirts on the road to crazy places, like on the back of a bicycle, freefalling from an aeroplane or diving underwater. Not too sure how you’re meant to use an iron underwater, but that’s the crazy thinking needed if you’re going to be an extreme ironer… [Extreme Ironing]

6. Dirtsurfing

When the waves are too small or you just don’t feel like peeing in your wetsuit to keep warm in winter, there’s the Dirtsurfer. A cross between a bike and a skateboard, the Dirtsurfer lets you carve it up on solid ground any time of the year on any type of terrain, so long as it’s sloped. And you’ve got a deathwish — don’t forget the deathwish. [Dirtsurfing]

7. Train surfing

If you’re stupid, have no fear of death and like trains, you’ve probably thought about Trainsurfing. Apparently popular in South Africa and Germany, it involves riding on the top of moving trains or subways. As you can imagine, it’s generally illegal, although that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a bit of an online phenomenon thanks to the rise of video sharing sites. There’s also a rather good chance you’ll end up dead, so don’t do it. [Train surfing]

8. Disc Golf

Why play boring old golf when you could be throwing a frisbee? With pretty much the exact same rules as golf, except without the need for clubs, balls and checkered pants, Disc golf has you trying to get a frisbee into a basket with the fewest number of throws. Because even the laziest of us can throw a frisbee, it has a really low barrier to entry, which makes it perfect for the geekier among us. [Disc Golf]

9. Professional gaming

There’s a very, very small percentage of gamers who are good enough to make a career out of it, especially in Australia. Even if you constantly destroy your friends in COD4 on Xbox Live, you’re probably not good enough to turn professional. But if you are skilled in the way of the joystick beyond mortal men, then there is the potential to make millions in corporate sponsorships and gaming competitions. Overseas, that is. Here in Australia, pro gaming is a second rate—albeit totally nerdtastic—sport.
[Professional Sports]

10. Geocaching

Like a super high-tech treasure hunt, Geocaching involves a geocacher hiding a small waterproof container at particular GPS coordinates, which other geocachers then try to find using a GPS receiver. In each container is a logbook and pen, as well as a piece or two of low-value treasure which you can trade with if you discover the bounty. There are a heap of variations to make it a more exciting sport, although it’s mostly just a geeky way of playing with GPS receivers… [Geocaching]

Playing with balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go the Wallabies!

What you’re watching is “JRefleX93″ playing Mr. Crowley in Guitar Hero on expert. With his elbow. While he does this, there are going to be two Rubik’s Cubes entering the frame. By the end of the video they are solved.

He doesn’t hit every note, sure, but he hits most of them, including the majority of those intense guitar solos. By the end he has a 77% rating and the hearts of geeky middle school gals the world over are his for the taking.

Money shot proof comes at the end, alongside a fade to black groan at about 6:15 that immediately destroys whatever geek cred this kid just spent six minutes of his life trying to create. [YouTube via Geekologie]

In this video you will learn of our President’s enthusiasm for comic books, see a photo of him imitating a statue of Superman, and watch him flash the Vulcan sign.

Indeed, John Hodgman. It is an exciting time to be a nerd. [Collegehumor, Thanks Julian!]

Watch John Hodgman Roasts Obama and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

On Saturday at 7 a.m., Theodore was 14th in line at an Atlanta-area Sprint store, fidgeting for his new Pre. His wedding was scheduled for 8 a.m. As much as Theodore wanted Pre, he wanted his bride, Anita, to see him at the altar at the appointed time. At 7:45, he abandoned his wait and left his line-number and credit card information with a Sprint store employee, asking that he “hold the 14th phone for me.” The Sprint store employee obliged. Minutes after the recessional, the newlyweds returned to pick up their phone, spending the first minutes of married life with a Ready Now consultant who walked the happy couple through Pre’s setup and features. The new Mrs. Travis later revealed that her reaction was “You did what?” to her husband spending the hour before their wedding waiting for a phone, but later admitted, “I guess I kind of understand now.”

Oh Anita, wrap your arms around this dude and never let go. Nerds falling in love is a beautiful thing…but I give it six months. [Sprint via Pogue Original image via Myspace Graphics / Background image taken at U Village in Seattle last Friday night]

If you want to make sure your baby will turn out to be a super cool geek, just wallpaper the nursery with this keyboard decal. [Zek via Unplggd]

This gallery full of baby geeks playing with computers not only makes me smile and go all “ooooooh” and “aaaaaaah.” Watching them is actually getting me go into sugar-induced diabetic coma.

You are looking at the future of the Internet, people—because, at one point, we all will be surfing the web in our diapers. [Geeks Are Sexy]