The only Canadian football video game on the market is no longer.
Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football, the indie video game produced by Peterborough-based company Canuck Play that gave fans a chance to play with either Canadian or American rule-sets, has ceased operations along with the rest of the company.
Founder David Winter released this statement earlier this week to explain the decision.
“Hi everyone,
It’s been a while since I posted, but felt it was time to let everyone know what was going on with Canuck Play and Maximum Football.
As of this time, and as many have guessed, development of the title has been suspended and the company itself has been put on hiatus.
The reasons for this are many; not the least being the month I spent in the hospital after working seven days a week for months on end. The ability for a small team to keep up development of such a large and complex title, combined with the never-ending changes in technology in the game industry, just make continuing untenable. Add to that the other larger studios invading our space and in made little sense to continue.
The studio itself has ceased operations and the IP (game code, etc…) is being offered for sale.
From a personal perspective, I’m extremely proud of what I accomplished with the title, with the help of others along the way, including the staff that was on-site until Ontario’s lockdowns impacted people’s ability to get in the office.
For myself, I’m leaving the game industry behind to begin a new career. At age 51, I’m going back to school and will be attending an aerospace college just outside Toronto.
I would like to thank everyone that supported the game and our efforts over the years.
David”
Winter first launched the game in 2017, doing most of the grueling work himself at the beginning and adding only a small team later on. It was a product without the glitz and glamour of modern sports video games but with plenty of love and attention to detail.
While fans of the game reveled in playing three-down football with fictional teams, the Canuck Play was never able to secure name rights from the CFL, though it did strike a partnership with Football Canada.
Video games have long been suggested as the CFL’s answer to it’s generational gap, but the monumental costs of production have made creation largely untenable.
Winter tried to overcome those challenges on his own, but one man can only do so much.