In last week’s Three Point Thursday, we looked ahead to Madden 09. This week, we’ll take a look at the rest of this year’s crop of football games.

Point #1: None of the non-licensed football games are going to replace Madden.

All-Pro Football 2K8 impressed most people last year with its rock solid gameplay, and a select few gamers purchased it in place of Madden. Despite its disappointing releases the last few years, Madden still reigns as the undisputed king of (professional) video game football on this generation of consoles.

Even with the foundation of the critically acclaimed NFL 2K5 to build on, All-Pro Football 2K8 failed to make a dent in Madden’s sales. It’s hard to believe, but almost a decade has passed since NFL 2K stormed onto the scene with its triumphant debut on the Dreamcast in 1999. Despite the attempts of a few licensed football games to repeat that feat, no product has gained traction. A new non-licensed football game coming from out of nowhere to make an impact on Madden would be highly improbable at this point.

Point #2: The non-licensed football games need to distinguish themselves from Madden.

Once we understand that these games have little chance of usurping Madden, the most important factor behind the games’ success becomes their ability to fashion their own identities. All-Pro Football 2K8 subscribed to the basics of this strategy through its implementation of legends, but didn’t offer much else on or off the field that we hadn’t come to expect. While it brought some new ideas to the table, it fell short when it came to truly setting itself apart from the competition, including even its predecessor NFL 2K5.

Blitz: The League and All-Pro Football 2K8 showed that football games can enter the market and have a modest amount of success. Borrowing from the strengths of each game – Blitz: The League’s longevity and All-Pro Football 2K8’s gameplay – would allow a new football game to garner a sizable following. Tecmo Bowl already has an advantage in this regard, as it captured the hearts and minds of many gamers in their youths.

Point #3: Non-licensed sports games need to create their own niche.

Companies looking to enter the market should look towards Blitz: The League rather than All-Pro Football 2K8 as a model for business. Game mechanics aside, Blitz: The League introduced a unique story-based franchise mode that provided a fresh experience with serious replay value. Solid “sim-style” gameplay combined with addicting features or gameplay mechanics will play a crucial role in allowing a new football game to create its own identity. All-Pro Football 2K8 and Blitz: The League showed that having either solid gameplay or longevity, but not both, won’t cut it.

Backbreaker and Tecmo Bowl need to play to their strengths. Backbreaker boasts the revolutionary euphoria physics engine, and the tackling system appears to be the focal point of the game. It should appeal to gamers looking for something fresh, but it will need to provide a more rounded experience if it hopes to be more than a glorified tech demo. NaturalMotion needs to put as much effort into the fundamentals as they do the new technology. If they succeed in that regard, Backbreaker will be more closely examined not only by gamers, but also by companies considering implementing similar technology.

It remains to be seen what lies in store with a new Tecmo Bowl, but if it can evoke the elegant simplicity of the originals, it will gain much attention on the sports-starved Wii. Its success will also depend on Tecmo’s ability to modernize the game in a seamless fashion, as other Nintendo games have in the past.

The Point: There’s room for Backbreaker, Tecmo Bowl, and other prospective non-licensed football games.

This week’s OS Roundtable didn’t show much enthusiasm for the non-licensed football games, but this year’s releases could surprise people. The relative disappointment of All-Pro Football 2K8 has many gamers ignoring non-licensed football games, but both Backbreaker and Tecmo Bowl appear to be bringing something fresh to the genre.