Bitmap Books have been responsible for some truly gorgeous tomes covering a variety of gaming formats and genres, including their recent run ‘n’ gun history, on which we previously reported, and we were previously enamoured with their volume on the Sega Master System, too.

Now, Bitmap Books have announced that their next publication will have a football focus, and will be titled ‘A Tale of Two Halves: The History of Football Video Games’.

In this case, the “two halves” in question are the classic era of 2D football games and the more modern era of 3D football games. Yes, it might be hard to believe these days, but there was a time when EA weren’t the only game in town when it came to footy games, way back in that bygone era when United, rather than City were the dominant football club in Manchester. Different times, indeed, and you can learn all about them in this forthcoming publication!

Aptly split into two halves, the book celebrates four decades of football games across 2D classics and modern 3D simulations. Authored by football games historian Richard Moss, A Tale of Two Halves dives into the evolution of the genre’s rich history from 1980 to 2010, featuring over 400 games, hundreds of screenshots, bespoke illustrations, and interviews with pioneering developers.

The publishers have said: “Fans of iconic franchises like Sensible Soccer, FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer, and Football Manager can expect to find a treasure trove of trivia, history, and analysis in Bitmap Books’ latest creation. The beautiful game has had some brilliant (and plenty of awful) video game renditions over the years. A Tale of Two Halves pays tribute to them all.”

Publication of A Tale of Two Halves: The History of Football Video Games, kicks off on 17th October, with the Standard Edition priced at £34.99, and the the limited run Captain’s Edition at £49.99.