Homage Teams with Video Game Publisher Koei Tecmo to Deliver the Official Apparel Line for Tecmo Bowl
Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Randall Cunningham, and John Elway Among First NFL Players to be Immortalized with Tecmo Bowl Tees!
Columbus, OH, Oct. 26, 2023 – Tecmo Bowl, revered throughout the sports world as one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, now has an official apparel line thanks to HOMAGE, the fan-favorite apparel brand known for ultra-comfy t-shirts boasting vintage-inspired graphics. More than 50 designs in the HOMAGE x Tecmo Bowl Collection are launching this year and each boasts true-to-era designs so authentic that fans will practically be transported inside the original Tecmo Bowl's 8-Bit pixelated gameplay and legendary playbooks.
The first design in the collection is available today and features the classic Tecmo Bowl American flag logo instantly recognizable from the game's opening credits. On Nov. 2 the classic HOMAGE NFL helmet t-shirt design gets the Tecmo Bowl treatment with all 32 teams represented. On Nov. 16 HOMAGE drops the first wave of Tecmo Bowl player t-shirts featuring some of the beloved NFL icons and superstars from Tecmo Bowl franchise history surely to leave fans with all the nostalgic feels.
Former Detroit Lions' running back Barry Sanders says, “I loved Tecmo Bowl. I feel like Bo and I were unstoppable in that game. I still get comments about how fans would rush for like 500 yards and 7 TDs with me in the game. No doubt, many fans still talk about that when they meet me.”
The following players are included in the initial batch of legendary Tecmo Bowl franchise player t-shirt designs with more superstars in the queue:
*Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers
*Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions
*John Elway, Denver Broncos
*Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills
*Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles
*Christian Okoye, Kansas City Chiefs
*Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills
*Derrick Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
*Clay Matthews, Cleveland Browns
*Howie Long, Los Angeles Raiders
Also coming in November is the next wave of NFL player tees, including a Quarterback Player Pack and Wide Receiver Player Pack. In December, HOMAGE will drop a special Running Back Player tee, as well as a Defense Player Pack.
“This collaboration is easily the most requested by our customers,” said Ryan Vesler, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, HOMAGE. “Tecmo Bowl is so deeply entrenched in pop culture that it has endured as one of the most valuable pieces of IP in football and videogame history. For HOMAGE, this collaboration has been a 10-year journey since our team initially outreached to the parent company of Tecmo Bowl with our interest. As the adage goes, good things come to those who wait, and we are truly honored and so very excited to present this collection to fans worldwide today.”
“Tecmo Bowl is more than just a video game, it's a pop culture phenomenon,” said Amos Ip, Senior Vice President and General Manager, KOEI TECMO America Corp. “HOMAGE respects the Tecmo Bowl IP as much as KOEI TECMO, and we knew we could trust the HOMAGE team to do right for the Tecmo Bowl fandom.”
Originally debuting in arcades in 1987, Tecmo Bowl's real rise to pigskin prominence began in 1989 when it launched on the wildly popular Nintendo Entertainment System. Tecmo Bowl was the first console game to boast the NFL Players Association license, a license that provided the game the exclusive rights to the authentic names and attributes of football royalty, from Jerry Rice to John Elway. In 1991, the series continued its elevation into rarified air with Tecmo Super Bowl, expanding its playbooks, teams, and player rosters to deliver a thrilling experience that's still talked about today by fans and media alike as one of the greatest sports video games of all time.
The HOMAGE x Tecmo Bowl Collection begins rolling out today on HOMAGE.com, the first retailer in the entire world licensed by KOEI TECMO to sell official Tecmo Bowl apparel. All shirts in the HOMAGE x Tecmo Bowl Collection are offered in unisex sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL and can be shipped within the United States. The Tecmo Bowl logo t-shirt is available for $32 and the Tecmo Bowl NFL team helmet and Tecmo Bowl player t-shirts are available for $38.
About HOMAGE
HOMAGE, Inc. pairs ultra-comfortable apparel with vintage-inspired designs to honor legendary personalities, memorable styles, and iconic moments across sports and pop culture. The company is an official license partner to the NFL, NBA, WNBA, and MLB, as well as TOPPS, Starter, numerous colleges and universities, and many beloved pop culture brands. HOMAGE is proudly based in Columbus, Ohio. HOMAGE apparel is printed on demand and available online at www.HOMAGE.com and in stadium team stores.
ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.
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