In order to satisfy the match analysis needs of several (Australian) National Rugby League (NRL) teams, DraCo Systems Australia, together with Videoworx Toronto, Canada, developed the first version of MatchPlay in December 1999. Whilst that early version was designed to run on a proprietary hardware and software platform, it proved to be very successful, with adoption by most of the NRL teams of the time. For the first time, these professional rugby league teams had access to nonlinear digital video technology designed specifically to provide in-depth video analysis of every action/event from every game their teams and the opposition teams played.
In early 2002, DraCo enlisted the support of EB Software to port the successful MatchPlay software over to the PC/Windows platform. In doing so, the two development companies used all the knowledge gained from the original MatchPlay development and trialing and added a raft of new powerful features, made possible by the Microsoft Windows operating system and DirectX. The developers relied heavily on feedback from sports professionals at every stage of development. The end result was a powerful, feature-rich application that incorporated all the features requested by the existing customer base of professional sports team coaches. This software was called "MatchMaster" and it was instrumental in the success of many of the top teams in the 2004 NRL competition, including the Grand Final Winners, Canterbury Bulldogs.
MatchMaster was designed for a specific sport (Rugby League) and a specific group of customers (NRL Teams). Our new software version utilises the original "MatchPlay" name and it incorporates all of the best features of MatchMaster, together with many new and improved features, to make it ideal for a wide range of teams sports. MatchPlay is inexpensive, to enable its use by sports coaches at every level, including schools.
The MatchPlay version of our software was instrumental in the success of 2004 Qld Cup Grand Final Winners, Burleigh Bears.
Over several years we have made minor improvements to MatchPlay and these have been added to the various iterations of MatchPlay V1.
However, during the latter part of 2007, we have completely reworked many of MatchPlay's functions and we have added several powerful new features.
In December 2007, we released the completely revamped MatchPlay V2.
A list of new features in MatchPlay Version 2 (released December 2007)
Previous versions of MatchPlay included the installation of a keyboard logging device. This was used to facilitate some of MatchPlay's hot-key functions, but many anti-virus software applications saw it as a "trojan" and removed it. This caused MatchPlay to fail. MatchPlay's keyboard recognition system has now been updated with a better system that causes no such problems.
As well as logging events for a single team, it is now possible to log events for both teams, on a single logging pass (Logging Window).
It is now possible to import match files directly from a DVD (Database Tools Menu).
The "export mpeg" section has been redesigned to provide for the export of "DVD ready" MPEG-2 recompilations of all required event files (as well as the previous "VCD ready" MPEG-1 files). (Data Preview Window)
It is now possible to purge (delete) all logged information for matches that are no longer needed. (Tools Menu)
To facilitate the sharing of logged matches with other MatchPlay users, it is now possible to easily prepare and export the logging information for one or more logged matches. This logging information can be easily imported by other MatchPlay users and added to their MatchPlay databases. (Tools Menu)
The new "View Match" function allows original match footage, or recompiled match events, to be viewed on a larger screen.
This is a viewer only and has no other purposes (such as logging or sorting logged data). However all Function Key functions (F2 through to F10 and the Spacebar) work with the new View Match viewer. (View Match Window)
The Data Preview window now displays video footage on a 20% larger screen than in previous MatchPlay versions. (Data Preview Window)
Version 2 of MatchPlay uses an entirely new inbuilt video player that handles more file types and is less likely to be affected by conflicts from other software applications. (All Video Windows)
