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Sports Games and the Reviewing Of...
Battman23
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I am a sports gaming fan. (And gaming fan in general.) I have bought a football game every year since I could afford one, be it Madden or NFL2K, and I buy basketball, baseball, and NHL games from time to time as well. What I can't understand is the review of such games by non-sports related publications. It seems that rarely, besides at Operation Sports or other sports gaming blogs, do I find competent reviews on any sports games. Big publications or non-sports related gaming sites usually lampoon sports games as only roster updates. They want to see "new" features and things.
I'm all for new features, this year's NCAA online dynasty is a great "idea", but what most sports gamers DO WANT, for the most part, is a roster update. With this we want great gameplay, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The last great Madden was 06. If they would have kept the same basic gameplay and updated graphics for 360 I would have been so pleased, but they just broke the damn thing instead. Now we get Madden and NCAA games with "great new features". One of these was the passing cone. Fuck the passing cone. Fuck the Mascot Game. Give me a non-broken game.
OK, back on target. Maybe sports game execs reading the big publications are seeing their reviews and they tell their guys: "Hey, where are all these new-fangled features the kids want? Give them features, damnit, or you're fired." Well, the programmers work on features for the sake of a bug-free game and we get the mess that was Madden 08 and is NCAA 09. We do get some great features, but the basic gameplay is getting more and more broken every year.
Also, as an example, NBA2K7 was probably the most perfect sports game I have ever played. Operation Sports agrees with me on this. But many big publications missed this entirely (Metacritic of 84). Just look at the lower scores for the typical “only roster update†stuff. It’s just ignorant. If they knew anything about sports they would have seen that the gameplay was expertly tuned. Nothing revolutionary, but perfect gameplay. In 2K8 they changed a bunch of stuff and took a step backwards. Hopefully they can get back and I hope 2K9 is as good as 2K7.
TL;DR
Gaming execs are reading more popular gaming review sites to get feedback, but these sites know shite about sports (in general). They should look at sports-dedicated gaming websites instead of popular ones. Popular and non-sports game sites should just not try to review sports games and outsource these to sports-dedicated sites.
I'm all for new features, this year's NCAA online dynasty is a great "idea", but what most sports gamers DO WANT, for the most part, is a roster update. With this we want great gameplay, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The last great Madden was 06. If they would have kept the same basic gameplay and updated graphics for 360 I would have been so pleased, but they just broke the damn thing instead. Now we get Madden and NCAA games with "great new features". One of these was the passing cone. Fuck the passing cone. Fuck the Mascot Game. Give me a non-broken game.
OK, back on target. Maybe sports game execs reading the big publications are seeing their reviews and they tell their guys: "Hey, where are all these new-fangled features the kids want? Give them features, damnit, or you're fired." Well, the programmers work on features for the sake of a bug-free game and we get the mess that was Madden 08 and is NCAA 09. We do get some great features, but the basic gameplay is getting more and more broken every year.
Also, as an example, NBA2K7 was probably the most perfect sports game I have ever played. Operation Sports agrees with me on this. But many big publications missed this entirely (Metacritic of 84). Just look at the lower scores for the typical “only roster update†stuff. It’s just ignorant. If they knew anything about sports they would have seen that the gameplay was expertly tuned. Nothing revolutionary, but perfect gameplay. In 2K8 they changed a bunch of stuff and took a step backwards. Hopefully they can get back and I hope 2K9 is as good as 2K7.
TL;DR
Gaming execs are reading more popular gaming review sites to get feedback, but these sites know shite about sports (in general). They should look at sports-dedicated gaming websites instead of popular ones. Popular and non-sports game sites should just not try to review sports games and outsource these to sports-dedicated sites.
Battman23 on
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Posts
Is it because it's really the only football game left?
I think there are a number of factors:
- Madden is the biggest, most popular franchise that comes out every year
- Since '06 or '07, the game has undergone gameplay changes with every new title
- People reviewing sports games actually like them
I'm not a sports game fan, but Madden can be fun for a little while with a couple of buddies.
On the surface, there really is nothing new. But that is the way that sports games are. The real sports don't change. They aren't making up the rules. These games are supposed to mirror real life to a T. All sport games should be are a year after year tune-up and roster update. This is my point.
I understand that for people that don't play sports games this sounds very strange, but yes, I am willing to pay $60 a year for roster update to a sports game that is perfect, but there are no perfect sports games so I want to pay $60 a year for a roster update and a little tweaking to perfect some animations, AI, and bugs. We are a strange people.
If they did release a roster update for, say, $20 for the previous year's game, I would definitely buy it if I like that game better, but they want my $60, not my $20.
Nah, the more I think about it... I buy every Final Fantasy game and they are generally the same with something like a roster update and a few tweaks here and there.
And then I buy the remakes.
And these new features could probably be done with just some DLC, but you have a lot of people who are willing to buy a new title for $60 every year. :P
Magic Online - Bertro
I just want to say god bless you for being a non-sports fan gamer who actually understands that if it's something you care about, be it football or JRPGs, you don't need massive renovation. I'll buy Madden 09 when it comes out, and if they made a Mario Galaxy 2 that had no new gameplay elements, just more of what I loved so much about the first, I'd buy it too.
It's honestly hard for people who aren't into sports to understand that yes, there are changes to the games. Things added in the past Maddens that have been a really, really huge deal to me, like on-the-fly double team, defensive line adjustment controls, or the stutter step move honestly don't mean a damn thing to anyone who isn't into it. But in the same vein, I've heard something about a gambit system for years now and to this day have no idea what it means, and honestly couldn't care less. It's all about perspective.
WTF are those?
In my opinion, for some who doesn't religiously buy a sports game every year, but enjoys playing them, ever 3 years is a good rule to follow. Enough changes to feel like a traditional sequel, but familiar enough to jump in and not be too bad at it.
That’s about what I follow. For a couple of years I was buying every PSP MLB game because they were so good and kept getting better. I\'ll typically buy only one or two NCAA Football games per generation, because really there’s little need to update them, as I prefer playing dynasties anyway. I buy Madden every other year or so, unless I bought an NCAA that year.
These rules break down if there\'s a really compelling reason to get a game a certain year. Madden 07 had to be bought because the Seahawks were coming off such a great year. I suppose I would have bought it anyway, though, since Madden 06 was such a pile of shite.
MLB’s the only game I have this year. It might be a good time to pick up a hockey game depending on how those shake out, and people seem to be saying good things about NCAA this year.
I have NCAA 09. Online Dynasty. 'Nuff said. BUUUUUT, I have heard and seen some pretty unexcusible bugs in some of the gameplay. It is actually the inspiration of my OP. Look up the speed change for the game. They pretty much designed a speed cheese into the game and it is causing all sorts of issues. But, surprisingly, it is very fun to play.
Totally agree with this. BTW, for all you non-hardcore sports gamers, here is my all-time sports list:
Football - Madden 07 (PS2)
Basketball - NBA 2K7 (360)
Hockey - Nintendo Ice Hockey (NES)
Baseball - Ken Griffey Jr's Major League Baseball (SNES)
Baseball: Baseball Advance (GBA) or Baseball Simulator 1.000 (NES)
Football: Joe Montana Football (Genesis)
Hockey: NHL Hitz 20-02 (Xbox)
Basketball: NBA 2K (DC)
Golf: PGA Tour Golf (Mac)
Fishing: Sega Bass Fishing (DC)
Racing: Gran Turismo 3 (PS2)
Boxing: Fight Night 3 (360)
RBI Baseball (NES)
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GCN)
That's all I need for sports games.
Magic Online - Bertro
I never really made note of this while i was playing it. But I think looking back the reason that I liked it so much is that the season mode didn't have a "difficulty" setting. The games got progressively harder as the season went on, so the games "difficulty" increased while you were improving at the game's mechanics. And it didn't get harder in cheat-y "your CPU players get dumber" ways, either. The hitting/pitching got more precise so that enemy batters tracked your pitches better and you had to be more exact to hit enemy pitches.
I think it made it feel more like "a game" to me, if that makes any sense.
Maybe borrow some tricks from the Assassin's Creed team and get the players to actually have some weight, and actually use their hands instead of just clipping through the character models. Make it seem like an actual football game instead of just 22 separate character models running around doing canned animations. Mostly I'd be happy to play a madden game where you wouldn't see your RB running in place against a pile of other players, or where you could actually see penalties and such in instant replays.
Also, someone needs to make a next-gen Mutant League Football. Can't get the NFL license anyway, so why not. 2K, I'm looking at you.
Baseball (NES)
Pro-Wrestling (NES)
Baseball Stars (NES)
Blades of Steel (NES)
Duck Hunt (NES, clay pigeons)
Arch Rivals (Genesis)
Mutant League Hockey(Genesis)
Mutant League Football (Genesis)
Baseball Simulator 1.000(SNES)
NBA Jam Tournament Edition (SNES)
I haven't played sports games in many years now, though.
You're prayers has been answered.
http://www.bloodbowl-game.com/
Maybe I just want to be the GM or something and watch the game being played instead. Maybe as the coach of a college team I just want to transform that shitty, fresh from 1-AA school into a BCS juggernaut. You know, without having to call the plays and then while on the field accidentally select the wrong player and then give up that 80 yard touchdown on the first play of the game.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
EA has a game like this. It's called Head Coach.
I feel your pain. I don't understand why they take out those features. I can picture them maniacally laughing while axing old features.
So they have one for the NCAA, right? And it displays the game being played? And there's detail without getting bogged down in every little nuance if finance? Or there's a quickplay feature where I just start a game between two teams just to have something to watch?
I'm keeping an eye on it, but I'm not convinced it gives me what I want.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
This sounds like it may get ugly. Can we just forget about the last couple posts. I know the feature he wants and there is no reason NOT to have it.
My preferred way of playing is to assemble the team and let it play out. I've found that stat and scores are more realistic if I'm not taking advantage of the AI sliders, since, as it happens, I'm not very good at playing football video games. I realise that my preferred way of playing is far from normal, but I still wonder why they removed the ability to select the number of player as zero.
That and why they removed create a school, or why they don't license 1-AA teams. I have a copy of NCAA 2000 for the PS1 and I can have all three of those things. Sure the new ones look pretty, but they're sorely lacking in features.
Oh and did they fix/address the in-season recruiting yet? I still have no idea why some pitches get an instant reaction, why some take a half-an-hour, and why some of them just seem to piss the prospect off and make them hang up.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Plus I hated the way instant replay was implemented, and I preferred the old kicking mechanic, where you used button presses instead of joysticks, and you could onside kick from a standard kickoff formation.