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DLC and Sports Gaming: Thought from a Concerned Sports Gamer.

Posted 12-20-2010 at 11:26 PM by shyvoodoo
Sports gamers, when you first heard of DLC (Down Loadable Content), what were your initial impressions of it pertaining to sports games in general?? More teams, players uniforms, features, ect. DLC has brought us some of those things even the Madden team patched in a Broadcast cam for last years game being one of the highlights of DLC in this generation. My opinion is DLC has been everything to all games EXCEPT sports games. Some people say EA should use features not put in this year's game as DLC then get those features in next years games. I however disagree with this premise.

EA would not do anything like add features to THIS years game that will be in next year game because If they did that, then why would anyone bother buying next years game? Selling new features is a way to sell more units to and otherwise “updated” game. Besides how come they could not get it in the game at release?? That business model would p*ss a lot of gamers off to the point where they are just "whoring" features.

These games cost $60 A POP for new releases and that price is most likely gonna go up when the next generation of systems come out. Most Sports gamers feel like they pay enough for these games already and all this special stuff should be in the game in the first place...

Another big problem that's killing sports gaming and innovations in sports games is the XBOX!! If Microsoft had enough stones to stand by HD-DVD, sports games like The Show would probably be the norm in this generation.

I hear sports gamers in all forums say "Add more broadcast teams, add more classic stadiums, add more networks and all this and that". What gamers don't understand is this like that ADDS not only development time but you have to pay the talent for doing the lines and recording, ect. I mean you didn't think these guys are gonna say "OK I give you my voice and likeness so you can have a realistic game to play and I wont take NOTHING in return" knowing the company is gonna sell tons of units? Everyone has to get PAID. Its possible but you gonna start paying $100-$150 game that's being released YEARLY, are you gonna be OK with that???

What most sports gamers really want they just cant do that stuff with DVD storage.. sorry. Complex textures take up more memory, and you can only compress so much info that it will start to take a toll on performance.

Its not the 8 bit or 16 bit era anymore. A lot of these games cost major $$ to develop in the first place, thats why we are not seeing game companies taking any chances any more.
I remember back when EGM holiday issues were 300+ pages thick and brimming with hundreds of new games and a lot of them were sports games. Some were crap, some never made release, but it was cool and exciting to see whats coming next. Now, we have about 10 "for sure" releases.. and thats pretty much it. The "game" has changed indeed.

My fear is we wont see the games that Sports Gamers really want until the next cycle of systems UNLESS they become PS3 exclusives, and there are a lot of you that be p*ssed beyond belief if that happens. It all depends on what Microsoft sticks in their next box and remember, SONY is one of the founding members of the BLU RAY ASSOCIATION. Will Microsoft stick a BLU RAY drive in their next box knowing every unit they sell a portion of that money goes to one of their biggest competitors?? If not BLU RAY then what?? XBOX owners, If 2k said they would make the football game you always wanted but said they can only make it on the PS3, would you buy one JUST for that game??

I'm not trying to start any arguments or wars, just want to know what sports gamers think about these questions...

Just throwing some stuff out for some good discussion.. What do you guys think??
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A Case For: The Canadian Football League.

Posted 10-14-2010 at 04:06 PM by shyvoodoo
With a rumored video game possibly “in development”, I thought it would be a good time to share some background and thoughts about the “League up north”.
NOTE: this not a “which league is better” blog. We all know that the NFL is one of the most watched, well known sports leagues in the world. If (and that's a BIG if) a video game is being developed or would be developed on the CFL, this blog will aim to give a little background history to anyone who is or wanted to know more about the league. I think any football fan owes it to himself to watch at least one CFL game and then judge it as opposed to just dismissing it as “minor league”. This blog will aim to familiarized football fanatics with the CFL and I encourage any fan of football to not only explore but enjoy this different brand of football. If you want to watch a CFL game I encourage those who have access to ESPN3 or the NFL NETWORK to watch a replay or a live CFL game. With that out of the way lets get started.

Background:
Canadian Football was first organized back in 1861 and was a precursor to Canadian rugby which was formed in 1892.
Moving forward to the game known today, the Canadian Football League, is a wide open brand of professional football that is often compared to the NFL but the style of play in the CFL is completely different.

The Field:
The playing field in the CFL covers a lot of real estate to say the least!! Lets check out some of these parameters:
Total Length of the field is 150 yards. The “55” yard line is often referred to the “Centre Line”. 110 yards goal line to goal line with both endzones 20 yards deep. The NFL plays the game on fields 120 yards in length and both endzones 10 yards deep.
Sideline to side line is 65 yards wide with yard markers 17 yards apart in the middle of the field. The NFL field width sideline to sideline is 53.5 yards.
Goalposts are parallel WITH the goal line as opposed to the NFL, where the goalposts are on the back endzone line.

When the CFL tried to expand into the U.S back in the mid 90s, a lot of the American stadiums used was just not big enough to accommodate the game, therefore sealing its demise soon after. The CFL field because of its size requires teams to have speed on BOTH sides of the ball.

Rules and Scoring:
Although the object of the game is the same, there are some slight differences on ways
to score and certain rules of the game. Here are a few differences in the Canadian game:
The Canadian game is played with 3 downs instead of 4 downs to make 10 yards.
Because of this, the “offence” has to be aggressive in their play calling. Therefore, the CFL is a game that favors the passing game as opposed to the run game, which in essence leads to more “big plays” in the CFL as opposed to the NFL.
If the ball goes into the endzone during a punt or field goal, the ball carrier HAS to return the ball out of the endzone. If the ball carrier fails to run the ball out or just takes a knee in the endzone, the kicking team will be awarded 1 point or a “Single or Rouge”. Also, there are NO FAIR CATCHES in the CFL.

In the CFL, there are 12 players per side as opposed to 11 players per side in the NFL.
At the line of scrimmage, the “neutral zone” is 1 yard wide between the offensive line and the defensive line. During 3rd and 1 or inches plays, the offense has a greater chance at making the first down because of how far the defensive is lined up off the ball.
Touchdowns in the CFL are called “majors” and are still worth 6 points.

Canadian Football League:
The CFL consists of 8 teams split into 2 divisions, East and West. The CFLs 8 teams are:

East Division:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Montreal Alouettes
Toronto Argonauts
Winnepeg Blue Bombers

West Division:
British Colombia Lions
Calgary Stampeders
Edmonton Eskimos
Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Canadian Football League season starts in July and crowns a champion every November at its version of the Super Bowl, called the Grey Cup.The winning team wins the trophy of the same name, established in 1909 and named after the man who donated the trophy to recognize, at the time, the top amateur team, Earl Grey. The Toronto Argonauts has won the most cups with 15 victories in the big game.

My Thoughts:
The CFL has a small following in the US but has not and probably will not ever be nothing more than a football lovers football league due to:

The NFL is king. Period. The NFL is perhaps the best professional sports league in the world next to the Barclays English Premier League and Major League Baseball to name a few.

No Exposure. Although the CFL scored broadcast rights to be televised on the NFL Network this year, finding a CFL game on television before this year was very hard come by.
ESPN3.com broadcasts every CFL game for the 2010 season so anyone who wants to see what the CFL is all about can check it out there.

The CFL Pros & Cons:
Like I stated before, the CFL is a different style of football and now I will go over what the league does best, what hinders the league, and what the future holds for the league:

The Pros:

The CFL is a Fast & Strategic Game.
With a field that size, Speed plays a MAJOR factor in this game. Even though the CFL favors the pass game, the running game can be very effective with a speedy RB. Of course speed is important in all leagues, but in the CFL, even with 12 players, still have a lot of field to defend therefore getting into the open field means big plays for the offense, which is a big part of the CFL game.
Strategy also plays a big part in the CFL for a few reasons. One is a course the 3 down rule. In the CFL, EVERY play call is important, especially if offenses are pinned deep in their territory. Offense has to have their three best plays ready in any given situation plus you have only 20 seconds to call a play and snap the ball.
Another strategic tactic in the CFL is to take safeties when punting out of the endzone. Because the endzone is 20 yards deep, a blocked punt will always more than likely result in a touchdown for the defense.

“Fast Break” Football.
In the NFL, a big play at any point can greatly change the course of a game, creating a big momentum swing. In the CFL, Big plays happen throughout the game. The CFL is a game of momentum. If a team get momentum on their side early in the game, it could be very hard for the opposing team to get back into the game without a game changing play which leads to blowouts. High scores are the norm in the CFL but sometimes a low scoring affair breaks out, but this is due to a poorly played game with lots of turnovers.

The game is never over till its over.
In the CFL, a 21 point 4th quarter lead is considered still “anyone's” game. Its much easier to get back into the game because the defense only has to worry about getting two defensive stops. On top of that, the clock stops after each play during the last 3 minutes of each half, making it very hard for the offense to run out the clock. A couple of defensive stops plus a turnover or two in this game, could turn a 21 point lead into a 10 point deficit in a matter of minutes!! Case in point week 1 of the 2010 season (and the first game televised on NFL net) The Allouettes had a 33-12 lead early in the second half over the Roughriders. The Riders rallied to tie the game by the end of regulation 40-40 to send the game into overtime. This is another great aspect of the CFL: Overtime rules. Overtime states every team shall have the ball at least once with the team scoring the most points on their possession wins the game. If each team scores the same way in each possession the game goes on.. by the way the Riders pulled it out with a 55-52 win resulting in the 3rd highest scoring game in league history!

And now a few cons:

8 Teams. The league only has 8 franchises and expansion hasn't happen in this league since 1983, and that team never even played a single game before folding. A new Ottawa franchise is set to join the league in 2013 but I think the league needs to expand to at least 10 teams but has the possibility to grow to as many as 12 if Halifax, The Maritimes and Quebec City would join the league. The CFL already plays an 18 game schedule and had been for years but that means seeing the same match up 3 maybe 4 times in a single season. This also gives the league a “small time” stigma although the league has been around since 1958 and been growing steadily in fan base and TV ratings over the last 10 years in Canada.

Stability. Despite substantial growth in the last 10 years, the league still has to be very careful when it comes to expansion, ownership and other factors involving football operations. The most populated city in Canada is Toronto, roughly at 4.7 million. The question is if a city has the fan base and ownership to support a CFL franchise.

Stadia. Stadiums in this league is not the typical facilities we see in the NFL or even in the college level. The League has taken steps to remedy this problem in places like BC where a new retractable roof will be installed at BC Place, new stadiums in Ottawa and Winnipeg and possibly Hamilton, and renovations in Edmonton and Montreal will not only improve the stability of the league but will bring in more revenue as well.

I believe the CFL is a great alternative to the NFL and any fan of football would owe it to themselves to watch this exciting brand of football. I don't see why the NFL and CFL could not be enjoyed equally(although that wont be possible) by all football fans.
I have been following this league since the early 80s when games were shown on ESPN.
I encourage fans to go over to the CFL's web site: cfl.ca and check out some game highlights. Highlights are available for practically every game this season and you wont be dissapointed. With the looming NFL lockout hanging over us, we might see a lot of this league in the next year. To me, football season starts every year in July when the CFL kicks off. I did not cover a lot of things the CFL does, or doesn't do. This blog is just a small primer or intro to anyone who would like to learn more about the league. There a lot of thing I missed and if I got something wrong, I apologize in advance but this is already a long read so thanks for your time.

That's it for now but my next blog is gonna concentrate on a growing trend in sports gaming. Why they like it, why they do it, why would any gamer WANT to do it or even confess to doing it.
I'm gonna talk about Confessions of the CPU v. CPU player in my next entry.
So stay tuned...

Thanks
Ben
Voodoo
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