The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

[Fuimus Troes]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

We live in the age of persistent monetization. It sucks. But it is what it is. And things aren't going backwards.

So IF a much better franchise mode were available at a premium price -- as DLC or part of a different edition -- I'd pay. Because I'm primarily a franchise player.

[Funkycorm]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I don't believe that would be the case, if they did it right, and offered solid content.

All these sports titles could have done more for themselves if they hadn't pigeon holed themselves into the same box. Madden especially. They could have 3 or 4 standalone games that could be profitable. They could have a coach game, a franchise game, a career game. Same with baseball.

Teh bread and butter will always be 'arcade' version. That shouldn't be universally tied to teh rest. And they've done themselves, and us, a ridiculous disservice making it that way.

I don't think 3 versions of the game would be more profitable. Assuming you sell each for $20 to keep the math simple, do you attract new people to the game? Maybe some. But you have those that buy one mode for $20 but it is worth another purchase if they want to use more than one? Maybe. Maybe not. Like you said it would depend on the quality of the content.

But if I like 2 of those 3 modes and maybe want to try the third, why would I not just buy one game. Three games risk 3 different sets of bugs and likely more man power hence less overall profit from sales.

I think sales go down if you do it this way. Instead of them getting $60 from a buyer who wants to play one mode only, they only get $20.

Now don't get me wrong, I want a quality franchise product for my $60.

Personally I find value because I spend hours immersed in it. It is not without flaws but I view it as value but everything on their end comes back to money.

Like I said before I don't think pay to play is the answer but I also don't know what the answer is. I just look around and see pay to win and pay to be cool games and I cringe. I had to teach my kids a hard lesson about how these games work.

[tabarnes19_SDS]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I don't think that is the case. While the mode is a little bit bare bones, I think the fact that the season is a 162 game marathon is a much bigger reason why people do not make it a full season. It's hard to make 162 games not feel repetitive. That's why, while MTO certainly has its problems, I think it's a decent idea to make a full season mode feel a bit more manageable. I definitely see how it is not be what the hardcore-every-pitch-of-every-game crowd is looking for though.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Operation Sports mobile app

Many of the things that MTO provides the user could do themselves and have all the tools available. MLB added the moments, player lock, the ability to sim in traditional franchise mode. MTO I see as more of a DD mode than a franchise mode.

I think an easier solution would be to allow different season lengths. 162, 81, 26 as examples.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Madden08PCgmr]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

The Arcade/play now version will always sell. With or without anything else.

DD/MUT can be a profitable game, by itself. That has been proven, beyond any rational debate.

Tehy could easily sell a career driven game. Brady, Kobe, MJ, Shaq, Junior, Ruth... sports are about legends. Heros. You think that wouldn't sell? IF they did it right?

NFL Head Coach still has a cult following. There are still people that play Madden coach mode, even in a broken b@st@rdized form. It would sell if it was done right. Same with a Manager mode for MLB. Probably not for hoops.

Narrow minded thinking is why sports games are where they are. Reactionary thinking.

One-size fits all is not working.

[Funkycorm]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

The Arcade/play now version will always sell. With or without anything else.

DD/MUT can be a profitable game, by itself. That has been proven, beyond any rational debate.

Tehy could easily sell a career driven game. Brady, Kobe, MJ, Shaq, Junior, Ruth... sports are about legends. Heros. You think that wouldn't sell? IF they did it right?

NFL Head Coach still has a cult following. There are still people that play Madden coach mode, even in a broken b@st@rdized form. It would sell if it was done right. Same with a Manager mode for MLB. Probably not for hoops.

Narrow minded thinking is why sports games are where they are. Reactionary thinking.

One-size fits all is not working.

I agree with some of your points here.

We all know DD like modes are profitable. And yes, one size fits all does not always work. Never does for anything. Something always gets left behind.

I feel like coach mode as you call it a cult following, would be poorly received and be cut long term. Look at head coach 09. I never played this series but from my understanding it was stopped because it wasn't selling. I never personally understood playing that way but to each their own.

My concern with this idea, though creative, is what happens when the franchise game undersells or doesn't turn a profit with the dlc features? They compare it to DD and put their money there. But they are already doing that. Splitting them up would be the end for franchise modes. That's my main point here.

Either way, I don't think we will sway the others thinking on this topic but I appreciate the discussion.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

My concern with this idea, though creative, is what happens when the franchise game undersells or doesn't turn a profit with the dlc features? They compare it to DD and put their money there. But they are already doing that. Splitting them up would be the end for franchise modes. That's my main point here.

Either way, I don't think we will sway the others thinking on this topic but I appreciate the discussion.

A template is in place. Break it off, and turn another dev team loose on it.

The arcade mode would benefit, because that team can focus on real issues. Perhaps some of the core gameplay mechanics would get fixed, rather than having them carry over year after year.

Maybe franchise can't be a standalone. Maybe it is strictly paid content for those that want to play it.

But I do think it is better off being its own mode, rather than getting the scraps from the yearly cycle.

In fairness, this might apply to football moreso than baseball. Perhaps their isn't as big an audience to lean on. I guess this years game will tell a better story.

I feel like coach mode as you call it a cult following, would be poorly received and be cut long term. Look at head coach 09. I never played this series but from my understanding it was stopped because it wasn't selling. I never personally understood playing that way but to each their own.

I'll leave NFL Coach mode out of this, again, considering the context.

Perhaps even more than football, I think Manager Mode could be even bigger for this audience.

This is where you deep dive. Bottom of the ocean deep. And again, there is already a template in place; OOTP. Add ALL the depth of that game, with MLBtS graphics.

^^^ THAT game, could outsell the real thing, IF it was done right.

.. whats the harm in trying? And I'm not chaining this to a yearly release. Contractually they have to release a game every year. That shouldn't apply here.

So why not make a Maddon Baseball? (rimshot!) Get creative. Give it a real shot. Maybe it is a lame duck. Maybe its a raging hit, and 3 years later, you make another version.

[jrnlgrn]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

Probably could split DD off from the rest. The other game would be Play Now/Franchise focused. Eliminate MtO as that could just be rolled into Franchise. If they just provided the options when setting up a Franchise you could really take care of the manager only, rtts, season and regular franchise players. That way you end up with "MLB the Show" and "The Show: Diamond Dynasty".

Pricing for the franchise/play now version remains at $60 since prior to the creation of card collecting games that would have been the entire game any way. The DD game I don't know what you would charge for that. No amount seems reasonable for a game mode where the cards become obsolete upon a new version.

[Funkycorm]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

Probably could split DD off from the rest. The other game would be Play Now/Franchise focused. Eliminate MtO as that could just be rolled into Franchise. If they just provided the options when setting up a Franchise you could really take care of the manager only, rtts, season and regular franchise players. That way you end up with "MLB the Show" and "The Show: Diamond Dynasty".

Pricing for the franchise/play now version remains at $60 since prior to the creation of card collecting games that would have been the entire game any way. The DD game I don't know what you would charge for that. No amount seems reasonable for a game mode where the cards become obsolete upon a new version.

So let's assume the DD version is $30 because of the need to buy packs or cards becoming useless or what not.

What if I like both modes? I now spend $90 on a game that would have cost me $60 together. Good for profit and sales. Bad for the end user.

Now if we add DLC to the franchise mode, like more uniforms or stadiums or whatever, does it become something like a paradox game where you buy $15 DLC for stuff that should be in the base game already?

I think the overall idea in itself is a creative option and clearly thought out but it just doesn't seem practical in the end.

[jrnlgrn]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I'm just throwing out ideas to create conversation.

I'd prefer they just make a quality game like the should and not screw any part of the player base over. I don't think there needs to be 2 separate games, def no DLC or micro-transations. I don't even believe in yearly updates for sports titles anymore.

[Funkycorm]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I'm just throwing out ideas. To create conversation.

I'd prefer they just make a quality game like the should and not screw any part of the player base over. I don't think there needs to be 2 separate games, def no DLC or micro-transations. I don't even believe in yearly updates for sports titles anymore.

I gotcha. I agree. Just countering those ideas.

[CBoller1331]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

Probably could split DD off from the rest. The other game would be Play Now/Franchise focused. Eliminate MtO as that could just be rolled into Franchise. If they just provided the options when setting up a Franchise you could really take care of the manager only, rtts, season and regular franchise players. That way you end up with "MLB the Show" and "The Show: Diamond Dynasty".

Pricing for the franchise/play now version remains at $60 since prior to the creation of card collecting games that would have been the entire game any way. The DD game I don't know what you would charge for that. No amount seems reasonable for a game mode where the cards become obsolete upon a new version.

That's kind of how these Ultimate Team modes started IIRC. I remember when Madden Ultimate team was a Facebook game. I think EA even had a baseball one too. There wasn't any gameplay, it would just simulate games. I don't remember if Ultimate team was actually in Madden at the time or if that's how they started it.

[ninertravel]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I feel sorry for all those people that spend $$$$$ on a sports game then a new one comes out and just think of all the cash they wasted on digital cards that become 100% useless after 6 months when they could have bought 5 video games with that real money.

Actually why should I feel sorry for them more money then brains those people!

at least with other games digital purchases might be useful for a few years. but with sports games they are nothing after 6 months and you buy the same crap again the next year.

I have no idea why people think 'run for 6 yards' and grind points for hours upon hours is interesting in collecting cards. I prefer the days of growing up actually owning real cards and swapping them with friends getting a collection.

Sports games though want to cross over to RPG mechanics battle royal crap (thinking fortnite makes the $$$$ in mainstream media) and they are losing their identify of what a actual sports game is

[jrnlgrn]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

So if the player base for offline/franchise/career modes are as small as these companies like to claim why not just get rid of the modes. Do these exclusivity agreements force them to keep them.

[ninertravel]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

So if the player base for offline/franchise/career modes are as small as these companies like to claim why not just get rid of the modes. Do these exclusivity agreements force them to keep them.

Well EA did that back in madden 2013. they said at the time 'we don't want that word Franchise ever used'
so we got 'connected careers' where for the first year they locked being able to edit players. took out 32 team control. screwed up CAPs (you can't even create a non rookie' and no longer could import draft classes. from NCAA at the time.

and it has been like that ever since. they made a kind of a fix for 32 team control. but it involves spending 30 mins creating 32 team profiles. (because connected careers is designed for online mode with 1 profile)

so EA already killed franchise with madden. and I dunno where FIFA is up to as well it's some 'career mode' as well. it's like they are scared to use the word franchise. and more and more want to throw in the MUT mode crap in our face... when we install the friggin game we get about 30 screens about MUT mode or play some ultimate team demo while the game installs. it's all they care about... when I go to load up MLB the show 20. I couldn't care less about what tokens I have or redeeming them I am sick of that message and after every god damm game it's about what card I earned which I will never care or look at. or after every innings how much tokens I earned. I just want to play a damm sports game with real simulation.

Could you imagine DD mode and after every grinding thing that is done 'oh this is what you can do with franchise mode'' nah they never will throw that in their faces every 5 mins.

[countryboy]

Re: The Future of Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 and Beyond

I feel sorry for all those people that spend $$$$$ on a sports game then a new one comes out and just think of all the cash they wasted on digital cards that become 100% useless after 6 months when they could have bought 5 video games with that real money.

Actually why should I feel sorry for them more money then brains those people!

at least with other games digital purchases might be useful for a few years. but with sports games they are nothing after 6 months and you buy the same crap again the next year.

I have no idea why people think 'run for 6 yards' and grind points for hours upon hours is interesting in collecting cards. I prefer the days of growing up actually owning real cards and swapping them with friends getting a collection.

Sports games though want to cross over to RPG mechanics battle royal crap (thinking fortnite makes the $$$$ in mainstream media) and they are losing their identify of what a actual sports game is

Why feel sorry for someone for choosing how they spend their entertainment dollar and what they value as a worthy purchase of that dollar?

I mean I understand it may not be for you, and its not for me personally, but to insult them just because you don't share the choice of how they spend their money?