Sports Game Developers Are Overlooking Single Player...

[RaychelSnr]

Let's face it, a growing portion of gamers are becoming increasingly addicted to the thrill of competitive gaming. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I'm glad that developers are rewarding that behavior with progressively stable online matches and game modes.

But where does that leave the other half of sports gamers?

Read More - Sports Game Developers Are Overlooking Single Player...

[ballin2k0]

i wish 2k would add all the myteam exclusive legends to the free agent roster so we can use them in our myleague also please fix the allstar jerseys in myleague everybody has shirts on...i use a custom roster maybe thats it...i bet they dont fix it at al though and if they are that lazy im done with 2k....its took alot for me to get to that point its far from that just that...nba2k 15 has also froze my ps4 atleast 20 times or more only game to ever freeze my ps4 to be honest...servers are beyond sht lists goes on.

[Prospect357]

The issue w/ game developers is that there always spinning there wheels. When will they actually progress forward ea. yr instead of taking 2 steps forward & 4 steps back. One yr they talk about getting away from canned predetermined animations, then the next yr its back w, a vengeance more canned than ever b4 (speaking on 2k in that regard). If u look at sports games from 1990-2015 which is 25yrs, what has really changed?? nothing pretty much but graphics. 25yrs and the only sport revolution is graphics REALLY??? Laker Vs. Celtics/ Bulls Vs. Blazers had personality all superstars had signature styles Jordan up & unders, Kiss the rim dunks, Barkley threw his off the backboard etc..They got away from it 2k in 2k7 staring bringing personality back, still behind the 8 ball tho & Live is not even worth discussing w, is SAD how they 4got how 2 make sports games. Madden was incorporating gang tackles in '04-'07. Then when they converted 2 X360/PS3 they started working backwards, took away user control 4 yrs, I finally gave up in '09. 2 robotic 4 me even tho I love football, its not a accurate representation. Its more of EA's version of football rather than NFL football. 10 yrs ago EA had more game innovations than what they do now in 2015??? Hate 2 call developers Lazy or repetitive but the proof is int the pudding. They pretty much give you graphics which is a given due 2 advancement in technology, but gameplay and variance is something that takes attention 2 detail which is absent all 2gether. Its all about $$$ w/ no substance GOT CARDS 4 U. Not interested

[Teirminator]

I can promise you sports game developers are not overlooking single player. Only 10-15% of all players will ever play online. Hence, online gets about 10-15% of the attention and usually has issues at a product's launch.

[ianlast]

Great article, and one that was long overdue.

Until developers give us the option to have more random occurrences and take some of the control out of the users hands, it will never be a truly accurate representation of the sport.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Sports Game Developers Are Overlooking Single Player...

I'm glad that developers are rewarding that behavior with progressively stable online matches and game modes.

lol what games are these

[ven0m43]

I usually only play single player in sport games. I like to make the game feel as realistic as possible by adjusting the settings and sliders. Online you're usually playing with the default sliders. Most of the time it's like Madden, where the other online player likes to go for the 2pt conversion and 4th down. They usually run the same few plays and the games are always high scoring. Thats just not for me.

[MossMan84]

I have always loved NFL football video games since the great Tecmo Super Bowl but havent really enjoyed any new football games since 07, wth? It just blows my mind how regressed these games have become! I never thought I would still be playing APF 2k8, 2k5, n Madden 06! I really dont give 2 sheets about online gaming and really just want to create my own game with unlimited customization options/tools! Another thing that blows my mind is: why isnt there a game company out there willing to capitalize on this black hole like void? I know people will try to say without the NFL attached to it, it wont sell? I think thats complete hogwash! Its just nobody has the passion for the game like some of us do! The worst part is that we will probably never get a monster NFL game! Thats too bad!

[Gramps91]

Yea, I NEVER play online so these one player modes are very important to me.

[Jershy88]

Agree with the post above mine, I never play online. 2K has done a pretty good job imo with their franchise mode, madden however has still not reached what it had done in 02, 05, and 06. Someday we'll get competent franchise modes, and accurate gameplay...

[SHAKYR]

I hate online and developers are trying to force feed us online.

[smuhead]

Single mode players being over looked???? Are you serious??!?!

Everything about 2K is geared towards sinlge player modes. Online players don't get half the features single mode provides. The Rec Center and The Park are just silly modes for casual NBA Jam type players.

Online players get no where near the amount of options and features offline players get. Heck, we don't even get a starting lineup introduction. The ungratefulness and nerve of this article is incomprehensible.

[ianlast]

Re: Sports Game Developers Are Overlooking Single Player...

Single mode players being over looked???? Are you serious??!?!

Everything about 2K is geared towards sinlge player modes. Online players don't get half the features single mode provides. The Rec Center and The Park are just silly modes for casual NBA Jam type players.

Online players get no where near the amount of options and features offline players get. Heck, we don't even get a starting lineup introduction. The ungratefulness and nerve of this article is incomprehensible.

I think you missed the point of the article.

It's not so much that single player modes are lacking, it's that gameplay and presentation is specifically tailored for the online crowd. Perfect example: center screws up the exchange with the QB. You would have almost all online gamers raging and breaking controllers. But for single player fans like me, this would be a very welcome feature (NB** provided they get the frequency right, so like once every 500 snaps), as it recreates what actually happens in football.

Why do you think there's no chain gang in Madden? Easiest answer is that the online crowd is just going to skip the cut scene, so why bother spending time on it.

[smuhead]

I think you missed the point of the article.

It's not so much that single player modes are lacking, it's that gameplay and presentation is specifically tailored for the online crowd. Perfect example: center screws up the exchange with the QB. You would have almost all online gamers raging and breaking controllers. But for single player fans like me, this would be a very welcome feature (NB** provided they get the frequency right, so like once every 500 snaps), as it recreates what actually happens in football.

Why do you think there's no chain gang in Madden? Easiest answer is that the online crowd is just going to skip the cut scene, so why bother spending time on it.

I don't think I missed the point at all.

You say the gameplay and presentation is specifically tailored towards the online crowd, when that is not true. Like I mentioned in first response, NBA 2K15 onliine, there IS NO PRESENTATION. There is NO view of the arena from the outside before tipoff. There is NO Shaq and Ernie pregame show. There is NO custom sliders option, there is NO custom roster option, there is NO halftime interviews. Do I need to continue? These options are for offline, single play modes.

And let's not even mention the main menu reads from left to right, My GM, My Player, My this My that. And this game is tailored towards what crowd again?

The gameplay is really never much of difference. Except the responsiveness is smoother offline.

Lastly you make an assumption that everyone would skip intros and cut scenes, that also is not true. I happen to have a crowd of friends that actually would love to enjoy every aspect of the game. Every single feature the offline player is provided. I mean...isn't it only fair? We paid the same amount of money right?

My crowd would also welcome mis snaps at the line of scrimmage and any other mishaps that happen in real life. Just this year, there have been numerous complaints online that there wasn't enough penalties being called.

The only solution to this is to make all the features available for both modes.

[swiftychampleone]

This article is why I haven't bought Madden in nearly 10 years. I want 32 team control. Straight and simple. Like another poster said, this is EA's brand of football. Not the NFL. If I see bogus trades, bad drafting and roster management by another team, I want to change it. Example: Why are the Colts drafting a QB in Round 1? I don't care how much EA says AI logic has been improved in team management, I want control.