Are Online Franchises Endangered? (Roundtable)

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  • RaychelSnr
    Executive Editor
    • Jan 2007
    • 4845

    #1

    Are Online Franchises Endangered? (Roundtable)


    Online franchise. Online dynasty.
    Online franchise modes -- yesterday's fad -- have all but disappeared from sports games. Are these experiences on the endangered list? Or will we get to enjoy them in the future?

    We break down where the modes are going and if you can expect to see them in the years to come in this new roundtable!

    Read More - Are Online Franchises Endangered? (Roundtable)
    OS Executive Editor
    Check out my blog here at OS. Add me on Twitter.
  • Hooe
    Hall Of Fame
    • Aug 2002
    • 21555

    #2
    Re: Are Online Franchises Endangered? (Roundtable)

    Originally posted by MMChrisS
    Online franchise modes -- yesterday's fad -- have all but disappeared from sports games.
    Connected Franchise is prominently featured in Madden NFL 15, NBA 2K15 still has online leagues (albeit their new MyLeague feature is not online-enabled), and MLB 15 The Show still has an online franchise mode. The only two we've lost over the past year or so are NCAA Football (we lost the game completely) and NHL 15 (next-gen leap). To say these modes have "all but disappeared" isn't really fair, IMO.

    Here's the thing - a console sports video game has to attract people to play it beyond what the monetized quick-play modes offer. The game needs replay value beyond the pick-up-and-play aspect, and certainly needs to offer this without forcing the player into micro transactions lest consumers revolt. Sports games have offered season modes since their inception, and franchise modes since the turn of the century. Having a franchise mode is now an expectation of licensed console sports games, and a sizable portion of the audience now expects it to be there. It's an institutional component of the infinite replay value concept that sports games have, which sets them apart from traditional narrative experiences in video games; franchise modes are capable of telling millions of different stories. Between that expectation and the continued online connectivity of players across all mediums of video games, I don't see the modes in any danger whatsoever.

    All that said, could we see some changes over time? Sure. Using Madden as an example, maybe Connected Franchise achievements are tied to MUT rewards - for example, if you win the Super Bowl in a CFM, you unlock a John Elway card. This may incentivize those who play CFM to give Ultimate Team a try. Maybe the mode moves away from the dedicated server approach, instead decentralizing and making one player the "host" player and he effectively acts as the server, other players submitting game results to his console and the week-to-week simulations happening locally instead of at some central server bank. What we won't see is the death of online franchise mode altogether.
    Last edited by Hooe; 03-29-2015, 12:24 PM.

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    • eric7064
      MVP
      • Jan 2010
      • 1151

      #3
      Online Franchise mode is all I really play. Ever since madden introduced it me and my buddy will get 10+ seasons done in madden. We love to play in the same franchise and share the same universe. Same with MLB the Show me and him got 8 seasons done. Im not really into the full 32 team league online franchise, I just like being able to play with a buddy or two and go at a quick fun pace. In previous years in the show we used to pick the same team and compare how we did, but it is nowhere near the same amount of fun as competing against each other in games, free agents, draft. There is nothing like it.

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      • aksumite
        Rookie
        • Jun 2009
        • 232

        #4
        Online Franchise /Dynasty Mode(s) is all I can enjoy, especially long term. I am currently in a full 32 user Madden CFM that is 10+ seasons deep and still going strong all the way to Madden 16.

        These companies put out these fake so-called "statistics" simply to justify when they are slacking on features on their end and trying to buy themselves time to implement it. The only time we don't have a lot of people playing these modes is when the feature set is poor (like NBA2K15 currently collecting dust in my collection).

        Now I am all in favor of paying extra money to make it worth the investment to the developers. Just like many of us currently pay an additional $50 to host our leagues on the DaddyLg site because it is far superior to the EA CFM site.

        So charge us more if you need to. There is absolutely a huge demand the service.

        Comment

        • COLE THE SHMOLE
          Rookie
          • Aug 2012
          • 37

          #5
          Originally posted by eric7064
          Online Franchise mode is all I really play. Ever since madden introduced it me and my buddy will get 10+ seasons done in madden. We love to play in the same franchise and share the same universe. Same with MLB the Show me and him got 8 seasons done. Im not really into the full 32 team league online franchise, I just like being able to play with a buddy or two and go at a quick fun pace. In previous years in the show we used to pick the same team and compare how we did, but it is nowhere near the same amount of fun as competing against each other in games, free agents, draft. There is nothing like it.
          Love your response, I do the exact same thing. Online franchise is really the only thing that interests me, having a group of friends building, trading, to win the league is awesome. Can't play online H2H cause more than half the time other player is cheesing so that's no fun.

          With the reports from the NHL developmental team saying "Online GM Mode is the least played mode" it's because it's garbage, NHL doesn't even have Fantasy Draft that you can control just sim, so may different features that have in regular GM. The NHL team better be working hard on Online Franchise as well as EASHL as they do on HUT.

          Madden even with all its flaws has a pretty good online franchise; needs improvements but so does every other game, it has everything you pretty much need other than being more in depth, real rookie draft which don't know about licencing very smart to both online and offline together. If you build a quality game mode players will come.

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          • lynkraid
            Rookie
            • Aug 2008
            • 65

            #6
            Only thing I been into in sports games since Madden 2004 is online leagues. There are many who play in online leagues and we play the games for the full year until the next release.

            Of course online leagues will fail when people have no clue how to create or join a league that is actually going strong and active for a full year.

            First thing is you don't just join or create a random online league: because it will fail for sure.
            - You need some friends or look up message boards / google (game) online leagues
            - Need some kind of online place to interact like twitter, facebook, groupme, or aim where the whole league can interact
            - You need a schedule to get games done on time

            Do that and you can make some good friends along the way. I been playing in online leagues now with the same guys for years, and right now where in out 7th year on Madden in the playoffs, and in a week were starting our MLB league. We also have a NBA2k15 league going good, and we play some WWE and GTA on the side and they all go strong. Sadly NHL is one that missed out on this, also didn't get any of our money.

            Now if the general public out there knew all this they would prolly most likely want to be apart of the online leagues, cause its much more than just one online league for a game.

            Comment

            • charter04
              Tecmo Super Bowl = GOAT
              • May 2010
              • 5740

              #7
              I understand what the guys in the round table are saying and sadly agree to an extent but, the day sports games don't have online franchises or franchises in general and only focus on MUT and Online ranked type of stuff will be the day I walk away from sports gaming. My $60 might not mean much but, it will remain in my pocket or be spent elsewhere.

              Unless they can find a way to go about it a different and more exciting way that I might enjoy. I won't be on board for a micro transaction based experience.
              www.twitch.tv/charter04

              https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPW...59SqVtXXFQVknw

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              • Retropyro
                Pro
                • Jul 2010
                • 796

                #8
                It's not April 1st yet....
                Allegiant Football Discord

                Allegiant Gaming Discord

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                • Skyflame21
                  Rookie
                  • Mar 2013
                  • 310

                  #9
                  I Beltre eve the main reason that online leagues haven't been successful is simple. It's not the same as the offline franchise mode. Also most people don't like playing against random people who simply will quit the match and make the experience poor for those who play.

                  An easy answer to this is to create a FULL online league experience that is up to the same level of the offline modes (MLBShow, for most of its existence has failed here, as I have been waiting for 5 years for this.). Second would be create it so friends can play together ranging from 2 to full. Most people I think would enjoy playing with 5 or 6 buddies in a league with the AI representing the rest. Needing to have all 30 teams humans owned becomes too difficult to match schedules for every game. Especially when it's highly unlikely that anyone would have 30 actual friends willing to play. Most you have to draw from the open pool of randoms. And the last reason is the LAG. These can be fun but no one wants to play a lagfest game which drags down the experience. Ncaa football was the best I've played, though at times a bit leggy but tolerable to enjoy beating a friend. The Show simply is too leggy for there to be any enjoyment so most, including myself, have just not played it anymore. Which is a Shane because that mode is the one I yearn for the most. Nba2k requires 30 teams so another unenjoyable game.

                  1. Make it fully customizable and fully resemble the offline version
                  2. Allow it to be 2-30 human league with AI running non selected teams.
                  3. Fix the Lag, it actually has to be playable.

                  With those 3 simple things online leagues would flourish, especially with the older games who Find zero enjoyment to play the UT game modes.

                  Comment

                  • Funk Snuka
                    Banned
                    • Mar 2015
                    • 27

                    #10
                    Having cpu controll teams on an online league is dumb. Id just play association offline if thats the case. 30 users. You cant even create leagues in 2k15. Everytime i try it says upload error. Their already dead

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                    • misterkrabz
                      Banned
                      • Feb 2011
                      • 610

                      #11
                      When online gameplay is literally unplayable as in MLB The Show 15 it renders any online franchise options useless.

                      Comment

                      • DblocW
                        Rookie
                        • Sep 2009
                        • 62

                        #12
                        Wassup people, I am a gamer who lives for the Online Leagues. As are many of my friends..madden and nba2K.

                        Jayson Young: I still believe that Online Franchise modes offer the richest, most fulfilling experience that consumers can get from a $60 sports game. Beating a league full of friends and acquaintances will always feel much more rewarding than exploiting a bunch of brainless AI bots, or dominating some random strangers who'll disappear right after your online exhibition concludes. Matchups naturally become more tense and meaningful if the loser has to type the results into an email chain/forum thread and graciously congratulate the winner.

                        This right here describes myself and about 25-30 other users between two sports games (would be three if there were Online Federations in WWE2K). The madden league is still goin strong due to thd indepth nature of their Online Connected Careers...guess what, due to countless hours,brain storming and dedication we have managed to make the "online league" work with the next to NOTHING options we had to work with. Its a absolute pain in the ***, but we still grinding. 7th season on NBA 2K15..
                        Why because we love to play the game with our friends and the trash talk is choice.

                        It sucks that gaming has turned into this cash cow and although the companies say they are listening to us the gamers to the best of their abilities alot of us that actually look forward to this are yet again left disappointed...this btw isnt the first time ive stressed this and i probably shall continue...thx for reading...
                        Last edited by DblocW; 03-30-2015, 05:57 PM.
                        ***END TRANSMISSION***

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                        • Godgers12
                          MVP
                          • Dec 2012
                          • 2265

                          #13
                          The day Madden gets rid of online franchise is the day I stop playing Madden.
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                          • El Comodin24
                            Rookie
                            • Feb 2012
                            • 14

                            #14
                            The lack of a good online association is the main reason why NBA 2K15 collects dust at my house & online CFM is the MAIN reason why I'm still playing Madden in April.

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