OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

[Steve_OS]

What's the number one thing you want from next-gen sports games? Joel Smith: Stability. As we...

Written By: Operation Sports

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[ToughJuice]

Kevin is on point, AI really needs to move ahead. The other thing Id want to see is Full customization. If I want to start my NFL league in 1979 with 28 teams and 3 divisions I should be able to. 

[PickledMink04]

I just want the Teams to go back and play all the sports games around 2004 to 2007 and just see the depth those games had.   I still play Madden, NCAA, NASCAR, NHL 2004 - 2006.   They had a lot to do and was really fun to play for hours.    Today's games is all about UT which we all know is the reason we are in this current mess.

[Scribe1980]

Re: OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

*A finished product out the box.

*No changing of core elements of game play, the game you purchased, via patches to suit the whims are card players who think they aren't hitting enough home runs or scoring enough goals. I've come to fear all patches, something I did not last gen.

* Full customization. Wanna put the Brewers back in the American League? You should be able to do that. Wanna ditch the 8-div NFL setup and go back to six, same, etc etc.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Coach mode. 

[statum71]

Re: OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

I’m with Jeff Botkin.

I would love more realism across the board. Not to say AI and gameplay aren’t important. But I love it when a sports game feels “alive.”

[statum71]

OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

Assuming the next gen systems will have a lot more capabilities, I’d like to see the deep modes be capable of supporting more than one team or user.

Ex:
FIFA career mode
PES Master League
WWE Road to WrestleMania
UFC Career mode
Nascar career mode.....

Modes like these I’d love to see become capable of supporting all teams or support all user control. It would a world of fun if you’re like me and enjoy experiencing 100% of everything about your league or season mode. 2K and The Show have come closest so far.

[tril]

for better AI, a better implementation of  VIP could be used.   I don't think developers focus on user tendencies enough when programming the CPU AI.    everyone has tendencies, so it would be great to force users to adjust on the fly both offensively and defensively.

when I think of computer AI I always point to chess games.    On the higher levels of sports games, programmers could program the AI to be just as difficult.  
we won't get true realism  until user tendencies become the main focus for AI reaction and behavior.   

[Cardot]

Re: OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

I know this won't happen, but my wish would be for a renewed focus on the offline gamer.

I predate Atari, so I have been gaming for a long time. And 99% of that has been just me and the CPU....and that is how I like it. An escape from the real world and an escape from people. LOL. In fact I am still on the last gen (xbox 360) as the increased focus on the online components just left me with minimal desire to upgrade.

[CaseIH]

I doubt this happens, but I would like to see the focus be put back on making a sports simulation, instead on these gimic fantasy modes, like  My Team, and the dress up Barbie mode of NBA2k My Player.Neither NBA2k or Madden put much effort or focus on making a simulation sports game, and even MLBTS has dropped the ball that I quit buying it and just play OOTP for my baseball fix. I would do the same with basketball if there was a good text sim for basketball like OOTP is for baseball. I can take or leave football, as this yr was the 1st Madden I had bought in yrs, because its been lousy for yrs, but decided to try it again this yr, and while I enjoyed it for a while, Franchise still sucks, and since thats the only mode I play in any sports game, Madden got old real fast.

I am enjoying NBA2k20, but its the same issues yr after yr, and Im tired of the legacy issues. There is no logical reason the game still has the same issues yr after yr, that go unfixed, in a game they adverstise as a NBA simulation. I thought 1 of 2 things would happen when this NBA2k league started. I felt it would improve the gameplay for us true diehard basketball fans, or the online portion would cause the devs to not put much effort of focus on the offline side of the game, and sadly the later has happened.
I dont blame the devs s much for this lack of focus and lack of effort on the offline side of the game, the blame goes on the Execs. in the company. Its probably likely that the devs get bonuses based on the gimic fantasy modes online, thru the micro transactions, but Im sure guys like DaCzar and OG would like to see a return to making a NBA simulation, and fixing the legacy issues, that have been there for many yrs now. Some of the issues, probably have had more birthdays than some of these kids playing the game have, lol. 

1 thing I do know, is there wont be no day 1 buy for me again, until these sports games, start putting more effort into making a simulation of the sport they portray.  I quite buying Madden several yrs ago, until this yr, which I now regret. I quite buying MLBTS 2 yrs ago, I think it was, and I have always bought NBA2k since the very 1st one came out, but until I see the legacy issues fixed, I wont buy another NBA2k on day 1 again. I wouldnt have bought it this yr, but there was so much player movement this past offseason, and the improvements they said they made, I decided to go ahead and get it.  But with new consoles coming out next yr, I aint wasting all that money on a console, just to find out that the same issues the game has had for yrs, is still there. Thats just too much money for me, to spend now that my income is limited, and I just dont have extra money to waste. 
Chances are, the offline Franchise modes, arent going to get any better on the new consoles, because the issue isnt with the lack of power in the console, its the lack of effort by the game makers. So unless they figure out a way, to make extra money thru micro transaction in the offline Franchise modes, there will continue to be a lack of effort put in to fix and improve the offline Franchise modes in these games.

[onegroove7]

Re: OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

The biggest thing is EA Sports needs to really step their game up. I play MLB The Show, NBA2k, Madden, and NHL but the latter two games are so far behind... it's embarrassing. Their games just don't play anything like they should for this era. They are basically arcade games.

Maybe the bigger problem is monopolies on markets. There should be two options for each major sport, not one. When there's only one option, the game developers realize that putting money into improving the game isn't necessary. I get why they do this, it's just good business. Making the game better doesn't actually sell more copies unless they have some competition.

[Retropyro]

Re: OS Roundtable: What's the One Thing You Want From Next-Gen Sports Games?

Depth and meaning for franchise modes. Going back recently and playing NCAA Football 14 and College Hoops 2K8 the one thing that really hit me was just how important the games felt all because of the "off the field" things in the games. Knowing that a certain game was being attended by recruits I was going after and needed to impress, especially as it was rivalry game on top of wanting to stay in contention.
Knowing that each game played, each player signed helped to build my coaches résumé to possibly help me land a bigger position at a larger school/team.

Today's franchise mode games lack any importance, they feel like play now games.

For me personally, Madden could easily solve this by stealing the NCAA coaching carousel and adding to it by creating positional coaches that you can start as. Be a running backs coach, can only control the running backs etc. Try to build your coach and move up the coaching ranks to become a HC eventually. Have your reputation and strengths as a coach actually be a factor in signing and retaining players.

[kennytomson]

photo real graphics. 

[TjJunior]

Unlicensed sports games. No one wants to admit how much these licenses are detrimental cause they only want to see how it's a positive. I feel like having to pay the leagues player associations stadium owners and all their partners is getting in the way of making a experience that is true to the sport its trying to simulate. 

[Hammerhunker]

I really think Matthew hit it on the head, and can't say it better than him.  I sadly feel that I've been passed by as a sports gamer.  I am not a youngster, and OG that plays the games for the game itself. but it is not longer about the just the game.