OS Roundtable: What Will Be the Story of 2011 for Sports Gaming?

[RaychelSnr]

Take out your crystal ball and gaze into it. What do you see being THE big story of 2011 for sports gaming?

Dustin Toms: Obviously the BIG story of the 2011 sports gaming season will be the potential lockouts in the NFL and NBA and how they will affect Madden, Elite and NBA 2K.

But I'm also going to branch off from the masses. I believe the real big story in 2011 should be NBA 2K12. 2K11 is the best sports game I have ever played. I may be biased since basketball is my favorite sport, but the game has it all, even my Sonics. Now enter 2K12. What's next?

Read More - OS Roundtable: OS Roundtable: What will be the story of 2011 for sports gaming?

[Ikki]

"What will draw us gamers into 2K12 that 2K11 doesn't already have?"

As far as I'm concerned : classic teams need to be playable online, otherwise it's a possible no-buy.

[Armor and Sword]

I have a few thoughts about the upcoming year.

1) Madden 2012 will be the return of the offline franchise mode.

2) Top Spin 4 will be an amazing title and be the tennis games by which all others are judged

3) The Show 2011 will give NBA2K11 a run for it's money. I am too on the bandwagon that NBA2K11 is the GOAT in console sports games arena and for the recrod Baseball is my favorite sport.

4) Fight Night Champions is a huge success. And the Contender mode is huge suprise.

[boomhauertjs]

I don't think College Hoops is coming back. With the pending lawsuits by former players seeking money for the use of their "likenesses", I can't see 2k jumping back into that potential shark tank.

EASHL as a MMO is a really good idea. Is EA smart enough to think of it?

[michapop9]

the exclusive licenses coming to an end would be a big enough story for me

[Shinyhubcaps]

Good point about the NCAA lawsuits, but on the other hand, 2K is faltering with poor sales and lack of innovation in MLB 2K and NHL 2K franchises. Once the licensing deal expires, I could see either (or even both) game go away. If they exist only to make NBA 2K and Top Spin, that's fine. However, EA's failure to win a one-horse race with respect to NCAA basketball means the Collegiate Licensing Company might want to get some revenue from console games.

Also, the NCAA tournament format will be a little different, teams have new logos and jerseys, and teams will realign conferences. Now is the time for a company to step up and make a college basketball game.

[GaryT531]

Remember the NBA Lockout during the 1998-99 season where they didn't start until February 1st and played a 50 game season?

Well NBA Live 99 released on time that year in November 1998 (this was the average time when basketball games were released then)

The only difference was no rookies were included in the game that didn't sign after July 1. Peja Stojakovic was the only rookie, and Chris Webber to Washington were the latest transactions in the game when it was released, both happened in June 1998. Usually rosters are accurate as of mid August when new NBA games come out, in this case of the lockout it was June.

12 years later who knows if they can even release a game until the lockout ends, but when they do (or eventually do) rosters will be accurate thanks to online. For Live 99 we had to create the rookies like Vince Carter and Paul Pierce due to no online rosters not being available yet.

Overall I think a game will release on time, but only players that are under contract at the time of the lockout will be included.

[crandolph]

FOOTBALL:
The biggest story of the year will be "the story of next year"...follow me...the biggest storry of 2011 will happen around November and it will ALL be around NFL 2K division BECAUSE 2K will begin the creation of their new NFL licensed game for 2013. There will be widespread news about how 2K is going to go all out for the licensing and give the fans what they want. The new 2K football game will be similar to all the buzz Gran Turismo 5 got in 2008.

BASEBALL:
MLB 11 will not be as big of a success as we think it will. The analog controls will be a pain in the beginning and the responsivness will be better in MLB 12, but it will still sell like hotcakes. MLB 12 will be the catalyst to which all baseball games will be judged. And as stated by others, MLB 2K12 will be the final year of baseball for 2K BUT MVP Baseball will be revitalized by EA.

GOLF:
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 will be created without a hiccup and will sell moderately. That moderation will eventually lead into EA dropping the Tiger Woods name in late 2011 and creating "PGA Tour Golf 2013" the following year.....POSSIBLE HUGE NEWS: If Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 "tanks," dont be surprised if 2K Sports attacks the golf gaming world and tried to create a golf game rivaling EA's Tiger Woods series. If this happens, it would be PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BASKETBALL:
NBA 2K12 will be a great game. Historic teams will be introduced to a greater extent. Since 2K11 made so much money, they company will have more money to spend and hand out to more of the historic players for licensing, which will in-turn let most all NBA teams have atleast 2 major classic teams.

MISCELLANEOUS:
-The EA Sports division will begin its major crumble into oblivion. (eventually Madden and Fifa will branch off to become their own entities and the "EA Sports" moniker will be no more and will be renamed EA World: which will include all Electronic Arts games...............................dreaming..i know)

-Sad news: 2K Sports will adopt the same STUPID idea that EA has of online access codes for $9.99

[GaryT531]

I hope you're right about NBA 2K12 crandolph

[khaliib]

I would say that the two areas that will impact 2011 will be about any football titles.
With what 2k did with their NBA title, I think everyone wants to see what a Pro or College Football title would look/play like.

With gamers wanting something different from EA's football games, even a fully customizable generalized football game (not All-Pro) would do well as long as the innovation that they brought to their basketball title, would also be applied.

I would like them to produce a College Football game vs a Pro version. Pro football is limited to 32 teams, so at some point it will get old. Where as, a college game can have so many teams, each with a different personality to play with. With how deep they tend to go with their games, the customization they allow gamers to have would go further for a college game. Things the community has been asking for for years from 2k's major competitor, yet to be delivered, would be the foundation that sells their title.

For Basketball, I would caution not to downplay a College Basketball game's ability to succeed based off of what EA's version has done. Again, because a somewhat complete product has not been put into gamers hands to say college basketball would not sell. If they tweaked a couple of things in NBA 2k11 to fit the college game and put a college basketball jersey over it, there are few I think that would not buy it.

2011 is the "Line in the Sand" year for EA games. People are fed up with the lack of innovation in their games and the "In the Future" responses.

Another area that will challenge sports games for profits in 2011, will be the "First Person" Shooters. The market for these games are growing rapidly. I would conclude that gamers spend more time playing these games online than probably all the sports games combined. Because of this, Online Sports Gaming is fighting an uphill battle.

I Just Want Some 2k College Football.
Show other developer's how to do things the right way around here!!!

[spit_bubble]

I think the biggest story will be the arrival of EA Football. Madden or NCAA will finally hit it's stride and catch up to other top titles in the sports video game genre. NCAA was very close this year, and if I had to say one or the other I would say NCAA.

[econoodle]

I have a few thoughts about the upcoming year.

1) Madden 2012 will be the return of the offline franchise mode.

2) Top Spin 4 will be an amazing title and be the tennis games by which all others are judged

3) The Show 2011 will give NBA2K11 a run for it's money. I am too on the bandwagon that NBA2K11 is the GOAT in console sports games arena and for the recrod Baseball is my favorite sport.

4) Fight Night Champions is a huge success. And the Contender mode is huge suprise.

i'll second those 4,

[MHammer113]

If they bring back College Hoops in 2011 I may just make a mess in my pants

[BearClaw]

College Hoops 2K12 would be amazing. Especially if the have a similar teambuilder like ncaa football 11.

[osubeavs721]

my predictions

2k wont get any part of the NFL license... and dissappoint us all who want to see what the 2k team could bring with the NFL.

MLB the Show 11 will be amazing... setting the bar for MVP being re-announced from EA, who will put out a good product for 2012 BUT The show will be better.

NBA Elite never gets released. NBA 2k12 expands on 2k11 making it better and forcing EA's hand to just give up on NBA games.

Tiger 12 will be gimmicky with craptastic post shot spin controls and we never get a sim golf game with real courses and the full pga tour roster.

Madden 12 will suck as much as madden 11 does but with a kick *** franchise mode... NCAA Football 12 will be sports game of the year showing that EA can make a good football game