OS Roundtable: What Feature Should be in Every Sports Game?
 

Sports games progress like every other genre, and idea copying becomes a huge part of the development process. However, some ideas seem to get looked over by some development teams. Given the current state of the industry, what is the most important feature that has not yet made its way into most sports games?

Chris Sanner: The one thing all sports games need that none actually do involves dynamic player personalities.

Robert Kollars: There are a lot of features that should be absolutely standard in all sports games, but a complete editor tops the list for me.

Caley Roark: For me, the missing thing that frustrates me most is TV-style presentation, at least for major sports games.

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All sports games need the use of real-time physics first and foremost. Until this is used in all sports games of all genres, eliminating canned animations and seemingly scripted results, the games will never be a true representation of their real-life counterparts. FIFA is the front-runner on this method and it will pay huge dividends for the franchise. Presentation, online dynasty, and all that social media stuff comes 2nd in regards to gameplay. I'd rather have a game play exactly like its real-life counterpart and be fun before all of the extra fluff and baloney that is shoved into games today.

So for me, it is realistic, PHYSICS-BASED gameplay. That's it. Focus on that first, then worry about the TV-style presentations and replays and all the other "fluff" that gamers want.

Look, I know it is a "tired" and it's beating a dead horse, but these gaming companies have yet to give a solid reason as to why canned animations are still being used in these games. It's just behind the times. If FIFA can do it, why can't these other games?

Online Dynasty/Franchise

I think the main reason that FIFA is able to get around the canned animations is because it's a continuous game and doesn't have many pauses throughout. Football would be the hardest IMO.

Re: OS Roundtable: What Feature Should be in Every Sports Game?
 

Some version of photo game face. and no more silhouettes. Technology has come to far.

Caley Roark hit the nail on the head. TV-Style Presentation should be emphasized in all of today's sports games. Halftime/Postgame/Weekly highlight shows, out of town Game Breaks, Updated player stats overlays, tickers, authentic broadcast camera work and dynamic commentary should be the standard.

It would be the hardest. But is that an excuse? Backbreaker was not a good game overall with the terrible camera and the weird player models and controls. But the tackling and realistic play at certain points was unprecedented. It can be done. People just need to put in effort. And... If soccer is continuous, what about basketball and hockey? they could do it with the NBA 2K series or the NHL series or the NBA elite series. All I'm saying is that the excuses are running out for not having physics in sports games these days.