Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

[RaychelSnr]

With all of the EA/Take Two talk going on, Chris Sanner of Operation Sports has decided to take a look at how the four major sports titles from EA Sports could change in the event the deal is completed. Check out the article here.

"You can count me in as a worry-wart, an over-reactor, or just a plain old crazy loon, but I am really afraid that the future of sports gaming might be getting ready to be run through one company, EA Sports."

[spit_bubble]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

"This could be a good thing if EA decides to transfer the development of some games (ahem NBA Live) to a better skilled and more successful group of developers."

They'd figure out some way to screw things up... Underfund projects, make futile attempts to appeal to the masses (and thus appeal to no one), etc.

edit: It just seems to me that EA Sports isn't really interested in making good sports video games. They seem to be more interested in taking advantage of the popularity of video games.

edit2: I should add... Playing devil's advocate here... Maybe they are hamstrung by the current state of the industry, and so are required to make certain decisions. At some point I'd like to see them put more care into the nuances of the sport they are trying to represent, and perhaps they will over time. All that being said, they sure don't seem to be shy about cutting corners whenever they can.

[umd]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

Nothing good can come of this. Look at baseball under 2k (bleh) and pro football (NCAA has NEVER had competition) under EA.

I'm most worried about basketball. EA has not put out a decent basketball game college or pro in about a bazillion years. The end of college hoops is pretty disappointing. At least they got in the 2k share feature this year to extend the games life w/out transfer devices.

Exclusive licenses and lack of options will be the watering down of console sports, but hardly the death.

It'll be only the death for "hardcore" sports gamers. Of which, we are all a minority.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

"If you look at the price chart you will see the release of Grand Theft Auto IV did next to nothing for the shares of Take Two. And if the biggest gaming release of this generation doesn't move stocks, I don't think anything else will."

That's because investors don't care about the release date of games, they care about earnings reports.

[savoie2006]

While a buyout could indeed be a good thing for EA Sports games,I think having the competition is just as helpful.They say you're only as good as your competition.Well that would mean EA would probably grow stale as it has with Madden.I too believe the buyout is likely though.

[tabulaRasa]

Funny thing is that EAs NHL sucked for years before NHL2k showed the world it´s brilliance. NHL2k2, 2k3 and 2k5, 2k6 totally forced EA to rethink their series. The stubborn fans of 2k kept 2k from redoing the engine when they always called for "fixes", "tweaks" etc instead of a totally new next gen engine.

But fact is , NFL2k forced EA to make madden better, NHL2k forced EA to redo their stale NHL series, NBA2k kicks EAs *** constantly, and EA totally ripped Pro evolutions gameplay and physics to bring FIFA up to standard.

Without competetion EAs games don´t evolve. Fact.

I hope Take2 can remain independent, and we will still have competetion in the sports genre.

[ManiacMatt1782]

I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt, in the event of a hostile takeover, that much will be kept from the take two division. I see MASSIVE LAYOFFS before i see combined teams working on basketball and hockey games. EA will remein loyal to its own employees. and the the developers under take two will be heading to the unemployment line. People thinking otherwise, you have your right to your opinion but your overly optomistic. this is business. its not what the consumer wants, its what makes the most money. they know you'll buy a turd with an NFL/NHL/NBA/MLB label on it. So why give you anything more than that. Until people start responding by not spending their dollars, thats how it will be.

[Methlab]

Until someone figures out how to implement a passing engine, there will never be a basketball game that is very good IMO (considering that is the most important part of the game).

As for Madden getting better after 2k...really? They did not change anything at all. They have never changed engines once. This is understandable for a small company, but EA is a monopoly and has the money and resources to develop a new engine, but they will not.

So basically, we are looking at a very bleak future for sports games. I mean, look at what EA has offered us this year...the same NCAA game with the speed setting clicked up. Thanks guys..you have ruined sports gaming for everyone who loves football (the most popular video gaming sport). Much appreciated!

[gta95]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

Ehhh. I may cease playing sports games all together if this were to come true.

[marxxx]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

Yeah guys, I agree this sucks! I have almost always been exclusively a sports gamer. The crappy sports titles in 08 forced me to look elsewhere for "fresh" games, and I found them in other areas of gaming. I just can't keep spending $60 a crack for sub-par titles... you can use madden 08 for it's crappy gameplay or MLB 2k8 for it's bugs as an example... But for the same money you can buy GTA 4, Halo3, Call Of Duty, you name it. No, they don't give me the same enjoyment in pulling off a last minute drive to win the game, but they do give me a feeling of my money being well spent! This isn't a knock on any one game company as I have enjoyed EA games over the years, but in general it's nice to have a choice of titles to buy. If you don't like madden, you could buy 2k football, if you don't like 2k hockey you could buy EA's title. That is nice no matter who you are or what your preference.

I have to say we have the best days of sports gaming are most likely behind us, and to me that's a real bummer.

[yamabushi]

Unless EA makes a dramatic shift in the direction of their sports titles, the only game I see myself buying in the forseeable future is PES.

[DubTrey1]

All good points made here, but if EA does not utilize the talent it would absolve in the acquisition/takeover of T2, then this whole process will mean nothing to the gamers and be just another bullet point on the shareholder's slide show presentation of EA's holdings.

[23]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

I guess my question is, with EA trying to monopolize sports gaming, why hasn't anyone asked them what they plan on doing with TT if they were to buy it out?


Why all the speculation and nobody wants to take EA to the task about it. Get the real plan out to the consumers.

As much as I love playing sports game, i would stop buying them if they all ended up like NBA Live

[JBucc]

Re: Future of Sports Gaming to Run Through EA Sports?

I'm not sure what would happen. EA has been much better lately about giving devs freedom, but none of them they've aquired (Bioware, DICE, Criterion) are sports devs. I'd expect a few key people to be kept from 2k sports, and the rest to get some pension plans or whatever is worked out in the deal.

Anyway, I was just looking at all the franchises other than sports EA would get if this deal went down. Obviously R* and all their stuff, but also Bioshock, Civilization and the rest of Sid Meier's stuff, SWAT, Mafia, Tribes, Prey, Freedom Force. Wow.

[ManiacMatt1782]

KDRE go to my previous post for your answer. in a hostile take over, thats what happens 95% of the time the company getting "taken over" has MASSIVE LAYOFFS. They aren't going to take talent. they are gonna make cuts. they bought the name. they arent going to keep all that added payroll. they will keep very few people. they will try to keep rockstar, but then limit the amount of people working on their projects. the sports division, EA already has a sports division, they will just cut it. yes even the NBA team. just because they make a superior game doesnt mean they will take them. it all has to do with money, and live still sells.