Your Sports Gaming Mind? - Behindshadows's Blog

Behindshadows's Blog

Your Sports Gaming Mind?

Posted on November 10, 2008 at 10:19 PM.

(1)

Well as I'm writing this I can honestly say, my personal view of things in life has changed.
Maybe its because I'm 32 now, and I see things in a different light. I no longer look at
everthing from a corporate mindstate of ignorance anymore. But I base it off of individual
efforts.

My anger with EA Sports is less of an issue, now that I can see and enjoy the efforts they are putting towards the 09 sports titles. I can only hope it will improve with time.

Me being a die-hard 2ksports fan for the last 15 years has blinded me to so much. Well I wouldn't say blinded because they do great work. But lately it seems that movement in company's can sometimes ruin a franchise.

Back in 2005 when Take-Two aquired 2ksports from Sega we just knew they would give Visual Concepts and Kush the finances they needed to continue such a great line-up.

But here we are 4 years later, 2ksports is in a worst position. No football games anymore a bad attempt with APF due to limitations. Because the company didn't want to piss off the NFL, well jokes on them EA extends the license. But instead of making a APF 2k9 and giving us the option to customize the game to mimic the NFL, they cancel it.

Next business move Take-Two cancels the #1 selling College Basketball on the market. Stating it's not profitable enough for their company. I'm sorry but if I had the limitations of development funds as VC does. I don't think I'd be that profitable either. Even though it was #1 it didn't sell to their standards.

Here's a tip Take-Two give them a better graphics engine to match the great gameplay and do a better job of marketing the damn game. Maybe those profits would flow. But you don't cancel something that is good! Not to mention there were only two College Basketball games out.

NBA 2k9 and NBA Live 09 are now both release as of October 7th. Looks like this will be the year of the pros. Live 09 looks and plays a much better version of sim basketball than it did in previous years. Not to mention better light and much more accurate player models.

2k looks like they are trying more things with an outdated graphics engine, but are still able to do a little magic with the series. Gameplay is still good, but now it has sliding and an aggressive AI.

For the first time in years Madden and NCAA 09 release with great versions of football. A few bugs that set a few gamers back and some didn't have an issue at all. Show's how a console with multiple company dvd roms can damage a game.

Remember when Ghost Recon 2 didn't work pass the training mode on some 360's and it worked for others. Toshiba drive and Samsung drives conflicting the game. I'm sure people are having similar issues with Madden. That is why its with some and not with others.

But the guys and girls who aren't having that issue are playing great football for the first time in almost 4 years.

This season looks to be the year of EA Sports, not because they are buying their way to the top, like in the past. But because efforts from talented developers are actually putting time and efforts into the game. Thanks Peter Moore, who is doing a lot of what he did for 2k back on the Dreamcast. Giving us innovation and realism to the games.

2ksports who have some of the most detailed eyed and talented idealed artist I've ever seen, are being ruined by a Publisher who cares more about strip clubs and killing innocents in a game, by providing Rockstar with a new graphics engine and insane marketing and a huge development budget. Than the passion for realistic sports gaming.

I mean how many more years does VC have to wait to show off their skills, or will Take-Two just cancel more titles before the efforts are made.

Either way this season, I bought both games for each company because I respect the difference and definitely respect the efforts they both make.

I guess my point of writing this is, just to let people know I'm at a point in my life, where even when I have issues with a game, I still respect the efforts that were made. I know programming is difficult and no one is perfect nor anyone near it. But I won't overlook things either. I know Madden's gameplay isn't perfect, but it isn't bad either. I know that NCAA 09 has its boring moments in presentation and a weak A.I. system. But it's fun and I love the atmosphere and gameplay.

I know Tiger Woods is almost the same game every damn year, but something is added each year to keep me on the green.

I know NHL 2k series and NHL EA series and two different styles of games. But I respect them both because of 2k's options and presentation and I like EA's for the graphic and the puck movements. So I get both each year, for the changes in pace that I need for my games to stay fresh.

It's hard sometimes starting a franchise / dynasty on two games at once. I know but at the same time, rotating the games will keep a franchise better and longer.

Thats why I get Live and 2k because they both offer different things that keep my interest, and you need that when playing a 82 game season plus playoffs.

March Madness 08 was the first time in MM history that I completed a season and played the NIT and Maui games.

I simmed 4 games in CH 2k8 to get my trophy because I got tired of looking at it, and it sounding like 2k7. College Hoops gave me that gameplay fix, but March Madness game that graphics and presentation fix.

Either way me being less bias has given me a new pleasure for sports gaming. I now have a larger line-up and I'm happy with my games. I guess some people say,I can't afford two games each time. I'm sorry thats why I work two jobs. I want to be able to get what the hell I want without hurting or struggling from it.

But over the last 3 months I think the games that have been released, have shown me I've matured to a state to where I'm less complaining about design flaws, and I'm not looking for hiccups and glitches. But instead enjoying what is done right, most of the good things overlap the bad.

I can honestly say I've been enjoy Football more than I have in years, and that it seems my true love of basketball won't disappoint either. Picking up my Hockey games today and hopefully slap a few 1 timers into the 08-09 season.

My point of this thread is just state my views of the current games and to see where other people's minds are as well. '

Thoughts on you as are sports gamer as of today?

Comments

# 1 Tomba @ Nov 11

But instead of making a APF 2k9 and giving us the option to customize the game to mimic the NFL, they cancel it.

Agreed. We're in the age of customization(well ,at least Warcraft and Tiger Woods would lead us to believe this - do not play either, well Tiger MAYBE). I come from editing winning eleven on PS2 via a modded console where I'd have something similar to a finn editor but also be able to edit textures as well(yup I did grass bmp seamless files and put em' in game). So things like grass,adboards,etc were all customizable. I haven't felt limited in this until next-gen where I thought I wouldn't be anymore because of the rampant licensing in games becoming the norm. Now when a dev. has a GREAT chance to do so they do not? ProEvo2009 has apparently caught up with the past winning elevens though(though they still run like robots)...

The NFL thing really urks me though... I look at 2k9 and just envision NFL 2k9(I SHUTTER to think how good it would have been, i have NO faith in Madden 2010)

The EA 09 line-ups the best it's ever been if you look at it as a whole. almost EVERY titles this year has improved,runs smooth and looks like a better cartoon...(err I mean rendering) WHY can't they just scan the players i mean come on just do a completely photo based render and impose it!

This all just leads me to say that games were better on last gen. On next gen we expect to much and get dissapointed so quick. honestly i'm real happy i didn't play 2k7 and 2k8 extensively or I'd be pretty bored and unwowed at the monent. i guess sometimes it's better to hold off on a series and THEN go back to it as if it had a 2 year dev cycle instead of a 6 month one. it's amazing. appently within a year between games esp sports the dev cycle is something only like a solid 5 months and the rest is bug testing online modification and then about 4 months of promotion... how can a GOOD game come out of that and feel great?

Smal rant- this comment box is small to type in..
.thats my quick blurb for this topic blog though...thought I'd stop by drop some lines and not spell check LOL