A Next-Gen College Football Game Is Far From Impossible - BenGerman's Blog

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A Next-Gen College Football Game Is Far From Impossible Stuck

Posted on November 26, 2013 at 02:32 PM.

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Let's just forget for a moment that the NCAA series made millions on top of millions of dollars for their company. Sure, a different big company might want to swoop in and take a chunk of that total by taking a shot at a college football game (or even EA, in a few years). But first, we have to assume that they will ask themselves: is it worth it?

Unfortunately, the answer is almost certainly no at this point. Until players are paid, or the NCAA draws up stricter guidelines for what is and isn't using a players likeness, big name producers are going to avoid college football like the plague. Not to mention, smaller developers won't stand a chance, as the license fees alone are dangerously expensive. So let's just forget about that for a moment, because honestly, it's going to be a while before another big name comes forward and takes a shot at the series. Instead, let's look at why I'm almost positive we will see some kind of generic college football title in the next six to eight years.

The next generation of consoles provide a really interesting opportunity for developers. Now, small time developers will be able to self-publish games right to the console, and name their own price on the market. Sounds interesting, right? It becomes even more so when you consider the possibilities for sports gaming, and college sports in particular. The middle man is out of the way, and licensing fees won't be an option if they choose to go the generic route. Still, we have to ask ourselves: can a small time developer handle the rigors of producing an entirely customizable college football game?

There are actually a couple of reasons I think that it's entirely plausible, with the first being that the new consoles are allegedly much easier to port from PC's. Now, developers are able to create games and put them on the market much easier than before. It's not too hard to believe that someone could draw up the code for a solid game of football, and just allow the user-base to customize the game however they would like. In fact, I'd say that's something we are going to see an awful lot -- if not with a college football title. Stadiums, teams, fields, etc. could all come from a single design pallet, it would just come down to whether someone with the ability could do it justice.

The second reason is Kickstarter. Kickstarter, as most of you know, is a program that has taken off in recent years and has allowed tons of video game developers the funds that they need to begin projects that people are interested in. I wouldn't doubt that if a relatively promising team began a Kickstarter for a generic college football game, that people would jump all over it.

Certainly, there are a lot of ifs here -- maybe too many. That doesn't change the fact that there are immense possibilities here, and the college sports game genre is far from dead. The NCAA series might be dead forever, but I don't believe for a second that college football gaming will find the same fate.

Comments

# 1 Bigsheen @ Nov 26

Love this. In on the same boat and was even when NCAA was thriving. I love the customization factor, as long as it is done right. APF 2k8 seemed like a great concept even though I never played it. If a development team could get a solid gameplay code written and make a template kind if like teambuilder, and put together a good solid dynasty/legacy mode. It's a first day buy for me.

# 2 StL_RamZ @ Nov 26

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...game?ref=email

Too bad they couldn't get help. Hopefully they didn't cancel the game completely

# 3 malky @ Nov 26

I think you forgot the other big reason college football will make a return... College football is finally about to enter the era of big time playoffs ....IMHO in a few years the new system will put college football right below the nfl in terms of everything ...money, ratings, etc.... Basically the money and the greed will bring a developer and the NCAA together because of the demand and $$$$$ that can be made with a new college football game for a new college football world

# 4 tarek @ Nov 26

I really like malky's point. I think NCAA football will have a huge spike in the next 5 years based on the new playoff format.
On the gaming side, I think licensing fees are the bane of alot of software developers, but they are a necessity for authenticity. Take a look at a text sim college football game like Bowl Bound College Football by Grey Dog Software. The game is pretty dated now, but it's tremendously deep and engrossing. No licensing, but fully customizable.
My fear is that some small developer tries to take on too much. Tries to emulate what EA and the big companies do. All they need to do is take a look at some of the successes like OOTP and Football Manager. OOTP will never be MLB The Show (or MLB 2K for that matter). Football Manager will never be FIFA, and they don't try or want to be that.
Football Manager actually has a pretty impressive 3D engine which works like you are playing cpu vs cpu or coach mode.

To me these things appeal tremendously, and there is a niche market. Unfortunately, the majority of gamers what to have on-field control, and accuracy and features in the on-field gameplay.

My dream is that text-sims, or in depth off-field sports simulations really take off on consoles. You see them already on PC and encroaching onto tablets. A step forward into consoles would be my dream come true.

# 5 Steve5696 @ Nov 26

I still don't quite get the need for EA to cancel the series, probably making it too simple in my head but couldn't they have fixed the problem of player likenesses if they made it so the first time you fire up the game the game generated a generic roster? If every persons version of the game started with a different roster then where is the liability? They already had the script to create generic rosters based on assumed school level by their create a school where you can choose if its a cupcake or power house school. Just set up all schools with a star rating and the game will make a generic roster that makes the team roughly that good, but no player similarities to the real roster. Then through roster share we could customize it.

# 6 buckeyedawgtribe @ Nov 26

I like Steve's Idea but as long as we can update the rosters like we saw in College Basketball 2K8 I dont see where any generic game produced can be any better than NCAA 14. As a player I want it but as an investor I would stay away.

# 7 buckeyedawgtribe @ Nov 26

it would be nice to open the game editing like MLB2K12 and be able to change your schedule from year to year to have that updated feel

# 8 BenGerman @ Nov 27

@Steve5696, if I had to guess, EA canceled the series to separate themselves from the lawsuit as much as possible.

# 9 BaylorBearBryant @ Nov 27

I'm with Steve5696. Couldn't 2K or some other company just make a College Football game and just generate random rosters and include either a roster editor or a file that could be unpacked and edited on a PC?

Heck, you don't even really have to realistic rosters at all. I honestly couldn't care less about player names and likeness. Typically after year 3 in dynasty mode, most of the players are CPU generated anyways.

Stadiums, uniforms, conferences, mascots, colors, team names. Forget the players.

2K while you're at it, turn NBA 2K into a College Hoops game.

# 10 tril @ Nov 27

player likeness is so subjective. like several folks mentioned, a default generic roster is the way to go. make them customizable and keep those from being able to be used in on line
In addition ea's ncaa FOOTBALL imo WAS THE BETTER PLAYING GAME when compared to Madden.

# 11 GlennN @ Nov 27

I agree with Steve5696 and BaylorBearBryant. I'm a dynasty player (in any sports game), so, especially with a college game (given the fast turnover of players), I could not care less whether there is an accurate starting roster or not. Just license the universities themselves through NCAA and away we go. Players are all random, with the ability for a person to edit their roster (if they want to make real people, or put themselves in or whatever). Seems a vast overreaction by EA. Come on 2K, grab the ball and run!

# 12 Scribe1980 @ Nov 27

Please ... just stop it.

1. Legal exposure - unless the NCAA drastically alters its draconian rules and allows a yearly payment to each NCAA FB player -- will prevent authentic representation, and no ability to customize a generic representation. You can thank a layer of lawyers, from O'Bannon's to the NCAA's to EA's, for that.

2. If the king -- EA -- gets monetarily whacked while sitting in the throne, you can be rest assured that no 2K, start-up or indie with millions less in the bank will even contemplate the project.

This writeup is well done, the ideas inviting and thought-provoking.Not a dig at the author. But as long as lawyers, guns & money rule (which has been, well, forever) there will be no more college football games of any kind, short of straight generic sans customization.

# 13 BenGerman @ Nov 28

@Scribe1980

Thanks for the reply. I actually think a lot of the article is predicated on the idea that a game would have to be entirely generic.

# 14 thomguy123 @ Nov 28

Long Shot games tried to start one; it seemed real promising but they didn't have enough support.. maybe now they could increase publicity and gain support from avid football gamers

# 15 ven0m43 @ Nov 29

They just need to have randomly generated players on each team and have a roster editor, so the community can make real rosters, like we do anyways. They can still do the player ratings, just do a random generator for the players, height, age, hometown, skin color, but let us edit it.