Four Things I Can't Believe Aren't Standard In Sports Games - BlyGilmore's Blog

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Four Things I Can't Believe Aren't Standard In Sports Games Stuck

Posted on February 12, 2009 at 06:15 PM.

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It's always fun to sit back and think about what kind of features would take a given title to the next level � sometimes making a good game great, or a bad game decent.

But as games push the envelope and new things are tried, you have to wonder why a handful of things aren't a given with every traditional sports game title on the market today.

4 � Why can't I save screenshots or replays to my hard drive and move them to my computer?

A lot of sports gamers love posting blogs and threads detailing their digital accomplishments, and yet many games haven't yet realized players would like to take a screenshot or save a replay from time to time and easily share them with friends.

So far NCAA is the best example of a game that lets you get at your screenshots and replays. Even then you have to upload them a few at a time to the EA Sports World web site, login, accept a disclaimer and then download them.

Sorry � it shouldn't take me 20 minutes and an internet connection to grab five replays totaling 5 megabytes sitting in that little white box next to my TV and bring them to my computer.

But at least NCAA allows you do get something. Other games don't even have this feature, and the few that do like FIFA let you download tiny, low resolution pictures that aren't worth the time.

3 � Why can't I do a save while playing a game?

This is one of those ones that makes you shake your head, because I do remember a time in the not to distant past where you could start a baseball game, get interrupted in the sixth inning and save it so you could continue from that spot later.

How was this great feature some how lost in the annuls of game development?

And I hate to go here, but it warrants mentioning. I've gotten the coffin three times now for my 360. I really shouldn't have to debating whether the risks of having my 360 burn down my apartment if I leave the game paused for a couple of hours while I go meet some friends for drinks.

2 � Working, thorough and useful sliders � can we have them?

Off the top of my head there are two big offenders here.

But first a quick tangent. Yes, I do believe in a perfect world there would be no need for sliders. With some elbow grease and testing, sports game makers could create gameplay that allows those with average talent to be average players, those who were better to have better results, and those who sucked to be the Detroit Lions.

Of course, this isn't a perfect world, and somebody who is awful at Madden isn't going to pay $60 a year to go 0-16.

Both Madden and NCAA Football historically provide putrid sliders. NCAA actually took this to astounding levels this year, releasing a game to the public that looked like it had sliders, but they didn't actually have any impact on game play (they did fix this with a patch, however).

This summer aside, the problem with the sliders in Madden and NCAA is they make it very tough to target one area of game play and make changes without mucking up the works some place else, requiring more slider changes.

Perfect example � you're in a league with a buddy and think its just too easy to pass the ball. So after some thinking and brainstorming you decide to tweak both the QB accuracy slider and the defensive awareness slider.

But this creates another pickle � since defensive awareness impacts how your defense responds to both passes, runs, play action passes and any other trick plays. Awesome.

The answer in this case is easy � sliders based not only on each of the player ratings but also positions groups. If you were able to increase Defensive Backs' man-to-man and zone coverage ratings, you'd be all set.

The other offender here is FIFA, which has apparently decided it just doesn't do sliders. I'll give them a pass since this year's game doesn't seem to need them all that much, but the past two years could have used some.

1 � And last but not least � where are the online franchises?

I cannot emphasis this enough � from this point forward any game that does not have some sort of an online franchise mode is a big old bucket of fail.

The ability to gather family and friends from around the country and play out a franchise mode like you did when you were a kid adds so much to even a mediocre game it needs to become the rule, not the exception.

Case in point, I had an absolute blast playing in an online dynasty this fall in NCAA Football. And I'm not even sure I enjoyed the on the field action all that much.

What I did enjoy was logging in a couple of times each week to see if dreaded Ohio State made any ground on the future All-American tackle we were both heavily recruiting, hoping I'd crack the top ten over some arch-rivals and wondering how many All-Americans I'd get against stiff competition.

Take this same concept and add it to Madden, MLB 2k9, The Show or any other sports video game out there, and I am always going to sit there and think long and hard about buying it.

Comments

# 1 statum71 @ Feb 12

Good points but there is one more....the ability to play ANY game we want in season mode.

Some games have it, but all of 'em should.

DANG this is so basic!! And soooooo many people ask for it. Every game, every year.

# 2 raidersbball20 @ Feb 12

I agree, I think we need an easier way to put replays on the computer

# 3 taiketsu @ Feb 13

I agree with everything with except for #2 - particularly, the comment about FIFA lacking slider options. Too often, I feel design teams and players use sliders as a crutch. FIFA plays fine in its' current form, and the designers know it. That's why they expect the player to conform to the rules and balancing of their gameplay instead of spending time adjusting sliders that unintentionally affect other aspects of gameplay. Sure, the designers could spend more time making "useful and throrough" sliders that don't create these side effects, but I would much rather have them focus on releasing a game that plays well right out of the box. FIFA09 is not perfect by any means, but the FIFA team did a great job of delivering a well-rounded package right out of the box.

Many new FIFA players will probably tell you they love the game, but they had to spend some time learning the controls and the game of futbol. I sincerely believe that if FIFA offered the same number of gameplay sliders as NBA2k, the soccer forum would be filled with more whiney posts discussing the "perfect slider combination" instead of discussions on how to improve, and enjoy the game as it is.

# 4 BlyGilmore @ Feb 13

I hear ya Taik. I've actually been saying the same thing for years - that games don't spend enough time tuning the game to the point sliders aren't needed. But i think its one of those things that are here to stay because sadly a lot of people love sliders.

# 5 rudyjuly2 @ Feb 13

I agree with everything although online franchises doesn't mean much to me (I know others would love it). I'm just not much of an online guy. Besides, I love messing with sliders and having to play in an online league where I don't like the settings and have to make time in my goofy schedule for games isn't for me.

# 6 justamush @ Feb 13

I especially agree with the ability to save in the middle of a game. Games take an hour or more to complete; we shouldn't have to replay a game because something came up in our real lives during the 4th quarter.

# 7 BlyGilmore @ Feb 14

yup - great point Lisa. I've always felt that just came down to laziness - developers not wanting to ensure rosters and franchises are compatible from year to year.

It'll be interesting to see if at some point with online franchises and dynasties if game devs start having a conversion tool - allowing folks who have a multi-season league going on to continue without starting over when a new version comes out.

# 8 WatchdogXC @ Feb 14

It looks like MLB The Show 09 may have all of those.

# 9 Gabeking17 @ Feb 15

Numbers 3 and 2; I could not agree more.

# 10 JeffHCross @ Feb 18

Regarding saving during a game, EA has pretty much made it known that, for whatever reason, there would be a significant effort to do this. I guess they track so much data that it would be difficult to save.

Personally, I don't know why; but that's the statement I've heard. Basically, they can't easily save the state of the game.