Aging players in video games - Jakeness23's Blog

Jakeness23's Blog

Aging players in video games

Posted on October 31, 2013 at 07:19 PM.

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I was just looking at this article on Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1812818-started-from-the-bottom-now-we-here-remembering-nba-stars-rookie-debuts/page/15) and I was wondering, as we go into the next-generation of video game consoles if this kind of aging is possible. We see how the players gradually tend to grow more facial hair, some begin to lose the hair on their head (looking at your MJ, Kobe, and LeBron). This seems small, but it can add immersion, and keep you in your Association (or MyGM) without starting over with another team after 3 seasons.

With that, we could also see how players athletic ability diminishes and see how they change their game in the virtual world, if they are able to at all. For instance, MJ (and now Kobe) was just as dominate into his mid-30's, and even in his 40's, as much as he was in his 20's, but it was in a different way. His IQ went up, and he developed a jump shot and a post game. Other players, like Tracy McGrady for example, have a few really good seasons, but after that, they start to fall off pretty drastically and end up retiring before the guy that adapted his game to his current abilities.

There could be several outcomes so you don't always know which player will last 15-18 years in the league and the guy that lasts 10 or less. Maybe on the rare occassion, a player like LeBron or KD who is one of the, or is the best player in the league, doesn't stay dominate or at an all-star level for the entirety of their career, maybe they have a couple all-star seasons and then they fade away. Or, maybe they do learn to adapt and stay just as lethal at 37 as they were at 26. All I'm trying to say is, aging can have a real impact on sports games both visually and gameplay wise, and I'm hoping to see it better implemented on the XB1 and PS4.

Comments

# 1 tril @ Nov 1

true!!!
great points!!!. player i.q and potential should be tied into each individual attribute. If these attributes are weighted against the natural progression of aging (or use it or lose it), the results could be definitely more immersive.
coding wise on the new systems this could definitely be done.
good topic, and a good area for developers to explore, if they havent already.