RaychelSnr's Blog
Why Customization is the Key to Sports Gaming's Future 
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 03:25 PM.
If you've read my blog posts consistently over the last 4 years, you likely know what's coming next out of my mouth. But every Winter it bears repeating so that someday, sports gaming developers will see the light and produce the perfect sports game: the future of this genre lies in customization and engrossing presentation packages.
That's it. Why? Because everyone has their own vision for what realism means, and gamers all have their own vision for what their game should be like. Thus it is my plea for sports gaming developers to do the following in the next year:
- Create Broadcast Quality and Dynamic Presentations. The first step towards creating the perfect sports game is to create a perfect and broadcast quality presentation. Give us great commentary, realistic but dynamic camera angles, and let the games unfold before our eyes. When it comes to dynasty or franchise modes, have the games exist within a universe, not a vacuum. We want to know when someone is having a good season, what's going on elsewhere, etc. This is really stuff that we should be seeing by now.
- Make every aspect of your game customizable via sliders. And I mean every aspect. I want to, if possible, adjust the flight angle of the ball coming out of a quarterbacks hand or the jumping ability of players on a basketball court. Oh what's that? Linemen aren't getting to their blocks fast enough? Well good thing we have a slider for that sort of thing. Oh are the players a bit weighty on the ice? Well let's tweak a slider for that sort of thing. I hope you see the potential this sort of customization would have. We'd be able to basically perfect a game as a community each year. One could make the argument that the need to buy future editions wouldn't be there -- but I'd argue exactly the opposite. Just ask developers in other genres how good customization has helped spur series sales.
- Give us the keys to player ratings. We want to know what everything does exactly and then we want easier ways to edit rosters. Think about it, if quarterbacks are too accurate on average we can tweak sliders and tone player ratings down. Or if progression is too progressive, we can tone it down via adjusting some ratings. Why hide formulas and player ratings? Give the consumers the power to know what the ratings mean and also an easier way to change things around. The answer to sports gaming perfection isn't in talented developers abilities, but in a dedicated community of hardcore sports gamers working together to achieve it.
So what do you think? Am I on the right path? Let me know and let's brainstorm together!!
# 17
papoose @ Jan 10
Yes, im in NBA 2k12 now, i have customized to the limit, the feeling i get is either to start learning how to program or just shut the game off. They should really give us our freedom, and provide for the potential depth that you blog for, thank you for writing~
RaychelSnr
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