Some Bold Predictions for 2012 - RaychelSnr's Blog

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Some Bold Predictions for 2012 Stuck

Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:03 PM.

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Typically I already have my predictions list out and ready to go by January 1st, I'm lagging this year. I do have excuses, but none of them are too good -- but I now have some predictions to send your way.

Here's what I see for sports gaming in the next year!

SSX is arcade sports game of the year material. Shocking? No. But sometimes you don't have to go out on huge limbs to make predictions and this is one of them. SSX looks beautiful and if the gameplay can just recapture the magic of the prior generation (I believe it will) SSX will be one of my top four or five games this upcoming year.

MLB: The Show will be quality -- but people will get tired of it. I'm not saying The Show will be bad. Do not read that into this prediction at all, I'm saying that the community and critics will score (and talk about) The Show on less of a pedastool this year by and large because of the lack of big-box innovations. I said this a couple of years ago and I feel it rings true, The Show is like the TV Show 'Bones', you always know what you are getting every week but you tune in anyways for quality entertainment. We know what MLB 12: The Show is bringing, quality baseball with some subtle improvements in gameplay over last year -- mainstream critics won't give the game enough credit, some OS'ers will follow suit.

MLB 2K12 is the last MLB 2K title. Time to go out on a limb -- with exclusivity ending and with Take Two's corporate leaderships' comments on how MLB 2K is basically responsible for every bad quarter for the company for the past two years, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Take Two's leadership will overcompensate the other way when exclusivity ends and cancel the series altogether.

MVP Baseball is announced this next winter. And on top of all of that, EA Sports will announce next December (or January but that's 2013) that MVP Baseball is making it's return.

There will FINALLY be a killer Kinect/Move app. I said this last year as if it were simply expected -- but now almost 14 months after the Kinect's launch I fully expect there to be one game that is a killer app for the platform in our genre. Finally, people who spent all the money on a Kinect will have a game worth playing in the sports arena.

Madden finally gets Online Franchise -- and it doesn't work. It might seem as if I'm stating what seems to be the obvious, but let's face it -- Online Franchise should've been in this game this past year. I'm making two bold predictions about it, Madden NFL 13 will get Online Franchise and it will be so buggy that gamers will revolt in a way we've yet to see. Good luck OS Mods.

Commentary in both Madden and NCAA will finally take a step in the right direction. Just call it a hunch.....

Overall both Madden and NCAA will once again be solid, but unable to get over the hump to greatness. Definitely don't see either Madden or NCAA getting over that hump to greatness that other titles in our genre enjoy, but I think both games will once again be quite good.

NHL stumbles.... With no competition, and with stable sales -- I think NHL might just stumble a bit this year. It's due for a bit of a downer year if nothing else.

Someone other than OOTP will win the indy sports game of the year. OOTP has owned this category for years, this will be the first year in quite awhile that OOTP won't be the king, and it won't be because OOTP suddenly becomes a bad game either.

NBA 2K13 will not solve it's online issues. Why should we expect it? The same problems for years are still in the game's online mode, 2K13 won't see a change in that regard, thus.....

Despite reviewing well below NBA 2K13, EA's NBA Title competes with NBA 2K in sales. Some people have asked me when has anyone ever bought an inferior product at the same price level -- I didn't respond then but I'll respond now: if you've bought American cars in the past two decades, you've done just that. 2K13 will likely get a metacritic in the 80s and EA's will review in the lower 70s, but a working online mode and functional and balanced gameplay will make EA's NBA Title a competitor from the get go, especially for online gamers and gamers who buy into the EA hype machine (there will be a lot).

...but NBA 2K13 will win our Team Sports Game of the Year. The online issues will once again be resolved (aka patched/servers upgraded) and NBA 2K13 will be so solid in every facet minus online that it will return to the top of the heap in the OS End of the Year Awards.

Many OS'ers (and Americans) will become acquainted with the greatness of PES and FIFA. FIFA won our Team Sports GOTY this year, many people panned that soccer games shouldn't win that award -- I don't get that logic at all. However, FIFA and PES will both experience record sales in America this upcoming year.

So what do you think? What are your predictions for this upcoming year in sports gaming? How much do you disagree with mine? Sound off in the comment box below!

Comments

# 1 bigbob @ Jan 5

I'm surprised one wasn't "2K Announces NFL 2K13". Of course, this is bold predictions.. not "Probably Never Going To Happen".

# 2 macdaddy40 @ Jan 5

LOL, Like what you had to say First, For EA..They will do as they always do with madden make a upgrade just enough fans will want to buy it, & they will spend Tons of dollars to get NFL just for there self so they don't have to make Madden Great....MLB 2k will step up to the plate and hit a home run, Just to show EA they in for a long game,,,...The show I agree all with you,...NBA 2k will set the standard for Sport games to come, EA will regret evening wasting the money to Make NBA again and not put the money in there cash cow MADDEN'!!!!....Tiger will be the same ole same ole Golf game just like Madden, Due to no other games are made to make EA make them GREAT'!!!!!!!!.....MS will tell the world bout there new System...Nascar will be the same ole game,.....Boils down to 2013 Sport Games will pretty much suck, No new games, Same ole games we have now with just a little upgrade & updates,...So not really looking for much from here on out till we get the New Systems in hand, As Always Fans Won't get what we pay for bottom line....But one good thing bout 2013 already is...WE HAVE HAD SOME AWESOME BOWLS GAME'!!!!!!!!!! YEA GUYS???????????? Be safe all

# 3 oldman @ Jan 5

I was really hoping to read: 2k cancels MLB 2k13, brings back College Hoops franchise!

# 4 gsize19 @ Jan 5

Unfortunately feel you are right about MLB The Show, but what ticks me off is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it... These big box innovations people want is what screws up a solid Base game, and will certainly doom the solid franchise mode they have... Critics are the reasons game take two steps backwards every year after the developer gets it right... Leave well enough alone.. If you want to play online, be prepared to pay $60 for a roster update after the game is "finished"...

# 5 Sim Easy @ Jan 5

@gsize19......Exactly, I've never understood what people are exactly looking for in a yearly sports title. Basketball is basketball, football is football. All you should expect IMO is innovations in AI, more animations or tweaked physics, and progress in presentation and user interface. Mostly subtle fixes.

# 6 statum71 @ Jan 5

Really hope your prediction about commentary is right. Our only two licensed football games have GOT to catch up, in the audio department at least.

# 7 sactown_13 @ Jan 5

The return of crew mode in NBA 2k13

# 8 Petey B @ Jan 5

I believe in everything Chris Sanner predicts.

# 9 RaychelSnr @ Jan 6

@Petey B -- That's a horrible way to live

Trust me

# 10 elgreazy1 @ Jan 6

I just wish 2K would bring back some - ANY - form of video game football. :*(

# 11 Stroehms @ Jan 6

Madden already has Online Franchise.....

# 12 SHAKYR @ Jan 6

What about 2K making a boxing game destroying EA's Fight Night Hype machine.

# 13 BCDX97 @ Jan 6

I think NHL already stumbled this year. They really didn't add that much at all. Some minor polish, and the Legends were cool but there was almost nothing to do with them. They were poorly implemented. I'd like to see them back next year but used better.

# 14 Sim Easy @ Jan 6

@shakyr......With the way 2k handles multiple avatars on screen (basketball) and produces greatness along with presentation, I'm sure they could knock a boxing title OUT OF THEE BALLPARK no doubt.

# 15 Dazraz @ Jan 7

Good commentary in Madden/NCAA? Now that would be something. EA don't do good commentary & I doubt this will change. Despite the annual criticism in these areas commentary & broadcast presentation in general isn't something EA seem able to get right.
Take any EA sports title & within a handful of games you've heard all there is to hear & with regards to cut scenes you've seen all there is to see.

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