While I agree with what you are saying, couldn't you argue the exact opposite explanation for your frustration?

For example:
If a game does not sell well, meaning 'fanboys' and probably many others boycotted the game, the game would earn less profit. Since the game would be less profitable it is reasonable to infer (from a merely economic perspective) that less resources would be put into future versions of the game because it does not produce enough revenue. As a result less drastic changes could be made, and the game doesn't change much from year to year.

While my explanation does not cover every possible explanation for limited improvement in games (or broad based customer satisfaction), it does offer another explanation for why we are frustrated with the current state of sports games.

I am not right, and you are not right in our explanations. But I bet we can agree that it is frustrating to not have "excellent" (perfect) games for all major sports.

I heard from a game producer if the fans don't let them know what they want all they can do is guess. Many fan boys just praise a product without giving feedback. They just hope for the next game to praise. As a sports fan and former athlete this can't keep happening.

That makes sense, but how many 'fanboys' actually believe games are perfect? No one knows the answer to this question.

So it seems the larger issue is that game producers connect with 'hardcore' gamers for more specific feedback. It seems titles are moving in this direction.

The reason I responded to this blog is that it seemed to label 'fanboys' as the source of destruction for video games. When in reality, I think you may have just intended to vent about your frustration.

You seem very concerned about games, so I hope that you are given the opportunity to help in the development of future games.

Define - Fanboy

i need to pick up fnr4

I understand what you mean. it's in all venues. "this game rocks and the other one sucks." I think the show and MLB 2k10 are the best example right now. They both went in different directions and both do things the other doesn't.

chinchilla has a great point but, to be honest, u need some everybody to keep gaming afloat. Sometimes it can work out for the best, and sometimes, things fall apart. That's life. No perfect science but whether a person is a biased fanboy or not, u get input from everybody. It's not like only fanboys, as u define them, are the only ones giving feedback to gaming companies as there haters, too, who do nothing but spew hatred at a company about particular games. Then u have people who are more level headed. A gaming company has to take all these different inputs into account, along with financial reports and such, because to varying degrees, each has valid points. Then the gaming company has to try to plan for there next iteration of a game, which sometimes involves trying to alter their already pre-conceived plans if they really feel it's necessary, and come to what they think is a balance.
It's a lot to it but fanboys are unavoidable but I ultimately don't think they hold back games, at all. They're a "necessary evil".

The FANBOY problem has plauged more than just video games.

I'm a indy wrestler and I can't tell you how much the 5 to 10 guys out of a couple hundred large crowd screw things up because they go on websites/message boards and become "squeaky wheels". If the promoters aren't observant enough they think this minority opinion represents the whole audience.

I agree with deaduck there is a small group with a large voice because as in life those that are unhappy are the loudest

So, you are ok with sports games saying they are sim because a group of fanboys say it is or agree with how it's made?
Fight Night Round 4 in particular is one of them kind of sports games that is labeled as sim or realistic. As, a sports fan we shouldn't settle for less wen it comes to a sport we love.

I have to agree with Trey on this one. The need to categorize and label fanboys as the reason developers don't make changes is quite the judgment. I don't believe that being a fan of a game means that you automatically believe it to be perfect. However, it's possible the less hardcore fans are just less bothered by inconsistencies or issues that don't get by the more critical eye of the hardcore gamer.

Trust me, though, the development teams know exactly what all fans want and do their best to cater to everyone. I just think as hardcore fans, or fanboys, or casual gamers, or whoever, we need to be more appreciative of all gamers and trust that the devs will discern and disseminate feedback as they see fit.

In other words, can't we all just get along???

Harcore videogame fans or sports fans? Hardcore sports fans are very passionate about a sport done in games, while a hardcore gamer will accept anything as a challenge no matter how it's done.

Shakyr, any developer who looks to gamers for ideas for improvements in sports games probably doesn't play/know the sport and should concentrate on making RPGs or FPS's. Laziness and lack of competition is the cause. Not fanboys. If there were four or five fully licensed releases per sports, we would see a ton of innovation. Look to EA's lock on the sports market for starters.

I actually love critics. Fanboys don't say much unless you give feedback about a game(protective-like). They act like nothing is wrong with a product when something is clearly wrong.


*by the way I love my Playstation 3 and it's Blu-Ray. It just blanked out. I'm going to get another one because I live the system, it's Blu-Ray and I'm going to upgrade it to a Tera-byte(1000 Gigs)