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But as we move closer and closer to photo-realistic graphics and we close in on the era of dedicated physics cards, immersion finds itself at the forefront of gaming.
For me, the first evidence of it was a fairly little known game called King's Field on the PlaystationOne. It really wasn't much of a game. The graphics were dull polygons, everything looked pretty much the same, but something about seeing through the eyes of your hero could suck you in. Suddenly, you're feeling some of the things your character would be feeling. Such as the dread of pacing down that unexplored hallway, not knowing what's in store, and the fright when a skeleton warrior jumped out at you unexpectedly.
Still, it was only a hint. And it wasn't something that sports games really picked up on. Immersion in a sports game, at that time, was digitized announcers and a dull static-sounding crowd that got louder now and then, but never really changed pitch.
A few games played around with putting you more "in" the game. NFL 2k had first person football... a miserable failure. Madden had Superstar mode... great idea in theory, has yet to really live up to its promise.
Then came NFL Head Coach. Now, I'd heard of Road to the Show and Be a Pro mode in other games, but this was the first time I'd honestly gone into a sports game representing only a single individual; Me. And, oh, how it changed my perspective.
I can hardly play a normal game of Madden anymore. It counters everything I'm looking for in a sports video game- realism. I find myself asking, "What do I represent?"... am I an incorporeal ghost, temporarily possession whichever player has the ball or the best shot at the tackle at a given time? In NFL Head Coach, my role was clearly defined, and somehow, I liked that better.
It didn't intrude on my suspension of disbelief.
NHL 09 was the next foray into single-role sports gaming. I've now completed an 82 game regular season and am 3 wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. I've spent this entire season in control of one player... again, me. And it's one of the most satisfying sports gaming experiences I've ever had.
I'm not saying that this sort of thing is for everyone. Certainly, there is a huge percentage of traditionalists that would just as soon stick with running the entire franchise, top down, and don't have issues with suspension of disbelief, but I'd venture to guess there's more than a few of us that are looking for that perfect Superstar or Coach mode in Madden.
Hopefully Ian and Co. continue to deliver, and bring us into the Immersion era in sports gaming.
# 1
thudias @ Feb 27
If like NHL09. Play the "road to the show" mode on MLB you will love it. This year you can customize to a higher degree than 08. If you don't want to field routine grounders you don't have to, if there is no chance of a steal because a man is ahead of you on the base paths there is an easy bypass, its gonna be great.
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