Have Sports Gaming Controls Become Too Complicated for Their Own Good?

Feature Article

Submitted on: 02/03/2012 by Mike Kilroy

Just like Mike Gundy, I'm a man and I'm 40; and my fingers are not as nimble as they used to be.

This can be quite a problem when it comes to playing my favorite sports video games. As I have grown older and moved from the more simplistic gaming systems like the Atari to the much more intricate current generation consoles, it’s becoming more and more difficult for me to control the action on the cyber field.

Some of my troubles have to do with my advancing age -- the reflexes aren’t quite at the level of my 20-year-old self. Some, though, has to do with the more and more complicated control schemes for these games.

When you require the speed and dexterity of Lt. Cmdr. Data to call an audible or a hot route in Madden, or to simply call an offensive play in NBA 2K12, then there is a deeper issue.

Have sports video game controls became too complicated for their own good? Let’s take a look.

What happened to this kind of awesomeness?

Older Doesn’t Mean Easier

Those old enough to remember Tecmo Bowl (or those who gave Tecmo Bowl Throwback a whirl recently) can agree that the control scheme can be clunky and difficult, especially when it comes to completing a pass.

To target a receiver, you are required to cycle through the eligible targets from the top of the screen to the bottom before letting a pass fly. Even in my younger days, this could be a bit frustrating.

However, that was one of the best control schemes in these formative years of sports video games. Other football games opted for cursor passing, which was ridiculously cumbersome.

It wasn’t until Madden on the Sega Genesis arrived that we were blessed with passing windows and suddenly it was as easy to sling the cyber pigskin to any receiver we desired.

A Mixed Bag

Baseball games of yesteryear, though, were easier on the thumbs, especially when it came to pitching.

There were no meters. There were no exaggerated swirls of the stick to produce a curveball. All you had to do was point your cursor at a spot in the strike zone and press a button. No muss. No fuss. The pitcher’s ratings took over. If he was a bum, he got slapped around the yard like one. If he was a stud, he painted the corners like a pitching Picasso. It didn’t matter how smooth you were on the sticks or how quick you were on the button mash in the green zone of the meter. Roger Clemens pitched like a ‘roided-up Roger Clemens. Jose Lima pitched like a whacked out homer-serving scrub.

It hasn’t been all bad. The Wii and its Wiimote has given us unparalleled control over our cyber swing on the golf course in the Tiger Woods titles and the spin on our bowling ball in Wii Sports. Even the controls for NHL 12 are intuitive and sublime.

Still, sports video games are trending toward the elaborate, which is not necessarily a good thing.

You shouldn't need what seems like this to operate sports games today.

The KISS Principle

Game developers should start to listen to KISS, not the rock band, but the principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I am aggravated to no end at the NBA 2K series. Every year I am determined to call set plays, only to abandon that strategy as my cyber point guard dribbles in place as I fumble through the play-call menu.

I am also at a loss in Madden to call hot routes for my defense. I usually fumble more than JaMarcus Russell. In MLB: The Show, I ignore the guess pitch and power swing feature because I’m pretty sure Prince Fielder doesn’t wait for a tiny red dot to appear in the strike zone telling him where to power swing. The fewer finger gymnastics I need to complete, the better.

I’m sure my views are not the norm and I come across like a bitter gaming curmudgeon. I happen to think, though, that we can get much more enjoyment out of games that didn’t try to map a maneuver to every single button and stick on our controller.

Have sports video game controls become too complicated for their own good? I think, save a few exceptions, that they have.

Are game controls too complicated?

Member Comments

# 21 jyoung @ 02/03/12 06:14 PM

Alley oops were automatic in NBA Live 95. I thought they worked pretty well in that game.

The biggest problem with passing in Live 95 was the isometric camera, which is more of a presentation issue than a control issue.

# 22 tril @ 02/03/12 07:49 PM

I like the complex controls, cause it takes practice to master them.
which is what sports is all about in the first place.
To pull off a killer crossover in basketball should be cahllenging and require practice. I personally dont think age has anything to do with stick skills. 30 and 40 year olds shouldnt be an excuse.

Ill use 2k basketball as an example
I have yet to master any complex moves in 2k, but Im really ok by this. cause it really differentiates play styles against competitors
folks would grow tired and bored if everyone could pull off the same moves in a game.

Im all for the complex controls but make the option for a simple control scheme.

# 23 eye guy @ 02/04/12 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAKYR


	Great write up. I hate that gamers want the controls to be too complicated. They think this makes the game more challenging. I find it ridiculous because the gameplay should dictate the realism or way a player play. You should be able to do or not do something with in game tools. A player shouldn't have to use the controller like a combination lock to do a move.

I'm torn between the two to be honest... Well maybe 70-30 towards simplifying or more simple controls. Some games need the controls to be somewhat complicated in order to pull off "moves" though.

UFC titles need the complication for the user to be able to use all of the moves in a characters arsenal...

# 24 TheSource @ 02/04/12 11:49 AM

I would have to strongly dis agree controls as a whole aren't too complicated, we all have this notion that we SHOULD be able to pick up any game and play it against great competition with great results, I don't believe that can be expected. what i believe will work in most cases is control options, 3 (1. casuals 2. intermediates 3. experts/hardcore) in a perfect world on for beginners/casuals that allow you to pull of the basics and a few highlight type plays without overwhelming the user with all the move choices and complex input combinations in a small window but this type of control set will be limited inn its scope so that you will not be able to pull of more complex moves and it will add incentive (a reason) for you to go deeper into the game and learn a more complex control set in essence moving games from the casual to the more hardcore. While the hardcore controls can be just that hardcore wit deep nuance, and multiple button press execution because as a hardcore gamer I believe TOTAL CONTROL is paramount
(most important) if i am going to get run over, dunked on, deke'd etc let it happen because I made a wrong decision or was lax or late in my execution. Tats why I don't believe you can meet casuals and hard cores in the middle for controls we want 2 different things as a hardcore gamer i want timing, precise execution and variety in the options i have available to finish a play and i have no problem dedicating my time to see it achieved (i.e like training to become better in real sports but in video games it happens at a much more accelerated rate, in essence one of the reasons we play them vs getting better at real sports) and the casual gamer i assume wants to be able to pick up and play have fun and from a control standpoint have a few go to buttons that will give him varying successes and varying outcomes, while not overwhelming and still giving him enjoyment. For me sports game ave to do a better good at catering to the extremes and giving the customization to turn on and off features for each extreme (hardcore vs casual) it will allow us to find our individual middle ground, but hey that just one guys opinion...

# 25 RogueHominid @ 02/04/12 11:52 AM

I think they kind of have. I saw the new Show batting system, and there's no way I could move the left stick for zone hitting while also timing a stride and swing with the right stick.

# 26 TheSource @ 02/04/12 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trojan Man


	I think they kind of have. I saw the new Show batting system, and there's no way I could move the left stick for zone hitting while also timing a stride and swing with the right stick.

but if you couldn't be successful with the new MLB the show controls would you want that control scheme removed from the game or would you want a simpler control scheme more in line with your current skill level and when you mastered that try the new control scheme when u were ready and be rewarded for doing so because this more advanced control scheme had control advantages like you could control when you wanted to hit opposite field or stay down on low balls etc?

# 27 DaSmerg @ 02/04/12 12:03 PM

Yeah this gamer in the same age bracket as Mike here is going to say no, controls for sports games are not overly complicated.

What there seems to be, which some folks have already alluded to, is a mish-mash of left over legacy controls from previous generation(s), just really, REALLY bad planning and equally as bad development.

I also concur with a previous poster who said that sports is about twitch and reaction, not computer science step-by-step processes.

# 28 SkillzKillz719 @ 02/04/12 05:00 PM

Being 18, I'm fine with the controls. I feel like the more complicated the higher the gap will be between the worst and the best. Therefore, letting the better player win in most games.

# 29 hesko @ 02/04/12 05:06 PM

No. things change with the times man. my elders bugged out looking at a dream cast controller being the generation that had atari. also in some sports games, they still have buttons that aren't even used. i think when games really "seem" too complicated to play, ill have a head full of grays watching my grand kids enjoy it!

# 30 WoodsonsNelson @ 02/05/12 08:52 AM

I love the pitching mechanic for MLB 2K12 but when it comes to batting I always use classic. For one it helps remind me off the older baseball games I used to but its also the only way I can hit.

# 31 BobSacamano @ 02/05/12 02:22 PM

I don't necessarily dislike most sports game control schemes today, but I will say that there is one really unfortunate byproduct of these complicated control schemes:

It's near impossible to have any fun playing with a friend unless that friend also owns the game.

There's nothing more fun than explaining controls to your friend for 10 minutes, seeing that glassy-eyed expression of non-comprehension, then playing a crappy game where they struggle to remember all the button presses and you handicap yourself so as to not utterly destroy them. It's just not enjoyable. By the time they get a hang of the controls you're ready to go home.

# 32 cdh72469 @ 02/07/12 09:04 AM

I too am a bit past 40 and used to worry about the more complex controls and options in all games, not just sports. I quit worrying and just play as simply as I can given the control schemes. I don't try to do too much and just have fun. As a family man my gaming time is limited and less of a priority these days so I just want to have fun playing.

# 33 BlueNGold @ 02/08/12 03:49 AM

Controls don't need to be dumbed down or simplified. IMO more control is always more of a good thing. What the games need to do are give options and customization.

As anyone can see by all the responses in here, there's some people who prefer full out "every button does something" controls, while others prefer the simplified pick up and play approach. There should be no reason why these games can't give us both, as well as the ability to customize the controls to our liking.

Another thing is that interactive tutorials should also be a must in sports games. EA keeps trying to simplify Madden's gameplay to make the game more accessible and easier to play for new/casual players when they just blatantly ignore the fact that they used to have videos and tutorials to teach us how to play the game and use the controls properly. Of course people are going to be lost with the controller in their hands when there are no tools for them to learn how to play aside from trial and error while actually playing.

# 34 LindsayK @ 02/13/12 08:35 AM

This picture of a joystick reminds me of a Valentine card.
Mario is red, Sonic is blue.
Will you be my player two?

# 35 chiconahui @ 08/23/12 02:05 PM

I quote: "the reflexes aren�t quite at the level of my 20-year-old self".. at 40!? It's just a damn controller, not an F1 race car... Sr. it seems more like an alcohol problem than other thing...

# 36 Graphik @ 08/23/12 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiconahui


	I quote: "the reflexes aren�t quite at the level of my 20-year-old self".. at 40!? It's just a damn controller, not an F1 race car... Sr. it seems more like an alcohol problem than other thing...

LMAO. True dat. Some people have a thing about controls. Me, the more complicated and confusing the controls are, the more into a game I will be. Gives me something to learn and master. Repetitive, simplistic controls in any game will bore me.

Anyone ever play XCOM on the PC? You want controller mapping issues, look no further.

# 37 DaveDQ @ 08/24/12 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C the Lyte


	Double edged sword. You either want less control whcich produces more random canned animations or you want more control to pick which canned animations will take place. I could help but laugh when reading this, especially the 40 year old part. It's like an old QB who is savvy but just doesn't have that zip any more. Shoot, any 40 year old non-golfing athlete applies here!

I think that sums it up. I think the complicated controls came with the desire of two things. One is what Lyte mentions in that players want to control what move is performed rather than hope for or anticipate a move that is mixed in a bag of randomness.

The other is this myth of simulating the experience of the sport by using a controller's buttons and especially sticks to give you the feeling that you are shooting the basketball, swinging that bat or throwing that punch. I understand it in concept but it doesn't quite translate and can often lead to frustration rather than enjoyment.

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