#1: FIFA's Ultimate Team is still easily the best edition of the mode.

Evan Crilley: Fact: FIFA was the first game to ever include Ultimate Team, and it has been the gold standard ever since. FIFA introduced, the game modes and has continued to be the launching pad for game features, and additions added by the other titles which include Ultimate Team as a game mode. The variety of team types, play styles, and overall variety makes FIFA Ultimate Team something that once you start playing it makes it hard to put down.

What makes FIFA Ultimate Team rise to the top is that year after year despite it's continued success it refuses to sell out and make the game reliant on measures to create micro-transactions. The reason FIFA is so successful is because user's can be competitive regardless of their level of commitment or financial investment. Part of it may be because the game of soccer lends itself to the game mode due to the number of available players, formations, and strategies; leading to a wider variety of customization. For instance despite using the exact same formula NHL is less appealing simply because there are less players and possible strategies to utilize.

Whatever the reasons may be for FIFA Ultimate Team's success may be it continues to stand the test of time in terms of its ability to both keep users addictive and serve as the breeding ground for great ideas such as season's to be made a part of every Ultimate Team mode.

#2: NCAA Football's Ultimate Team must be considered a success at this point.

Evan Crilley: Fiction: It is sad that the community will never get to see this improved upon based on the recent news of the cancellation of the NCAA franchise past 2014, because with improvement this would be a "fact" 100 times over. The game had so much promise, the ability to use past collegiate players in their primes, various styles of offense, all while improving on what Madden had previously established.

However the game mode is plagued by a lack of collections with adequate rewards, an inexcusably still flawed auction system with no ability to trade, and a horribly structured season mode which leaves potentially epic games ruined by people's ability to milk an entire half with one possession. Oddly enough this was one of the few Ultimate Team installments where users readily were able to find good players in standard packs, unfortunately however it is still not enough to save the game mode from its other flaws.

#3: You can have a very good Ultimate Team squad without ever spending a dime within the mode.

Evan Crilley: Fiction: Although Ultimate Team is quietly and quickly becoming the Trojan Horse of sports video games it is not entirely necessary to spend real world money to experience digital success. It is easy to build a solid team in any of the Ultimate Team modes, it just takes patience and smart in game spending.

The best way to get a head start is by finding the companies which have the best deals in regards to pre-orders, and limited editions. For instance by pre-ordering (no extra money spent) at Gamestop I was able to get an extra 24 gold packs in both FIFA and NHL. Madden did cost a little extra ($100) but it was worth it for a year of NFL Sunday Ticket streaming and 17 special packs.

After taking advantage of the various pre-order bonuses available it is relatively easy (but tedious) to make a stellar team. In order to do this it requires finding deals or "sniping" cards the auction house, and either using them for your own team or reselling at their true market value to use the profits to rinse wash and repeat; until you build up a fortune of both talent and money. The best part is for games like NHL and FIFA you do not even half to be in front of your TV to attempt to snipe, as apps for phones and tablets allow you to take your auction house activity on the go.

I myself have always been more than competitive in Ultimate Team and never spent a dime directly on the game for the sole intention of making my team better. The only reason I ever spend money on packs, maybe five times a year total is purely out of boredom, or if there is a promo too good to pass up on.

I will include a more complete guide in the very near future in terms of coin making coins in each of the titles so save everyone some real life money in the process.

#4: An NBA Ultimate Team mode would become the newest standard bearer of the mode and would instantly be a top selling point for NBA Live.

Evan Crilley: Fiction: As for a standard bearer it would certainly have the potential to do so, but I feel like NBA as a sport does not lend itself that well to an Ultimate Team mode as well as its predecessors. The limit of the roster size would more or less make it so that there was the one clear best line up with no real ability to make a team that is both fully customizable and competitive team.

Only way an NBA Ultimate Team mode would be able to flourish in my opinion would be if there was a high value on chemistry, and player types or abilities (i.e. clutch, or post presence). A very aggressive fatigue model would also make having a full team and bench necessary, however realism in terms of fatigue has never been a big selling point for EA.

In terms of a selling point I believe it would be beneficial in that regard, at least for getting people to pick up the title. If the above steps are not taken and the longevity and depth of the game mode is non existent, neither will the staying power in terms of its ability to retain customers year after year.