Once a reporter speaking in regards to volatile basketball coach Bob Knight noted that the reason Knight gets so upset is because he can see in his mind the perfect game. He can clearly visualize everything working in perfect harmony on the court and he is searching for that perfect game. Unfortunately, human beings are incapable of such perfection, so Knight is left with frustration.

It is this same sort of minds-eye issue that haunts simulation sports video game enthusiasts. Gamers who want so badly to recreate the game of college or professional football that they play, watch, or coach have the ability to indentfy every last detail that makes up the game. From the computer's artificial intelligence, to how players block and move no area of the video game goes unnoticed.

Every simulation fanatic has his or her own area of expertise. Some focus in on aspects of gameplay. Does the computer run the ball enough? Is there proper balance to its play-calling? Do teams perform like their real life counterparts? Do holes open properly? Do defense backs react correctly? These questions and many others rattle through the minds of the gameplay nit-picker, with every aspect not meeting their satisfaction leaving them disappointed, angered and looking for possible ways to adjust sliders to fix the problem.

Then there are those gamers who lock in on parts of the game that take place outside the field. Aspects such as presentation, atmosphere, and crowd intelligence are of importance to these simulation fans. Does the presentation add to the excitement and build-up of the contest? Does the game atmosphere replicate what goes on in a college or professional football stadium? Does the crowd react to plays accordingly? Unlike the like gameplay, there are no sliders or edits available to adjust these parts of the game experience. This makes the gamers who grind their teeth over problems in this area left to simply do more grinding until the next version comes out.

Then there those players who consider all of these aforementioned aspects of the video game vital. These individuals eagerly anticipate the release of NCAA or Madden Football each year and two weeks later are banging their head against the proverbial wall with what is seen as imperfections. Ironically, it is this collection of players who most love the EA Sports titles. That is of course part of the problem. Every time they find something they feel should be different it only makes them want to play and adjust the game more. These gamers have a true love affair with these titles. It is more than a game for them it is an addiction.

The truly sad thing about all this is that these gamers who love NCAA and Madden never get to fully enjoy the game the way a casual gamers does. While the casual gamer currently revels in all the improvements of NCAA Football 2008 the simulation fanactic can only hope for satisfaction in moments, while they search for the sliders that will bring about the perfect game.