Reader's Choice

3. Madden NFL 16

From a consistency standpoint, Madden has been the poster child for stability. Most of the time you've known you can at least hop online and get a game in if you want. The stability of the servers can come into question here and there when it comes to the online franchise aspect of the game (cloud-gaming y'all), but you still usually know what to expect. The online franchise mode continues to be a staple on the forums -- as it has the last couple years -- and the addition of Draft Champions and the same solid head-to-head connectivity most likely pushed the readers to vote for Madden here. While Madden won't take home first prize, it is a reader's choice for best online experience of 2015.

2. NBA 2K16

It's fair to say that no game tries to do more than NBA 2K. The execution isn't always perfect, some of the modes are not always fully functional around launch, and in general things can just be hit or miss at times. That being said, clearly folks still love a lot of what goes on here and that's probably because there's something for everyone. Whether you want to play a franchise-like mode, or a head-to-head mode, or a team-based mode, or a street mode or a superstar-focused mode there is actually something here for every type of basketball gamer. Above all else, choice seems to be a big reason NBA 2K does well in this area, and it's the reader's choice runner-up for best online experience of 2015.

1. Rocket League (Dopest)

It warms my heart to see you all pick Rocket League as the Best Online Experience of 2015 (it was my personal choice as well). What makes Rocket League great is you just get on and go. Beyond using the offline mode for practice, Rocket League is an online game. It can be played 1-on-1 to 4-on-4, and the awesome thing is 1-on-1 has different strategies than 2-on-2, and the same rings true for 3-on-3 and 4-on-4. Simplicity gives way to complexity once you start playing the game, but it's never really intimidating. The first time you see someone rocket through the air and volley a ball into the net, you don't think "holy crap I'm screwed." Instead, it's more like, "holy crap I want to do that, right now." No game gets better use out of pre-selected messages like "Great Pass!" and "Nice Shot!" and it's also a very enjoyable game to watch on Twitch, which is still somewhat unique to say when it comes to the sports genre. I've said it a hundred times at this point and will say it once more, Rocket League is dope and deserves to win the Reader's Choice for Best Online Experience of 2015.
 

As it relates to the fan voting, I was a little surprised NHL 16 did not make it into the top three for best online experience (it came in fourth). Perhaps some were still turned off by the previous year's game, perhaps some don't think it should get bonus points for re-introducing EASHL after it already existed in another form, or perhaps some just don't think NHL 16 is very good online -- and may also miss the online franchise mode. Be that as it may, NHL 16 squeaked by Rocket League in the staff's voting because we really love the way EASHL was re-introduced this year. The EASHL has become so much more inviting knowing there are pre-determined classes you have to choose from because now you don't have to worry about leveling your guy or buying points (with real money) to make sure he's highly rated enough to compete on a game-to-game basis. If any game in the "traditional" sports genre proved how you can make an enjoyable and fair team-based eSport to watch and compete in on a daily basis, NHL 16 now has the model with EASHL. For us, the EASHL was so good in 2015 it carried NHL 16 to the award of being named the Staff's Choice for Best Online Experience of 2015.