So we come now to the end of award season, and of course that means it's time to crown 2015's Sports Game of the Year. I've slapped together a bunch of words and Chris has said a lot in his videos these past two weeks, but it needs to be said again that 2015 was a really good year for sports video games. It's really hard to think of any games that truly took a step back, and more importantly, it's really hard to think of any games that didn't set themselves up to be even better moving forward. With that in mind, it's time to stop posturing and get to talking about the Sports Game of the Year.
 

3. Rocket League

Coming in at third is Rocket League. Enough OSers voted for Rocket League to make it the third best sports game of the year, which again just speaks to the impact it had on everyone who got around to playing it. It probably didn't hurt that the game was free on PlayStation Plus for a month -- and the fact that it's incredibly popular and easy to find matches on Steam. After all, while Rocket League didn't come from a major development house, it ended up getting coverage that is usually reserved for "major" sports releases like FIFA and NBA 2K. It's a good thing it got all that coverage, too, because it would have been a shame if this game went unappreciated as it just does so many things well. From controls to strategy to moment-to-moment intrigue on the field, Rocket League packs so much into each five-minute match, and proves you can have a satisfying sports experience even when you don't have much time to play. In other words, it has mobile gaming sensibilities in terms of getting in and out of a game in a short amount of time, yet it retains console-like depth in terms of strategy and long-lasting appeal. Rocket League is my personal choice for game of the year, and it beats out almost every other big-budget sports game that came out in 2015, according to our readers.

2. MLB 15 The Show

The Show was fantastic as usual, and the development team even fixed an issue that had badgered the franchise for years. So I'll lead by saying it's incredibly important the development team finally figured out how to create an online experience that mostly avoids feeling much different than the offline one. There's still a hiccup here and there, but lag is mostly a thing of the past, and that finally allows The Show to be played in a competitive online environment. Diamond Dynasty is a wonderful mode on its own, but because the online gameplay is so much stronger, Diamond Dynasty was voted the reader's choice for best card collecting mode -- I promise that does not happen if the servers are still a mess. Beyond the online accomplishments, you have a game that still gets the most longevity out of its modes among our users. No game has a more hardcore following among offline users than Road to the Show and its Franchise mode. Year-to-year saves have only made people more attached to these two career modes, and it's a major reason The Show stays in the forefront of people's minds. After all, because of things like year-to-year saves, folks don't really stop playing The Show until the next version is about to come out, which is still a rarity for sports games in this generation. The Show's lasting appeal and online improvements are major reasons why the readers voted it as the runner up for best sports game of 2015.

1. NBA 2K16

At Operation Sports, it's hard to find folks who don't at least take a look at the NBA 2K forums at some point. A refrain that is sometimes repeated on the site by users is "man I wish I liked basketball because this game looks amazing." On some level, that's almost a detriment to other sports games because those who don't play NBA 2K think it's doing something no other game even comes close to accomplishing, which in turn negatively impacts their view of every other sports game they actually play. On a personal level, I don't think folks should put the game on a pedestal because it's not so much that 2K does something no else is doing, it's just that NBA 2K does so many things other development teams are doing, but then just goes that extra step and takes an element of the game somewhere unique. For example, it's not like other games don't have a career mode, it's that 2K does have a career mode, but also has a story-driven portion as well that opens up the entire career mode. (I could argue the Spike Lee story stuff isn't even all that good much of the time, but you know what, the 2K team is still out there trying to do something, and that will get you noticed and appreciated.) The same goes for the franchise mode aspect of the game. It's not just that you can run a team in a variety of different ways, it's that no game makes it as easy or realistic to re-brand or relocate your franchise. Beyond all the modes, the entire package is wrapped up in something that looks amazing and still plays great. Bottom line, taking risks and knowing what brought you to the dance pushed the readers to vote for NBA 2K16 as the Best Sports Game of 2015.
 

NBA 2K16

The staff has also selected NBA 2K16 as Sports Game of the Year. Even with my screaming and shouting about Rocket League, it's no surprise NBA 2K16 swept our game of the year awards. NBA 2K has something for everyone, and as long as a new user can get past the intimidation stage of learning the game, it's almost a guarantee he or she will find something that clicks. And, again, that's what makes a lot of these sports games -- but especially NBA 2K -- so compelling this year. These sports games are not just one game anymore, they're like five or six different games all at once. You'll meet folks who want to play in online leagues; others who just want to dig in and simulate the games so they can focus on trades, or re-branding and relocation; others still who want to play exclusively in myPark or set up a squad in 2K Pro-Am. All of these people could be buying the game for one reason or 20, and no other game out there grabs as many people and keeps bringing them back for such an array of reasons. On some level, NBA 2K is a conglomeration of ideas all coming together in one delightfully democratic package. It's this diversity that pushes NBA 2K16 to the top of the mountain, making it Operation Sports' Best Sports Game of 2015.