2016 Reader's Choice Sports Game of the Year

Feature Article

Submitted on: 01/07/2017 by Chris Sanner

The OS Reader's Sports Game of the Year has been a fun award to hand out every year because it represents the game OS'ers think is the absolute best they've played over the last year. In short, its a people's choice award to sports game developers for a job well done.

As with the other categories we'll list off the top vote getters and talk about each after the jump. Before you do that, be sure to visit our YouTube Channel and subscribe to us as we prepare a 2017 full of fun content!

Sports Game of the Year

MLB The Show 16 (29.77%)
NBA 2K17 (25.08%)
Madden NFL 17 (14.38%)
PES 17 (6.69%)

Well there you have it. NBA 2K has dominated this category for a few years but was finally unseated by MLB The Show 16 by a relatively narrow margin. That takes nothing away from either game, as both were stellar efforts this year which, combined, garnered over half of the reader vote.

The Show probably broke through as the winner because it had stellar gameplay (good enough to win the reader's Best Gameplay award), and the rest of everything it did was at least good.

NBA 2K17 probably took a step back and got the silver this year simply because the innovation slowed down a bit this year versus prior years -- which eventually had to happen simply because the series has done so much over the years. There are some rising gameplay quibbles within the community as well.

In a relatively distant third was Madden NFL 17. Madden took home the bronze because it also does a lot of good throughout the game. The gameplay is the best we've seen in football gaming ever and the rest of the package has really made strides to get on the level of its sports gaming peers.

Coming in fourth was PES 2017. Given the amount of support for PES, the fact the game finished ahead of so many other sports games is both surprising and fun. PES' gameplay is excellent, and the rest of the game offers enough to keep you busy for a long time. PES 2017 was easily the best the series has been since jumping to this generation of consoles.

So what do you think? Do you agree with the readers' that MLB The Show 16 was the best sports game of 2016? Sound off in the comments!

Member Comments

# 1 Lovesports @ 01/07/17 06:37 PM

Omg. The Show is by far the most overrated game ever. There is no way it's better than NBA 2K. I simply think that people like baseball over basketball and therefore voted for The Show. 2K is a much more complete game and experience. Classic teams, better graphics, better commentary, deeper franchise mode etc etc

# 2 tril @ 01/07/17 08:12 PM

NBA 2k17 did not lose because of a slow down in innovation. They lost due to too many changes that worked in previous versions, and a defense that was ether broken or folks didn't know how to use. I would say it did not work as 2k developers had intended.

The Show was good as usual, and what still holds it back is its commentary and play by play. still too dulled down for this day and age. I get that their artistic style is a "lazy sunday afternoon" baseball feel, but it's too bland for 162 games.

Madden good game, but never holds my attention beyond 1 season of play.

# 3 dtlm6 @ 01/07/17 08:27 PM

I don't think any of these games are overrated. It was very hard for me to choose between these four. Really glad to see PES 2017 making the top four but disappointed it didn't get more votes. I would rank them (very closely):

1a. NBA 2K17 (playing the franchise mode on this game is so much fun, INNOVATION OF THE YEAR was being able to expand and/or relocate 6 new team AND have realignment! Would love to see this in Madden and MLB)
1b. PES 2017 (2016 may be my favorite game of all time but 2017 edit mode shot this game up, find myself playing My Club more than I ever had)
3. MLB 2016 (Franchise mode is so much fun, would love to see different scores (i.e. high scoring, low scoring based on quality of pitching)
4. Madden 2017 (LOVED adding the ability to change CPU uniforms! Some improvement but still need to make league feel more interactive in franchise/season mode, NOTE: Madden is very much on the cusp of challenging for the best game overall)
HONORABLE MENTION: NHL 17 - very hard for me to find time to play all these games, but I am very much enjoying my franchise season on NHL

Overall, 2016 may have been the best year ever for sports games!

# 4 wisdom less13 @ 01/07/17 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovesports


	Omg. The Show is by far the most overrated game ever. There is no way it's better than NBA 2K. I simply think that people like baseball over basketball and therefore voted for The Show. 2K is a much more complete game and experience. Classic teams, better graphics, better commentary, deeper franchise mode etc etc

2K still has a few canned animation problems for a few years now. I'm not a big fan of having a clear path to the hoop and I make a hard right because the foul animation with someone attemoting a block. It's not like they ran away with it. Online is quite cheesy, too. RTTS is a better career mode as well. 2K is dope, but it has its fair share of problems...

# 5 Lovesports @ 01/08/17 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisdom less13


	2K still has a few canned animation problems for a few years now. I'm not a big fan of having a clear path to the hoop and I make a hard right because the foul animation with someone attemoting a block. It's not like they ran away with it. Online is quite cheesy, too. RTTS is a better career mode as well. 2K is dope, but it has its fair share of problems...

Not really a fair comparison. The Show has zero player interaction, they don't even collide in the outfield. The only thing they have to get right is ball physics and even that is a challenge for them. The Show however has an incredibly loyal fan base which is why I feel the game is a big overrated. Nothing but praise on here

# 6 SportsGameGod @ 01/08/17 04:45 AM

NBA2k is easily the best and i love and buy both games every year.

# 7 carolinawolf72 @ 01/08/17 05:42 AM

I agree with lovesports, MLB is WAY overrated. At best it is a good game but by no means is it great.

# 8 rkocjay @ 01/08/17 11:25 AM

i disagree i believe MLB the show is not overrated. the game plays great and not broken like other games are at launch. but anyway i am interested in trying out pes 2017

# 9 IgotSyphillis @ 01/09/17 06:55 PM

It's hard. Both games have obviously flaws with them but I'd give to 2k just because I think baseball is the easiest team sport to make a game for. All the other games on this list have to deal with 5 to 11 players running around chasing a ball all at once and making it somehow work. Most of baseball is played between the pitcher and the batter. It's just easier to do. And if you look at The Show, anytime the gameplay moved away from the Pitcher vs The Batter once the ball was put in play, the gameplay got really bad. Basically everything about defense in The Show is borderline terrible. But it's mostly overlooked cause it only takes up a small percentage of the gameplay. So should they be rewarded for having an easier job to do? I guess that for each individual to decide. But I think The Show's lack of quality defense for its entire run at some point has to be brought up. It's been 10 years now. Fix it.

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