Mods fix all that. And for consoles there are Option Files and a huge community which updates them, which --though not as good as pc mods-- still do a very good job of filling in the gaps.
Licenses are a waste of money imo. I'd rather a game focus on gameplay. Mods/customization can fill in the rest.
That's why I never understood why 2K got out of the football/hockey business. I think they could wipe the floor with EA (especially Madden) if they provided a football game with a deep editor. The community could do a hell of a job of making the game authentic.