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RaychelSnr · 10-28-2010, 02:44 PM

I came to a realization the other night while sitting in my basement. As I sat on my couch enjoying yet another great game of NHL 11, I glanced over at my growing gaming collection. Nestled cozily in between my copies of NBA 2K11, NCAA Football 11, UFC Undisputed 2010, MLB 10 and FIFA 11 were barely touched copies of Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2. It was at this moment that it hit me like a ton of bricks: 2010 has been the year of the sports game.

Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2 are three of the best video games I have ever played. The problem is that with a plethora of great sports games currently available, it is downright impossible to invest the proper amount of time into these other gaming masterpieces. For the first time during this console generation, sports gamers are being rewarded with top-notch triple-A games. This year's crop of sports games can stand toe to toe with the likes of Call of Duty, Uncharted and Halo.

Read More - 2010: A Sports Gaming Odyssey

statum71 · 10-28-2010, 03:00 PM

I can agree 100%. I have all the big name sports titles this year and feel that each is the best version of its respective series to date.

But with that said, like you, I really wish Madden would catch up to the crowd.

Everyone else's presentation is blurring the line between real TV and video gaming. And its not an EA thing because other EA games are closer to the 2K's and MLB's of the world.

ps3veron · 10-28-2010, 03:21 PM

Agreed 100%

It would be interesting how 2011 pans out: How will The Show 11 compare to MLB 2K11?
Will NBA 2K12 be able to match 2K11? Looovin it!

Armor and Sword · 10-28-2010, 03:38 PM

No question there has never been a better year for hardcore sports gamers than 2010. I just purchsed my PS3 a little over a year ago (August 2009 to be exact). I learned from my PS to PS2 transition that game developers need 2-3 years to fully take advantage and bring their new games up to snuff on the new cpu hardware at their disposal. And this is so evident in sports games more than any other genere.

So having this knowledge from past experience I saved myself the pain, anger and frustration that I went through with my early PS2 days (NBA LIve 2000-2003, Madden 2000-2003, Triple Play Baseball etc) and waited. Boy it was hard. The eye candy in the local Gamestop was tempting, but I kept waiting. Then I saw MLB The Show 2009 and I could not wait any longer. So finally I retired the PS2 (I still have and play some older games from time to time Star Wars Battlefield 2 , Metal Gear Solid, and Gallop Racer 2004 come to mind) and my XBOX (just play KOTR I II, Fable, Baulders Gate I, II and NFL2K5 from time to time) and went in with open arms to the new gen.

Wow! Just wow with The Show 2009 (still playing this version). Then of course I did purchase Madden 2010 and NBA 2K9 and NHL 2009. I was not happy with NCAA like most and Madden 2010 went stale quick once the exploits and bugs came to a ugly head and NBA2K9 was a major letdown in the gameplay department. So fast forward to today.

NHL 2011
NBA2K11
Madden 2011
NCAA 2011
The Show 2009 (still going strong)

These 5 games are sucking my game time. I did play BCBF2 for while and will again once the new DLC is released (that game rocks online) but I am totally immersed in my offline franchises as well as my online NCAA dynasty playing the Thundering Herd of Marshall. These games represent the very best sports games ever IMO. Even Madden 2011 which get so much flack around here is no question for me the best playing Madden in the series history. Yes it took a great slider set and gameplanning for the cpu for this to happen but it is going strong in my rotation.

As sports gamers we have never ever had it so good. I will date myself here. I come from the Atari 2600 generation and I think most of us as well as Genesis and NES players truly appreciate the amazing sports games of today. I will even throw in NFL Head Coach 2009 which I have played and own (I have not dove in just yet) as another great sports sim.

Of course all this has shelved some amazing non-sports titles for me.

1) Metal Gear 4
2) Oblivion
3) Fallout 3
4) Dead Space
5) Bioshock
6) Star Wars the Force Unleashed
7) Uncharted 2
8) Batman Arkyum Asylum
9) Red Dead Redemption

I own all these games as well and have barely cracked them. I really want to as they are all great titles....but I can't. My deep love for Sports games is too powerful to overcome, and being that all these sports games are so amazing I don't care. I know eventually I will get around to them. And the great thing is other than Madden 2012 (in which I hope we get that offline franchise overhaul otherwise no go for me), Top Spin 4 and Fight Night Champions, I see no reason I will need to buy another basketball, hockey, baseball, or college football title for at least another 2 years easy.

Again has there ever been a better time to be a Sports Gamer?

Great blog!

GlennN · 10-28-2010, 03:43 PM

Can't argue on the quality of games this year (Madden 11 and NHL 11 running away with my playing time), but I still miss when we had more than one choice in baseball, football and hockey (oh, and when there was sports gaming on the PC - remember the days of Front Page Sports Football/Baseball, Hardball, etc).

Armor and Sword · 10-28-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennN


	Can't argue on the quality of games this year (Madden 11 and NHL 11 running away with my playing time), but I still miss when we had more than one choice in baseball, football and hockey (oh, and when there was sports gaming on the PC - remember the days of Front Page Sports Football/Baseball, Hardball, etc).

I can't disagree with that at all. More choices is always better.

Armor and Sword · 10-28-2010, 03:55 PM

I also forgot to mention how amazing CHoops2k8 is. I picked that up about 7-8 months ago for 5 bucks and that game is just awesome. On the shelf too though till March

jestep123 · 10-28-2010, 04:05 PM

Madden is no longer the flagship title it once was. When I was in college in the mid to late 90's that is ALL the college students played. Thats it. You didnt see RPG's or shooters or any of that. Nowadays, even regarding sports. faster moving games like Fifa and NHL are taking over. This is part of the reason why gameflow was designed. With all of their commitments (assuming they are responsible teenagers) , teens just do not have the time or patience for a game like Madden

My brother works on campus at NC State and he described it best to me the other day, he described Fifa as "The New Madden." and he is absolutely right. That is what the kids are playing. He said he cant remember the last time one of the students he works Fellowship with invited him into the dorm for a game of Madden. Its always Fifa.

Think about the most prominent Madden commercial you saw this year. The one I saw most wasnt geared toward kids. It featured a young adult putting a baby to sleep in a baby swing and then sneaking over to his TV to turn on Madden when the baby was all settled. The tag line was "Get your Madden Back.", That is geared toward an older generation of diehard fans.

Madden ads use to be ambiguous, now they are very targeted. I think that says alot about how EA views the franchise differently than it did 15 years ago.

10-28-2010, 02:44 PM	#1
RaychelSnr Executive Editor OVR: 57 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 4,846 Blog Entries: 490	2010: A Sports Gaming Odyssey I came to a realization the other night while sitting in my basement. As I sat on my couch enjoying yet another great game of NHL 11, I glanced over at my growing gaming collection. Nestled cozily in between my copies of NBA 2K11, NCAA Football 11, UFC Undisputed 2010, MLB 10 and FIFA 11 were barely touched copies of Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2. It was at this moment that it hit me like a ton of bricks: 2010 has been the year of the sports game. Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2 are three of the best video games I have ever played. The problem is that with a plethora of great sports games currently available, it is downright impossible to invest the proper amount of time into these other gaming masterpieces. For the first time during this console generation, sports gamers are being rewarded with top-notch triple-A games. This year's crop of sports games can stand toe to toe with the likes of Call of Duty, Uncharted and Halo. Read More - 2010: A Sports Gaming Odyssey

10-28-2010, 03:55 PM	#7
Armor and Sword The Lama OVR: 0 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Parkland, Florida Posts: 21,198 Blog Entries: 5	Re: 2010: A Sports Gaming Odyssey I also forgot to mention how amazing CHoops2k8 is. I picked that up about 7-8 months ago for 5 bucks and that game is just awesome. On the shelf too though till March __________________ Now Playing on PS5: NHL25 - Panthers YR1 (30-9-2) CFB 25 - Alabama YR7 (6-1) MLB 20 The Show - Yankees YR8 Spring Training, 1985 Yankees Replay Undisputed Dragon Age Veilguard Follow me on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/armorandsword Last edited by Armor and Sword; 10-28-2010 at 04:09 PM.

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10-28-2010, 03:00 PM	#2
statum71 MVP OVR: 61 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arlington, Tx Blog Entries: 27	I can agree 100%. I have all the big name sports titles this year and feel that each is the best version of its respective series to date. But with that said, like you, I really wish Madden would catch up to the crowd. Everyone else's presentation is blurring the line between real TV and video gaming. And its not an EA thing because other EA games are closer to the 2K's and MLB's of the world.

10-28-2010, 03:21 PM	#3
ps3veron MVP OVR: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Esterbrook	Agreed 100% It would be interesting how 2011 pans out: How will The Show 11 compare to MLB 2K11? Will NBA 2K12 be able to match 2K11? Looovin it!

10-28-2010, 03:38 PM	#4
Armor and Sword The Lama OVR: 0 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Parkland, Florida Posts: 21,198 Blog Entries: 5	No question there has never been a better year for hardcore sports gamers than 2010. I just purchsed my PS3 a little over a year ago (August 2009 to be exact). I learned from my PS to PS2 transition that game developers need 2-3 years to fully take advantage and bring their new games up to snuff on the new cpu hardware at their disposal. And this is so evident in sports games more than any other genere. So having this knowledge from past experience I saved myself the pain, anger and frustration that I went through with my early PS2 days (NBA LIve 2000-2003, Madden 2000-2003, Triple Play Baseball etc) and waited. Boy it was hard. The eye candy in the local Gamestop was tempting, but I kept waiting. Then I saw MLB The Show 2009 and I could not wait any longer. So finally I retired the PS2 (I still have and play some older games from time to time Star Wars Battlefield 2 , Metal Gear Solid, and Gallop Racer 2004 come to mind) and my XBOX (just play KOTR I II, Fable, Baulders Gate I, II and NFL2K5 from time to time) and went in with open arms to the new gen. Wow! Just wow with The Show 2009 (still playing this version). Then of course I did purchase Madden 2010 and NBA 2K9 and NHL 2009. I was not happy with NCAA like most and Madden 2010 went stale quick once the exploits and bugs came to a ugly head and NBA2K9 was a major letdown in the gameplay department. So fast forward to today. NHL 2011 NBA2K11 Madden 2011 NCAA 2011 The Show 2009 (still going strong) These 5 games are sucking my game time. I did play BCBF2 for while and will again once the new DLC is released (that game rocks online) but I am totally immersed in my offline franchises as well as my online NCAA dynasty playing the Thundering Herd of Marshall. These games represent the very best sports games ever IMO. Even Madden 2011 which get so much flack around here is no question for me the best playing Madden in the series history. Yes it took a great slider set and gameplanning for the cpu for this to happen but it is going strong in my rotation. As sports gamers we have never ever had it so good. I will date myself here. I come from the Atari 2600 generation and I think most of us as well as Genesis and NES players truly appreciate the amazing sports games of today. I will even throw in NFL Head Coach 2009 which I have played and own (I have not dove in just yet) as another great sports sim. Of course all this has shelved some amazing non-sports titles for me. 1) Metal Gear 4 2) Oblivion 3) Fallout 3 4) Dead Space 5) Bioshock 6) Star Wars the Force Unleashed 7) Uncharted 2 8) Batman Arkyum Asylum 9) Red Dead Redemption I own all these games as well and have barely cracked them. I really want to as they are all great titles....but I can't. My deep love for Sports games is too powerful to overcome, and being that all these sports games are so amazing I don't care. I know eventually I will get around to them. And the great thing is other than Madden 2012 (in which I hope we get that offline franchise overhaul otherwise no go for me), Top Spin 4 and Fight Night Champions, I see no reason I will need to buy another basketball, hockey, baseball, or college football title for at least another 2 years easy. Again has there ever been a better time to be a Sports Gamer? Great blog!

10-28-2010, 03:43 PM	#5
GlennN MVP OVR: 13 Join Date: Oct 2003	Can't argue on the quality of games this year (Madden 11 and NHL 11 running away with my playing time), but I still miss when we had more than one choice in baseball, football and hockey (oh, and when there was sports gaming on the PC - remember the days of Front Page Sports Football/Baseball, Hardball, etc).

10-28-2010, 04:05 PM	#8
jestep123 Rookie OVR: 13 Join Date: May 2009 Blog Entries: 6	Madden is no longer the flagship title it once was. When I was in college in the mid to late 90's that is ALL the college students played. Thats it. You didnt see RPG's or shooters or any of that. Nowadays, even regarding sports. faster moving games like Fifa and NHL are taking over. This is part of the reason why gameflow was designed. With all of their commitments (assuming they are responsible teenagers) , teens just do not have the time or patience for a game like Madden My brother works on campus at NC State and he described it best to me the other day, he described Fifa as "The New Madden." and he is absolutely right. That is what the kids are playing. He said he cant remember the last time one of the students he works Fellowship with invited him into the dorm for a game of Madden. Its always Fifa. Think about the most prominent Madden commercial you saw this year. The one I saw most wasnt geared toward kids. It featured a young adult putting a baby to sleep in a baby swing and then sneaking over to his TV to turn on Madden when the baby was all settled. The tag line was "Get your Madden Back.", That is geared toward an older generation of diehard fans. Madden ads use to be ambiguous, now they are very targeted. I think that says alot about how EA views the franchise differently than it did 15 years ago.