On the Fence About NCAA Football 09

[RaychelSnr]

Are you on the fence about buying NCAA Football 09? If so, you are not alone. Our very own Carlos Hernandez is as well and you can check out his thoughts in his article, On the Fence About NCAA Football 09.

Quote:

"While getting ready to play NCAA Football 09, I had an epiphany. An epiphany not simply about NCAA Football, but the sports video game genre as a whole. Sadly, I have discovered I’m unsatisfied with the overall quality of sports games. Even fan favorites like MLB: The Show and College Hoops 2K8 have left me desiring a richer product."

[prscorpio2681]

That was a article that seemed to come from a true gamer and not just an employee to another game site. I can respect that. To each his own ...either you like it or not....there are always going to be other options...thats the best thing......as for me ....Goooo Noles!!!

[ehh]

Quote:

Sadly, I have discovered I’m unsatisfied with the overall quality of sports games. Even fan favorites like MLB: The Show and College Hoops 2K8 have left me desiring a richer product. There just seems to be something missing in all titles and I have yet to find the common issue, if one even exists. There is no clear feature or gameplay mechanic that will have me believe that NCAA will be any different.

I feel the same way, except I finally found out that the missing issue is fun factor, IMO.

Sports games today simply aren't fun for the most part. I hear everyone in The Show forum rave that it's the greatest sports game ever made but I just don't have fun playing the game. I can appreciate the game from an objective point of view but it gives me little pleasure to play it. Even the other game you mentioned, College Hoops 2K8, was great for a while but lost my interest by April.

Yet I'm still playing MVP '05 and having a blast with it because it's an insanely fun game to play with limited glitches. I'm going to start a dynasty in NCAA '07 on regular Xbox because that's the last football game I had a ton of fun with. Sure, the deep ball was too easy, there was a little too much offense and other items but as a whole the game was fun as hell to play. Even MLB2K8, a glitchy game that's much more arcadish than The Show is simply more fun to me.

Video games are a leisure activity for me, but at some point in the last 5-6 years it became a lot more than that. Nitpick everything, complain when something isn't included, etc. At the same time we are given glitch-filled games for the most part (that deserve criticism) and a post-release patch has become the industry norm.

What it all boils down to is that those are issues that take away from the fun factor for gamers. If I'm not going to have a ridiculous amount of fun with a sports game I'm not going to play it, either because I choose not to or because I will lose interest in it quickly. That is why I don't own a 360/PS3 anymore and I won't buy another one until the sports gaming industry changes.

It's too bad they can't patch the fun back into sports games.

And at the same time, if you have fun with NCAA 09 or any other game then great for you because that's all that matters. If you don't care that Southeast Idaho State has an impenetrable offensive line or that the CPU's QB will eat you alive almost every game then that's fine. Enjoy the game and have a ton of fun, that's what video games are made for.

[kmart2180]

I think what it comes down to is the game gonna be fun? And although I've read of some nasty bugs none are effecting the fun factor of the game. The patch will make this game incredible but for now it will still be fun to mess around with until then.

I am more concerned with just being able to have a fully named roster that wont crash my online dynasty. If I get that then I can wait for the gameplay patch issues.

Just go to Easportsworld.com and watch some sick video's and its enough to see that this game has a fun factor.

[Phobia]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

Video games are a leisure activity for me, but at some point in the last 5-6 years it became a lot more than that. Nitpick everything, complain when something isn't included, etc. At the same time we are given glitch-filled games for the most part (that deserve criticism) and a post-release patch has become the industry norm.

I agree. I remember playing football games because they were fun as hell to play. Now I find myself nitpickin every little thing about sports titles.

I think this happened for most of us when sports games made the jump from being blotchs on the screen to more detail realistic games. At that point we have wanted more more more more more and this has caused us to loss sight that just 10 years ago we were watching a little blue blob named thurman thomas running for the bills. We had three different running animations, left right and striaght. It was simple and that made us accept the illusion of it being "football".

Now we can see just by looking at someone through the face mask who they are. See the beads of sweet run down their face ect. We wonder why can't we do everything that the real people do on sundays.

I think we need to back away for a sec and just enjoy the game.

[Tywon]

Quote: Originally Posted by Phobia

I think we need to back away for a sec and just enjoy the game.

That's the best advice I've read on these boards in weeks.

[Herky]

I think the main reasons for gripes is as far as next gen goes, there have been a lot of issues with sports games. College Hoops 2K8 is really fun and pretty realistic IMO, but after that games have been so buggy on next gen consoles that it kills realism.

Madden 08 is pretty fun on PS2 even with it's problems, but at least you can play a game and have fun without issues that ruin gameplay.

It's year what now on next gen and there are still problems? I know nobody want's to hear about NCAA 2004 again, but why after so many years since then can't EA seem to release a football game without a big bug in it? )2005 was a mess with the drops).

Next gen has been as disaster for NCAA and Madden and it's just frustrating when you shell out $60 for a unfinished or half assed product.

Rant over and I'm done bitching. Let's just hope this thing gets fixed and I'm still on the fence, but leaning towards waiting.

[BigDofBA]

It's ironic that people talk about how great old games like Tecmo Bowl were and bash today's games. In actualy reality, games of today blow games of the past out of the water.

Everytime a game is released people pick it apart to no end. It's a result of us becoming spoiled. Remember when you couldn't edit anything, play online, have deep dynasties, etc?

There are some valid complaints but there seems to be way more nagging. Sports games are released every year so there isn't going to be any drastic changes year to year.

Games aren't fun today because people have picked them apart before they have even played them.