Press Row Podcast - Sports Game of the Year

[dowroa]

Operations Sports:

I am pretty disappointed with the listing of Top 3 games that I just heard. A lot of the explanations I heard were "playing current favorites", and not speaking to which is the best sports game of 2014.

Sports games (and racing games) have to be judged on different criteria than most other games. They come out year over year, and are additive (other genres are getting there, but not quite to the sports gaming level, yet). In my opinion, you have to have the fun, content, and breadth to be considered a "Top 3 game of X-year."

What astounds me the most is to hear what was the sports game of the year last year (Fifa 2014) not even be in the top 3 this year! Yet a fun and under-featured game like Super Mega Baseball be in 3rd is beyond comprehensible, to me. Fifa '15did NOT get worse this year. The online was better than anything else listed. The modes are still rock solid. Is it hugely innovative as 2K's Player Career is attempting to be? No, but that is a battle for 1st or 2nd -- not 5th.

People on this specific panel appear to be voting favorites -- not sports game of the year. This seemed to be the same on the Podcast from Operation Sports that did racing games as well (I couldn't even make it through that podcast as I was offended for some of the choices from the members in that episode, personally). A sports (or racing) game should have to be evaluated for the complete gambit of the game -- not just on what excited you today.

Simply, this is akin to Mariokart 8 getting Racing Game of the Year, which is even referenced as a joke at the top of this podcast! A "fun game" (which is always a relative metric) being highly ranked is misleading when a simple feature-by-feature or depth comparison would just show the "fun game" to fall hopefully short in comparison. That is not to say we should not enjoy these "fun games", but are they really "the best" or "the top" games of the genre? In my opinion, they are not (whether or not you think they should even be compared in the discussion or not).

I am glad everyone enjoys the games they enjoy, as they should. For example, I bought, play, and enjoy Super Mega Baseball as it takes me back to Tegen's RBI I played as a youth. But, please, discontinue ranking the games in an order if everyone's systems for ranking are so disparate. Super Mega Baseball isn't as feature rich as Madden, NBA 2k15, Fifa 15, PES 2015 or even Golf Club (it has on-line!).

Super Mega Baseball should get an honorable mention if everyone enjoyed it (like Rookie Game of the Year). That is perfect. However, It should not be #3 and it should not be displacing quality, high level feature content games like FIFA and PES.

Thank you for your high quality and almost always enjoyable podcasts, but I think I will skip ranking podcasts from this group in the future. OS panelist do a GREAT job of talking about WHAT they enjoy and WHY they enjoy it. I agree and have found MANY reasons to give games I would have never thought of trying a chance from listening. However, the "ranking" this year seems to as shallow as MarioKart 8 being voted the racing game of the year.

- brian

[rtkiii]

I thought Madden 15 would have received more love just because this was a year I actually enjoyed playing it. That Arcade game...is a novelty hyped way too much. If that style of game is included then why not Mario Kart 8, Wii Sports 2, etc?

[rtkiii]

Quote: Originally Posted by dowroa

Operations Sports: I am pretty disappointed with the listing of Top 3 games that I just heard. A lot of the explanations I heard were "playing current favorites", and not speaking to which is the best sports game of 2014. Sports games (and racing games) have to be judged on different criteria than most other games. They come out year over year, and are additive (other genres are getting there, but not quite to the sports gaming level, yet). In my opinion, you have to have the fun, content, and breadth to be considered a "Top 3 game of X-year." What astounds me the most is to hear what was the sports game of the year last year (Fifa 2014) not even be in the top 3 this year! Yet a fun and under-featured game like Super Mega Baseball be in 3rd is beyond comprehensible, to me. Fifa '15did NOT get worse this year. The online was better than anything else listed. The modes are still rock solid. Is it hugely innovative as 2K's Player Career is attempting to be? No, but that is a battle for 1st or 2nd -- not 5th. People on this specific panel appear to be voting favorites -- not sports game of the year. This seemed to be the same on the Podcast from Operation Sports that did racing games as well (I couldn't even make it through that podcast as I was offended for some of the choices from the members in that episode, personally). A sports (or racing) game should have to be evaluated for the complete gambit of the game -- not just on what excited you today. Simply, this is akin to Mariokart 8 getting Racing Game of the Year, which is even referenced as a joke at the top of this podcast! A "fun game" (which is always a relative metric) being highly ranked is misleading when a simple feature-by-feature or depth comparison would just show the "fun game" to fall hopefully short in comparison. That is not to say we should not enjoy these "fun games", but are they really "the best" or "the top" games of the genre? In my opinion, they are not (whether or not you think they should even be compared in the discussion or not). I am glad everyone enjoys the games they enjoy, as they should. For example, I bought, play, and enjoy Super Mega Baseball as it takes me back to Tegen's RBI I played as a youth. But, please, discontinue ranking the games in an order if everyone's systems for ranking are so disparate. Super Mega Baseball isn't as feature rich as Madden, NBA 2k15, Fifa 15, PES 2015 or even Golf Club (it has on-line!). Super Mega Baseball should get an honorable mention if everyone enjoyed it (like Rookie Game of the Year). That is perfect. However, It should not be #3 and it should not be displacing quality, high level feature content games like FIFA and PES. Thank you for your high quality and almost always enjoyable podcasts, but I think I will skip ranking podcasts from this group in the future. OS panelist do a GREAT job of talking about WHAT they enjoy and WHY they enjoy it. I agree and have found MANY reasons to give games I would have never thought of trying a chance from listening. However, the "ranking" this year seems to as shallow as MarioKart 8 being voted the racing game of the year. - brian

Well said!

[ralphieboy11]

I love this podcast, but I too was disappointed with the rankings this year. It didn't seem right for Super-Mega Baseball to come in so late and grab so much attention. It looks like a fun little game but as the previous poster mentioned it's not a full depth content game like these other titles. That is shown in its price alone.

I thought of the exact same analogy before I read dowroa's post. It was just like Mario Kart 8 winning sports/racing game of the year.

I didn't really agree with the Show as best title either. I love that series, but the first Next Gen title didn't have the polish of their previous titles. There are still issues with lighting in certain ballparks, and the patch support seemed less this year with the game coming out so late and SCEA moving onto '15. Also, I think the Show is lagging behind in Next Gen graphics at the moment. My list would have gone like this.

1. NBA2K
2. FIFA 15
3. The Golf Club(outstanding new title with tremendous developer support)
4. MLB the Show
5. Madden 15(showing good signs but still struggling with making the game look like the real game we see on Sundays)
6. PES (I enjoy this game but the graphics and licenses are too much for me to overcome)

[Turbojugend]

I totally agree with the selections this year. All-in-all this was a pretty solid year for sports games, but The Show is the only one that has stuck with me, two months into the offseason and I still can't stop playing. I wouldn't have been surprised if NBA 2K15 won, but the launch issues definitely soured things. I wouldn't have been surprised at FIFA 15 either, but unfortunately for FIFA, Konami showed us there's still a lot that can be improved in the gameplay dept.

Looks like I'm going to have to give Super Mega Baseball a spin. If anything, it should fill the gap waiting for The Show 15.