Ultimate Team is a Missed Opportunity to Correct Sports' Inherent Imbalance

[Steve_OS]

What would happen if Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive decided to copy Nintendo's idea, and host World Championships for Madden NFL 15 and NBA 2K15 at E3 this week? Given how both games are currently built, these tournaments would likely become a long series of dull "mirror matches," repeatedly pitting Seahawks against Seahawks, and Warriors versus Warriors. Picking a team other than those two front-runners would be as big a handicap in those games as choosing to hit from the Pros' tees in Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, while all of your competitors are driving off the Women's tees.

Being able to gain a significant advantage over your opponent on the "team select" screen is partially sports videogames' fault, but primarily, professional sports' fault. League bigwigs love to talk-up their competition committees, and how they've helped to usher-in an era of "unprecedented parity," but that utopian, egalitarian vision hasn't yet materialized in sports videogames, which remain ruled by the one annoying "super squad" that everyone selects online. FIFA and PES still have FC Barcelona, NHL still has the Chicago Blackhawks, MLB The Show still has the Los Angeles Dodgers, and so on, as you browse through all of the team sports titles presently available on store shelves.

Read More - Ultimate Team is a Missed Opportunity to Correct Sports' Inherent Imbalance (Written by Jayson Young)

[hawkfantn]

The challenges in MyTEAM do impose restrictions, such as only allowing three Gold players. Now, these are games against the computer, so maybe that isn't what you are talking about here, but nonetheless your article is not completely accurate when you leave that out. Ultimately, both MUT and MyTEAM could borrow from each other to come up with a more comprehensive and rewarding selection of different ways to play that would satisfy more people. MUT could do more with limiting the different tiers of players for certain things, while MyTEAM could offer more variety and incorporate easier difficulty settings so you could build up your team easier.

[2kNerd]

Great article. These Ultimate/MyTeam modes can be so much more than the cheeser nonsense they are now.

I have no problem with these companies using modes like this to sell digital currency, and I have no problem with players who just want to try and build a team full of Hall of Famers. I just don't want to be forced to play against them.

Just give us some type of "salary cap" or restricted option when it comes to playing other players. Especially in 2K. There is no strategy involved when someone has a team full of guys rated over 90 on their roster.

Some players could care less about this...that's fine. Leave the current modes the way they are and just add some type of "salary cap" option that makes the team-building part of the mode have some strategy and intelligence to it.

In the big picture it will only help sell digital currency. The highest rated cards will always have value and be in demand. But a salary cap mode would start to give more value and create demand for Bronze and Silver cards that play better than their ratings suggest or have a specialty skill.

Modes like this can be so much deeper. They really are a sandbox for gamers. Not to mention they combine elements from Online head-to-head games with team-building strategies that you see in Franchise/Season modes, but without the commitment of having to find a way to play a full season.

[fifacoinson]

Good posts

[Cnada]

Its a great point that is why I dont understand Ultimate team.

You end up with teams of 99 Ovl squads. Whats the fun? Highly rated players become pointless as they are all highly rated.

Draft format makes sense to me

[ThatMichiganFan]

I think that the new Draft Champions mode will be much better. At first, I was not sure, but the more I watch and hear about it, the more excited I am about the mode.

[saira500]

it was a good chance

[fballturkey]

Quote: Originally Posted by ThatMichiganFan

I think that the new Draft Champions mode will be much better. At first, I was not sure, but the more I watch and hear about it, the more excited I am about the mode.

It looks to be perfect for what this article was talking about.