Where Can Sports Games Still Go This Generation?

[Steve_OS]

Scott Funk I don’t think any big leaps are expected if recent history is anything to...

Written By: Operation Sports

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[Chaos744]

I think games can and NEED to once again use the more powerful platform (PC) as the lead development system of choice. Developers now develop for the least common denominator and I feel like it's crippling development and "breaking" game additions.

Madden 19 / Fifa 19 are perfect examples of this - both are on the PC, but both are coded for the weaker consoles.

If they took advantage of the faster GPU / CPU in gaming computers, they could add not only eye candy, but AI / computational improvements, then pare them down for the consoles.

I'm hoping that this occurs with the upcoming generation of consoles, but I know this is a long lost vision.

[Remedy563]

It's kinda like marrying the girl with a pretty face and then realizing she has no substance. That is this generation. Which is a carry over from previous ones. If I'm being honest, Dreamcast and the OG Xbox were the last great leaps we had. Everyone remembers when they first booted up NFL 2K5. We've had a complete NFL experience. So with greater resources and power, we should have be able to build on that. Developers were still using a 128bit generation cycle to push out games when maybe we should have had an every other year cycle.
Madden is never gonna deliver the full experience because MUT is priority over everything else. Long gone are the days of If it's in the game, its in the game. EA sold its creative soul for the exclusive license. The NFL limits what they can put in the game. So what’s the only way to fix this? Get rid of those exclusive licenses and allow 2 years in between releases.

[da_centa_fielda]

We need fresh perspectives. Madden has no competition. MLB The Show has no competition. 2K is just starting to have a bit of competition with Live. This gen has felt more like all these games have been playing it safe and just trying to milk their 'card modes' as much as they can.

[Sparkles]

This gen was probably the worst for sports. Franchise modes took a major backseat for many titles, except 2K. Loss of college games being made. No competition for madden and once again no baseball game for Xbox. This gen was all about money for the companies and it leaves me very wary about next gen. And if history tells us anything, the first year of next gen isn’t going to be revolutionary

[sammysosa]

I think that all of these sports leagues need to make their licensing more accessible for game developers so we as the consumer can have more* options of sport titles to play with. The PS2 and original Xbox era were the best times for sports* gaming.I hope that we can get that era back soon..

[BA2929]

Nothing will change in the games that launch this year, and we'll get a game on the PS5 and XBox 2 in 2020 that is a bare bones game with just better graphics.

So I'm not expecting much of a jump forward in anything gameplay related until 2021 at the earliest.

[poulka]

This gen has been a debockle, I agree with a couple of earlier posts that help contribute to this great debockle. *MUT has become the cash cow and emphasis and the major sports games besides soccer being company exclusive Madden and MLB. *For me NBA2’ has done a lot for instance player specific animations. *This helps bring it to life.
But the one game that has not *seen no where near full potential is Madden. *Three areas that need improvement and should have Madden look like *the *ideal dream of a game. *These are unique player animations such running styles , stances, and catching styles other styles could be put in as well but want try and keep it brief.
Next is *stadium atmosphere I mean every game is the same *whether playofff or cough cough rival games Redskins and Cowboys among others. *They all play and sound the same,
lLastly is weather, I mean only a few choices no variety *not changes. *I mean we racing games that allow to choose time of year, type of weather including fog with rain. *Not only this you even go from clear and pretty to a nasty thunderstorm none of this happens in Madden. *Now I know football is not played in lightning but how many times have seen games go from clear to a monsoon and then back. *Or snow to rain. *Heck what about flurries falling occasionally with no accumulation on the field. *Just things we see EVERY season and Madden has not had fog *since Madden 02 and changing weather since *05. *Wow almost two decades ago.