The "final frontier" of sports games I feel is integration of an authentic broadcast experience. Getting this stuff just right creates immersion beyond mere gameplay tuning and AI improvements. A presentation that replicates a telecast is the polish to which all sports game developers should be striving for. The thing is, many of these lessons on how to do it right come from past sports games. Over the years we've seen some incredible features added (and for some reason subtracted) from our games.

NBA2K has that awesome Real Time Presentation, where the cameras are cutting realistically between the whistles at proper camera angles to capture LIVE situations on the court. So instead of repetitive cut scenes, its all driven by the game’s engine and dynamic use of camera edits. The crowds and lighting are truly a sight to behold. You would think it was real if you didn’t know any better. The result is a very authentic looking telecast style.

FIFA has that emotion in its commentary. I don’t think any game really captures that broadcast style commentary emotion like Fifa does. The buildup. The color commentary. GOALLLL!!! Situational commentary is important as well. Talking about a players seasonal performances or a team's success throughout the year adds that extra level of immersion.

NHL (2000 – 2001 on PC). Out of town updates, scores and highlights. I cant tell you how much this adds to the immersion for me. I want it to feel like a REAL league and i want to hear about the happenings of the other teams as im playing. Put some updates in the game's ticker. (What's going on in Atlanta tonight?) ; )

MLB The Show. Polished presentation. Cameras and editing are fantastic. Matching those angles we see on television is key.

NFL2K5 – Shows. I'm sorry but this is the biggest long lost lesson in sports gaming presentation of all time. The Chris Berman stuff in 2K5 is the best ever. Sure the graphics and repetitive comments are crude by today’s standards, but it really puts you in the game because he is TALKING about what you did and what the other teams are doing in the same we see these shows on TV. Its not just “here are the highlights”, “here are the standings”. Its a lot more. Injuries, trades, big performances, out of town highlights.

I hope to see greater attention paid to these kinds of improvements in all sports games. When talking about immersion and authenticity, how we SEE out game is just as important as how we PLAY them.