Sports game let down blues

[Bman123]

Kind of a rant but I wonder if anyone is with me on this. I pay $60 a year for a sports game, I'm basically only getting updated rosters tho. I haven't bought a sports game since 09 due to this. Anyone feel the same way???

 

[chedrz]

The only sports games I really buy are NHL games. I'd like to pick up a MLB game, but first 2K Games or whoever it is that makes them needs to put out one that isn't really glitchy. As far as hockey games, I tend to pick up a new game every 2-4 years so I don't get the "$60 for rosters" effect you're describing. In the time between games, I just try to keep the rosters updated myself.

I've played NHL 2000 (Playstation), NHL 2003 (PS2), NHL 2004 (XBox), NHL 2007 (Xbox 360), and NHL 2009 (360), and all those games have felt very different from one another. You just have to time the development cycles right. I mean seriously, there's no way these studios can crank out an entirely new game with revised graphics, rescanned player figures and new mechanics in the 1 year period between games.

 

[darkswordsman17]

A lot of people do, but they keep selling well (I laughed at the "disappointing" Madden sales figures last year as it still sold well) so its going to keep happening.

Sports games in general don't give me much value as I get bored of them quickly, so I don't buy them. Of course for some people, even the $60 a year and basically zero resale value makes them an exceptional value as they get a lot of play out of it. I guess you could just try to look at it that way.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Good question. No, it isn't worth the $60 fee for a roster update and some new gimmicky feature that you likely won't use. In my case, I've been guilty of getting caught up in the hype and buying Madden every year. The other sports games, though, I've done a better job of moving to an every other year (or so) purchase -- NBA 2K8 to NBA 2K10, NHL 2K7 to NHL 09, NCAA 09 to NCAA 11, and MLB 2K7 to MLB 10 The Show. College Hoops would probably be the only game that I would continue buying yearly installments of, if they decide to make it again.

I personally thought Madden 09 was the first good "next gen" version of the game and then I thought Madden 10 brought enough improvements to the table (mainly, online franchise, speed of game setting, better graphics) to justify the cost. Madden 11 has nothing useful from what I can tell and the area they could have improved to get my money, online franchise, will have no tangible improvements this year. I say it every year, but this year, I think I will skip Madden -- at least until it drops to a reasonable price. And this is coming from a person that since 1997, has only missed Madden 98 and Madden 2001.

By the way, if you guys are interested in joining our AT NCAA 11 online league, see my sig.

 

[Cuda1447]

Blanghorst, you're my skip Madden buddy. We have to keep each other strong. Neither of us can buy the game this year.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Blanghorst, you're my skip Madden buddy. We have to keep each other strong. Neither of us can buy the game this year.

I think I might make it this year. I haven't played Madden 10 since like January and even then, I never finished a complete season. So my strategy is to wait until August 1 or so and then I'll start a Madden 10 franchise. That might be enough to save me.

 

[gorcorps]

It's best to skip 3-4 years anyway... then the improvements seem a lot more substantial.

 

[Adrenaline]

I used to love baseball game and the best one I played in a long time was EA MVP 2005 MLB. Then MLB wanted some exclusivity rights along the lines of Madden and EA said no, so they quit making MVP Baseball for the MLB.

I used to buy the pc version of Madden but they don't make it anymore it seems, so I pass on it.

 

[Bman123]

The ea MVP baseball was the shit, I haven't bought a baseball game since then. I'm gonna just get madden 10 and call it a day til 2012 madden comes out. I'm sure there will be alot of ppl still playing 10 anyways.

I hate the 2k basketball, I cannot shoot for shit in those games, I can play live good but my 2 friends only play 2k. Last time I played 2k I lost by 40 points lol, no mo 2k fo me.

 

[seipheroth]

I didn't mind buying sports games every year so long as I had others to play with. I bought Madden every year from 2002 to 2008, mainly because I had friends and roommates I could play a franchise with or challenge online. That kept the game fun, but over time they find other games, roommates move out, so there wasn't many people to play against. I do plan to buy NCAA Football '11 and hopefully find an active online dynasty because I don't think it'll be too fun doing a single-player dynasty since none of my current roommates are football fans.

 

[Bman123]

I remember when I was younger about 7 years ago we use to play madden and TW all the time with friends. That's before everyone had kids lol. If I had alot of friends to play with it would be alot easier to skip years between purchases.

Madden11 is a no go for me, I still have to beat rdr. I'm 9 hrs in and 26% done with it. I have mw2, fo3 which I haven't started, skate un started so I'm a lil busy now, if I beat rdr soon I'd sell it and buy gta4 and madden 10

 

[Bman123]

I did the funniest shit today. I played 2k9 and madden 09 on ps2 today at my buddies house. I really appreciate my 360 now lol....

 

[AceStallion]

all sports games are basically updated rosters...nothing is ever really new except for an occasional Madden update like QB vision or whatever...The Tiger Woods games are now a complete rip off...its basically the exact same game every time...i think ur best best for novelty when it comes to sports games are all of the different MLB games out there..maybe the new Blitz?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

all sports games are basically updated rosters...nothing is ever really new except for an occasional Madden update like QB vision or whatever...The Tiger Woods games are now a complete rip off...its basically the exact same game every time...i think ur best best for novelty when it comes to sports games are all of the different MLB games out there..maybe the new Blitz?

I'd say that's mainly true for football. EA has no competitors in terms of an NFL game and you can see the results (though in fairness, I thought Madden 10 had enough new stuff to justify buying it even though I had Madden 09).

Baseball is an interesting beast on its own. 2K has exclusive rights to the MLB for third-party producers; the contract they signed, however, allows first-party producers (ie, console makers) to make baseball games and that's why you have MLB 10 The Show. On the Xbox, you only get the 2K version. So there is some competition there, but only in the PS3 world.

The NHL and NBA have multiple games each and I don't think it is coincidental that for the most part, the NHL and NBA games year in and year out are generally regarded as the best sports games. Competition really helps.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I'm sure there will be alot of ppl still playing 10 anyways.

Probably, until EA shuts off the MP servers.