EA Sports: Running Out of Ideas
One of the biggest announcements coming from EA at E3, unsurprisingly was related to their famed Madden franchise. And there is no doubt that their plans to include playable online franchises in a 32 player league are exciting.
Lately though, it seems that newer installments of these sports games from companies like EA, Konami, and 2K, have been lacking new features.
Instead, as the 2010 series of sports games come out, I’m afraid that this lack of ingenuity will lead to each successive game being nothing more than a glorified graphical and roster update.
Sports games have come a long way since the days of Tecmo Football or Blades of Steel, although who doesn’t like to fire up the old Nintendo system and throw the ole pigskin the length of the field in Tecmo? Over the years as technology developed, the games did as well, from better graphics to more complex game play, and sports games are no exception. Sports titles, for the most part, have become more realistic in player models, overall play, and available modes. While advancements in technology have made sports games more realistic, as evidenced by the Madden franchise, there is still a demand for the arcade-like sports titles, games that allow players to defy the laws of physics in a sort of fantasy sports world. Is one style of sports gaming superior to the other? I’m here to try to help the sports gamer out, outlining the pros and cons of both styles, hopefully helping the indecisive gamer to decide which style they would enjoy more and getting the most out of their purchase.
As games like Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto IV have shown us, video game hype can get well out of hand. Not to say that these games are bad, because they are not, but too often, gamers set their standards and expectations too high only to be incredibly let down by the game’s mediocre gameplay. As a result, the backlash at some of these games has proven detrimental to the franchise’s reputation.
Reviewing Madden titles is just fun, because you (the reader) probably already know whether you want to play it or not. Written reviews are really just for those few gamers out there who haven’t been ‘in the game’ recently but still have no aversion to it. If you have fond memories of playing Madden as a kid, but haven’t liked the new editions you’re in luck; this year’s doesn’t suck.
Living in one of America’s 
Have you ever wished that your favorite athlete or team would be placed on the cover of the sports titles you buy religiously every year? You’ve paid your dues, and committed hundreds of game play hours; shouldn’t your opinion mean something? Sadly, you don’t have the final say as to who gets placed on the front of games like Madden, NHL, and NCAA 09. But fear not, there are plenty of ways to place your favorite sports star on the cover of your game of choice.
Today in America, addictions are all too prevalent, ranging from pharmaceutical pill addictions to frightening American Idol obsessions. An often unreported yet steadily growing problem is beginning to garner more attention, though: the growing addiction to fantasy sports.
While gamers around America are still putting in pre-orders for the August 12th release of Madden ‘09, EA is already looking forward to Madden ‘10 and they aren’t afraid to talk about it. Their first order of business isn’t what you might think, though: rather than focusing on some aspect of gameplay, they have announced that there will be a download service available to bolster the game’s soundtrack.