Sports video games continue to dominate sales each year, despite mixed to negative reviews. Sports games seem to be immune to criticism as ardent football, soccer, baseball and basketball fans usually buy the latest version of their favorite series no matter what the critics say. Madden NFL is one of the best-selling games in the US this year alongside Call of Duty and EA FC, formerly known as FIFA.
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>Sports games are too big to fail commercially, even if they fail critically, and it’s a comfortable place for publishers. Sports game reviews are taken out of the conversation because by the time the frank opinions of the mainstream media come to light, it will already be too late. The season begins, fans want to simulate the season they will see on TV. For millions of players, just having squad updates is enough. Anything that makes the latest game better or different than previous years is a nice bonus for them.
Sports games also occupy a unique place in the world of video game reviews due to the pay-to-win mode present in all major franchises. EA calls it Ultimate Team, NBA 2K has MyTeam, MLB The Show calls it Diamond Dynasty. Regardless of the specific name, this mode is known to lure players in with microtransactions. EA has generated over $1 billion in revenue from these microtransactions, which now accounts for 75% of the company’s total revenue.
the consciousness
This practice was shaped in the video game industry after the Star Wars Battlefront 2 affair, which also introduced pay-to-win mechanisms. Negative reactions from players and critics prompted EA to remove these elements and overhaul the game’s economy and progression before its official launch. However, there hasn’t been a similar response in the world of sports games, as players of these games are often disconnected from the mainstream gaming community.
Sports leagues like the NFL and NBA must love these pay-to-win modes because they increase the popularity of leagues and games while filling their coffers. Sports games have never experienced an economic revolution like other console games and are more like the world of mobile games with in-app purchases and man-made obstacles designed to entice money to spend.
So, sports game reviews have a different audience. Not only are they recommendations for consumers to buy, they also help to understand where the game genre and industry is going. By analyzing a sports game, we can also better understand the sport itself and the culture that surrounds it. Game modes like The Yard or The City reinvent the sport for a different audience than traditional fanatics. A sports game review not only tells the reader whether it’s worth buying, but also explains whether the game has achieved its goals and whether those goals were worth it in the first place.
Those: www.gamespot.com
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