31 replies to this topic

[VidGameKing]

Why is it that there are so many sports games fo video game consoles? I've never actually gotton into sports games at all. I dont understand the logic! Why play a sport on TV when you could go out and play the sport for real??? I once had a friend when I was up in Canada doing the majority of my collecting who told me "Sports games are the whole reason for video games" I just responded "na, I do think so" but then I was looking at the vast number of video games availible out there and an astonishingly huge ammounts of them were sports titles! I have a sports game with my DC but not for my GC, PS2 or my XBOX. I got the DC sports game for free and I dont have the heart to part with it. when I tryed to play it, I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to controll an entire team with just me and one controller! I mean the other team isn't limited by that! I'm sure alot of care has been programed into the game to ensure realisim and acuraccy of play, heck, even fairness! but still, isn't a good FPS, or driving game so much better? what do you guys think? are sports games the shiznit? or are they just an extra aspect of video games?

[shep]

I dont really like sports games much myself, I just don't find them that fun. Why play tetris when you can go lay bricks...

[Room 34]

I am not into sports games at all.

I think it's telling that tons of sports games are made, but they have the shortest shelf life of any video games on the market. And NO ONE wants to buy last year's used games.

Personally, I like video games that are more abstract. That's why I'm not too into the FPS style games and why I haven't bothered with any of the modern consoles.

*Room 34 silently creeps back under the Atari 2600 rock he came from.*

[liquid_sky]

i like sports games, but only because i played sports back when i could, and now that circumstances dictate that i cannot, its the next closest thing i can get. (seriously,as much as i want to, its hard to find 22 random people that would be willing to let people hit the shit out of them to play football with)

[Ze_ro]

Playing a sports video game is quite a bit different from playing the game outside... when I play floor hockey with my friends, I don't get to cross-check Brett Hull, and we don't get Bob Cole and Harry Neal giving commentary, and I don't get to pass to Stu Barnes for the one-timer past Curtis Joseph.

Sports games are just as valid as any other games, although not everyone is into them. I'm not really sure why they bother releasing a new game every year when there often isn't much improvement. I certainly wouldn't pay another $70 just for an updated roster.

Personally, I enjoy hockey video games, but I can't get into football or basketball. This is probably because hockey is the only sport I follow at all, and I also play it outside with my friends on weekends. If you're not into sports, then you won't be into sports video games. If that is your case, I'd recommend you try "lite" sports games like Mario Tennis, NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, or any of the Mutant League games... they're still based on a sport, but the physics and play are simplified to more of an arcade game. You might find them more to your liking.

--Zero

[liquid_sky]

and in most games you can set the mode to arcade rather than simulation for a faster higher scoring game

[maibock]

Quote

seriously,as much as i want to, its hard to find 22 random people that would be willing to let people hit the shit out of them to play football with

haha so true

[PuddWakkr]

My knees are so bad from playing hockey that I can barely skate anymore. NHL on the genesis alows me to get my hockey fix in without further damage to the old knees. Could never get into the 3D updates so I just stick with the old reliable genny versions.

[Raijin Z]

I don't like sports games much, but they ARE fun when you bust out the multiplayer fun. 5 player NBA Live 95 on SNES was THE PROVERBIAL SHIT, although I would never buy the game just to play by myself.

[VidGameKing]

I had some sprots games for my older systems, but I sold them, I dont think I'll be playing tham any time soon. but it's interesting, most of you have a bunch of sports games, but only really play one or two of them?

[Starscream]

I'm not a big video game sports fan myself but it depends on what type it is. I like Hitz, Blitz, Street Hoops, Slugfest and stuff like that. Super Spike Vball kicked ass and my all time favorite sports games would be Baseball Stars Professional 2 for the Neo Geo or any version of Super Dodgeball(if that counts). I just can't get into the newer, more realistic ones, they seem to be more simulator type of game to me.

[PaulEMoz]

I think it's because, with the exception of basketball, all the popular US sports are only really able to be played by the elite. The games are just too difficult and expensive for the average Joe to play.

Now, everyone over here hates football (soccer), but it's the easiest sport in the world to play with your mates. All you need is a ball. When I was in England, we'd do anything for a kickaround. If there are two of you, you put your sweaters or jackets down on the grass for goalposts, one goes in goal and the other tries to score a set number. Then you switch. If there are more, you could have one on goal and play the first to score three goals goes in goal. If you've got ten, you can play five a side football. There are literally thousands and thousands of organised five a side football games every week just in England. Then there's Sunday League football. Thousands of teams, made up of a bunch of lads that know each other from the pub, all playing each other, every weekend.

So, it's a game that is able to be played by anyone, at any level. American sports are fantasy sports, to be played by a few, and watched by the rest. The sports games market caters to that "rest", it gives them a chance to play what they love to watch but are not able to play.

Sorry for rambling!

[Gregory DG]

VidGameKing said:

Why play a sport on TV when you could go out and play the sport for real???

Because some people stink at the real thing! (Like me, who has delusions of being good at all sports. But let's be real, I stink.)

Besides, there are lots of sports games that are fun to play!

[JagMX]

its nice to do things you wish your team would dowhen you watch them for real
i like hockey games
dont have much patience for baseball games, but world series 98 for the saturn is fun

[Scooterb23]

A lot of the points brought up are why I play sports games...

I can't play baseball anymore

I live in an area where I can't get my friends together to throw a football around.

I can make my Cubs play my Red Sox in the World Series

[quote]I'm not really sure why they bother releasing a new game every year when there often isn't much improvement. I certainly wouldn't pay another $70 just for an updated roster. [/quote]

Thing is, there a millions of people who will. I keep buying the new ones because I enjoy trying to break the computer AI Or the small changes they keep making are the exact things that bugged me about the last version...

I don't know why I still buy baseball games though...hasn't been a great one since Baseball Stars on the NES.
[/quote]

[Paralistalon]

I'm one of those people who when asked which genres he likes, will say- "Anything but sports." I just never play sports games, except for Mario Tenis and Golf. I guess Ze_ro was right when he said that you have to be into watching football on TV to get into the games.

[Nintendo Penguin]

I do like racing games like F1 2002 and NASCAR Thunder 2003. I always have liked racing games.... ever since I first played Pole Position II... they are fun and I am good at them + I am a race fan.

Other than racing games, I am not into sports games at all. But every once in a while one come along that I love. NHL Hitx 2002 for example.... before that game I knew nothing about hockey, I had never even watched a game. I played hitz at a friends house and then bought it as soon as it was out for the Cube. NBA jam is another title.... I never have liked basketball, the the arcade game was so fun! I also bought that as soon as it came out for the SNES.

[VidGameKing]

I love driving games, I first played a driving game, Pole Position on my 2600jr. the next game I had that was a racing game was Nascar on the PC.

[candiru]

liquid_sky said:

(seriously,as much as i want to, its hard to find 22 random people that would be willing to let people hit the shit out of them to play football with)

There's always 8-man football. That's what I played in High School.

And just so I'm on topic, I've never really seen the appeal of sports games either. I do like a lot of the Atari 2600 sports titles though.

*Peeks under 2600 rock and asks Room 34 to move over a little bit*

[joeybastard]

I like sports video games for the most part and I like to occasionally play a real sport. The thing I can't understand is how anybody can sit and watch sports on TV. Except for hockey and boxing, TV sports puts me right to sleep.

As for sports video games I'm probably in the minority in that I purposely buy last years sports title because it's cheaper. I don't know any of the current pros so if they are from last year or 3 years ago, it makes no difference to me.

[Son of Torgo]

Why are there children's games? Becase there is a market for it. And these companies know that the same guys that spend $100 on beer watching football at a bar are the same guys who will drop insane amounts of cash on the latest sports game. To quote the Puff Daddy himself, "It's all about the Benjamins".
Personally, I could live without 'em. I do enjoy the occasional video boxing or wrestling match. Hardly sports, but are catagorized as such.

[Foxy Cleopatra]

VidGameKing said:

Why play a sport on TV when you could go out and play the sport for real???

I can't believe it! Someone who says the exact same thing as me!

For some reason I always think of a bunch of Frat guys sitting around drinking beer and having the Super Bowl in the living room of the frat house, when I think about who buys sports games.

[DeV0]

The closest thing to a sports video game i would play is Speedball 2 for the Amiga,,

There are so many old EA sports games floating around going really cheap,, Maybe the dads of this world thought they might introduce themselves to the video game world on their kiddies machine by purchasing a sports game?

Frankly, i think they suck

[Scooterb23]

Actually, with the franchise modes in today's games...I wonder if this trend will continue?? I mean, if you can play through several seasons, why bother buying a new game every year??

[Gregory DG]

I used to think that sports games sucked too until I played the ones for the Dreamcast. NFL2Kx, NBA 2Kx, and Virtual Tennis are a blast! WSB2K2 is pretty good too.