Sports Games got WEIRD

Thanks for watching me rant and supporting the channel
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[@Gaslighter893]

Sports games did not get weird. They got worse.

[@juliusjean-baptiste924]

It became a monopoly and a lack of options

[@bornonmany2sdays]

they were always weird 😂 they just were fun

[@dylanroach3022]

The "new features" they add are usually features they took away years prior

[@isoxj1810]

I find it weird because while the games are not flawless, the gameplay gets better and better every year. But all that gets thrown out the window when playing online. 2k was the worst with the removal of the aution house in my team so you couldnt even hunt for budget options if you were f2p or a low budget spender. My career has always been "if you dont have the best build or said animations, then you're at a disadvantage."

[@alexnather7614]

NBA 2K24 is literally worse technically "not graphically" than 2K16 17 18 19 20. its pathetic

[@mechrowave6342]

Honestly micro transactions are anoying in sports games I don't care for a season pass I JUST WANA PLAY BASEBALL

[@greg.osiris]

U literally dont have to buy any micro transactions

[@Xaydot]

@@greg.osiriswell that would be the case if they didn’t try and force that shit in our faces every second. i remember getting ur build max was relatively easy but nowadays you gotta spend 70 dollars to 100 dollars to get ur build max and it’s like what’s the point cause the builds will end up getting patched and u wasted ur time and money

[@juliusjean-baptiste924]

@@Xaydotwithout VC and starting from scratch, I think players start at like a 65 overall and it can take upwards of a month to get to a 90 overall without VC in a 2K game. Im playing Live 19 again, a game free of micro transactions, and it took me a week to get to a 93 overall and players start from 70. Players can level up pretty quick in Live

[@thatdude7692]

I didn’t spend a dime and my team in season 1 was stacked 99 overall

[@itzquan7295]

@@greg.osirisso if the business is making money and they implement something to gain money off said product why don’t you think we getting short end of the stick .. just curious why they down your throat like that

[@franklinligh7175]

This all started when EA Sports bought the exclusive rights to the NFLPA in 2006, setting a new precedent and ending competition

[@jpeters1734]

Yeah no shit lol

[@OtherBarry4908]

Then EA screwed up and killed nba live.

[@stephengrigg5988]

Well 2k made espn football and that challenged madden, so EA bought the exclusive rights to the NFL and we lost 2k football. In response to that, 2k bought the exclusive rights to the MLB and we lost MVP baseball, which is still regarded as the best baseball game. So yeah, a great example of capitalism working as the complete opposite of a meritocracy. We lost the two best sports games in their respective sports forever, over corporate greed.

[@CouchCoach16]

​@stephengrigg5988 I know everyone always thinks that "EA BOUGHT THE NFL RIGHTS" but what happened was that the NFL looked to sell their rights to their league. They did this with everything...Pizza Hut used to be the "official pizza" of the NFL now it's Little Ceasars, they have "official partners" for EVERYTHING. So while EA paid for the rights, it's because it was the NFL wanting there to ONLY BE ONE partner for everything they could

[@FragginWagon76]

Madden 2007 is the last Madden game I ever bought. I was so upset they killed 2K.

[@kylekruse8618]

The excitement over a college football video game is a perfect representation of what sports video game fans ACTUALLY care about.

[@Southeastern_Thrills]

I don't want EA to screw it up, but I know they will.

[@dizdawgjr34]

@@Southeastern_ThrillsI do think they will probably mess it up, but the new game is showing more promise than any other major sports game than a very long time when it comes to actually being a sports game focused more on the sport.

[@Southeastern_Thrills]

@@dizdawgjr34 👍

[@TROPxBIG2x]

@@dizdawgjr34to be real the only way they mess up the game is the W&T(wear&tear) system. Id say about 70 percent of us only care about dynasty mode & they never disappointed or fell short with recruiting so the adds to recruiting is a huge win.

[@LordWafflestomp]

I'm excited for CFB25 because it's the first game in a long ass time to have am actual dev cycle instead of yearly release. Yeah it's the same engine as Madden and all, but it's still gonna feel different just like the older games did and hopefully when it does go yearly, it doesn't decrease in quality. Modern sports games are the biggest reason why yearly release games just can't happen anymore.

[@bguzewi0]

Bring back EA Big. The streets need a new NBA Street and SSX game.

[@brettrossi034]

YES!! NFL AND NBA street were the best!! So much fun.

[@raphz6256]

What's sad about that is that the games just wouldn't be as good, so I don't even want to think of that

[@AlexCereal]

Could you imagine NBA Street with a modern roster and updated graphics?! What a dream

[@raphz6256]

@@AlexCereal and micro transactions for everything. There's a reason Volta failed in Fifa

[@TheMarslMcFly]

@@raphz6256 or NBA Playgrounds...lol, that sorry joke of a Game

[@Rookie_Mode2023]

"We're the audience. It shouldn't matter to us how the business works." 👏👏👏

[@alonedownthere47]

and yet it's gonna have to matter to everyone because we laid down and accepted capitalism 🥲 it's not enough for a game to have an impressive innovation or make a certain amount of money, it has to be more impressive and make more money next year, and the next year, forever! it's fucking cursed. I'm not gonna pretend I know socialism or some other system would make better video games for longer, but it's just so rough and i hate it here lol

[@richp858]

@@alonedownthere47 Yeah you sound like you're struggling to cope with basic concepts of life.... quite the opposite, we're really not supposed to care. That's the point of the field of business. It's why people get college degrees in business, to play in this mud while WE, the general public, ENJOY THE SHOW.... the only reason drama happens is when people get EMOTIONAL and CARE TOO MUCH

[@GarkKahn]

​@@richp858no, the problem comes when whoever is making the product just stops caring about it You don't go to a restaurant and expect the one cooking to do it poorly or have a "then do it yourself" attitude. If you keep going there then you deserve eating the same garbage expecting some change one day

[@richp858]

@@GarkKahn Just stop man. I'm already getting tired of avoiding scammers on here. People like you are the problem for real. You don't like something, don't do it. That's all. Stop f'n whining.

[@tbyrn21]

I think you've nailed it in this vid. Sports games are fun when you just let us play the sport, and not have to worry about things like ultimate team. I'm loving my career in Cricket 24 because it just lets me play without being asked to drop cash to max my stats out like in NBA 2K. We really need a big reset or new competition in the genre.

[@lakerfan2874]

NBA 2K never tells you to max your attributes out. The players are telling you that because they don't want to play with a 60 overall player. You can play the game against the CPU normally. It's realistic that a 60 overall wouldn't be as great as the storyline wants to claim.

[@turtz0]

​@@lakerfan2874please use your fucking brain. You think after paying 70 dollars you should be forced to play a 60 overall and not be able to have any fun online because you are getting stomped by people who paid more than you?

[@badaxtion1878]

@@lakerfan2874yea but without cash, you’ll be trash for too many hours without even counting trying to customize your own player with just shoes. I just play The W now. It’s what Myplayer used to be but a little more stripped down

[@dominicdragoni4215]

even offline madden and 2k esp nba have like point matching to try and keep they game close and they completely sacrifice the integrity of the game and gameplay for the sake of being down 9 points and not 10

[@Rookie_Mode2023]

The college football community is the biggest indicator of this. We've been playing NCAA 14 for 11 years and finally we're getting a new game next month.

[@giggityguns123]

Former Madden fanboy here. I think the frustration you pointed out about losing features from old games while being advertised to aggressively is half the problem. But the game switched from the ignite engine in Madden 25 (2014) to frostbite, which was basically a commitment to cinematics and graphics, while making the game feel more scripted and on-rails. I think the AI took a nose dive for both FIFA and Madden when they embraced frostbite. In any video game you just want to feel in control of the game. Another problem is that the community will eat up anything that looks pretty and displays the players’ faces glamorously, and the developers realize and are counting on that.

[@colmecolwag]

It is just the eternal problem of "videogames are harder and harder to make than ever, yet skipping a year for any of the Sports games for a year would be a financial disaster" so you got a team panickedly trying to make and update a game in a huge time crunch which is all a mess Madden is a weird one tho cause like, yeah it has a lot of modes that have come and gone but the game itself has like a Billion game modes still, it's a weird product to talk about there

[@mbowmoney]

THANK YOU

[@giggityguns123]

@@colmecolwag Yeah i blame the suits over the devs for sure. But i dont buy that a multi billion dollar conglomerate doesnt have the resources to produce something better. And its not necessarily a lack of game modes, its that everything lacks depth even at the gameplay level. Its just like everything else, why would Disney and Marvel not spin off their franchises and beat their properties to death? As long as the theaters are filled and can sell popcorn, they’re happy for those to be the only movies shown. The NFL itself loves watching Madden make billions every year, so why bust up your own legal monopoly?

[@colmecolwag]

@@giggityguns123 i mean yeah the suits are part of why "skipping a year is suicide" is a Thing at all, but also that's just capitalism and money making as a whole too. There is a LOT of game in every Madden but it's still based on all this spaghetti code and stuff too. And also like... I don't know if this is a problem more money can solve. The Best yearly released game out there is like, Call of Duty, and they're 3 different huge studios taking turns making 3 different 3 year plans, are one of the largest game developers around, have also kinda put every other studio they had ONTO call of duty to just try and get enough manpower for it, AND each year there's all sorts of weird crud and issues fans have issues with. I don't think EA can spare All of Activision levels of manpower and spending on Madden alone. The hope is just that "college football got multiple years of work on it at least hopefully it can be ported to Madden without losing all of THEIR good stuff in the process too"

[@nothabibikah24]

I’m pretty sure they didn’t switch to frostbite until Madden 18, before that was ignite. I have Madden 15 and that’s on ignite

[@harpskid]

I just wish people would honestly say to themselves "I am a victim of a predatory business model." Sports games that come out every year are already pretty suspect, but when you've got lootboxes, season passes, and you *literally* are only leasing the game until the servers shutdown in 4 years...is that really a good investment? I would rather regress to the 80s, a time before I was even born, and enjoy the games of that time period than give this manipulative garbage the time of day.

[@reedtheroom9580]

For me all the sports games i wait to play til they're on game pass. I almost never play online anymore and gave up my player even tho i used to enjoy it in 2k. I always hated ultimate team. I just like franchise modes in everything and i still cant help myself but to sink hours into the show franchise now but at least i dont give them extra money

[@Bferrell15]

servers actually shut down even quicker, nba 2k24 released 9/8/2023 and shuts down 12/31/2025, which makes it even worse

[@harpskid]

@@Bferrell15 Wow so people are paying $70 minimum for 2 years of gaming. My sports gaming bingo card is seeing games go to a subscription model. $5/mo to play "2kinfinity".

[@RoninTheBlackFox]

Yes sir! Salute

[@cglucas44]

4 years no no no no no try again you can't play anything before 2K23 You're getting at Max two years. it used to be 4 years, but that model's all gone now it's last year and then this year and when this year's comes out they'll shut down last year.

[@icrashout]

Microtransactions are the huge reason of sport games' downfall

[@mattlong4014]

I once lost an NBA2k solo franchise in year 12 because the servers shut down with no internal warning, and I didn’t realize that my file was only saved on the network

[@brianm27]

Micro transactions ruined video games 😭 this is a post mortem, they’ve been dead for years

[@LadySniperSwaggYT]

The thing is with NBA 2k they make it hard as possible to play the game without micro transactions.

[@juliusjean-baptiste924]

They made the game hard for sure. Getting VC is a grind, the gear in shops are expensive, and it can take upwards of over a month to get to a 90 overall starting from under 70. Then there’s badge regression which really put the 2K community on edge. It forces players to not only play the game longer but to use those badges or skills. Live starts players out at 70 and in under a week can get to a 90 overall. Can unlock everything in the game by just grinding. Don’t have to spend real money. Pure in game currency

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah the grind is atrocious, pretty obviously designed to frustrate you into buying vc

[@OtherBarry4908]

If only EA hadn't messed up nba live.

[@Maxrepfitgm]

Once it changed from skill points to VC I think I lasted two years or NBA 2k15 or 16 and realized it wasn't something I was interested in anymore which is a shame because I would love to buy and play an NBA game.

[@irvinglambert9316]

2k is still in a much better place than the other games. 2k is the most greedy with it's online modes, but they also offer the best offline play. They have the best franchise mode ever conceived. The gameplay offline is usually good and gives you enough options that can be adjusted if it isn't. The other sports game franchises are less greedy, but they offer so much less for offline play, and the gameplay does a worse job replicating their sport (The Show excluded, it has superb gameplay most years). The only franchise mode that is in any way comparable to 2k's is NHL, and 2k's is still years ahead of NHL (excluding the manager games like OOTP).

[@OtherBarry4908]

Lack of competition is the problem. EAss and 2k got lazy and greedy because they have no competition.

[@kirk90212]

As far as ice hockey immolation goes, the Zamboni is a vehicle that resets the ice between period and flattens and smoothes it with hot water. So… being on fire would help melt the ice but it would probably happen so fast that the ice wouldn’t have time to freeze again so the results wouldn’t be helpful. It might depend on the ambient temperature of the arena. But I’m not a physicist. Hope that helps

[@wimpwilson]

Thank you, this really helps with my research 🤔

[@Maxrepfitgm]

Lol 😂​@@wimpwilson

[@Re_al33]

What sucks is that MLB the show felt like the only good sports game bc it wasn’t so heavy on micro transactions on its diamond dynasty mode, but they recently just kept shoving packs in our throats that cost way too much making you want to spend money

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah I guess I look at the show as the lesser evil at the moment in terms of the big sports games

[@jackryanTV]

I have a cool lineup nms they’re obv not comp but they’re fun

[@dasteelerz7413]

not to mention it has not changed much

[@k-2768]

Making you want to spend money??? you must be talking about children right? 😂

[@halcyonfrost6790]

@@wimpwilson I feel like each game should just be compared to its past versions. The most common argument I hear is that "at least the show is not like madden or 2k". Like the bar is on the floor. Just because you are an inch off the ground doesnt mean you're doing amazing. The show used to be amazing. Its just good now because the ENTIRE GAME has taken a backseat to diamond dynasty

[@presrecord]

Admittedly, an amazing video that touches on how almost all video games these days have become money grabbing corporate entities, not just sports games. The biggest indicator is at the end of the video when you put together the montage. Every game looks amazing and nostalgic and I missed every game you showed… then PGA 2k23 popped up, and the ball flying in the air just looks lifeless and dull. Sad times these days

[@kidthekiddo8996]

youtube gave me an advertisement 6 seconds into your nostalgia montage at the end, and it was so ironic i thought i was going to rip my hair out

[@666cashley]

I got one 6 seconds into the video 👍

[@dasteelerz7413]

you guys should really use adblock

[@DADON99]

Lack of competition and the popularity of online play is the reason for the lack of passion in sports games and just video games in general

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah I agree, I think a lot of triple A gaming has the same problems as the sports genre

[@kylespevak6781]

They basically became all sims besides Mario sports and any clones. We used to have SSX, NBA Street, NFL Blitz

[@angel_of_rust]

e a. *B I G*

[@rhythmlessroxby]

Hardcore 2K gamer from 11 to 22 here, I really can only agree with your sentiments here. 2K has managed to get away with so much, it feels like there's a major controversy every year since 18 -- from unskippable ads, to deleting players, to 2K24 literally lying and scamming people out of card rewards ... the audacity of sports gaming companies is insane

[@rhythmlessroxby]

Not to mention that since the new gen of consoles came out, 2K has been repackaging the same game every year for last gen consoles & still selling it at $60

[@6994Elijah]

Excellent video, as always! Also, although they're not conventional "sports" games, I do miss the EA NASCAR games of the early to mid 2000s. I played the hell out of those back in the day.

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed 😊 i haven’t played any of the nascar games actually, I’ll have to check out 👍

[@RowingFrontal5]

Before EA got exclusive rights you had different types of NASCAR games. Just the same type of phenomenon you talked about here. All the games had to be good because they weren’t the only game on the market. Simulation type with impressive physics: NASCAR Racing 2003 Season (still being modded to this day) Polished Mainstream EA Entry: NASCAR Thunder 2004 (best console NASCAR game) Lower budget but just as fun entry: NASCAR Dirt to Daytona Then EA got their exclusive deal and nascar games have been on a nosedive ever since. They’ve crashed into the bottom of the deepest depths of earth and might be climbing back

[@ChrisSterner]

Omg yeah I loved the ones that had the ability to switch between drivers during a race because i used to created all kinds of championship battles and try to do stuff like have Scott Riggs when a coke 600 are Kevin harvick having to fight his way into the chase then wining it

[@AdamKlownzinger]

Sports games are trying to not be sports games. They’re trying to be open world like mmorpgs, they’re trying to have grand story modes, theyre trying to have microtransactions like mobile or casual games, etc. while also being sports sims. And they can’t do all of these things so they do each of them poorly and the quality of just the sports gameplay alone stagnates or declines

[@Bizixi]

Very surprised this video doesn’t have a lot of views. Very well put together and informative! I’ve been playing sports games my entire life and this completely sums up the genre. Great video bro‼️

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 🙌

[@supermegaguy666]

It's been out for 2 weeks and is by FAR his most watched video...

[@Bizixi]

@@supermegaguy666 yeah I mean this is a video I’d see that potential could get a million views is what I mean

[@JSimBaller23]

The nostalgic hype for NCAA Football is so great that it’s really going to upset a lot of people when it ends up being a pay to play business model. The fans think they brought it back for us, but in reality they brought it back to profit on a business model that didn’t exist the last time the game existed.

[@jesusismyhigh123]

wimp exposing modern gaming one genre at a time

[@krischens2433]

Who are the people who gamble on the packs and skins and stuff??? I don't know anyone like that, where are they hiding? Who's playing online and sweats? I just want a great franchise mode...

[@harpskid]

I lost over $300 as a teen playing on CSGO roulette sites. Id imagine a similar teenage demographic is suspectable to buying packs and skins on sports games. People who buy the packs know in some sense that they are being ripped off so they might not admit they do it to their friends because they're ashamed.

[@nomorepartiezz]

middle school aged kids.

[@texanarchy666]

high schoolers who dont have any other vices

[@cartermelon]

This video better pop off and your channel better grow! This was a fantastic video! Summarized everything perfectly. I recently returned to NBA 2K to be disappointed that the my career mode changed so drastically. But you really hit the nail on the head with every point in this video. FANTASTIC work!!!!

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks, really glad you enjoyed 😊

[@jameshartman3630]

Super underrated stuff, never see people with

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed 😊

[@dylanmoore5138]

The problem with madden is not only do you get nickel and dimed but the gameplay also sucks but they have the exclusive license so you have no choice.

[@z0zef]

I wish there would be an NBA or basketball in general and a soccer game similar to games like super mega baseball series or the golf club series. The state of sports games, for the most popular of them, is disappointing, at least.

[@cbixby8335]

I been playing smb 4 I like it more than the show

[@firstlasts9630]

The biggest problem is that sports titles no longer need a yearly release... The only reason this was necessary, back in the day,was to update rosters really and bug fixes. A simple update takes care of that now. Sports titles need to go to a 3-5 year release cycle. The time it takes to really put out a quality game. You'd also be able to notice innovative things added to the game. But its a cash grab now. Nothing will change as long as people flock to them and keep buying them.

[@texanarchy666]

thats what ea was doing with ufc and they improved every game from 1-3 but started declining in quality starting at 4 when they found ways to monetize it and stopped focusing on putting out a quality mma game

[@marrodc]

The extreme focus on graphics and making money killed modern sports games. I've always liked playing FIFA a lot, but FC24 was the nail in the coffin for me. I found the "intelligence" of the players when defending to be terrible, and that coupled with the play style that is rewarded in this game is unfun and, ironically in a sim, unrealistic. It's all about spamming skill moves, abusing glitches in the defense to score, and just going forward without thinking about it, and if you don't play this way, you'll struggle to keep up. I gave up on FC24 went back to FIFA 17, which was such a refreshing take on a football game. It is still such a good game that plays way better than the recent installments. The players are somehow smarter both attacking and defending than in the newer versions despite all the supposed improvements throughout the years; the game looks probably better (FC24 looks cartoonish to me); and it actually rewards playing the game in a more "tactical" way. Like, playing with a lot of passes in this game feels so rewarding and nice because if you have good vision, you will be rewarded by finding your player make a run into the space you created with your touches, unlike in the new releases where players are static no matter what the instructions are. Contract negotiations in career mode, while a bit annoying due to how long it takes, also feels more realistic due to that waiting time than being able to make 7 signings in a single day because they're immediate. And the best part might just be the menu tbh. It's so refreshing to have a background that isn't a boring dark color. The menu with a bright pitch being in the background even makes me more enticed and excited to play a match because of the positive connections my brain can make with a pitch that looks ready to be played in, rather than a bland dark screen. I just hope with competition in the near future, they can finally make a great game again

[@marctuenge]

I’m just waiting for the day when EA and the NFL get investigated for monopolizing there games. Also goes for Sony and The Mlb

[@modnar-]

Hi Mr. Wilson, this was in my recommended today & ended up binge watching all your videos. You gave me some genuine chuckles and your reviews are now strictly how a base what games I play lol

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying the videos 😊

[@lukekowalski]

There are plenty of great sports games coming out nowadays, you just gotta know where to look. Out of the Park Baseball, Wild Card Football, 3on3 Freestyle, Super Mega Baseball, Football Manager. A shame the industry is so dominated by the top-end names that no one goes to look below the surface.

[@defeatstatistics7413]

FM has its own problems, been in that community for nearly 20 years.

[@nadimls3672]

Try Legend Bowl and College Bowl made by one guy. That game combined everything that people ever played.

[@w3s10]

1:15 basic summary of all of England's history

[@wimpwilson]

😂

[@iamthurnis745]

i think it’s also been fascinating to see how more common emulators have become and the advancement of those as well.

[@Plupert]

I’ve played soccer my whole life. As such I loved FIFA and got addicted. I played hardcore from 2010 to 2023. I was even near pro level around 2017-18. The level of predatory microtransactions EA, Take 2 etc. do is absolutely pathetic. Basically gave 10 year old me a gambling addiction. Luckily as an adult I was able to get out of it. But man I feel so awful for all the naive little kids getting sucked in like I was in the late 2000s One thing I disagree with is that you said the new EA soccer game was better because it’s different. Unfortunately that’s not true, it’s way, way worse.

[@NoMoreTrickPlays]

Anyone else remember how awesome the EA sports ads used to be?

[@lunarwhaler]

This is exactly the kind of thing I subbed for. Doesn't matter if it's the "usual" genre or not - at the end of the day it's a funny guy, making a video on a topic he's passionate about, with some entertaining gags and some good editing.

[@wimpwilson]

Thanks! Glad you are enjoying 😊 I tend to be all over the place with my topics, I just play lots of different genres 🤷 thanks for the sub 🙌

[@shadowandroid1823]

Correction:sports games got BAD. Exclusivity led to laziness and greed.

[@reioftheseventhcircle]

as a long time 2k player, the show was SUCH a breath of fresh air. i have never really been a fan of other sports because any fandom for any sport i ever had came from video games, and i've been playing 2k since i was 4 or 5 years old. last year, i tried the show for the first time and fell in love with both the game and baseball itself. don't get me wrong, it's loaded with microtransactions as well, but compared to recent 2ks, it was so muted. i play basically every mode in any sports game, so going from 2k's ridiculous 99 overall craze with shaq having 90+ 3 point ratings in my team to getting baseball players that somewhat play like how they do in real life was such a relief. it's fun, it's interesting to learn something new, so it's so much better for me personally. the mynba eras is the best addition i think 2k has made in years, and they've already half-abandoned that mode and it's still loaded with generic players winning awards and completely abandoning the boom-or-bust potential system that they hyped up so heavily. 2k seems like they legitimately don't care about basketball. at least the show seems like it's made by people who like baseball.

[@obeyhuncho]

All ima say is the community is at fault for the way sports gaming is we keep buying trash product that’s overpriced 🤷🏽‍♂️ accountability.

[@onekidarmy]

Thats not how this works. Companies build predatory gaming models because it takes advantage of our dopamine cycles.

[@DatBoiGloomy]

Sports games are unfortunately monopolized and those companies sign sports organizations to exclusive deals which essentially cuts out all competition. I miss when 2k and EA Live competed for sales and pushing new feature because they HAD TOO.

[@JustinAlton]

Don’t get it twisted…EA FC is trash in so many ways. Terrible game.

[@bball9]

I’m 23, I have played MLB The Show every year since I was 12; this is the worst product they’ve put out by far! Such an obvious cash grab.

[@stickdeath1980]

NFL Blitz on Dreamcast was Gold (in my student day's) but main one we played was the rugby league games and the NHL and jonah lomu rugby and Shane Warne cricket 99 ;)

[@wimpwilson]

All amazing, Shane Warne cricket 99 is 🔥🔥🔥

[@ch66ry88]

I don’t personally I really enjoy the old art style and presentation of the old 2000s sports game, like they’re sort of timeless and I can go back to the old games and not really complain about graphics compared to the HD era where it’s so easy to tell the graphical difference that the old games will always look inferior

[@coreyward9000]

Great work video about racing games as usual, not many cars though, in all seriousness the big ant cricket games slap and have no natural enemy or competitor. Weird observation but your shirt looks like it would be heavy and would feel scratchy, please confirm. Keep up the great work!

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah I think these games were all from an experimental phase where the devs started putting professional athletes into racing games instead of cars 🤷 can confirm the shirt is heavy, not too scratchy though! The colour is a poor choice to try to key a green screen against, but I’m up for the challenge

[@Sem5626]

missed opportunity, could have went on the F1 series hard because its had the EA treatment the past few years as well codemasters had issues before the buy out but man are they hitting a whole new level of terrible now

[@lettucekisses]

The 2k story about my career is exactly what happened

[@claustrophobicturtle]

Micro transactions are the downfall of video games period

[@emilymumola772]

Found this video on the home page and really enjoyed. Wish you had talked more about cricket and rugby games, they're a really interesting case in a discussion that's usually centered on annual release American sports (and FIFA/EAFC)

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah I might do some more on them in the future, just had to fit them in with all the others for this one 😊 glad you enjoyed!

[@DeonSmith-ek8ne]

EAss and 2k got so lazy and greedy.

[@P01YMATH]

NHL Hitz is everything a good game should be IMO. I love that you could change what name the announcers use for your players when they call the game. I'd always make my name X-2-X-Zero-1.

[@wimpwilson]

NHL hitz is god tier 🔥🔥🔥

[@NewDesignVinylGraphics]

They are a weird blend of woke and a money grab.. what a goofy ass time we live in.

[@texanarchy666]

???

[@TheAxlSnaks]

While the criticisms against the Madden guys are fair and warranted, it should be noted that a big reason so many of the features are removed from the game [like being able to create your own teams with their own names and logos, and such] is because of the NFL's control of the license and how the license is meant to be produced in the market. The NFL wants one company to have the license, they want to be able to pull the plug immediately if something goes against their policies or public image. That being said, EA is a notoriously dumpster fire organization when it comes to any of their sports titles. The fact that the NFL allows EA to incorporate gambling tactics into their licensed product for the sake of selling more MUT bullshit goes to show that it really is about milking as much profit out of the release as possible, and not about creating a long-lasting title that people can actually enjoy. Enjoy it just enough to have the whales buying cards, that is the business model, and it completely ruined the franchise.

[@avery11123]

The Show Games are not getting better, they feel like they are getting worse... I find myself playing 21 and 22 instead of 23 and 24 lol. The graphics look worse, presentation, the gameplay has totally gotten worse. The baseball looks different, they haven't made any changes to franchise, the online modes are fucked rn, the only big additions they made to 24 were women in ROTS... which is all good but that's all we got...

[@wepopcreative]

That Bundle prompt in 2K24 constantly pops up every time you play the stupid game, and you can’t turn it off. I agree with you man

[@DR.slzzzp]

this video should have a like from everyone in the gaming community

[@pwalshofficial]

Like most problems with our society, it’s capitalism. The people actually making the games are incredibly talented and passionate about making an incredible experience. All the micro transactions and temporary servers are set up by the suits who own these studios. Their only goal is to make more money and the consumer is left with a worse product.

[@wimpwilson]

Yeah I definitely don’t blame the people directly working on the games, it’s clear the greedy stuff is getting pushed on them by the publishers

[@Ron742_]

Yep, EA are soft af for that exclusive NFL contract. They got scared and didn't wanna compete with 2K. And now there's a monopoly and no choices. Competition is good for consumers. Shame people buy it every year.

[@WhiteBeard640]

Actually it wasn’t EA idea, the NFL figured they would get more money if they just licensed to one publisher and didn’t wanna deal with headaches of having multiple publisher creating NFL games, EA just happened to outbid 2k for the exclusivity of the licensing deal.

[@Ron742_]

@@WhiteBeard640 Sure. 2K5 was priced at $19.99 compared to Madden's $49.99 price tag. One Electronic Arts executive said the move by 2K, “scared the hell out of us.” It scared EA so much that it signed an exclusive rights deal with the NFL and the NFL Players Association, forbidding any other video game companies from making NFL video games. EA isn't worth defending, they didn't want the competition and took the easy way out.

[@wcapeling]

I hate exclusive licenses, not even just for sports but also motorsports and cars in racing games

[@prestonisechal503._.]

“You can’t talk about Football your Australian man”😂

[@EricDeatrick]

The editing/production of this video is great! I was entertained start to finish. I also relate to the content because I played a TON of sports game up through the PS2 generation, many featured in this video, but I have played very few since for the reasons explained in this video. Well done! I subscribed.

[@HT-sm9dm]

Sports games have sucked since the XBOX 360 and PS3 era peaked. Around 2011-2012ish. Madden actually peaked earlier, in about 2005. FIFA peaked in 2012. NHL peaked in 2010. NBA peaked in 2011. MLB peaked in 2013. Can’t speak on tennis or golf or any other sports really.

[@Sewer_Goblin]

Was expecting way more subs. Your video quality, editing, and style are amazing my dude. Remember us all when you’re at a million

[@FloridaMan4205]

If they were focused on just making the best product possible, they'd just make it one game and put it online and just update it regularly instead of coming out with a new game that's really just the same game every year. However, the point isn't to make a good product, it's to make money.

[@GuloGulo420]

It would be a dogshit game though with only incremental updates. You take away the revenue stream, you take away it's ability to be even halfway decent. That's why all the Madden competitors completely flop

[@wimpwilson]

Yup there’s a lot of people saying they should just move to a one product subscription model, shame they won’t do that because money 😞

[@blakestrother5122]

A few thoughts: 1. Licensing is a real problem in sports games and is a big reason their is lack of competition and depth to current games. The upcoming limitations of CFB 25 is an example of this. 2. I don’t think the video game industry is all to blame. Some of the publishers of sports games make non sports games just fine sometimes. 3. Which means the underrated culprit is sports itself. In many ways sports games mirror real life sports where they have moved away from telling good stories to being filled with betting and gambling. MyTeam modes, online gameplay modes, and mycareer modes have turned into essentially large arenas for gambling like practices. However so have sports. In the 90s and 00s sports was largely compelling for the stories being told and we all played games to create our own stories. Hence the sandbox component of older games being so much better. Sports games will always mirror the culture of sports more broadly because presumably their dominant market is going to be the modern generations who are hooked on sports as they are.

[@sublimecandy6022]

I use to be able to play sport games non stop but now they are so lifeless. I hope the new college football game will change that.

[@MellyWater-c2k]

I love the comical parts of the video. The overall point of the video. Great work. I hope I see this page at 50k subscribers soon.

[@Crash88]

PGA Tour you win what $55 for winning a major tournament? MLB The Show you need perk cards to upgrade your player instead of just your in-game play. Madden got so lazy they completely go rid of what made the game, the career mode. Now they are attempting to try and bring it back. I don't care about budgets, the games are expensive enough so get rid of these micro-transactions of people will stop buying your games. That's the best way to make them get the message, stop buying the games until they fix them.

[@user78738]

I kept my xbox 360 for this reason to have access to my old sports games, virtua tennis, ncaa football 14, nba 2k11, fight night round 3, and the delisted NFL blitz 2012 even though that one is watered down with no late hits its the only arcade football game on xbox 360 with an NFL license

[@benmcreynolds8581]

There's SO MUCH potential in sports games. Different styles, art designs, gameplay styles. Like NFL blitz, Ready 2 Rumble, NBA street vol. 2. 1080°,The list goes on with past sports games and extreme sports games that were beyond awesome. There is a huge void in the game world when it comes to sports games in general. Combat sports, wacky sports, extreme sports, simulation sports, arcade sports, physics sports. I think it's time other game developers get creative and find ways to get around EA's choke hold on sports games. Any decent fun sports game would be really appreciated by so many people right now because we've all been starved of good sports games for So long now!

[@thejanglezclan]

No matter where you are in the world, everybody can do that 'Texas football coach' accent🤣

[@aaronkirkland5211]

Bro that’s what I’ve been saying, where’s the new badass tennis game?! I love most sports but used to love playing tennis games back in the day

[@CaseyS30]

I was so glad to see the clip of Backbreaker in the montage section, that is one of my favorite sports games ever, every day I imagine how good a modern day high budget nfl game would be with the same physics engine as that game

[@JayBarty]

NFL 2K5 dropped at $20 too, forcing Madden 2005 to only be $30. And they're still two of the best football games 20 years later. Unfortunately that caused EA to buy the exclusive NFL license and it has been all downhill from there.

[@Plupert]

If I’m being honest the only way for sports games to be saved is for EA and 2K to die. Which won’t happen.

[@brownyshmurds6576]

what these companies don’t realize (or refuse to acknowledge for some reason) is that they’d make more money creating a good game that customers will play year round instead of a game based on micro transactions with the only new content being packs that kills the consumer interest in a matter of months. i just don’t get it. nostalgia always plays a part but old sports games are and feel pure and innocent, because they aren’t focused on sucking every dollar out of you possible and instead focus on giving you a fun experience.

[@sp123]

I played the TopSpin2k25 free weekend and got triggered because I neeeded to create a 2K account to start the game

[@wimpwilson]

😞 so frustrating. Love the old top spin games

[@BamaNick]

I think part of the greatness was with not going for realism but going for fluidity. Now it feels like instead the game being an extension of how you feel like it’d be to play that sport, it feels like you are actively having to fight this insane graphics engine with its complex animations just to do something simple.. bring back fast twitchy sports games with its “realism” in the presentation and not in the animations.

[@wimpwilson]

Totally agree with this, animation priority rules the day with a lot of these sports games

[@adamgarrett3182]

Exactly this. Modern sports games feel like long, drawn out quick time events where a specific button press doesn’t result in a predicted outcome, instead the game rolls dice, and a random animation is selected.

[@kovichcrow]

What about combat sports. The same stuff is going on in UFC games but microtransactions are so useless in WWE that they're very easy to ignore

[@christianporter3638]

The genesis was when 2K Sports lost the licensing for all franchises except the NBA. Once EA took over, there was NO parity (essentially a monopoly), and it was a wrap. Also, ESPN Football was the best 👌 And prior to that, 989 made some good sports games back in the day as well.....

[@seancdavis13]

Ultimate team modes ruined these games. The developers stopped trying to improve the gameplay and features in franchise because they dont make money the same way opening packs of fake cards does.

[@blazingbattlehawk9626]

MLB Power Pros 2008 is my favorite sports game. I love it enough that I'm still buying the now Japanese exclusive series to this day. So many incredible modes that bring back the good ol days. There's one where you train a revolving door on Highschoolers, one where you face a gauntlet of legendary players, and a weird board game mode where you collect players and upgrade your captain. It being released every other year let's Konami really pour their hearts into them. I just wish it returns to English someday even without MLB

[@dash4800]

I remember I randomly decided to jump into an nba 2k game in 2020 after not playing one for like 8 years and I was appalled at how trash it was. Literally everything about it was antithetical to anything I want in a sports game.

[@OgretimeFantasyFootball]

I think you were correct with all of the games except for madden bc the main reason people are mad is bc not only are the micro transactions awful but the gameplay was better in a 20 year old game than current day

[@cordellboss]

There are two things I think is cool about the way eFootball formerly known as PES does with their game. It is free to play in the sense that anyone can download it and give it a try. It is also operating under a yearly update cycle so all the cards that you acquire from the time you begin playing it won't go anywhere because they carry over to the next year. The one thing I will say about it currently is that they only have the dream team mode and co op events but there should be more offline content and features in general besides new legendary packs. I hope that they eventually start to introduce something for people that aren't so bothered about dream team. It is currently a far cry from what they had with the PES series at least when you look at it from a game feature perspective.

[@TheMarslMcFly]

tl;dr, Sports Games become worse and worse cause the big Game Developers get greedier each day. Meanwhile there's no competition cause there's absolutely no point in making a Sports Game for a smaller Studio cause they'll be overshadowed by the big, market domineering Game either way

[@wimpwilson]

Nailed it

[@ColeTheIceCreamMan]

I think an optimistic future for games like these can be found in some sports management games. Both Football manager and F1 manager to be specific. Football manager has been an excellent game in the genre for years and is now at the point where any addition is just adding to a masterpiece. As for F1 manager, as a new franchise, they constantly build on what they created the year before. Delivering a game that is genuinely worth buying each year as it really is a whole new game. The main thing about each is they haven't chased the micro transactions. They both build a game and sell that game, no bullshit. I mean F1 Manager 24 comes out next month for just £29.99. You can't argue with the value these games have in them. The biggest thing is these games see there player base as people, not walking piggy banks.

[@Warlock_Sack]

This dude is gonna blow up and I’m gonna be able to brag that I subbed when he was less than 3k.

[@wimpwilson]

🙌

[@Skumtomten1]

​@@wimpwilsonYour mango is to blow

[@Tboy2kool]

PERFECTLY explained pga2k23 so relaxing and then the most fast paced music ever

[@JStieloSoloPhysique1987]

I quit playing 2k.. they got too damn money hungry. I shouldn’t have to lose my career mode every 2 years. Madden put a cap on how many seasons you can play

[@Lucky13777]

This struggle is so real. I loved sport titles. But now them all are pathetic. Lack of any competition, online only content and MICROTRANSACTIONS. I pay full price for the game and want to play franchise or career without that all crap

[@jbvol3]

Absolute gem of a video you made here, 100% agree with all your points, hopefully one day we can get some competition back in the sports genre. Maybe we'll get a small taste of that with Madden, with the new college game coming out. Same company but maybe some pressure will be given if it performs well

[@FoolisH409]

You’re spot on. I’ve played sports games ever since I was a child and I always imagined we would get where we are graphically but not once did I ever imagine I would be playing a game that would be nagging me about buying something it’s more than just sports though, fps games are the same way.

[@gavintoussaint3237]

Bro is playing 2k on that angle is crazy🤣

[@yawnberg]

There's just one thing driving all of these horrible trends in sports games: we keep buying them. Everyone complains about them but we still haven't been pushed so far that we won't bend over and pay whatever they ask for the incremental graphical polish and roster updates, no matter how many microtransactions they cram in our how many terrible UI choices they make. We keep buying it so they keep selling it.

[@wimpwilson]

Yup true, it’s really unfortunate that if you want to play a licensed football or basketball game at the moment you’ve got one choice, so they keep getting purchased and the games just get worse and worse