Ah, Madden. I can not tell you (and my wife will attest to this) how many hours I’ve spent playing sports video games. Madden NFL, NCAA Football, the NBA 2K series. Sports games offer the perfect balance of fantasy and reality; you get to play as your favorite team or franchise, but you get to be in the driver’s seat and show that you can run things better than the guys who get paid for it. (Am I right, Raider fans?)
But let’s be honest, things have gotten crazy with sports video games. Every year you’re sold the same game, the primary difference from last year’s version being an updated roster. That’s it. You’re paying $60, year after year, to have the current athletes at your disposal. Sure, they try to make it different in other ways. They throw in features you most likely don’t truly care about: deeper franchise mode, improved gameplay (which has been lacking in the same areas for years), retro jerseys, and whatever else they feel will pacify you. But the fact remains, the only thing worth the money is that updated roster.
I think that this is ridiculous considering the capabilities of these next generation video game consoles. New content is available online. Now, even roster updates are available online. Of course, the updates are offered only for the current installment of the video games. Last year’s version doesn’t get a roster update, how else could they justify the $60 price tag every year? With the current consoles, you can download expansion packs, new costumes for your video game characters, and new maps for your games; you can even download whole video games online. Why the need for a CD copy of the game year after year? Why can’t these features be offered online year after year? It would be more convenient for everyone and the prices would surely go down.
I’m sure that video game stores like GameStop are on their way out the door anyway.
Of course, a franchise like EA’s Madden has a monopoly. With their licensing agreement with the NFL, EA wiped out the competition (NFL 2K and ESPN Football). They dominate the college football market too. It’s time that they realize that having the monopoly is not enough. It’s time to give us what we want, not what they want. And that’s why from now on, as much as I love sports video games, I’m going to have to take a pass in the future.
Don’t be told what you want,
Don’t be told what you need
