Yearly sports games in the gaming industry can sometimes be considered outliers due to their predictable annual releases, which often don’t show significant improvements from year to year. These games typically charge for updated rosters and player ratings. Regrettably, despite these disadvantages, they still manage to attract an audience every year.
Transforming current sports games like Madden, EA Sports FC, and NBA 2K into live-service games could potentially address all these issues. Normally, gamers shy away from more live-service games due to their tendency to fade out, but in this case, it might be the key to improving the series. It’s not impossible to imagine 2K Sports developing a game with the intention of continuously updating the same product, but they haven’t managed to do so yet.
Sports Games Should Go Full Live-Service
Sports games continue to attract viewers and maintain a high level of demand, yet there’s a growing sentiment among gamers that these games have become repetitive and even detrimental to the gaming industry as a whole. Over time, their popularity appears to be gradually waning.
These games, such as Super Mega Baseball, Rematch, Rocket League, Backyard Football, and others, tend to be more entertaining compared to the traditional simulation sports games like Madden, NBA 2K, MLB The Show, or FC (FIFA).
It’s more enjoyable when sports video games embrace their playful, exaggerated characteristics instead of striving to become ultra-realistic replicas of actual sports. Moreover, modern sports titles often struggle with fundamental aspects of the sports they represent. For instance, dribbling in NBA 2K and mechanics in Madden still don’t mirror real-world experiences perfectly. The shortcomings are numerous.
However, these games offer some benefits to the gaming community due to their realistic features. It’s certainly enjoyable to manage a less-than-stellar team and transform them into a dominant force. Gathering cards, which might seem like a simulated gambling experience, can still be entertaining. Experiencing your favorite athlete in a virtual setting is also quite unique.
As a diehard gaming enthusiast, I truly believe that live-service games would be an ideal fit for them due to their potential for player interaction and team involvement. Unlike classic arcade-style games, they offer a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in beloved franchises such as the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, Super Mega Baseball 4 doesn’t provide that level of engagement.
A suitable solution exists for this scenario as well. It might seem unusual to ask for a minimal fee to revise rosters with active players and general modifications, but it could be a convenient method of implementation. For instance, the 2026 update could be offered as a $4.99 downloadable content (DLC) for the game. Regardless, the games can effortlessly recoup substantial funds by offering an annual subscription for the card-collecting team modes.
It’s also suitable to incorporate a battle pass system into these types of games. The modes like Dynasty Mode, Madden Ultimate Team, FIFA Ultimate Team, and 2K MyTEAM are significant revenue sources for their respective game franchises. Since they generate income, why not capitalize on them further? This could be done by offering packs, battle passes, and additional items for purchase.
Instead of finding microtransactions intolerable, it’s more acceptable when the initial game isn’t priced at $70 for an almost identical edition each year. If there’s a significant upgrade, such as with a console generation shift, publishers could launch the latest version and transform it into a live-service title or simply charge for the major update.
In essence, it’s likely that some funds will go astray each summer due to numerous gamers purchasing the latest versions of Madden and Call of Duty, which might be true for annual game releases in general, not just sports titles. While money would undeniably vanish, the goodwill within the gaming community would significantly increase, as being a trusted developer can’t be quantified financially, particularly when companies like EA and 2K Sports are under heavy criticism currently.
Is this event going to occur? Definitely not. These sports game series primarily exist for financial gain, and with the fans showing no signs of slowing down, there’s less profit potential. The developers see no reason to transition to a live-service model as it could potentially reduce their income, although it would be great if they did.
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2025-07-17 20:39