MMChrisS's Blog
Three Sports Games That Are Begging to be Made in 2012 
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 05:19 PM.
With the rise of more mainstream gaming devices which require less detailed development work, it's becoming clear there is a new market for sports games if the folks holding the licenses are willing to part with them for more reasonable prices or if developers who want to take a risk on an unlicensed customizable title are willing to take a risk.
Here are three games that would make great additions to a gaming lineup on a mobile device or as a free-to-play online type of game or even as a big box console title near you:
1)NCAA Hoops - What did you expect? We haven't had a college basketball game for two years now, and we're going to enter a third, fourth, and fifth if nothing changes soon. If someone could just mirror the Legacy Mode and some of the gameplay of older (but good) basketball titles, this would be a worthy type of game on the more niche devices. Good luck getting licensing though.
2)Gymnastics - Call me whatever you want, but my favorite Olympic Sport is Gymnastics, and creating a game around the sport could be done by a creative but niche development group. You'd have to create your character (male or female) you'd have to grow their skillsets in an RPG fashion and you'd have to have some sort of a routine mechanic that was a strange mixture of QTEs, Rock Band, and a turn-based strategy game. If you did it right, and made it an MMO type of game where you compete against others -- it's so crazy it might just work.
3)High School Football - High School football is one of the most attended sports in America, it's incredibly popular, it captures our imaginations via cinema and television and many folks who play NCAA Football dare call the High School football mode a highlight. I'm not sure if I'd want High School football to be a niche or a big box title, but I think the passion and camaraderie of communities against each other in friendly (or sometimes not so friendly) sport would be a joy to play. Thus far, it seems most gaming companies feel I'm in the minority. But imagine the money that could be made off of State School packs in a free to play game -- or better yet a roster/school sharing center which charged a monthly fee for access. I'm just saying.
Sound off: What sports do you think are screaming for games currently?
# 1
ELDoro @ Dec 18
High School football game that has a mode similar to EA's Ultimate or The Show's Diamond Dynasty would be awesome! And yep a NCAA bball game is needed for sure with the same feature!
# 2
Jimbo614 @ Dec 18
I'm thinking... American School Systems are short on funds,How much could a High School or State get for allowing licsensed High Schools to be used for DLC content?
I live in Greater Cincinnati; We have some pretty good teams around here. I would love to be able to download Moeller, St Xm Elder, Highlans, Beechwood and my own school Dixie Heights.
Perhaps a DLC package would be of entire Districts or Leagues.
I think you're on to something Chris
I live in Greater Cincinnati; We have some pretty good teams around here. I would love to be able to download Moeller, St Xm Elder, Highlans, Beechwood and my own school Dixie Heights.
Perhaps a DLC package would be of entire Districts or Leagues.
I think you're on to something Chris
# 3
JerseySuave4 @ Dec 18
I don't think all 3 of those games should be made. NCAA basketball's popularity has diminished in the recent years while the NBA has risen. With too many young players for fans to keep learning and recognizing, and a regular season that means next to nothing as long as you're halfway decent you make the postseason. The sport has a wait until March feel to it for casual fans even though diehard college basketball fans might think otherwise.
A gymnastics game does not have a large enough target audience. If you worked in the connect or something maybe but I don't know if even little girls would want to play a video game of gymnastics rather than go and actually do gymnastics.
A high school football game is not something totally new. They aren't going to get licensing for every school out there so basically it's going to be NCAA with generic schools where you have to customize everything. Only thing is there isn't going to be a bunch of people out there doing rosters and setting up your teams the way your state is or how you desire so its going to be up to you for a lot of the customization in order to really enjoy the game. Then on top of that you get the standard mediocre gameplay EA has provided us with for many years. It all sounds good to us in our heads, how cool it'd be to recreate our high schools, the schools we played, etc. But in reality it's a game that would require a lot of customization out of the user which would take a lot of time which people don't like to spend a lot of time with unless they're dedicated.
A gymnastics game does not have a large enough target audience. If you worked in the connect or something maybe but I don't know if even little girls would want to play a video game of gymnastics rather than go and actually do gymnastics.
A high school football game is not something totally new. They aren't going to get licensing for every school out there so basically it's going to be NCAA with generic schools where you have to customize everything. Only thing is there isn't going to be a bunch of people out there doing rosters and setting up your teams the way your state is or how you desire so its going to be up to you for a lot of the customization in order to really enjoy the game. Then on top of that you get the standard mediocre gameplay EA has provided us with for many years. It all sounds good to us in our heads, how cool it'd be to recreate our high schools, the schools we played, etc. But in reality it's a game that would require a lot of customization out of the user which would take a lot of time which people don't like to spend a lot of time with unless they're dedicated.
# 4
JerseySuave4 @ Dec 18
If the demand was there, games like these would be getting made. None of these games would be big sellers. You can't even lure me into playing an NCAA basketball game by saying you can play as so & so because I don't even know who the guys are anymore because anyone that's any good leaves after their 1st or 2nd year.
# 8
tarek @ Dec 18
More than anything I think there is a potential big market for remakes on smartphones.
For example, games like Grand Theft Auto - Vice City and Baldur's Gate have recently been re-released on smartphones/tablets.
Couldn't this happen to some extent with sports games? The first obvious problem is that the 'rosters' would be extremely outdated. But couldn't that be fun?
Having said that, I think that quality sports games need to make their way onto the mainstream smartphone market. And I'm sick of gimmicky, cash in options that exist, I mean games of substance.
Fifa does it well. Football manager handheld does it well. iOOTP does it well. NBA Jam was alright. But we need more, and with more variety too.
For example, games like Grand Theft Auto - Vice City and Baldur's Gate have recently been re-released on smartphones/tablets.
Couldn't this happen to some extent with sports games? The first obvious problem is that the 'rosters' would be extremely outdated. But couldn't that be fun?
Having said that, I think that quality sports games need to make their way onto the mainstream smartphone market. And I'm sick of gimmicky, cash in options that exist, I mean games of substance.
Fifa does it well. Football manager handheld does it well. iOOTP does it well. NBA Jam was alright. But we need more, and with more variety too.
# 9
32 @ Dec 18
High school football would definitely be awesome. I'm in my 3 season on my high school online dynasty from NCAA 13 with 11 other friends. We're all in the Bug East and have made that conference the new SEC.
# 10
JohnDoh @ Dec 18
I would love to see a BMX racing video game. BMX freestyle games have been made and that genre has kind of ran its route, but a BMX racing game would be balls! I really enjoy Trials Evolution on the Xbox and a BMX game done right with physics and real skills needed to traverse a BMX Supercross track would be amazing!
# 11
SkillzKillz719 @ Dec 19
I think a college basketball game will never be released again. I've just lost so much hope... I'm mentally fatigued of getting my hopes up.
A high school game would have to be unlicensed and the overall generic-ness would be it's undoing. I think everyone would make their high school and stuff but of the... what? Tens of thousands of high schools? Just not close enough to be good. Especially for the casual gamer... they wouldn't know to download those teams. They would be stuck with a bland experience.
When I see the future of video games, I see black and grey. Not until the recession is TOTALLY done (or at least back to normal) there will be zero creativity.
And if there is a miracle and some one takes a chance, we need to support it, no matter what.
A high school game would have to be unlicensed and the overall generic-ness would be it's undoing. I think everyone would make their high school and stuff but of the... what? Tens of thousands of high schools? Just not close enough to be good. Especially for the casual gamer... they wouldn't know to download those teams. They would be stuck with a bland experience.
When I see the future of video games, I see black and grey. Not until the recession is TOTALLY done (or at least back to normal) there will be zero creativity.
And if there is a miracle and some one takes a chance, we need to support it, no matter what.
# 12
XxJustAguessxX @ Dec 19
I would only like to see NCAA basketball of the three. Gymnastics hell to the nah and High school football......nope. NCAA is really bad, could you imagine a high school title.
# 13
ven0m43 @ Dec 19
I still play my college hoops game and have been wait for a new one to come out ever since 08. I would play/buy a high school football game if it was fun to play and had gameplay comparable to nfl2k5. Madden is not fun for more to play anymore. I had more fun on the pc version and any of these current gen versions. It will prob be another 4 years before I try/buy another madden game.
# 14
bhurst99 @ Dec 19
I'd like to see a PS3/Xbox 360 skiing game with licensed skiers and licensed courses with a full fledged career mode (Think Top Spin 4 but skiing instead of tennis). It seems like skiing is popular enough to have a least one game in this genre. I'm surprised it's never happened (to my knowledge)
# 15
Thrash13 @ Dec 19
I'd be happy to see a new college basketball game made, and I think the chances are at least decent we will see another one eventually.
That being said, the two I'd like to see the most are a new college baseball game and a Major League Soccer game. The college baseball one is very unlikely, since EA Sports already tried and gave up on it after only two years. The Major League Soccer game is also unlikely because the MLS is already included in FIFA. It probably wouldn't sell very well, but it sure would be nice to have a game with all the stadiums, supporter chants, etc. I'd buy both of them, I know that for sure.
That being said, the two I'd like to see the most are a new college baseball game and a Major League Soccer game. The college baseball one is very unlikely, since EA Sports already tried and gave up on it after only two years. The Major League Soccer game is also unlikely because the MLS is already included in FIFA. It probably wouldn't sell very well, but it sure would be nice to have a game with all the stadiums, supporter chants, etc. I'd buy both of them, I know that for sure.
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