Why do people have the desire to buy the next "year" in sports games each year?

Question

If bought used, Madden 07 is $30, while Madden 06 is $9, and Madden 05 is $2. All prices are for PS2, and found with the following Amazon Search: http://www.amazon.com/s/002-1106509-4976056?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link%5Fcode=qs&field-keywords=madden&sourceid=Mozilla-search

My question is, why do sports fanatics have to buy a new game each year? I have played a few sports games, and I do not see how much they could change except for updated teams. I also do not see how much the rosters can change in one stinkin' year.

Maybe I'm just a dumb a** who doesn't like sports games much, but come on. Why is it worth it to spend so much extra to get something that just isn't that much better than the product from the previous year or two.

Answer 1

Buckdog,

You bring up an excellent debate and I will tell you, I love sports but I also do my research and read countless reviews before spending 50 dollars on a wet turd of a game!

Maybe if more people had the attitude you had, game companies would be forced to change games each positively. Truth is older games have much better gameplay and control then the current titles released for 06 and 07.

I will touch more on this topic in the following scenarios. The Madden football cult cares about one thing EYE CANDY and nothing else! If the game has awesome graphics it's a 9 or a 10 in most gamers eyes. EA knows this so what do they do? They monopolize the market and buy the NFL license to stop competitors that for half the price of Madden football made a better football game buy 100 fold!

The same fate has happened in the baseball market. MVP Baseball 2005 is one of the best baseball games I have ever played in my 20+ years of gaming. Next year what happens, 2K Sports buy sole rights to the MLB license to control the market. I am not sure if you played MLB2006 but that is the lamest joke for a baseball game I have ever played!

Tiger Woods Golf the same problem. Tiger Woods 2005, the best golf game ever on a console system. Then Tiger Woods 2006 comes out, I go out and buy it the first day. A ton of missing features, new things added. Now all the sudden the game is horrible. Now Tiger Woods 2007 is out and is missing tons of features that made 2005 so great.

I am sure basketball is the same way as far as EYE Candy goes. But until gamers smarten up and realize that graphics aren't everything, control and gameplay ARE then we will have less and less games to enjoy.

Answer 2

I think a lot of it has to do with the updated roster. It would be nice if EA updated the roster from year to year instead of making a new game, but then again, EA wouldn't be making money if it didn't release a new Madden each year.

The other reason is that each year, EA introduces something new that's supposed to make the game much more realistic. Last year, it was the QB vision, and this year, it's the lead blocker.

Also, each year, the graphics get better and the AI gets smarter.

You're not the only one who feels like Madden hasn't changed that much from year to year. Lots of reviewers think that EA has gotten sloppy since it acquired the NFL license exclusively a couple of years ago.

Answer 3

I don't know why sports fans need to get the next "year." I was talking to my boyfriend about it and he was trying to explain to me how the teams get better every year and it is worth it because you win more games with the new players to the teams. He also said how each player has his own new, individual techniques each year I've played FIFA 2007, 2002,2004 and 2005 with my boyfriend and there is no difference between Beckham's technique in 2002 to any of the other FIFA games not to mention his "individual" techniques. Beckham could be Cristiano Ronaldo and they would still play the same!

He also tried to explain how the new games have added cooler features that you can use.

Apparently the controls change aswell.

I think its completeley pointless to get the new game each year just buy one and play that!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

because if your dedicated to the sport your playing the computer game of, it doesnt feel right to watch and follow the sport for real, and not be able to play the same thing on your game!

Answer 6

Sorry dude, i guess you just dont understand. Things change in sports on a daily basis. Go play with your magic cards.

Answer 7

i dunno. i don't like sports games either, but probably so they can try out the updated things or brag to their friends that they have it. i have a friend who's sports games crazy, and he just likes the new players. o.o