I think a lot of people would agree that while a new player animation here and there is cool, what’s going on around the game is what can really add some realism to video sports games. Remember the first time you were able to customize your own TD, or even better, when 2K sports allowed you to pump in your own music during the football game (come on EA, that was a cool feature no longer offered!!).

Here’s a few features I’d love to see added to the following games:


Madden/Football Games

• The ability of the announcers or stadium announcers to pronunciate the names of players created. I know, I know, a name like Kobalwaski isn’t a common name, but they at least have all NFL players names in there, so if I have a last name like Johnson, shouldn’t the system just be able to replicate that?
• How about showing some close up’s of fans? I did like the feature in 2006 where you could customize your own fan and that you actually saw the guy during the game.
• I’ve played in just about every stadium in 2008 Madden and what I’m also noticing is that a missing feature again vs. the 2006 game is where, for example, Jets fans would scream out “J-E-T-S” every first down or TD. Or, when an incomplete pass would occur in Denver, the fan base would scream “incomplete:” That is realism my friends, and I’m not sure why they took that feature out in 2008.
• First game of the year in most NFL outdoor stadiums have fighter jets fly over. What better way to get you stoked to play your first game in franchise?
• Overall, adding fan colors and players to sidelines is cool, but could be better. For example, when playing in Kansas City as the visiting Seahawks team, you would normally view a “sea of red” of KC fans, but there would be small pockets of Hawk fans in certain sections of the stadium.
• On the College Football front, it would be a neat feature to walk with the band into the stadium such as Notre Dame does for all home games.
• I don’t believe this available yet in NCAA Football, but a function I’d like to see added is for teams like Ohio State, “buckeyes” added to a players helmet in season mode that accumulate through the year.
• Weather: As with any sports game, weather is not just rain, snow, wind, and fog. It changes, so why not have a game be foggy at the start, some rain in the middle, and the sun breaks at the end? I just described a typical game weather pattern in my home town, San Francisco. It sounds like Madden is making these enhancements to snow and rain fluctuations in 2009, which will be good to see.


Tiger Woods

• The courses all are in way too good shape vs. actual golfing events. Stuff like faded or dead grass in patches or a course littered with even Seagull droppings would make it feel like you were really there.
• Have Caddy’s giving the player advice, and have the usual entourage following players around the course: cameramen, event personnel, etc.

MLB Games

• Can’t say I’m a big fan of the disappearing homerun ball in baseball games. Fans leaping over into fair territory, scrambling for balls etc. is how it really breaks down…not just the ball fading into the “nothingness”
• Cleat marks and slide marks into second and third base that stay throughout the game until the seventh inning stretch would also be cool. Also, if I’m a player that made a slide, keep his uniform dirty throughout the game.
• Balls hitting outfield walls should also vary. A ball that hits the ivy in Wrigley should act different vs. the brick in another stadium or a fence or a padded wall.
• Wind at the stadium is also a factor in baseball. If it’s blowing out to right at Pac Bell field in San Francisco, I’m going to heavy up my left handed power hitters in the lineup and try and push the ball out there with my righties as well.

Basketball Games

• Again, getting back to crowds, have some guys in suits and ties in the front rows at NBA games with the REAL fans in the upper levels.
• The NBA seems to have latched onto the free giveaway home team colors during the playoffs, something that should also be added to NBA Live.
• Show the teams coming off the buses as they enter the arena, a common scene shown on most pre-game TV shows.
• Player scars: A lot of players receive scratches and bloodied eyes during the game….add this feature and have the scar stick with the player during the game. Or, if he turns and ankle, have him be coming down the court gingerly.

These are just a few suggestions I can think of to a few games. Any other Operation Sports fans ideas or gripes about adding realism out there? Overall, sports video game software companies have made major strides in less than 25 years of making games, but there is always room for improvement to make the settings as authentic as possible.