Active multiplayer: Yes this is kind of a chicken and egg situation, but people who play online multiplayer want to play the version of the game with the largest community of active players.
Roster updates: If you’re a fan of a sports team, you probably want to play using their current active roster. Yes, fan updates are sometimes available for older titles but the latest release will have updated face scans etc.
Its also important to note that a lot of sports game fans are just into that style of video game and buy consoles 6ust to play them. They aren’t playing videogames just sports games.
If any sports games where made for the first time today they’d probably just go the subscription model. You buy the base game and need to pay for annual subscription updates and access to multiplayer.
Essentially releasing a game every year is this but the ideal of the subscription model wasn’t around back in 1995 when the first 3D sports games where releasing.
Actually, PES and FIFA used to get really good gameplay updates back in the 2000s. Like, the difference between FIFA 2002 and FIFA 2003 was massive, for example.
Then they realized they’re too big to waste money on actual development and went all in on licenses and marketing. It’s been shit ever since.
Two reasons:
Its also important to note that a lot of sports game fans are just into that style of video game and buy consoles 6ust to play them. They aren’t playing videogames just sports games.
This is the big thing.
I know many people who have had games consoles that have never played anything other than FIFA/EAFC
If any sports games where made for the first time today they’d probably just go the subscription model. You buy the base game and need to pay for annual subscription updates and access to multiplayer.
Essentially releasing a game every year is this but the ideal of the subscription model wasn’t around back in 1995 when the first 3D sports games where releasing.
Actually, PES and FIFA used to get really good gameplay updates back in the 2000s. Like, the difference between FIFA 2002 and FIFA 2003 was massive, for example.
Then they realized they’re too big to waste money on actual development and went all in on licenses and marketing. It’s been shit ever since.