Well, I had a good run with them but it’s time for me to retire sports games because they just aren’t fun to me anymore.
As I was playing NBA2K22 recently I noticed something that I was doing and it made me realize, yeah I need to stop playing this. I was playing and waiting/anticipating the next “man what the hell was that!” moment and that’s not good. I shouldn’t be sitting there just waiting for the next time my CPU controlled teammate was going to not box out on a rebound or someone would warp into position to cut off my fast break all because the game programming isn’t done well enough to express difficulty so it has to institute these methods of control, sort of like the Matrix. It gives you the illusion of control but you truly have none, you’re just along for the ride and I can’t keep doing that to myself. I mean you can’t even have proper screens set for you, your players, when setting a pick, never actually make contact with the defender and thus it renders the picks useless…just like the game as a whole when you are trying to play it for a good time and not be stressed out.
Unfortunately, this is a major problem with sports games, especially those in these last 10 years with the rise of micro transactions and the like. It has really tainted these products…products that used to be about simulation and strategy have now been reduced to you pumping more money into the game so you can buy a Supreme sweatshirt for your avatar and I’m just not with it anymore.
I spend $60/70 a clip on both Madden and 2K annually but the products have the same issues and problems ANNUALLY so I have to stop doing it because it’s insanity on my part at this point. I didn’t get Madden 22 this year after testing the early beta and I think 2K22 will be the last one I purchase for awhile because I spend more time being frustrated than enjoying myself while playing the game and that’s NOT what I signed up for.
I buy and play video games as a means of recreational escape. Some folks drink, some go out partying, shopping, reading books etc. me…I’m a gamer and I like to actually enjoy myself when I am playing these games. I love open world games, it’s my favorite type of video game so I think I’m just going to focus on those as it’s plenty that I have and will buy that will occupy my free time. Horizon Forbidden West drops today, so I’m picking that up, Elden Ring drops next week, also picking that up. I still have to finish Ghosts of Tsushima and Assassins Creed Valhalla. I recently purchased Watch Dogs Legion, to play with my daughter, and Immortals Fenyx Rising (yeah I like Ubisoft games, sue me).
Open world games are going to be my main lane from now on. Maybe I’ll return to Madden or 2K one day, I won’t rule it out, but as of now…I just can’t do either game because they aren’t fun to me and I’m too old to have my time wasted or be stressed out when I’m sitting down to relax with a video game. I have so much fun playing open world games so I just think that’s the better play right now especially considering I have tons to play at the moment. The only sports related content I will play outside of Madden or 2K will be racing games like Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Tourismo 7 because again…fun.
So to Madden and 2K, I’ll pour one out for you because we have had some great times and please insert any of the standard breakup lines for our current situation:
- It’s not you, it’s me
- I just need some time apart
- I just need to find myself
- I am just trying to become a better me, for you
- This isn’t goodbye and if we come back together, then we know it was meant to be
Welp, off to play Horizon Forbidden West, get lost in its gorgeous world and have some actual FUN!!!
✌🏾 + ❤️
Neo
MYrealiTV 