What we want from sports games at E3 2012

Simply put, we want the best Madden ever, the kind that is a clear step forward to casual and hardcore fans alike. For many reasons, Madden has been pretty good but not amazing this console generation, and the development team has been way out in front this go-round telling us how many more resources went into crafting Madden NFL 13. From gameplay to online to franchise to presentation, we’ve been promised that virtually everything has been overhauled.

That means we want impeccable gameplay that rewards smart play, looks and sounds like real NFL football, allows us to be connected to our Madden ‘universe’ wherever we are, and keeps us involved with compelling, emotional single-player, multiplayer, and online modes. Basically, we want it to consume our life like it used to back in the day. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

If NCAA Football 13 simply does two major things – adjusts the defense to make the incredibly difficult passing plays easier and fixes its crushing Online Dynasty bugs – then the game will be rock solid. After all, last year’s game was superb save those two major items, and depending on your play style and gaming habits you may not have even known those problems existed.

Assuming that happens, what we desperately want is for the just-announced Heisman Trophy mode to be even more compelling than anything we’ve seen before, drenching us in history and emotion to break the mold of great mechanical experiences but little to no human element. No sport, other than baseball, boasts the history and stories of college football, a great and untapped reservoir of material.

Pro Evolution Soccer has been in an ailing state this console generation, though it's leapt bounds from its lowest point five years ago. PES 2012 introduced the off-the-ball system, which allowed for some really ingenuous gameplay wedded to razor-sharp AI teammates. However, its launch was a complete mess (a day one patch fixed goalkeeping AI, but failed to update from PES 2011’s roster one month after the August transfer window closed), and that’s saying a lot, considering what sports fans will tolerate.

It sounds like both FIFA and PES are looking to incorporate tweaked first touch and a plethora of new features, including more manual control over not only passing and shooting, but one-two passing. PES, however, needs a major overhaul in several of its creaky presentation and AI elements. We’re not sure if Konami will be ready to present, but we want to see major overhauls to features still fossilized and unaddressed for years.

We have faith in Konami’s ability to create brilliant AI patterns that are great at knowing exactly where to be, and we love the off-the-ball content from last year’s game. We’re excited by some of the big premises that the team is pitching for this year. But there are still several small elements that need major updates for this year’s game to avoid death from a thousand cuts.

*Note: This screen is from NBA 2K12, as 2K Sports has not released images for the new game as of publishing time.

How do you top greatness? For two years running, the NBA 2K series has been the apex of sports game experiences, thanks to the Jordan Challenge of 2K11 and the NBA’s Greatest of 2K12. Simply put, both modes are as good as anything we’ve seen in the genre since games got started.

Even so, there is room to improve some of the clunky passing mechanics and the craptacular online experience, which eventually got working better but never came close to holding up its end of the bargain. We’re pretty sure there will be some gameplay improvements and online upgrades announced – because if there aren’t, a riot may ensue.

What we really want, though, is another mind-blowing mode we didn’t see coming, such as including the 2012 Olympic license, tournament, and teams or an all-new take on the old-school clubs and current era squads. Perhaps they’ll tap into the historical players they’ve already secured with some story modes – which would be amazing. With an all-new competitor lurking, there’s no time to rest on their laurels.

*Note: This screen is from NBA Elite 11, since it's the last EA Sports NBA game we've got screens from. Yes, we know...

The fact that NBA Live even exists is reason for celebration – not because we don’t love NBA 2K but simply because competition and choice are good for gamers everywhere. In a shrinking landscape, a newcomer to the dance is welcome indeed.

To be frank, we want a game that looks beautiful and is more accessible to the common fan that’s intimidated by the hyper-complex NBA 2K series. We also want an online experience that’s highly functional and mobile, letting us manage our team easily no matter where we are.

We can do without some of the bells and whistles of legendary players, All-Star Games, and pickup-style games if the 5-on-5 basketball is solid. If that happens, we’re all in.