The world of sports has had a considerable impact on the culture as a whole. There are many different parts of life that have been influenced by sports, and it is always interesting to see how sporting events are translated into other mediums.
One of the most promising ways in which sports is captured in a different arena is in the world of video games. Video games have proven to be a dominant force for the last 20 years or so, and there have been a large number of different sporting video games created, all of which have seen mixed success, when you just explore a few of them.
Sporting Simulators
One of the most atypical ways in which people can play sporting events is through sporting simulators. These video games try and closely emulate the feeling of playing sports, while capturing it in an interactive and engaging medium.
The success rate for an endeavour like this is fairly mixed. On the one hand, there have been some very realistic sporting simulators created, which have proven to be adequate representations of the actual sport that they are promoting. On the other hand, there have been some absolute trainwrecks of video games, which are borderline unplayable on account of how hyper-realistic things are without the technology required to compensate.
As previously stated, the success rate is fairly mixed. On the one hand, there are things like the FIFA series and mc command center sims 4, which is incredibly popular in the UK, on the other hand, there are some less than adequate basketball games over in the States. It really does depend on where you are in the world, and what technology you are using.
Sporting Management Games
Have you ever been watching a game of sport, and found yourself howling at the television because the manager or the coach of the team has made a terrible decision? Well, if you thought that you could do it better, now is your chance to prove it. Sporting management games are the other type of sport video games that are available.
These are video games which do not see you actively playing the sport, so much as managing the players who play. You often fill the role of a manager or a coach, and it is your job to guide your team to victory at the highest possible level. There are various things that you can do for yourself, like for example being interested in a certain training regimen, buying or selling players, and assembling teams to work best in the current tournament.
As you might expect from video games of this fashion, there is a fairly mixed success rate. There are a lot of different things that you can do to create the best possible options. Some of these are fairly adequate representations of what it would be like to actually manage a professional team, whereas others are basic and restrictive and what you can do, providing a very fictional experience.
It’s All About the Tech
When looking at something like this, it is all about the technology. Video game technology, like the PS4 has come a long way since the early 2000’s, and so the type of technology that you work with will heavily influence just how popular your game is, and how realistic it is.
In a lot of cases, the growing videogame technology available has had a positive impact on the way that we explore sporting video games. There have been numerous instances where we have been able to create more realistic experiences as a result of the technology we have, and there have been other moments where this has not been the case. As a general rule, the further along the technology chain you go, the better game you have, but this is not a guarantee.
So, in conclusion, sporting video games have had a fairly mixed reception over the years. Sometimes, they have been roaring successes, and other times they have been bitter disappointments. It depends a lot on the type of experience you’re looking to have. There are some video game simulators that are perfectly realistic, and others which are just a trainwreck. Evolving technology has obviously had a big hand in the way that we look at video games, and sporting video games are no different. The way that these video games evolve depends on the technology that is used in them. Technology is a constantly evolving thing, and as video games have developed, new mechanics have been added which either add to the realism, or detract from it. At a very basic level, we have not yet managed to perfect sporting video games, so we cannot say for absolute certainty whether we have created the ultimate version or not. However, it is safe to say that we are probably not done yet.