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Sports games need to make big changes - Hot Topic
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Sep 6, 2024
The annual releases of most sports games are becoming somewhat of a lack luster event with a severe lack of innovation. Join Dorian and K-LO as they share their thoughts on what these games could change so that they can bring something new to the table every year! Head to Game Sandwich for articles: https://www.gamesandwich.com/ Follow us and let's talk about video games, their stories, and the people that make them! 📱Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@game.sandwich.official ✖️Socials: https://twitter.com/TheGameSandwich 🎮Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/6GrQYXYdSf #madden25 #fifa #nfl
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intro
0:09
What's up guys, this is Kalo, and normally I'm here to give you the lowdown on all things gaming
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but we are back for yet another episode of Game Sandwich Hot Topic. And what better way
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to kick things off here than introduce the one and only, Dorian, why don't you say what's up
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What's up everybody? Hello, welcome to Hot Topic. Kalo, thanks for having me today
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No problem. I think it's a good day to have this episode because I got a question for you
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and it's going to blend everything you see on camera right now. Are you ready
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Yeah, I'm ready. All right, are you ready for some football? Because we are talking about sports games
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the games that are the bane of my existence. I'll put it that way. I'll put it kindly
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And we're just talking about how they are nowadays. Is there things they need to change
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Which, spoiler for my two cents on this, yes, there's a lot that needs to be changed
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And we're going to touch on everything. Because you're wearing your Jimmy Uso shirt
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we're going to touch on WWE too. Yeah, no Yeet. I should have worn my Yeet shirt
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but I'm wearing my Aaron Rodgers jersey. We're covering all ends of the spectrum, I guess
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You did like the sports angle, I went the wrestling angle, which is, you know
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sports entertainment kind of thing. But you said it's going to be a sports related thing. So I was like, the only sport I am knowledgeable on is wrestling
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The duality of game sandwich. Look at us, we're covering everything. But I want to pose this to you and get your professional opinion on the matter
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We all know Madden releases every year, Madden 24, Madden 25, and so on and so forth
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There was a weird year where they did 25 back in like 2016. But it was the 25th anniversary of
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Madden. It got really confusing. But I'm in the camp that Madden should release EA Madden. Look
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at that that shiny title, and then kind of release a yearly DLC alongside the game like the game
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access the hub, and then you get 25 year 26, whatever have you. I think that should be the
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model not just for Madden, but sports games in general and WWE games. Let's throw them in there
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What do you think about that? That has been something I've actually thought about for many, many years
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As someone as I said, I'm not a big sports guy. But I have played Madden, FIFA, all those types
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of games. I grew up playing FIFA. And it just doesn't make sense to me that you get a new one
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every year. Like I get why, but just you know, make it a subscription service that you maybe pay
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for and then Oh, 2024 2025. You just you upgrade to the new one without buying a brand new game
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Mm hmm. I mean, in a year of firsts for me, of things I never thought I'd say just because
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gaming in general, these past two years have been it's been crazy. I think more games should be like
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Fortnite. And did I cringe a little bit on the inside saying that? Yes, but they have it. They
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have the base game. And you get every season or every someone and so forth. They add something
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new. And also I've been playing Fortnite a lot recently. That old game has been it's an
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experience. That's a whole other video. But I think like it's fair to say you can't reinvent
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the wheel when it comes to sports. I mean, you throw ball, kickball, shoot ball, do whatever
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you want there. But I think to charge a now $70 price tag for what is the same game every year
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and I've done videos on my personal channel, talking about how they just reuse animations and
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stuff. $70 like get I'll give you 20 bucks 15 if you're lucky. And then I'll pay that not 70
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And then you also have to add on top of that the small little DLCs they release
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you know, like WWE has, you know, you get like seven or more wrestlers. And that's 15 more bucks
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you got to drop just for those wrestlers. I'm sure Madden does the same thing. Correct me if I'm
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wrong. I don't know if they add in like, I was gonna say a sports star name, but I'm really
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blanking on any Aaron Rodgers. You already said that name, I think so. There we go. How do they
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add in like Aaron Rodgers like his his rookie year, like you get to play as his rookie version
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I don't know. So it's weird. Now we're gonna go down the rabbit hole. They give you like the base
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rosters for everybody. I get everybody on the jets. I love them all. They're all great. They
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cause me great pain every year. But that's besides the point. You get the base team and let's just
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say there's a rookie or somebody Yeah, they're on the team, they get adjusted overalls throughout
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the year based on how they perform. And it's just to me like every year you get the rookie class
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because there's the draft, they release the game. But a funny thing that happened recently on
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Twitter, one of the Jets players, he's a very good player in the National Football League. He's
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a running back Brees Hall. He's considered to be a star in the league. And you know, they do the
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face scans of the players get them in the game. It's whatever. He's a player that doesn't have
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a face scan. And one of the other players on the team said, Oh, it's pretty funny how like
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you need an updated face and you're a star in the league. I think that's pretty telling
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Like, imagine if Cody Rhodes, for example, like had his like early on face scan from when he was
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dashing compared to now. It's kind of like that happening where it's like, Oh, he represents the
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league, he represents your company. And you can't give him his actual face like, right? Those are a
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big detriment to like sports games in general. We always every time we get on one of these shows
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together, we always basically agree on everything. And I feel like one day we've got to find something
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we disagree on or something like that. But it is a unique take. I don't know. I would very much like
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to get into what a subscription type service would look like for that. Are there people out there
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that are going to pay for it? And what is the benefit of buying a new game every year
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I would say personally, it would be the roster, obviously, because gameplay changes. I mean
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how much again, can you make there? And perfect example, I'm wearing last year's New York Jet
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jersey, they just released new ones. But again, I just circle back to is $70 enough for me to change
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like the stripes right here. And like, that's it. Like, I also want to kind of give you the best
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comparison here. Assassin's Creed is doing the unity hub. I think that should be the the basis
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of a sports like game subscription service, you pay for the base framework skeleton of NHL
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There you go. Then every year we'll add on like a Valhalla. We'll add Assassin's Creed read 2425
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so on and so forth. I think that's the only model there unless there's something missing here
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I really don't see that. Also, this applies to WWE to know I grabbed that's a great. That would
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be a great way to go. Actually, I'm excited to see what Assassin's Creed does with that so we
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can see more about it. But kind of rolling that in, you know, I thinking back to the WWE games
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and I bought 19 got 22. They skipped a year. Yeah, we don't talk about that year. Then I got 23
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And we created 40 custom characters in it. Can you create your own characters in Madden NFL games
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You can and there's like a story mode that goes along with it. And there are things you can do
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for customization. But when I tell you WWE is doing a far better job than Madden is than NHL is
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There's a lot to be left on that bone. So we see me created 40 custom characters, right
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We don't want to get the next game to create all 40 characters again
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We're just gonna keep playing in the version we have. Unless there's a way. And I don't think
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there is on Xbox to get the next 2k game, whatever it is to carry over your characters. It's just it
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it's time consuming. And we put a lot of effort into it. And that's just one of the main reasons
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we're I'm on board with this subscription based service of release your games, you know
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yearly, but you pay whatever fee or you download a DLC, whatever
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Now, because I am scared of the word subscription and EA existing within the same sphere, because
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that can go so bad. I'm going to pose another thing to you. And this might be a little far
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fetched, but we're going to try it anyway. We're talking about real sports games. We're talking
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about Madden, WWE, whatever. I love me a game called Super Mario baseball. I think the big
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reason why we're having problems with Madden, and FIFA and stuff like that is because those are the
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only mediums to play these games. Yes, there are indie versions of football games and whatever
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But I think the lack of diversity in like, let's just say let's get a Mario football
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let's get a Mario baseball, like a new version, soccer, they recently released in golf
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I just think the lack of diversity within this realm is staggering. I mean, there used to be a
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2k I think it was 2k like football experience where you're like in the helmet, you have like
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a first person view when you play football. Again, execution of all these things is key
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But it adds more flavors out there to kind of be like, hey, you might not like Madden this year
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give Mario football a try. And people would eat that up. I'm honestly surprised they haven't
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done a Mario football. Who knows might be coming soon. Who knows? I mean, give it to Camelot
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Camelot Studios knows how to make a Mario sports game. They've done it with the golf version for
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many, many years. Or give them Golden Sun for but you know, whatever comes first. I would like a
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Mario football game. And they haven't done it. They haven't done it. Why? Exactly. They got
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Mario strikers, Mario tennis, Mario golf. What else am I missing? The Olympics? Oh
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Olympics. No football. Maybe it's just not a big market for football. I don't know
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It's so surprising to me because like the characters are there. They already kind of
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do this thing like based off power based off technique based off speed. And it's like all
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those things. You scream football. I don't know. It's so weird. But I want to now talk about WWE
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because yes, Madden and FIFA exist within that bubble. But WWE did the one thing that Madden
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and all these other games should do and that's take a year off, relax, calm down, do whatever
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And they came back with this new WWE 2K25. Their year 24, 25, 24. 24 was the last one they did
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24. It's always weird when they release a year ahead. But it proved that year off does a lot
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for the franchise. I mean, they went from arguably the worst WWE game ever made
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potentially to a decent one. And I know that's me kind of like making an excuse there. But
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from worst to like passable is big for that franchise because everyone was like, that's
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the nail in the coffin. They're done. They're they're over. But we also talked about subscription
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service. Imagine WWE like 2K, whatever year or Madden for this case, hang these titles on Game
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Pass. You don't charge for them up front, but you'd be more inclined to buy the DLC, the micro
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transactions, all these little things. And I know I'm using air quotes, the game is free
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But where you're not spending 70 bucks, you might be like, Hey, I like this DLC, the coming up of
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the white six or whatever. I'll get that. Or if I pay $70, I'm not buying a single DLC
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Right. It's a good thought. In practice, what would the benefit? I mean, say you did that with
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Madden, right? Does Madden release the full game? What other like what? What deals these come with
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a Madden or a FIFA like like fill me in here as someone who doesn't know. So as you know, I'm very
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horrible at describing things. But let's just say there is Madden ultimate team, which is essentially
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you get a bunch of cards, you fill in your roster and you play with these cards. You play like a
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real game. That is where Madden makes its money. And let's just say around Halloween, they released
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the scariest players in NFL history, they release all the legends and whatever have you
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And they come at a premium price tag, you pay 15 bucks like a fortnight skin or whatever
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And you get it in game and you can play online. That is what I would consider to be the DLC to
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a Madden. Because it's microtransactions at the end of the day. That's what makes them the most
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money. And much like Call of Duty, Madden and NHL and all them. They kind of don't have to change
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because they're making the money. It's more like us who are here like we need more quality. Like
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we need something more. And yeah, they were like, No, we still get the money. The line is still
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going up. Because there are people out there that just play ultimate team and buy this stuff. Yeah
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okay, unique. Thank you for filling me in. Now. I mean, when I played FIFA, I think it was
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FIFA 2009 was the last one I remember really getting into. It was just, you know, you buy it
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because it's the year and you really get it because well, you're at least for me, it was
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I'm rooting for this team. It was Arsenal at the time. So I play Arsenal. And then I would just
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the next year I thought, Why would I get another game? I have this one for the GameCube. I'm dating
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myself a lot here. So it was interesting. I never really thought back then, well, I should get 2010
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or 2011 or whatever it was because the one I had, I had it for the GameCube. It was more fun that
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way. I don't know. And now I'm just thinking back to, you know, when I was doing that is like
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why would I buy the next version when it's all quote unquote, the same? That's my problem. I
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I, I'm in reverse here. Back in those days. I was like, I need Madden this man that I need it
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Whatever reason I don't know. Also, like as a sports fan talking here, the Jets have sucked
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for many. Let's just say my whole life. I'm basically paying for my team like you get a
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set overall like the best team gets like a 92 overall. The Jets have gone down every year. I'm
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paying for my team to suck more so I can't use them in the game. So call me the fool there. But
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I'm in this era now where I'm like, I don't need the next Madden. I'll buy this year's version
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rock with it for the next two years. Or I take the firm stance until they show me they've made
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a big change. Then I'll buy it. That is my kind of like barometer there. If they do a big change
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year to year, sure. I'll do it. I'll buy it. I buy games regardless and build up this back catalog
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But yeah, like I'm in that era now where I'm like, I don't need the next Madden. I don't need that
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Or if it comes to game pass, then I'll just download it and try it. I think, I think I agree
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with you. Pop them on game pass. Game pass is dominating when it comes to putting a bunch of
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games there. Put them on game pass. See what happens. Release your DLCs, release your
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subscription. Do they have subscriptions within subscriptions? I'm sure they do because Elder Scrolls Online has that. It's EA play or something attached to game pass
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or something like that. It's weird. I'm kind of on the same realm of when I see EA, I kind of just go
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hmm. But yeah. You also brought up something funny with WWE community creations. They almost
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negate the need to make the next game. I mean, how many times can you go in and shout out to
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the wrestling fans here? You can go into community creations and download a Joe Hendry and he's
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he looks exactly, yeah, clap it up. We believe he looks exactly the same. The only thing he's
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missing, I don't know if you can upload music anymore, is his theme and like the proper animation
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there. But as far as movesets and everything else, you have it. It's in the game. It's just put it
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together or wait for someone to do that. People were making The Fiend before The Fiend was even
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in the game. So there you go. That's like 100%. You hit it perfectly. One, two, three, tap out
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You're done. It's like, just upload the music. Also, they should do that more. I know development
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cycles are a long time. And with WWE, I'm kind of tired of getting, like, you can tell the exact
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moment in time they did the Rhea Ripley. They did the Roman Reigns. They did this. It's like
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this is supposed to be next year's version, but it's last year's version of said character
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I know that's me asking for a lot with developers, but it's like, man, like, I would kill for like
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the current attire for Jey Uso or CM Punk or Drew McIntyre or LA Knight, who just changed his theme
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You best believe in the next game, he's going to have the old one and it's going to be like, ah
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you almost had me. But yeah, it's those things. It's in the other room. I had the yeah finger
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Ah, but yeah, like it's those things that we need to change. Yeah. I mean, speaking of LA Knight
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and Rhea Ripley, fun fact, did you know LA Knight did the majority of the entrances for the
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superstars in 2K24? Wow. The more you know. Chelsea Green, I believe, did the majority of
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the women entrances. Wow. That's crazy. It's those behind the scene details that you really love
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that you really appreciate. He was in a workout video with Triple H a while back and he kept going
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yeah, yeah, it was so it note to sell for wrestling fans. Look at the security guards
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Look at all the extras. They might be champion one day. Or look at Madden players, NFL players
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They could go to the WWE one day. Yeah, honestly, either way, either way, it could all shake up
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But do you have any final thoughts on sports games or WWE games? The remedy here? What can we do to fix everything
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Fix everything? I don't know if we have enough time for that. That's a joke. It's a long list, though. It's a long I don't think it'll change. I don't think
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that the companies are making too much money of charging 60 to 70 bucks with your DLCs
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with your downloadable characters, with your I'm assuming sports games have different seasons, too
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They probably pay for the fans as you brought it up earlier. I've been paying it for it for years
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So why fix what isn't broken? Yeah, that's the term. Is that the phrase? Yeah. You know, there's
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there's people out there. I'm sure that we're not alone. You and I that say, hey, Madden 2425
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I'm going to do that for you said rocket for two years and then see what they do next
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That's just going to be the way of it. One final remark. I want a Mario football game. That's it
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That's that's it. I when I was writing the notes out for this episode, like I wrote that line out
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and then I was like, huh, they really didn't do a football game. But switch to more powerful
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better graphics. If I could have if it happens, you heard it right here first nowhere else on
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the Internet. But yeah, it sucks that that is so draining to hear out loud because I think it I
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know it. It's like, yeah, they're not going to change despite everything we're saying right now
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It's just because of the money. They follow the money. And that's what happens. But, uh
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you know what does happen? More talk about video games and stuff in general in our discord. So
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why don't you why don't you join it? And all that all the links are in the video description
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down below. But as of right now, I've been K. Lo. Fingers crossed something changes
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maybe Mario football joined by the one and only Dorian. And we'll see you guys next time
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If you enjoyed today's debate or want your weekly dose of gaming news content
22:42
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