When I load up a sports game, the first thing I do is look at the top players in the game; then I compare those ratings to what I think the real-life counterparts actually deserve.
Typically there are discrepancies, especially as the season progresses. It's safe to say, Mike Mussina (13-6 with a 3.26 ERA) wasn’t rated as an elite player in either MLB game this year, and Erik Bedard (6-4 with a 3.67 ERA) was probably expected to perform at a higher level.
Nonetheless, many game makers consider roster updates a luxury rather than a need -- or they simply don't want to sacrifice the manpower to work on a roster update, much to the chagrin of the hardcore gaming community. The problem with that philosophy is it not only shows a lack of concern for the people who buy a company’s video game, but it doesn’t account for the unpredictability of sports as a whole. No one can accurately determine who is going to have a breakout season or a sub-par one at that.
MLB 08: The Show is probably the only current game to have weekly updates to the lineups, accounting for position changes, ratings alterations and injuries. Sony’s support really gives the community a good feeling knowing that strides are continuously being made in order to create the best baseball simulation possible. Yet even those folks don’t completely take into account streaks and tendencies. This is where the newly announced "Dynamic DNA" comes in.
Dynamic DNA was recently announced as a specific feature for NBA Live 09, and it's expected to be the answer to the dilemma explained above. For those who don’t know, Dynamic DNA is actually a very intriguing idea. The concept is that daily updates would be supplied to the game -- taking into account recent hot/cold streaks and player tendencies -- by utilizing statistics and other information to alter the way the athletes play inside the video game.
If LeBron is tearing up the NBA in the current month, expect him to be taking your team apart as well in the game -- unless of course you decide to use him and provide the pain to the opposition instead. That is just the beginning.
Say a sixth man like of Manu Ginobili has been making a lot of mid-range field goals as of late, but hasn’t been having any luck from beyond the arc. Presumably that should mean he won't be draining many threes in NBA Live 09 either. Players will be given patterns similar to stocks, showing their recent progression or regression in certain areas. The game then utilizes the information over time to mimic real life within the video game. Essentially, every day you load up the game, the players will execute differently -- assuming you download the latest file.
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