First-World Problems: Sports Video Game Edition

Don't let anyone discourage you: Video games matter. You can take all the flack the world has to offer about being holed up your room enjoying these titles, but the money that flows within the industry proves that people still love this stuff.

In sports, we have a limited amount of titles that we get to cycle through every year. Madden, NBA 2K and others provide fans with a nice fix of virtual competition.

The battles we have with our friends and online foes make all of these games worth playing. Nevertheless, these games have never been perfect. Fire it up, spend enough time behind the controller and like everyone else, you're bound to complain about a host of issues.

In a real "first-world problems" kind of way, let's now analyze 10 of the biggest issues we see with our favorite sports titles.

After reading the piece, leave your feedback in the comment section. What drives you crazy?

Madden 15: Lack of Pass Interference

The release of Madden 15 continued EA Sports' dominance over the football world. Fans of the NFL have often complained that without another licensed NFL game on the market, EA doesn't have to worry about making major improvements to the gameplay.

As an avid Madden player over the years, part of me agrees and part of me doesn't. We know the game always has flaws, but it's still playable and a lot of fun overall

One area Madden 15 struggles in is when it comes to defensive pass interference calls. You would think the video game world would adjust with the NFL's real-life focus on those types of calls.

Too much pass interference would be horrible. But unless you tackle a wide receiver before the ball gets there, it's never called.

Defensive backs can cut off routes, mug pass-catchers and get away with it. All we're saying is that striking a realistic balance for next year's game would be wonderful.

Bring Back 'NCAA College Football'

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Anyone looking for a break from the trials and tribulations of the Madden franchise always had a place to turn to. That place was the EA Sports-created NCAA Football series.

NCAA Football was always known for being a more free-flowing game. The modes were complex, filled with recruiting, setting up your school's schedule and leaving said school for other gigs. Unlike Madden—which got stale after playing years of Franchise Mode—NCAA Football never got tiresome.

When EA allowed you to take your dynasty online and play with friends, well, that was the icing on the cake.

The game all of us came to know and love vanished during the Ed O'Bannon case. EA put an end to the franchise in 2013, and as Steve Eder of The New York Times reported, EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing Company paid $40 million to "to settle their roles in a high-profile lawsuit seeking compensation for college athletes."

Video game-wise, it was a disheartening turn of events. What was arguably EA's best game was no more.

Could the game return one day? According to Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, EA wouldn't be opposed to it if the situation was right.

All we can do is hope and wait for the triumphant return of one of the best sports games of all time.

NBA 2K15: Revamp the Online Association

EA Sports may have conquered the world of pro football, but it doesn't hold a candle to 2K Sports' basketball franchise.

The gameplay and design of NBA 2K15 is beautiful. Each year, it feels likes this franchise gets dramatically better while NBA Live falls further and further into the abyss.

2K has done a bang-up job giving users new features to tinker with. The MyPlayer mode is one of the best around. However, there's still a critical area that really hurts NBA 2K15. That area is the company's Online Association mode.

Playing online versus your friends is what makes video games relevant nowadays. The era when you could find solace playing by yourself is gone.

When you start an association with friends in the most recent version of the game, it's horribly disappointing. First off, every team in the franchise has to be controlled by a user. That feature alone makes it nearly impossible to fill all 30 NBA teams.

Next comes the gameplay. For one season, you can try and figure out who's the best around. After that, the mode ends abruptly. No drafting, no trading, no rebuilding the New York Knicks. It just ends.

While 2K Sports has done a great job building a brand, it really has to shift its focus toward improving the Online Association experience.

NHL 15: Online Team Play

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Whether you like hockey or not, NHL 15 is one flagship franchise for EA Sports that you can't pass up on. It's been around for ages and has always produced generous amounts of fun.

The desire for an online experience fueled the NHL series and its developers to build an Online Team Play platform. For years, that mode was arguably the best in all of sports.

You could build a custom player or a custom club and do battle with others. Making the leap to the next-gen systems, NHL 15 could have continued with that mode and perhaps even made it better.

Instead, they stripped the mode from the game and left us all flailing.

NHL 15 is a great game. Sadly, without the benefit of Online Team Play, it lost a ton of its luster.

Can We Fix 'NBA Live'?

Isn't it about time NBA Live became playable again? The once cherished simulation-style hoops franchise has been rebooted over and over again, but nothing seems to fix its fatal flaws.

Live's gameplay is sluggish and unrealistic. The game feels more like it's meant for an arcade than a console.

Seeing what used to be a prestigious video game series struggle to replicate its golden days is sad. Perhaps the developers behind the project can finally figure out a solution. It would be great to have two stellar NBA video games to rotate between.

Where Is 'Fight Night'?

What happened to Fight Night? I'm not talking about the Migos track; I'm talking about the boxing series from EA.

Fight Night ceased production after the 2011 edition, leaving four great games as its legacy. There had been boxing games to come out over the years, titles like Ready 2 Rumble Boxing and James Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing. Yet none of those titles were as serious or complex as Fight Night, and that's where boxing found its home in the video game world.

True boxing fans loved this series.

What set this series apart from many others was the rich roster it came with. You could shuffle through the history books and pick out your favorite fights. Want to crush your opponent with one punch? Rocky Marciano and Jake LaMotta were there. Feel like using speed to frustrate your friend? Sugar Ray Leonard was available.

Fight Night with friends was always a good time.

After the 2011 edition released, the franchise stopped producing games. Fans were upset. Some of them even drafted a petition to reboot the series.

Nothing has come to fruition as of today, but hopefully a new title is in works, and it will be beautiful on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Madden 15: Colin Kaepernick Is the Greatest

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

There was a whole bunch of talk this year that centered on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his regression.

His lack of "proper" mechanics and poor passing performances turned this once-budding NFL superstar into the QB of an 8-8 team. Andrew Garda of Sports on Earth was one of many who wrote an essay explaining why and how the QB failed to turn a corner in 2014.

In Madden 15—as is the case in every Madden game–a quarterback who can run is the ultimate weapon. Call it "Michael Vick syndrome." Kaepernick was no exception.

Even with his downgraded stats, he's still one of the game's very best. His arm strength, accuracy and speed are all devastating factors. There's something about the young QB that stands out above a good chunk of his peers.

For example, take Peyton Manning. He's one of very best in the business. But when it comes to Madden 15, most people would prefer Kaepernick despite their 14-point ratings difference.

Sometimes, the game needs to balance itself out and level the playing field. Kaepernick is a good example of that.

The Return of 2K's 'College Hoops'

A few years before EA shut down its college football operation, 2K Sports closed the doors on their College Hoops project.

Folks who love the NBA 2K franchise adored the College Hoops version of the game. There was something about its gameplay that actually made it more fun to use than its professional counterpart.

College Hoops was built on rivalries, unknown players and big shots. The game never came loaded with the best graphics, but they were more than acceptable on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The Legacy mode was everlasting, and that's what really made the game special. There's something about taking your favorite collegiate team and leading them to greatness that's more satisfying than the NBA edition.

When the game went out of production after College Hoops 2K8, fans were left scrambling. They built updated custom rosters and hosted them online for other users to get their fix.

Now that the next-gen systems have hit the marketplace, College Hoops is no more. Assuming the NCAA and the video game industry can come to an agreement, it would be amazing to see 2K bring this game back.

Of all the defunct games, this is the best.

Fresh Commentary

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This example may be reaching a bit, but commentary in our favorite games is sometimes as important as the gameplay itself.

Recently, EA Sports and 2K Sports have done a good job of beefing up that aspect of their games. Even with the horror of receptiveness rearing its head, most of the commentary is tolerable and fluid.

You've seen the phrase "next gen" tossed around in this slideshow a lot. Those systems pack a wallop of a punch. It's time to embrace that power and give the fans more rich and engaging insight.

How about more than one set of broadcast partners in Madden? Maybe include actual—or fictitious—broadcasts of big games? Diversity like that would help ease the minds of critics and haters alike.

Madden 15: The NFL Draft

Jason DeCrow/Associated Press

The NFL draft has become a huge deal over the years. In some respects, it's almost as popular as the season itself. Social media has played a big part in establishing that popularity, giving draft pundits and fans a chance to speak their minds.

Knowing what a spectacle this has become, the creatives behind Madden should take the opportunity to really put forth a dynamic draft experience.

How about extensive on-field scouting, media reports and private workouts? Why not give fans an experience they can't get anywhere else?

Right now, the way the draft is set up isn't bad. You can scout a player and see his potential. But it's not as simple as that. It takes a lot more to really find out what a player is worth and if he will fit into your system.

Moving forward, it would be wonderful to see EA Sports shine a light on the draft. Adding that into the offseason process would make for a satisfying and long-lasting video game experience.