5 Sports in Desperate Need of a New Video Game

In 2013, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One took console gaming to the next level. Sports video games never looked so good, but unfortunately, not every sports video game made the trip to the higher plateau. 

We're coming up on the three-year mark and there are still major sports that are yet to be represented on the current generation of gaming consoles. Consider this a plea to the powers that be to produce a full array of gaming options for fans of almost every sport.

The lead image gives a not-so-subtle hint about one of the sports that is in desperate need of a reboot. Take a look at the entire list.

College Football

It's been almost three years since EA Sports released NCAA Football 14. It was one of the best games the publisher/developer produced in its college football series. Sadly, it was the last version released.

Legal issues have prohibited EA Sports from releasing another game in the series. The use of collegiate player likenesses and the license to use major conferences and universities are among the troublesome roadblocks preventing another version of the game.

Something in the world seems out of balance without a college football game to play. Remember back in the day when you could graduate guys from NCAA and import them into Madden for a realistic rookie class?

If you had given all the players proper names—or downloaded a named roster—you'd have the most authentic draft class possible. It was one of the best experiences you could have in the world of sports video games.

Guys like the author of the video above, The Wild Side, have been forced to update the rosters each year. Hardcore fans of NCAA 14 appreciate The Wild Side's work, but we'd all love it so much more if EA Sports—or any other reputable developer—worked through the legal issues and delivered the next college football game.

College Basketball

Do you feel bad for college football video game fans? What about those of us who also love college hoops games? The last college hoops game was released in 2009.

It was EA Sports' NCAA Basketball 10, and truth be told, it wasn't very good when compared to College Hoops 2K8, which was released in 2007. It's been nearly nine years since college hoops video game fans have had a good game to play.

This genre is dogged by the legal issues in the previous slide. NBA 2K16 teased us with full-blown college hoops action with elements of their MyCareer mode. Your created player begins his journey in high school but then has to pick a college before starting his NBA career.

There are a handful of college teams in the game, such as the Arizona Wildcats, Georgetown Hoyas and more. Hopefully, this is a precursor to a full version in the near future.

Summer Olympics

Naturally, Summer Olympic games are usually four years apart. However, there won't be a traditional Olympic video game for the 2016 Rio Games. Boo!

Instead, we'll be getting a Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games title. With all due respect to those two iconic gaming characters, that's not the button-mashing, seasonal experience most serious sports gamers are accustomed to.

The last "real" Olympic video game was released in 2012. It was aptly titled London 2012, and it was one of the stronger games of its kind. Let's face it: There's only so much that can be done with this concept.

The games don't have a long shelf life, but who doesn't enjoy the track and field and swimming events in these games? If you're wondering why there's no mention of Winter Olympics games in this slide, it's because most of them aren't addictive. 

Feel free to disagree in the comments section, but read those last two slides first. Thanks.

Tennis

Believe it or not, there were three relatively new tennis simulations for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. Sega's Virtua Tennis 4 and 2K Sports' Top Spin 4 both released in 2011, and EA Sports' Grand Slam Tennis 2 came out in 2012.

Top Spin was the most realistic. Virtua Tennis had great mini-games while being a little more arcade-driven. Still, it was a fun game. Grand Slam Tennis 2 was somewhere between the previous two as it pertained to realism. 

When the PS4 and XB1 came out in 2013, tennis was neglected and has been ever since. I echo the sentiments of Power Up Gaming's Hayden Waugh:

"

I would love to see some brave developer, and an equally brave publisher, take a punt and make a tennis game for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. 

Though tennis games are few and far between, that’s all the more reason to give them a go. There’s lots of room for potential and even greater room for innovation and improvements to gameplay. 

"

Even if it were done by an indie developer, much in the same way Maximum Games produced the solid The Golf Club in 2015, a new tennis game would be an excellent addition to the current-generation sports lineup.

Boxing

In March 2011, EA Sports released Fight Night Champion for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Nearly five years later, boxing fans haven't had another sweet science video game to play.

FNC wasn't a perfect game, but it did far more right than it did wrong. The career mode was revolutionary, and it helped pave the way conceptually for the uber-successful MyCareer feature in NBA 2K. There was a healthy roster of fighters in several weight classes, and there was also an excellent fighter share tool.

Graphically, it is still one of the best-looking games from the previous generation of gaming consoles. Imagine what FNC—or any other boxing game—could look like for PS4 and XB1.

We've already seen a glimpse of the goodness in EA Sports UFC. The same development team that produced the Fight Night series is responsible for EA Sports UFC.

The most realistic athlete models can be found in EA's MMA title, and with the implementation of more realistic collision detection, unique knockout animations and more realistic visual damage progression, a new boxing game could be amazing.

Like all of the sports mentioned in this slideshow, we need a new boxing video game in a major way.

---

 Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.