Why I will pass on All Pro Football 2K8

I doubt I will be picking up APF 2K8 for the PS3.  At some point maybe I will give it a go via a rental, but after downloading a video from the PlayStation Store, the game looks … well … like a bad version of amateur football.  The actual gameplay may be pretty good, and the graphics are fine, but there is no way I am going to get past the NFL Europe (or worse) uniforms.  OK, call me superficial, but that is the way I feel.

Time to admit that I was never a big fan of the 2K series; I know it has a strong following among gamers that are bored, burned out, and generally frustrated with EA Sports’ brand of football as seen yearly in each Madden and NCAA Football release.  I enjoyed the first release for the DreamCast, but I enjoy NCAA (or Madden) more than the various 2K releases.

APF has some interesting ideas – Hall of Fame caliber players could be fun, but I cannot get past the blandness of it all; I do not want generic football.  I do not mind going generic with some sports titles if the game is great (see OOTPB), but I am long past the point where I enjoy playing unlicensed console games.  It is really kind of funny (maybe even pathetic), but I do not mind doing fantasy drafts (Vince Young to the Falcons; Vick to the dogpile) in Madden.  The difference is that it is still the licensed players and still the licensed teams.

As I get older, I continue to slant more and more towards the middle.  I admit to having casual gamer syndrome (CGS), but I wish 2K all the best of luck.  Hopefully the game is decent, sees enough sells to make apply some pressure to EA, and eventually spurs more improvements in Madden or NCAA Football.

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2 thoughts on “Why I will pass on All Pro Football 2K8”

  1. JC, I reckon this is a reflection on gaming and how it develops rather than of the individual gamer, but you don’t enjoy playing unlicenced console games? When would you say we reached the point where the licence became more important than the gameplay?

  2. It is a good question …

    If two sports games (one licensed and one not licensed) played exactly the same, I would go with the licensed game, even if the licensed game was a little more expense. If the licensed game clearly sucked wind compared to the unlicensed game, I may pass all together unless the unlicensed game had a lot of extras (play modes or whatever) that made it worth my while.

    I did mention that this rule was only for console games. I do not mind a text based simulation (football or baseball sims come to mind) that does not have a license. To me there is something different about running a simulation vs. playing a console game.

    When did I reach this point? Probably between my first and second kid … so between 1998 – 2002. By the time I hit kid number three (2007) I have very limited console gaming time, so I want to play as Georgia, Texas, or the Atlanta Falcons … not as some generic team. Of course I do not mind playing old versions of games; I do not have to have the latest, greatest version, if the newer versions as not close to some of the older releases.

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