I've owned a Playstation 2 (PS2) video system for about six months now. In that span of time, only two games have been purchased. Actually, I really don't go for those fantasy games which promote violence... and we all know what they are since the kids these days go for that sort of thing. So I've stuck with sports simulations (baseball & football) exclusively.
You would probably think I would be like most gamers who buy those games: a chance for me to take any team, whether bad or good, and make them invincible to where they never lose, players never get injured, and nothing but clubhouse or locker room harmony exists. In other words, simulate the everyday players NOT living everyday lives.
Do I? Nope, not so. If a team is a loser in real life and I play it out, I make them lose just as much! You can sense I probably take my gaming too seriously, although I don't classify myself as one who only likes losing teams.
I have allegiance to the Detroit teams, so I took the Tigers (who used to be bad), and the Lions (who have always been bad). Baseball came first, and the graphics, commentary & general realism on this game were great to see. Like most folks, I started on the beginner's level, then went to intermediate, and the same thing happened.
I won nearly 110 games while hitting literally ten homers every game. Now I've known gamers who love to stick it in their opponents' face by drubbing them by 30 runs every time. But these people are annoying & don't like challenges. My whole darn team was hitting .400. Baseball hasn't had a .400 hitter since Ted Williams. Only the brain dead couldn't guess I'd win. Interest would go out the window, by having it so easy that it took no thinking on my part to scratch out a close win. I like the competition and I like the CPU to be somewhat smart.
Same thing with the football game. Laugh and throw peanuts & fruit at me for picking the Lions - I simply know them best. They have been classic losers for three generations, and this year looks no different. So I said, "Ha ha, I'll make them suck, too."
What happened on the pre-season games? Lions win, 41-0 and 37-3. Will that ever happen in real life? The quarterback throws 20 straight completions? The wide receiver runs 80+ yards on consecutive possessions with nobody pursuing him?
Shocked you may be, but I hit the reset button and spent over an hour tweaking the settings to where that team would be today. As a result, the quarterback stinks, the running back isn't used enough... it's reality!
Everybody likes to win, but it's awfully hard to in sports & real life. To be a success you have to fight for what you want. Nothing comes to you on a silver platter. Oddly enough, I like my game playing to be the same way.
It may smack more of reality than fantasy, true. But I get the best of both worlds: a reality you can control without draining your pocketbook... and plenty of laughs, to boot.
