As the years come and go we seem to get further and further removed from some of the great sports titles that have dearly departed.
But every year around this time hope springs eternal that at least one of our beloved former sports game franchises will return.
Let’s take a look at some of these games we wish were at E3 this year.
MVP Baseball
With no real alternative for a true simulation baseball experience on the Xbox One, the return of the MVP Baseball franchise would be more than a welcome edition by not only fans of the series, but a whole new generation of fans who own an Xbox One.
While Sony did hold the exclusive MLB and MLBPA license for first party, and it is unclear if they still do, they do not hold said license for 3rd party companies. If this is still the case then EA could potentially bring back the the series without the obstacle of licensing issues as long as MLB is interested in doing business.
Odds of returning: Low
Fight Night
The last game in EA’s Fight Night series was in 2011 with Fight Night Champion for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game was well received by critics as it holds a score of 86% on Metacritic, and was just as popular with gamers. A return for the series would be most welcome, and this could be a great game for EA’s mega popular Ultimate Team mode. Think about being able to collect some of the best boxers of all time to face off with friends online.
Odds of returning: Moderate
NFL 2K
One of the most wanted returns, if not the absolute most is the NFL 2K series.
Unfortunately the series came to a grisly demise in 2005 when EA and the NFL partnered up to give EA the exclusive license to produce NFL football video games. This was on the cusp of the NFL 2K series overtaking the Madden NFL series in quality according to most gamers.
While no one knows exactly what happened, many cite the fact that 2K trying to undercut EA by selling the game for $20 and releasing it earlier than expected may have had something to do with the NFL’s decision. As far as anyone knows, EA still holds the exclusive NFL license. And even if they didn’t, it would most likely take years for another company to get a game to the market.
Odds of returning: Very Low
NCAA Football
Once a mid-summer staple, EA’s NCAA Football series was always a solid game of football, and some might say better than Madden. The last iteration was released in 2013 and was widely considered the pinnacle of the series. It was an exciting time because the game had taken major strides in quality with a ridiculously deep Dynasty Mode, and physics based gameplay. So it came as a huge shock to fans when EA announced that the series would be put on hiatus due to likeness issues.
But it’s not all bad news. Former EA Chief Competition Officer, Peter Moore has stated that when the series was put on hiatus, it was a gut punch for the company. But even more importantly, he stated that the series would eventually return. Even though Moore is no longer with EA, I am sure the company won’t hesitate to revive the series as soon as they are able to figure out how to get around likeness issues and once again gain the NCAA license.
Odds of returning: High
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