It's Not You, It's Me: A Sports Video Game Breakup Letter

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Dear sports video games,
 
I’m really sorry to do this. I promise it’s not you, it’s me. I just...feel as though we’ve grown apart and I wonder if maybe we’re not the best fit anymore. I think I need some time to explore new things.
 
Trust me; this is really hard to do. Especially with our history. I mean, we go back about 20 years! I remember when I first met you…my neighbor had a copy of Madden 94 for the Super Nintendo, a few years old at that point but still amazing. I fell in love instantly. I loved how real everything felt. I loved that I could call the plays and run them. I was captivated. The best was yet to come!
 
We took it to the next stage when you moved in with me. NFL Quarterback Club 99 on the Nintendo 64. The first sports video game of my very own. There was always room for you on my shelf. Add Ken Griffey Jr’s Slugfest, NFL Blitz, and NHL 99...you and I have had so many great memories.
 
The fun seemed like it would never stop. I moved on from the N64 to the PlayStation 2 and then the Xbox 360. You were there with me every step of the way. NHL Hitz, ESPN 2K Football, FIFA, sooooo many entries in the Madden series (SO many), NCAA Football, NCAA March Madness, Triple Play Baseball, NBA Live, wrestling games...even Arena Football and NASCAR at one point! I could go on and on about the fun we had.
 
But lately, things have started to get a little…stale. I bought the Batman special edition PS4 when Arkham Knight came out. That was incredible! Yet, I made sure to share that joy with you. More Madden. More EA NHL. More NBA 2K. More MLB: The Show. More FIFA. I tried to give us space by not buying every single sports game every year, leaving myself gaps between each. But it didn’t help. More of the same has gotten tiring - even frustrating - after a while. 

---

Over the last few years, people have mocked each new release, calling them glorified roster updates. I held out. I defended you. I believed there would always be a spark. That was especially true this year when I broke my rule about giving us space and bought the newest copies of each of the Big Four games. Yet, with every new game, I found myself doing the things I’d always done.
 
My created character and I march through the same old seasons. As a GM, I make the same old front office moves. I can’t keep doing it. I can’t commit to the long haul anymore. The NHL and NBA both play 81 game seasons; I’ve shamelessly played the entirety - in virtual form - several times each. That’s not including countless baseball and football seasons, too. I’m burned out.
 
But really, it’s not just about you. Maybe a lot of this is on me. Maybe you’ve changed more than I have. You became so worldly, yet I’m hesitant to go all-in on online modes, afraid of the challenges that lie within. You wanted a richer lifestyle, yet I was cheap and refused to buy in-game packs.
 
The gaming universe is so expansive and - to be frank - I feel like I’ve limited myself by putting so much emphasis on us. Some of my all-time favorite games came when I branched out. Games like Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire and any of the Batman games, just to name a few. I’ve recently been trying Dragon Age: Inquisition and other RPGs. I just picked up Monster Hunter: World. I’m on to new things.
 
This isn’t goodbye. I just need a break. I’ll still try and make some time for you, but life is too short to fail to be adventurous.
 
Yours Truly,
Zeke

---