As a young kid I loved to play video games. As a young kid I loved to watch NASCAR. In fact, I learned to count to 43 while in pre-school from watching NASCAR races. So when I got my first video game system (the ever famed Nintendo 64) it was natural for me to sit in front of it for hours, pretending I was Mark Martin, battling against the greats of the sport for Winston Cup supremacy.
Those were the days, let me tell you.
Now, with the invention of such great things as high-definition TV and subsequently the formation of high-def video games, the experience of racing on all of NASCAR’s tracks is that much more realistic. But, after making NASCAR 09 for the PS2 and PS3, along with Microsoft’s XBOX 360 console, EA Sports pulled the plug on the NASCAR series of video games.
Those were the days, let me tell you.
Now, with the invention of such great things as high-definition TV and subsequently the formation of high-def video games, the experience of racing on all of NASCAR’s tracks is that much more realistic. But, after making NASCAR 09 for the PS2 and PS3, along with Microsoft’s XBOX 360 console, EA Sports pulled the plug on the NASCAR series of video games.
According to the NASCAR 09 Wikipedia page, “Electronic Arts has stated they would not make another title due to slumping sales, lack of popularity, and the difficulty of installing any new features.” Also EA Sports will lose their exclusive license as NASCAR’s official video game producer in 2010.
It’s too bad that EA Sports stopped making the games, because I was more than amped to go out and buy the 2010 version last summer. I wanted to see all the new paint schemes and all the new teams, including Mark Martin in the #5 Kellogg’s/CarQuest Chevrolet.
Not that you’d know it was a Chevrolet, because on NASCAR 09 EA Sports pulled all references to car manufacturers. But then again, on the COT how can you tell a Ford from a Dodge from a Toyota?
There were many glaring weaknesses about NASCAR 09, at least from my vantage point. My brother, Tony, and I have often switched settings to find that races are too easy to win, even when the settings are on the most difficult. Even though the graphics are great and the car setups are so realistic, the gameplay is lacking.
Screenshot courtesy Cheatcc.com and EA Sports
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see a NASCAR 2010 or NASCAR 2011 come out within the next calendar year, but it seems like EA Sports and NASCAR are in a wait-and-see mode for now, leaving plenty of avid video gamers like myself to sit around and play with the now old and outdated version.
And who wants to race an old, outdated version? Certainly not myself.
If anyone at EA Sports sees this, please know that your product, while it could use some fixing, is enjoyed by at least a few people in this world. And as I wait for the green flag to fly on NASCAR racing again this year the only thing I have to remind myself of live racing is old tapes of races, replays of races on TV and my EA Sports NASCAR 09 video game.
Maybe this will be the year that gamers like myself get to rush out and buy a new game. Maybe not, but either way, after today we sit just one day closer to the drop of the green flag on the 2010 NASCAR season. I couldn’t be more excited.
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