The Tradeoff Between Authenticity and Fun in Sports Games

Back in the early days of video games, when legendary franchises such as Doom, Mario, and Pac-Man were topping the charts, video game development was all about abstraction and imagination, something far from realism.

All of this was due to hardware limitations, which held developers back from incorporating real-life authenticity into their products. However, everything changed in the 90s with the original PlayStation and then PlayStation 2, which dropped later in the early 2000s.

It was revolutionary. Newer technology unlocked loads of possibilities, which sports games made the most of. Since then, franchises like Gran Turismo, FIFA/PES, and NBA 2K have all become increasingly authentic thanks to gradual hardware improvements. However, this changed with the advent of modern technology, where developers had to compromise authenticity for the sake of maintaining fun.

Excessive Realism Can Hurt Fun

Video games are video games, and reality is reality. Most of us look up to our gaming machines as a temporary escape from reality, but it can be overwhelming if a game tries too hard to simulate real life.

NBA 2K26 features nearly identical player animations. However, imagine cranking the game’s mechanics to hyper realism. Will the more fluid movements, systems, and unforgiving rules provide the same level of joy? Well, to some it will, but the majority will feel overwhelmed.

This is because they fired up their console to experience their favorite sport as a video game — not as a training machine. As a result, quickly losing interest due to a slower pace is completely acceptable.

Exaggeration And Responsiveness Equals Fun

Yes, it does. The media, whether passive (movies) or interactive (gaming), are intentionally exaggerated to keep the audience hooked. As mentioned earlier, these work as temporary reality-escaping sources. That’s why even if a video game is demonstrating real life, developers compromise on authenticity to keep the fun constant.

In this case, racing games are the prime example. The principle of exaggeration contributes heavily to the fact that you see millions playing Forza Horizon 5 but only a handful enjoying Assetto Corsa. The vast majority are not into hardcore sim-racing; they want a fun, user-friendly racing game.

With that in mind, the Forza Horizon series delivers a responsive, arcade racing experience and a gentle learning curve. The cars look realistic, sound realistic, and even behave similarly to their real-life counterparts. However, thanks to intentional exaggeration, drifting a 1000+ HP rear-wheel-drive hypercar is a piece of cake with a controller.

Best Sports Titles Balance Realism By Breaking It

For a sports franchise to go hit, it has to be realistic, but to reach a vast audience, it has to be user-friendly. That’s why the best sports games always aim for a sweet spot between realism and playability.

Taking EA FC 26 as an example. You experience a full 90-minute match, but the clock goes significantly faster, and it ends in just 15 minutes. Additionally, you’ve got all the rules and regulations, such as offside, penalties, and other stuff that mimic real football without taking too much time.

That’s how developers achieve a perfect balance between simulation and practicality to maintain the nature of video games while keeping the experience close to reality.