Sideline Chatter: October 2009 Responses

What is one feature a lacrosse video game must have?

Lacrosse fans have been clamoring for a virtual-reality equivalent to the real thing in their living rooms for decades, and they’ve made their voices know, too, flooding social-networking sites with demands for a mainstream lacrosse video game.

As Carlo Sunseri’s “College Lacrosse 2010” puts on its finishing touches for a fall rollout on Xbox Live’s Community Games platform, LM’s putting you in charge of product development. Forget limitations on technology and budget: what’s one feature a lacrosse video game must have?

THIS MONTH'S WINNER

Jake Pechet of Radnor, Pa., wins the 2010 Grant head from adidas with his winning response in LM's "Sideline Chatter" series.

Jake Pechet, Radnor, Pa.
It’s got to have customizable features like creating your own team with real or made-up players, and using a real field or creating your own. Good graphics. Ability to change to any player at any time. Ability to change to different camera angles. Play as legends, retired or not, like the Gait brothers or the Barrage, even though they don’t exist anymore. Play a full season or a career. Choose your own stick or make up a completely new one and/or your own company. Make sure there are sequels like Madden, not just one that you can get bored playing after a while. Last but not least: advertise the game.

Jake will win the 2010 Grant head from adidas. It's NCAA-compliant for 2010, weighs in at 5 ox. and features adidas' radical off-axis technology. More info online at www.evolve-lacrosse.com.

David Johnson, Daphne, Ala.
The ability to play as a goalie. Too many games (at least the ones with goalies involved) just have the goalie as an unplayable AI construct that you can either shoot on or defend, depending on what team you’re on. If this were a feature of a game, you would also have to be able to call out instructions to your defenders using the different buttons.

Harrison Youngwood, Severna Park, Md.
Definitely when you get a fast break in a faceoff or defense, the screen should switch to widescreen.

Karson Bobbitt, Fayetteville, Ga.
Once you score, it should have a slow motion replay using the goalie camera.

Ken Keefner, Charlotte, N.C.
Stick checking.

Luke Johns, Mattapoisett, Mass.
The ability to have complete control of your stick using a Wii remote. Without that, you wouldn’t be able to get a real feel for the game.

Zach Harrington, Germantown, Tenn.
I think that a lacrosse video game needs a hit stick so you can take people out! Booya!

Spencer Lee, Alpine, Utah
One word, lacrosse.

VIA FACEBOOK

Joe Gazzillo, Tampa, Fla.
You have to be able to play it over and over and never get bored.

Brendan Coverdill, Somers, Conn.
Make a superstar like Madden has.

Kie Ahn, East Lansing, Mich.
The right analog must have great features for offense and(ital) defense.

Michael Berman, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Make it so you can start out with a player when he is high school and he does the whole recruiting thing, and you can play with him throughout college. I think they have this in NCAA football.

Morgan Goddard, Westerville, Ohio
Goalie mode!

Fritz North, Freehold, N.J.
Be able to design your own gear and make your own team.

Brian Ayers, Austin, Texas
High value. If it’s priced at $60, I want a great game I’ll never get tired of that makes it worth every penny.

Andrew Wetzel, Indiana, Pa.
Have the ability to customize fields and equipment, and always have new stuff coming out for the game so stuff doesn’t get old or boring.

Liam Mennig, Summit, N.J.
First player mode, superstar modes and goalie control.

Don Coriell, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Career mode, customize players and teams.

Hillary Tilles, Potomac, Md.
Simple — make the graphics as real as possible.

Joey Myers, Stephenville, Texas
Tons of unlock-ables (equipment, characters, modes, art, videos(ital), etc.). Different in-game music, not just a few tracks over and over (changing themes). Customizable players (look, stats, equipment, etc.). Different modes (super easy, easy, normal, hard, insane). Simple, but responsive, controls. Expansive options screen (sfx, bg music, announcer [on/off/volume], brightness, etc.). Online multiplayer.

Eric Sanders
Simple — extensive online play. Playing with friends never gets old.

Alex Vasconcellos, San Diego, Calif.
I’m gonna say real teams with accurate players, good graphics, better controls then A to pass or B to shoot, custom teams is a must, it’d be really great to have like custom gear, real stadiums, and a decent soundtrack. Oh, and make it legit so you can cradle, not just run around.

Joey Myers, Stephenville, Texas
HAHAHAHA!!! Or you guys could make it to where you start out as a kid that is being bullied and your character decides to make a Lacrosse team and you have to explore a word like in Final Fantasy find team members, make a team and just challenge others and join leagues.... and then the ‘random battles’ could be like scrimmages and practices or duals.... hmmmm.... thats a rather funny idea... a sports rpg..... *shiver?*

Liz Hlavacek
The ability to hit like the NHL, penalties and resulting EMO’s, set plays like Madden NFL, maybe a World Games option if playing in franchise mode.

Pete Johnson
Have real gear in it -- not just fake sticks. Have authentic stuff like "FIFA."

Dean Frey
Option for men and women, youth or adult... all-star mode

Ryan Bowlby
It must have the Oregon Ducks men's lacrosse team in it...We rock!

Matthew Carmine
Just make it as good as an EA Sports hockey game and I'll be fine.

Chuck Miller
Put in the ability to tweak your pocket for whip and pocket depth, even adjusting the pinch. Then have random stick checks by the officials. That would be tight to teeter on the edge of legal / illegal and have to pay the man for it.

Meghan Portka
Just because it’s not "Madden NFL 09" doesn’t mean that it can’t be as legit... Let's not downgrade an amazing sport.

Matthew Carmine
Make it have sick faceoff controls, not the stupid, "Tap 'X' first and you get the ball." Use the analog sticks to trap the ball and then sling it out behind you when you want.

Joshua Yang
Super sidearm shots? =)

Tommy Moriarty
Have it set up to four-player or more multi-player -- goalie, middie, attack and defense.

Megan Ashley
Choose your own sticks.

Ryan Guittare
Real teams.

Ryan Harman
Like the goalie mode... It really shouldnt be hard to make the game, because it would be very similar to "NHL 09."

Blake Cox
Me.

Nathaniel Smith
Career mode. Start high school, work up.

Jourdon Craig
Full defensive stick control, slap checks and such, and loose ball control.

Nathaniel Zlockie
A college dynasty mode.

Tj Ieronimo
Start with a high school, then build up to get to college and MLL teams.

Jake Smearman
College teams and good graphics.

Will Quandt
Make it like the "NHL" games....good graphics, dynasty mode, college lax, and stuff like that.

Catherine Mary Muir
Pick your own player.

Noah Atkinson
College teams and good graphics. But I think it’d sell to a larger audience if it had the proffesional leagues as well (with the actual players).

Bryan Mathews
Sweet stick moves.

Nick Marks
It's just gotta be playable, as long as one gets out there.

Richard Baumrind
All I ask is for it to be made for PS3.

Catherine Mary Muir
Girls' lacrosse also.

Drew Toney
Create your own player.

Brooks Launarey
Brantford Winstonworth as the in-game/menu announcer.

Dan Rowling
Matrix-style, super-slo-mo after great plays like good hits, checks and net rippin’ pinpoint shots.

Brendan Herr
College dynasty, you can build up from college. Stick control, but don’t make it too complicated.

Tim Lucyk
Perhaps an all-star weekend mode with an all-star game and the halftime freestlye contest.

Quinn Koches
Good graphics, real teams.

Nori Rinaldo
Put it on the Wii and have women's lacrosse too. I'll buy it.

Conner Young
Use the analog stick for scooping, slap checks, good graphics; make your own stick and goaile control.
 
Michael DeBenedetto
Create a player and create a stick.

Bryan Kennedy
Worm burners.

Harry Erickson
A series of different defensive checks to strip offensive players.

Matthew Carmine
Sick shot opions like fakes, bouncers, overhand, sidearms, ground skimmer and behind the back

Jeremy Hayes
Time-slowing points for sweet shots, blocks, dodges and hits, like a gamebreaker moment that you need to earn with passes, shots, hits, etc.

Neil Mori
Ability to draw out and create your own plays for playbook. Cool if you could have download option (i.e. another revenue point) for famous field plays.

Chase Bly
Fantasy draft, pick -up game and create a stick would be nice too.

Bryan Hynes
Bravehearts !!!!!!

Ian Williams
All-around great customization.

Ben Euler
Career mode through high school, college, MLL (but no NLL).

Ryan Pavlicek
Fatalities! (a la Mortal Kombat)

Garrett Shaw
Choose your gear like your stick, choose roster and who's starting, special abilities for certain positions, stats, etc.

Ty Mackey
Good dodging capabilities.

Frank Benvenuto
I think ALL of the important features should be there in order for it work properly. But if I pick one, I’ll say that there should be an automatic goalie. That way the player doesn’t have to worry about how the goalie will stop shots... just like in the hockey and soccer games. You have the choice if you want the goalie to be manual or automatic.

Greg Bullen
NCAA tourney.

Matt Spector
Real equipment, real teams, real players and the ability to make your own team and player.

Conor Doherty
Career mode. It's a must. And it should be like "Fight Night" for the punches, but you shoot with the right analog stick -- like bounce shots and side arm -- and then if you make a sweet shot it should go in slow mo and replay it.

Lamar Gaines
D-I, D-II and D-III teams and jucos.

Logan Williamson
Create your own player and send him to any college you want..only controlling that player in games and events.