Unfortunately, it is unclear whether this rivalry will ever get a chance to develop. EA made two major moves at the end of 2004. First, they purchased the exclusive NFL and NFLPA licenses, ensuring that the next football game by Take Two/Visual Concepts won't have real teams or real players. And now, the Take Two/Visual Concepts title doesn't even have a name, since EA purchased the ESPN license for the next fifteen years.

Because of this, the future of sports gaming is unclear. Without an NFL license, will other gaming companies be able to dedicate enough resources to make a competitive football game? Will Take Two and other companies strike back and purchase exclusive licenses for other sports? And if every sport goes down the exclusive license route, will we see innovation in sports gaming? Or will game development stagnate as companies rely more on licensing and less on gameplay in order to sell games?

We hope that there will still be competition in sports gaming in 2005. If there's no competition, then we may look back to 2004 as the last year with real sports gaming innovation. So now, we will look back at 2004 with our DSP Awards for best sports games in 2004.

Best Baseball Title: ESPN Major League Baseball

MVP Baseball was popular due to its control, inclusion of minor leagues, and the strength of the PC version after modification. But major gameplay glitches (the lefty bug, no steals) kept it from the top spot. MLB 2005 was also popular, due to the lack of any major bugs and solid, realistic gameplay. But the best baseball game of the year is ESPN Major League Baseball 2K5. Even though the game has "horrendous animations" according to one reader, ESPN MLB 2K5 was praised for having the "best combination of realism and gameplay" and the "most realistic pitcher/batter matchup" in all of the console baseball titles.

Honorable Mention: MLB 2005, MVP Baseball 2004

Best Basketball Title: ESPN College Hoops 2K5

Overall, gamers were disappointment because of the end of the Inside Drive series. With no real competition from either of the NBA titles, ESPN College Hoops 2K5 was the resounding winner this year. College Hoops 2K5 was described by multiple readers as "fun", "realistic", and "well-rounded", a title that "rewards the player for playing sound basketball". Even though the game has many legacy problems, most readers said that the gameplay was some of the best ever in a college basketball title.

Best Football Title: ESPN NFL 2K5

Nearly everyone that chose Madden 2005 mentioned that it had the "best franchise mode" and an AI with few bugs. But even though readers thought that ESPN NFL 2K5 "lacked execution" and was filled with "franchise and defensive back bugs", it still won the award for best football game in 2004. How? Online leagues, terrific presentation, excellent graphics, solid gameplay, and the VIP made 2K5 a "five tool video game".

Honorable Mention: Madden 2005

Best Golf Title: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (PC)

One reader simply said "Do you really have to ask?" Tiger Woods for the PC (not to be confused with its console counterpart, which received no votes) is "easily the best simulation of golf available today". Even though the game has real golfers, courses, and very good graphics, nearly every reader said that "no other game even comes close to the realism in Tiger Woods 2005 (PC)".

Best Hockey Title: ESPN NHL 2K5

ESPN NHL 2K5 is "easily the most dominant game in its sport this year". It may be because no one really played Gretzky NHL 2005 this year, and because the NHL series "has been dung since 2001". But even considering the competition, ESPN NHL 2K5 was praised for its excellent gameplay and presentation. One reader said that "there is no aspect of hockey that ESPN does not to a better job of modeling than all the other games put together", while another reader said that it's the "most fun I've ever had with a hockey title".

Best Soccer Title: Winning Eleven 7 International

Multiple readers said that Winning Eleven 7: International was not only the best soccer game this year, but was also "better than any sports game ever". High but deserved praise for a game that "license or no license", was called "most realistic", with "fantastic AI" and gameplay that "brings tears to my eyes". Even though FIFA 2005 made some improvements, Winning Eleven still is the "only game...that makes a serious attempt to simulate the sport, with the most open-ended and endlessly fun gameplay".

Best Racing Title: TOCA Race Driver 2

"Flawless online performance", "outstanding tracks", "superb physics", and "car variety with different driving models" make TOCA Race Driver 2 the "supreme racer of 2004".

Best "Other Sports" Title: Fight Night 2004

People have been looking for depth and strategy in a boxing game for a while, and Fight Night 2005 bring that. Most enjoy it because it is a game with "actual strategy and technique...rather than just being an exercise in button mashing".

Best Online Title: TOCA Race Driver 2

Readers really liked ESPN NFL 2K5 and ESPN NHL 2K5, primarily due to their excellent online leagues. However, TOCA Race Driver 2 was voted as best due to it having "the best group racing experience", a "seamless interface", and "online longetivity".

Honorable Mention: ESPN NFL 2K5, ESPN NHL 2K5

Best Graphics: ESPN NFL 2K5

ESPN NFL 2K5 is "simply gorgeous" with presentation that is "perhaps the best ever in a sports game". This combination of "transcendent graphics" and "TV presentation" had readers that "didn't enjoy playing the game that much" still saying that the "replays and in-game action were stunning".

Best Sound: ESPN NFL 2K5

"Annoying (and very old in the tooth) fake play-by-play booth shtick aside, Sega's ESPN NFL2k5 has the most dynamic, realistic, and saturated sound design in the sports genre. The crowd reacts to the gameplay in a way that only adds to the verisimilitude of the game, the use of music in the stadium is highly effective, and the sound effects, while over the top, are effective as well."

Biggest Surprise (positive): (tie) Madden 2005, MLB 2005

Biggest Disappointment: NCAA Football 2005

Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of disappointment in sports gaming this year. MVP Baseball 2004 "had so many fresh ideas", "but unpatched bugs on the console versions completely ruined what could have been a great game". Indy Car Series 2005 was another game that "promised so much" but failed to deliver due to "inexcusable gameplay problems and online issues". But even with the disappointment from MVP and ICS, the vote wasn't even close. NCAA Football 2005 had gamers wondering how EA could "ruin a stellar franchise in just one year". Even though the game was "the strongest performer from the year before", "the final product just felt incomplete".

Most Immersive: ESPN College Hoops 2K5

Winning Eleven 7: International was considered by some to be "most immersive for this gamer due to its constant action (well, it is soccer), freedom of control and intuitive gameplay. On the pitch, with so much freedom to do what one wants, this game makes you forget the controller in you hand and puts you within the TV." But it still couldn't compete with ESPN College Hoops 2K5. Its "gameplay and atmosphere combine to give a realistic and immersive experience" that makes it feel like you are "in a college arena when playing".

Honorable Mention: Winning Eleven 7: International

Most realistic: Winning Eleven 7: International

"Nothing touches it in this category." "Just like soccer, it is rare to see two goals that are exactly the same. Every game is completely different and I never know what to expect each time I play." "In terms of gameplay, there is no contest here. The physics, the animations, the immersiveness, but especially the way it replicates the real thing better than any other game sets WE apart."

Best Dynasty Mode: Madden 2005

ESPN College Hoops 2K5 received a substantial number of votes due to its recruiting and depth, "as long as it doesn't crash on you". However, Madden 2005 had a franchise mode that was "flawless" with "no bugs". That, combined with a number of features that make it the "closest to PC franchise features that you can find in a console title", give Madden 2005 the best franchise mode this year.

Best Text-Based Game: (tie) Out of the Park 6, Football Manager 2005 (import)

The winning titles (and honorable mention candidate Eastside Hockey Manager) are all developed by text-based gaming giant SI Games. Out of the Park 6 was called a "great game and a ton of fun for a text based game", while Football Manager 2005 is considered to be "the deepest text-based sports game ever, with an excellent 2D engine to boot".

Honorable Mention: Eastside Hockey Manager

And now, to the console awards.

Best Sports Game - XBox

1. ESPN NFL 2K5
2. ESPN College Hoops 2K5
3. Madden 2005
3. ESPN NHL 2K5
5. TOCA Race Driver 2

The strength of the ESPN series of games is evident here, with three of the top five XBox titles in this series. Even though NFL 2K5 and College Hoops 2K5 both have buggy legacy modes, the strength of online gameplay pushed these two titles to the top. ESPN NFL 2K5 is the only series to repeat from last year's top five. And as last year, ESPN NFL 2K5 is first.

Best Sports Game - PS2

1. Winning Eleven 7: International
1. MLB 2005
3. Madden 2005

Both Winning Eleven 7: International and MLB 2005 were popular games that were not released on the XBox this year. Winning Eleven repeats as best PS2 game.

Best Sports Game - PC

1. Football Manager 2005 (import)
2. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 4(import)
4. Out of the Park 6
5. MVP 2005

Although many are lamenting the death of PC sports gaming, these five titles are all popular amongst DSP readers. Although things are looking a little brighter in PC gaming overseas, with two of the top three titles being imports from the UK.

Sports Game of the year

1. ESPN NFL 2K5
2. Winning Eleven 7: International
3. Madden 2005
4. ESPN NHL 2K5
5. ESPN College Hoops 2K5

The top two titles are the same as last year, demonstrating the quality of both the ESPN NFL and Winning Eleven series. Winning Eleven 7: International has the best gameplay in sports gaming. However, Winning Eleven 7 does not have any online gaming. To compare, ESPN NFL 2K5 has some flaws in gameplay and a buggy legacy mode. But along with amazing presentation and graphics, it has excellent online play. All of these make ESPN NFL 2K5 the best sports game of 2004.