Yes, I find the project extremely interesting and, in fact, I have already proposed what I consider a rather futuristic discussion
here: imagining a scenario in which, someday, the modding community itself may be capable of remastering older versions of these games through reverse engineering, using increasingly sophisticated tools and, above all, the resources that artificial intelligence may provide.
The idea itself is fascinating. However, I believe that the concept and, more importantly, the way it has been applied present considerable problems.
If the objective is truly to remaster a particular version, the fundamental principle should be to preserve its historical identity. That means respecting the squads, kits, lineups, player characteristics, competitions, and all the other elements corresponding to the season being represented. After all, everything was there for a reason and formed part of the original experience. A remaster should improve the game technically without stripping it of its identity.
Unfortunately, many modders end up taking precisely the opposite approach: they use an older version as a foundation but attempt to transform it into something “updated,” replacing squads, players, kits, and many other elements. Personally, I do not like that. To me, there is a fundamental difference between remastering a work and using an old game as a platform to create a contemporary edition. They are completely different concepts.
And it is precisely from this point that my reflection becomes broader.
Whether we are talking about EA FC or eFootball, it is ultimately the preferences and expectations that prevail within the community that end up having an enormous influence on the development of these games. Imagine, for example, working as a designer, animator, or programmer at EA. You have the technology, technical knowledge, and professionals capable of creating extremely realistic movements. However, millions of users want movements to be increasingly fast, responsive, and instantly executable, primarily because their main objective is to compete online.
As a result, a conflict emerges between realism and responsiveness.
You end up being pressured to shorten certain animations, break frames, accelerate transitions, and alter physical behavior in order to meet what a particularly vocal segment of the community considers to be “ideal gameplay.” In the end, realism is sacrificed in favor of competitiveness.
It is almost as if development were being dictated by the industry’s “VIP customers.”
Datiss77 made a rather extensive post above discussing advanced principles of realism and simulation that technologies such as
TRACAB could eventually make possible. Although it is an extremely interesting and technically fascinating discussion, I must admit that it also sounds somewhat utopian to me.
Not because the technology does not exist or because achieving that level of simulation is impossible. On the contrary. EA is a billion-dollar company with enormous financial resources, cutting-edge technology, and hundreds—perhaps thousands—of highly qualified professionals. There are people within the company who know perfectly well how football works, how it used to be represented in video games, how it is represented today, and, most importantly, how it could be represented in the future.
So why have we not reached that point?
In my opinion, the problem is not necessarily a lack of technology. It is about commercial priorities.
All you have to do is watch livestreams on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms to observe the behavior of a huge portion of the community. Competitive culture, the pursuit of advantages, speed, exploits, responsiveness, and, above all, Ultimate Team have come to occupy a central position.
Simulation? Very few people seem to genuinely care about it.
And this creates situations that, for those seeking a more authentic football experience, can become almost comical. Clàudia Pina herself is a perfect example. Despite being around 1.60 meters tall, she sometimes seems to run like the “Atomic Ant” and can win physical battles against players who, in real-life conditions, possess an enormous physical advantage, such as Virgil van Dijk.
That is precisely where we can see how certain fundamental principles of simulation end up being subordinated to the logic of competitive gameplay.
Therefore, I believe the true center of this discussion is a much deeper question:
How can we change this mentality?
Because, ultimately, it is precisely this mentality that has been influencing and, to a certain extent, dictating the development of modern football games.
At some point, the industry stopped asking:
“How can we create the best possible football simulation?”
And instead began asking:
“How can we create the most efficient experience for keeping players connected, competing, and spending money?”
And suddenly, we all became, at least partially, hostages to this casino-like platform built around those incredible and hypnotic cards.
The problem is that this creates a vicious cycle. The company develops what generates the most engagement and revenue; the community begins consuming that model; the data shows that the model works; and, consequently, the company invests even more heavily in it. After a few years, what was originally just one mode within the game begins to dictate the entire philosophy behind its development.
Perhaps, therefore, there is only one realistic hope of breaking this cycle: the arrival of another developer genuinely willing to compete in this market with a different philosophy.
That is precisely why I find the possibility of 2K Sports entering the football market so interesting. Not because 2K would necessarily be perfect, but because a strong competitor could introduce new ideas, new technologies, new concepts for physics, animation, artificial intelligence, and, above all, a new vision of what a football game can be.
Competition could force the established companies out of their comfort zones.
Perhaps the true “remaster” we need is not merely technological. Perhaps it is conceptual: recovering the idea that a football game should, above all else, attempt to represent football—not simply create an extremely efficient environment for selling cards, feeding rankings, and satisfying the most competitive segment of the community.
In the end, technology has never been the real problem.
What is missing is the willingness to use it for the right purpose.
