Operation Sports:

Very Important Players

By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com

ESPN NFL 2K5 brings something completely new to Xbox Live®, and it’ll change the way you think about playing football games. Past football titles have kept exhaustive stats for users during their games, and while ESPN NFL 2K5 does that as well, it takes stat tracking to the next level with the VIP system.

Setting up for a gorgeous pass.

The VIP system tracks every play you call, and how you execute them on the field, and turns them into a single, comprehensive file that characterizes all of your tendencies … and then uses that to alter the way a CPU-controlled team plays.

So how does this work? Your VIP profile will be saved on your Xbox® hard drive, and it’s viewable through the “Features” menu of the game. You’ll notice a clipboard that details the way you play NFL 2K5.

The Offensive Playcalling page shows you the percentage of times that you flip the direction of a play, hurry to the line, and use motion, hot routes, or audibles for a play. It will also note the number of times you let the CPU coach pick the play. (Other players’ notes in these areas help forecast how often they change their plays on the fly, and can help you prepare accordingly.)

Barreling through the defense.

The Offensive Tendencies page uses a novel chart to reflect the way you actually move a player on the field. The chart shows how likely you are to use the juke, stiff arm, shoulder charge, spin, or shimmy. It also uses a pie chart to illustrate if you prefer to tap the turbo button for speed, or if you generally hold it down for a more effective juke or shoulder charge. Your favorite hot route is recorded, too.

A similar page displays Defensive Tendencies. A chart shows how you shift your defensive line (between left/right, spread, pinch, or none). A pie chart shows your tap vs. charge of the turbo button, and a meter records your tackling preferences, be they wrap tackles, more risky dive tackles, or anything in between. The second page displays defensive line special move tendencies, the percentage of time a hot blitz is assigned, the way you play as a defensive back, and whether you’re more likely to go for the interception or play more conservatively, batting the ball down. The third page details the frequency and direction of linebacker and secondary defensive shifts.

Time for the takedown.

The next screen shows pertinent yardage statistics: rushing for and against, passing for and against, and points for and against. The next page, Offensive Recap, shows success rates for third and fourth down conversion, and two charts detail pass vs. run ratio and rushing TD vs. passing TD ratio. Rushing Breakdown shows how many attempts head to the left, right, or middle, and the average yardage per rush in each direction. The Passing Chart has a similar function. It shows how many passing attempts and completions were made to the left, right, or middle—as well as short, middle, and left distances to provide a complete overall view of your passing game.

The NFL Comparison page displays your rushing and passing yards per game as opposed to real NFL statistics. The Red Zone page shows your effectiveness and TD/FG conversion rate in the red zone for both offense and defense.

As you can see, the VIP system’s tracking borders on obsessive, and it paints a complete picture of any ESPN NFL 2K5 player. But the beauty of the VIP system doesn’t stop there. Using Xbox Live, you can download the VIP profile of any player, and then load it as an opposing coach. You can then play against a CPU team that plays exactly like the human player does, with eerie realism.

If you’re trying to climb the NFL 2K5 leaderboard, the VIP system is invaluable. If you’re simply looking for a new challenge, it works just as well. VIP is a breakthrough in AI for console systems, and sports games will never be the same again. Get on Xbox Live and download your next opponent today!