Explaining to my wife why I’m buying the same video game each year is proving to be more and more difficult.  But my addiction to this year’s new online dynasty mode has given her enough evidence to understand (somewhat).

My video game career can be traced all the way back to the original Nintendo.  Of course, I started out with Super Mario and Duck Hunt but even a purchase of the motocross greatness that was Excitebike couldn’t satisfy my need for SPORTS in a box.  That was until the release of the Tecmo Bowl series and my life was changed forever.

Now, I make sure that I have the latest system so that I can have the latest EA Sports offering.  With Madden ‘09 coming out on August 12, NCAA ‘09 has my undivided attention right now.  Especially with the addition of the online dynasty mode.

Having already fought through two online dynasties I feel obligated to inform the newbs of the pros and cons of this feature.

Pros

• More Competition - No longer are you the only one taking a mid-major and going undefeated to win the national title.  No longer can you have the top three finalists for the Heisman Trophy on your team.  The best part of the online dynasty is analyzing the statistics each week to see what your peers are doing.
• The Pressure - You can restart a game against the computer if you get off to a bad start; like always.  However, if you do, everyone in the league is notified of your restart which can be the focus of much smack talk.
• Better Recruiting - Again, you’re not just recruiting against the CPU.  While I’ve never really gotten into the recruiting aspect of these games when you add other users it takes on a new dimension.  Battle a friend, or foe, for the most coveted WR in the country… daddy likey.

Cons

• Playing Schedule - If you’re used to the single player dynasty you’re used to playing at your own pace.  You may be too busy to play week three on Thursday or Friday but with the weekend off can get all the way through week six by Monday.  Playing an online dynasty this is not an option.  The league moves together as one unit.  “The commissioner” waits until everyone has finished their week to move the entire league into the next week.  This can provide many scheduling conflicts.
• Conference League - Many may like this option but it’s proved to be very frustrating for me.  A lot of leagues will be created for players to control only teams in one specific conference (ex. SEC League, Big East League, etc.).  The problem with this type of league comes when you enter conference play.  With all teams being controlled by users you have to schedule each game with another player.  This can be difficult when you’re playing with people all over the world, in different time zones.

Overall, I love the online dynasty mode and have realized that I can no longer get the satisfaction I need from a single player dynasty.  If you have a 360 and are interested in getting in a dynasty email me at ryan@thelebsports.com and we’ll see what we can do.  And on that note, while I run the risk of coming across as a gamer (my wife’s newest nickname for me) with this closing statement, “I’ll see you guys on live.”