The histories of both sports and video games are ones that deserve preservation. While we move ahead into the ninth generation of video game consoles, it's common that we reflect on older games. It's part of the reason why there's a huge retro gaming market right now.

But for sports video games, times have been tough as of late. We've watched FIFA, Madden NFL, and even NBA 2K reach a decline in terms of overall quality and experience. But without anyone to keep record of this decline, some consumers would never really know what they were missing.

Fortunately, there are people in the sports gaming community who are doing such a thing. Introducing SOFTDRINKTV, a YouTuber who's been around since 2011.

“I make videos about sports video games”, his YouTube bio reads. It sounds simple on the surface. However, after watching some of his videos, you realize how important his content is. And not just for sports video games, but for the industry as a whole.

SOFTDRINKTV makes a wide array of content that's mostly sports related, though not all the time. Many of his videos point out the shortcomings of modern sports gaming titles, referencing older ones to support his arguments. He also makes retrospective videos, talking about his experience with sports titles of the past.

Additionally, he also makes videos celebrating the video games he grew up on. From watching his videos, you can tell he's very passionate and well-educated on the subject.

We reached out to him and conducted an e-mail interview.

What Was the Reason(s) For Starting your YouTube channel? Any Particular Reason For The Name SOFTDRINKTV?

“I started my channel by accident. For years, this was just a personal channel with random school projects and videos I made with friends, but in January of 2019 I made a video on Eli Manning (now unlisted, I don't think it was that great with hindsight) to send to my friends while we were having a bit of a debate, and to my surprise that video quickly reached 100k views. I realized being a YouTuber was actually possible for anyone, and it wasn’t unrealistic, considering I was just some random guy who made a quick video in movie maker.”

Currently, SOFTDRINKTV's oldest video, “The Greatest NFL Video Game of All Time” is his most successful video. It has reached over one million viewers in just four years. In the video, he talks about NFL 2K5. Despite the game's retail price only being $19.99 (USD), it still stands out as one of the best football gaming experiences. You can check out his reasons why below.

“To capitalize on that, I re-branded my channel to “SOFTDRINKSPORTS”, since previously my channel name was Pepsi followed by a string of numbers. I wanted to stick to my roots by keeping it someone related to that name, so that’s how the “softdrink” part of my channel’s name happened. I would then watch some tutorials on how to edit with Premiere Pro. Now I had more motivation to finish a video I had been working on for a few months at that point, a video on the fall of Madden, now that I had subscribers beyond my real life friends and proof that getting views was possible.”

Here is the Fall of Madden that he's referencing:

And it didn't stop there. SOFTDRINKTV continued making content. He went on to make a wide variety of videos like:

His hard work paid off as his channel kept growing.

“After that (fall of) Madden video released and did well, I continued making videos similar to it, and stopped making videos on real life sports analysis. I found a niche as the guy who makes documentaries and retrospectives on classic sports video games, something I didn’t see anyone else on YouTube doing.”

Indeed, SOFTDRINKTV is one of the only YouTubers who discusses the various topics surrounding the past, present, and future of sports video games.

“I eventually changed my name to “SOFTDRINKTV” so I didn’t HAVE to make videos on only sports games. I haven’t experimented too much with that yet, but it’s nice to know I could drop an occasional video on a topic not related to sports, like my retrospective on Scribblenauts or my documentary on the GameCube. Sports games are still the main topic of my channel.”

What Kind of Content Would you Say your Channel Mainly Focuses On?

“My channel makes what are essentially mini documentaries where I tell a story about the history of a sports game company or a specific sports game. Whether that’s Madden, NBA 2K, something obscure like ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 or NFL GameDay 2005, or even games like MLB The Show or Fight Night, I try to make diverse content related to sports games.”

It's true. SOFTDRINKTV's channel is one of the only places you can find in-depth videos on older sports games. Prior to watching his videos, I never knew about games like NFL Fever, NBA Inside Drive 2004, or the All-Pro Football series.

“Most sports gaming YouTubers simply play these games; I believe I’m the only one creating documentaries and retrospectives on them. For some games, such as NFL GameDay 2005, my video is the only breakdown/review of the game on the entire internet. I think it’s important work to document these games and tell their story. While sports games today are in pretty rough shape, back in the day they were genuinely great. Back when they had competition.”

Competition is the key word. For example, in 2004, EA and the NFL reached an agreement that would make the former the only company who could develop fully-licensed NFL games. Before then, you had a choice. You could play the NFL 2K games, or take a stab at NFL Gameday or ESPN NFL Primetime 2002. Competition meant incentive to work harder.

There's a reason why NFL games feel so bare-bones nowadays, and a lack of competition is a major reason why. Why would EA Sports need to make Madden NFL games good? They're the only company that's even allowed to make them. Why should Take-Two Interactive care about NBA 2K23's microtransaction problem? There's no other companies that can show them up.

This is a big topic in a lot of his reviews, and one that plays a major role in the quality of sports titles today.

Your channel has received nearly 34 million views in just 4 years. Did you ever expect to reach out to so many people?

SOFTDRINKTV's channel currently has over 140,000 subscribers. In just four years he's managed to garner over tens of millions of views.

“I never expected to reach those kinds of numbers. It was always a goal (and I have aspirations to grow a lot more), but never an expectation. I’m just a regular guy, so it’s pretty cool to know that basically anyone can become a successful YouTube creator with enough time and effort. I’m not Mr Beast or anything, but I’ve been able to get by doing this as my main source of income.”

It's a great success story that shows anyone can become a successful content creator. Of course, you'll need the right idea and the right work ethic. SOFTDRINKTV delivers content that isn't really seen anywhere else on YouTube. There are a ton of Madden and NBA 2K YouTubers, but a lot of their content seems to focus on the ultimate team/player pack aspects of each title. There's also a massive wave of click-bait videos that plague the entire gaming industry as a whole.

There's also a lot of gaming history channels, though none really seem to cover sports titles. That's how this YouTuber managed to garner his massive fanbase.

“It doesn’t really feel real. People I know in real life will tell me they watched my latest video, and I always have to remember “oh yeah, I do that”. “SOFTDRINKTV” is sort of a character I play where I’m this loud advocate for sports games to be better, and for companies to make games out of passion rather than simply for profit. I like to stand up for the regular people, the consumers, because they don’t have a large voice in this community. When I live my regular life, when I’m not playing sports video games, I sometimes forget that I do that. I have to try and keep my personal life separate from my work. It can get pretty negative when nearly every modern sports game is a disaster, lol.”

Which Video Do you Think Was The Most Important you've Worked On?

“I think my most important video was either my Sad Decline of Madden documentary, or my Fall of EA Sports documentary. The Madden doc was where I showed every single feature you’d see in older, PS2-era Maddens that are no longer present in modern releases. I thought it was very important to let the average person know – who might not have been aware – that EA was releasing games that had less content than Maddens from decades ago. That’s the danger of what is essentially a monopoly, since Madden is the only current simulation NFL game.”

The Sad Decline of Madden was a two-part series (now combined into one) discussing how the Madden NFL franchise fell from grace. In it, he showed off 89 features from older Madden Titles that are not present in current installments. (This section starts at 6:30 and ends around 19:30). The video also discusses EA's exclusive deal with the NFL, and how we got to point we're at now.

But that's not all. He also mentions features seen in older non-madden titles that aren't even present in newer Madden NFL games. There's so much to this video and we recommend you check it out below:

As it stands, part 1 of this series is currently his second most-viewed video on his channel, nearing one million views.

“By showing people how good Madden was back when the great NFL 2K series was still around (along with GameDay, Fever, Blitz, and more), it proves my point about how we need competition in this genre. The NFL and EA made a terrible move for consumers by signing an exclusive rights agreement together in 2005, and that video really drove the point home. With most publications giving Madden a passing review every year, calling it “a step in the right direction” every year for almost a decade, I knew we needed someone out here to be honest and actually know what they are talking about. That’s what I tried to do with that video, and I made sure to back up everything I said with visual proof.”

SOFTDRINKTV also made a video on the Fall of EA Sports as a whole. This time, it wasn't just focused on football. Instead, he took it a step further to discuss the company's shortcomings as a sports game developer over the years. The video was also a hit, with over half a million views in less than three years.

“The Fall of EA Sports video is also up there because I interviewed Trip Hawkins, the founder of EA, and he admitted in the video that modern day EA is nothing like the company he started, and he disagrees with the direction Madden has gone in. I thought that was extremely eye-opening for people. I was surprised that the video wasn’t a bigger deal.”

What's your Opinion on The Overall State of Sports Video Games Right Now?

“Sports games are in a terrible state. Besides golf games, every sport has only one option. You like basketball? Play NBA 2K. You like the NFL? Play Madden.You like the MLB? Play The Show.

All of these games have no reason to improve, because people will buy them regardless, since they have no alternatives, and for some reason, most publications give them good reviews every year. People wonder why Madden players all hate the game. Why not play something else? The truth is, for diehard NFL fans, there is no other option. Those of us who grew up loving those NFL 2K games have had nothing but mediocre to bad Madden games for over 15 years.

If we want to play with updated and official rosters, uniforms, and stadiums, Madden is unfortunately the only option.”

SOFTDRINKTV is adamant about how we can see improvements to the game.

“The only way things will improve is if more competition arises, or if consumers boycott these games. Madden is going to make EA a ton of money, because the NFL brand is popular. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the game is. Since it’s essentially a monopoly, it’s going to sell.

Until the NFL opens up their license to other companies, and other companies attempt to make their own game, EA will never try as hard as they should with Madden. Same goes for 2K. Without NBA Live pushing them, they have no reason to stop filling their games with microtransactions and pay to win online mechanics.”

It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but it is indeed true. The only real effective way to get your message across to the company is to not purchase the product until it improves. The goal isn't to get EA employees fired, but to send them a message.

Additionally, the idea of only be one company that's allowed to make licensed-sports games seems shameful. There's nothing technically illegal about it, but it doesn't feel right. It defeats competition. Monopolies are technically illegal, but unfortunately there are always loopholes. It's why companies like EA and 2K can get away with releasing the same sports game every year.

“If people really want better sports games, the best thing we can do is stop buying new ones. The only thing that matters to these companies is money. The people in charge at these companies are clearly not passionate about sports or sports history. They just see dollar signs and consider sports fans to be loyal idiots who will buy whatever they make. It sucks, because the potential for sports games is insane with modern hardware.

This could be a fantastic medium for learning and experiencing the rich history of these leagues and their players. Instead, we have games with less features than PS2 games that sell better than ever.”

Say you Were the Head of A New Studio Working On A Brand New Licensed Football Video Game. What's One Thing you'd Add To the Game, And What's One Thing you'd Refrain From Implementing?

“I’ve always fantasized about making my own football video game. If it was somehow licensed by the NFL, I would have so many historic game modes. Play with Jim Brown with a black and white filter in the rain and mud, showing players an interactive, 4K version of classic NFL football. Sling it with Sammy Baugh. Play with Lombardi’s Packers using playbooks representative of that era.

Start in the 1920s and watch as the league changes over the decades to come, from the rules to the teams and stadiums to the equipment to the broadcast packages. I would want a game mode that would function like a virtual museum of football history, only an interactive one, as video games can take you places no other medium can.”

That sounds like an awesome idea. It would certainly be a big undertaking, but one that would be so worth it. We'd get to see all sorts of changes over time, like the birth of the league, the NFL-AFL merger, or World War II Team combinations like the Philadelphia Steagles. There would be so much content it would seem like an entire game itself. With how much modern gaming consoles are evolving, it could certainly be possible.

But what would SOFTDRINKTV refrain from?

“I would refrain from implementing any mode with microtransactions. Microtransactions have no place in a fully priced video game. Cosmetics in a free game like Fortnite? Sure. But in a fully priced video game, microtransactions have no place.

I don’t care how easy someone might find it to build a “no money spent” team in Ultimate Team or whatever. When you pay for a fully priced game, you shouldn’t need to pay any more to be competitive or to avoid a grind. Video games should exist to be fun, not to try and encourage you to spend money by giving you busy work. The never ending pursuit for profit has ruined so many franchises.

Is it really that rare to find someone who is genuinely passionate about making something great? About creating a work of art? These soulless corporate suits have ruined sports games, and they are in a “too big to fail”, unopposed position now. They laugh at people like you and I. I’m one of the few creators who actually talks about this. I’m not sure if it’s doing much, but I’m trying.”

He doesn't hold back on his criticisms about modern sports game companies. It certainly is true that he's one of the few content creators who speaks out about this though. But he is right in that they are in a “too big to fail” position now. Even if other companies were able to start making officially licensed sports games, it would be an uphill battle to compete with franchises like Madden NFL and NBA 2K.

As for his idea on microtransactions, we fully agree. It seems like the idea that will garner in lots of fans based on that statement alone. However, while we agree, we do acknowledge that microntranscation-ridden modes like Ultimate Team are big money makers for EA sports.

The other thing too, is that many people do enjoy Ultimate Team. So we'd not only have to convince game devs, but consumers as well that the mode has too many greedy elements. It would be nice if the mode didn't have any sort of pay-to-win strategy at all, and was free for everyone. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

What Are your Thoughts About the Upcoming EA Sports College Football series?

“I think the new EA Sports College Football game is going to let people down. I don’t trust EA. They haven’t made a decent NFL game since Madden 12, and even that game wasn’t great. While the old NCAA games were fun, modern EA is a very different company than the one who made those games. It’s likely going to push you into playing Ultimate Team so they can put Tennessee Peyton Manning behind a paywall, for example.”

That last part made me chuckle. Things have already gotten off to a rocky start for EA Sports College Football. The College Football Player's Association, along with VP Justin Falcinelli, are urging players to boycott the upcoming game. Apparently athletes who opt-in will be receiving very little compensation for their name, image, and likeness in the game. This is interesting, considering EA generated a net revenue of $7.4 billion in the 2023 fiscal year.

“It will also most likely have the same gameplay as modern Madden, which is horrible and has needed to be rebuilt for years. I just don’t see it being better than NCAA Football 14. EA has given me zero reason to give them the benefit of the doubt. This will just be another money maker for them, full of glitches, microtransactions, and once beloved features missing. If they prove me wrong, then great, but I'd be a fool to expect that.”

Hopefully we're proved wrong, but as it stands SOFTDRINKTV is more than right to be concerned. He's talked about something similar before.

Madden NFL 24 is supposed to be a “make-or-break” game for management, and each title is considered a “step in the right direction”. This video below shows why you should be cautious to such marketing tactics.

The reason I use this video here is because we're already starting to see similar tactics with EA Sports College Football. According to Matt Brown from Extra Points, the game devs want to get Dynasty Mode done right.

It's easy to get sucked into the hype, especially for a series that hasn't been around for a decade. While we're excited, and hope the game to be good, we're also cautious. We haven't even seen any gameplay yet, so there's no reason to get excited (or unreasonably negative, either). This doesn't mean the game will be bad, but we shouldn't expect a masterpiece just yet.

What Other Sports Games/Series Do you Like To Cover?

“I cover NBA games, from NBA 2K to NBA Live to other, more obscure NBA games like the old Inside Drive series. I like to highlight games from the past, from an era where there were options for consumers. If you didn’t like a sports game, odds are there was another to play instead. I’ve covered NHL 2K, EA’s NHL games, MVP Baseball, MLB The Show, old school games like Tecmo Super Bowl, NBA Jam, and Super Baseball 2020.

I’ve covered the fall of NASCAR games. I even have a video on Rocket League. My end goal is to have covered every sports game that has ever existed, highlighting the ones I believe deserve praise, and criticizing the ones that don’t.”

You can check out SOFTDRINKTV's latest NBA video game vide0 on NBA 2Night 2002.

Are There Any New Sports Titles you Like To Play?

“I enjoy playing NBA 2K offline. The MyEras mode is pretty cool. It’s a start to what I’ve always envisioned: letting players play through the past and experience the sport’s history firsthand. I don’t play sports games online.”

He prefers offline games to online ones, and here's why:

” (Players) Pay for packs to get a good team so you can be competitive. (Players) learn the online meta that usually just takes advantage of flaws in the gameplay rather than actual concepts and strategies from the sport. Then (they) get matched against 99 overall teams to encourage you to pay more money so you don’t get destroyed. It starts over the next year. It just doesn’t interest me.”

He likes to re-visit old sports games he talks about frequently.

“I will play older football games when I get that itch during the NFL season, such as All-Pro Football 2K8 or ESPN NFL 2K5. Sometimes I’ll play PS2-era EA games, like NCAA Football 06 or Madden 2005. It’s always fun to play through a career in NASCAR 05 or NBA 2K11.

I’ve found that I just play sports games less and less due to the current state of the genre. I prefer playing games from other genres that actually seem to have some heart put into them.”

What's your Message to the Developers & Consumers of Contemporary Sports Video Games?

“My message to the developers would be this: please only work on a game if you’re passionate about it. Don’t take a job at EA Sports if you don’t care for sports. If everyone worked only on what they were passionate for, we’d get much better products. I’m aware that the corporate suits at these companies control everything, so if you feel like you aren’t given the creative freedom to help make these games great, then I’d recommend you consider leaving that company, assuming you are in a spot financially where that makes sense.”

SOFTDRINKTV understands that developers aren't entirely to blame for a video game's shortcomings. EA as a publisher is also responsible for bringing down many franchises, not just sports ones.

“I know this isn’t the most realistic advice, but if everyone who could follow it did, things would look a lot better. As employees, you have control over these companies. Without you, the corporate suits would have no product to sell. Be aware of your value, and work somewhere where you are valued.”

It makes sense, though unfortunately not feasible for everyone. He understands that, yet still wants to get the message out there. But it holds true.

If you're a game developer, you'd want to be able to show your work off. But it's hard to do that if the game you work on was rushed due to the pressure of an annual release. You may not be able to incorporate every feature you wanted. That, in turn, may not be helpful to your portfolio. At the end of the day though, just do what's best for you and your loved ones.

“Could you imagine if, say, the developers at 2K got so fed up with Take Two’s obsession with microtransactions and Virtual Currency that they quit and started their own company where they made a new basketball game? That would be a legendary story.”

His message to consumers is similar, but just as powerful.

“My message to consumers is this: don’t buy a sports game if it isn’t good. That’s subjective, but every year people who hate Madden and 2K buy them anyway. Just stop for a year. If you genuinely like these games, then you do you, but if you don’t, quit buying them! You have power as a consumer. Use it!

Never preorder a game. Wait until it releases and decide if it would be worth the price tag to you. If you don’t think it will, play something else!

Just because, for example, Madden is the only NFL game, that doesn’t mean you HAVE to get it! Just watch football that year and play some older games when you get that itch. I know it sucks missing out, but if everyone who was unhappy with these games simply refrained from buying them for a year or two, these companies would be scrambling to release a better game than we’ve seen in years. Your purchase is more incentive for these companies to continue doing the bare minimum or worse.”

Power to the people. That's the real driving force. Of course, we agree.

Whether you do or don't like these games, just make the decision that you can be happy with.

Where To Watch & Follow SOFTDRINK TV

Here are links to SOFTDRINKTV's YouTube and Social Media, if you're interested.

We enjoyed getting the opportunity to speak with SOFTDRINKTV, and wish him and his channel the best of the luck. You can check out his most recent video below.

For more gaming news, check out ClutchPoints Gaming.