Narrative mode in long form

ELECTRONIC Arts appears ready to go all in on long, narrative story modes in its sports games.

After adding a playable mode in

FIFA 17 called ‘‘The Journey’’, in which you step into the shoes of the fictional rookie forward Alex Hunter, the company announced recently that Madden NFL 18 would receive a similar treatment.

NBA Live 18, meanwhile, although not a fullfeatured story mode, will include a rampedup career mode, where players can customise a player and earn rewards along the way.

In Madden’s ‘‘The Longshot’’, you play the part of a quarterback who Electronic Arts calls ‘‘a forgotten college star’’ trying to mount a comeback.

Your decisions and performances in practice games affect how your player develops.

Former Electronic Arts executive Ben Noel, who now leads University of Central Florida’s video game school, said it’s an evolution of the company’s longtime tagline.

‘‘Madden was always the product that you got the kitchen sink with,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s what made it better than other games. It was their motto: ‘If it’s in the game, it’s in the game’, right?’’

NBA Live’s ‘‘The One’’ will put you in control of a player starting out his career, from street ball courts to, if he performs well, the NBA.

The company is also touting the development of Frostbite, a game engine that debuted on its popular

Battlefield series.

The powerful game engine drives the look and feel of video games, as companies push for more realism.

Company officials called Frostbite’s debut ‘‘a significant visual leap’’ and critics who played the game at E3 have been impressed.

The releases of Madden and

NBA Live will mark the first time either franchise has included a story mode. FIFA 18 will see the return of story mode, as well.

‘‘It’s going to be a trend, I think,’’ he said. ‘‘How deep it goes, though, depends on when the next great thing comes along.’’ — TCA