The usage of be-a-pro mode is a repackaging of the player-lock feature with a primitive evaluation system added to rate the player's performance.[1] In other sports games which may or may not be produced by Electronic Arts, this mode is known as career mode,[2] superstar mode,[3] and Road to the Show mode.[4]
This concept in video games was introduced mainly in the 2000s in order to enhance the feeling of controlling a single player's career. However, some games from the 1990s had managed to develop a crude version of "be-a-pro mode" with several limitations to them. Riddick Bowe Boxing (by allowing the player to have a championship career of up to 40 fights per boxer[5]) and GT Racing (for allowing players to have a multiple-season career in sports car racing) are two examples of video games from that decade to use a prototypical version of a "be-a-pro mode."
There is usually an analysis meter that works on a scale from 0 to 99 in both the overall category and in various categories that correspond to a specific position (e.g., a quarterback in American football, a catcher in baseball , a point guard in basketball, and so on).[6] It is assumed the number 99 means a perfect rating (unless the design permits a player to have a 100 statistic; which is rare in sports games that have a be-a-pro mode).
The inner mechanisms behand the "be-a-pro mode" rewards players for positive plays (such as scoring a basket, grabbing a rebound, dishing out an assist, blocking a shot or coming up with a steal) and penalizes them for negative plays (like missed shots, turnovers and getting scored on).[1] Gamers are expected to take the role of one specific player, controlling all of their actions within a match.[7] As the main objective of "be-a-pro mode" is to emulate what it would be like to be a real player,[7] teammates are controlled by the same computer as the opponents. Gamers can ask other teammates to give them the ball simply by using the pass button.[7] Teammates have a tendency to ignore the player's calls when he is in a genuinely bad position.[7] While computer-controlled teammates often shoot when asked to, they will disobey an order when it is illogical to shoot.[7]
The Madden NFL series (formerly known as the John Madden Football series) designs their "be-a-pro" mode like a role-playing video game where the player has to earn points in order to gain ratings points to improve their football-related skills.[3] Boost a skill for long enough and it is added to the complete set of skills that he has during his 20+ year career as an NFL player.[3] Some games, like MLB 10: The Show, can make the player's creation process very long and complicated.[4] Both cosmetic (that only affect the appearance of the character) and important changes (that affect how the player runs, evades tackles, and/or kick field goals for example) like eye color, weight, height, and date of birth are some of the things that can be manipulated for a character mode being used in a be-a-pro mode setting.
Most variations on the "be-a-pro mode" have an arbitrary retirement age which is mandatory; 45 is the retirement age for video games that belong to the MLB: The Show series while NHL 11 has 48 for a mandatory retirement age. All professional sports contracts made with the CPU-controlled general manager are considered null and void by the game once the player reaches his retirement age. Should a player decide to sign a 3-year contract when he has one or two years left of available career time, for example, the full contract is not allowed to be played out as the player would reach the mandatory retirement age before the end of the contract period.