I have been playing this game for a long time now and find the biggest change I have noticed over the years which I feel would convince me to look at other games can be solved relatively easily.
For me the fundamental change in the game is my inability to alter my team in the short term. Many changes have been added to the game with regards to training and youths and the accumulation of these changes have impacted the short term changes I can make which used to be available years ago. In short the transfer market has died and the players that are available arent really appealing due to either unrealistic transfer charges and those that are realistic have high wages.
When I think about improving my team I get despondant by the fact it will take me too long to wait. If I dont get a good batch of youths then who knows when I can get the team I want. As such I am getting apathetic about the game and given the amount of inactivity nowadays feel others may feel the same.
I think if there was to be a lower wage cost from players on transfer the market would pick up again and this would allow players the ability to trade for players to improve and develop their team in a shorter period of time.
The transfer market used to be a lively place with plenty of choice and now it seems that the academy is the only way to go. I can see why the academy has been developed and understand what may have been an issue with the transfer market before but for me...the current option is too much of a long term and uncertain way to develop a team. We need both options and developing a different way to lower players wages through transfers would seem the best option.