For NBA Live: The Silence is Deafening - RaychelSnr's Blog

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For NBA Live: The Silence is Deafening Stuck

Posted on July 24, 2012 at 10:17 AM.

(37)

You heard a lot of conjecture coming from EA's camp. A lot of hype really.

We're back. Things are looking good. We're building for the future.

Then E3 hit. Wave after wave of bad reviews saying the game simply wasn't ready to be shown off, and 'What was EA thinking?' type of articles -- including from our own Steve Noah.

Now, silence. Deafening, complete...silence.

I've tried to ask around, I've been told the game is still on track and still moving forward. But EA, for all intents and purposes, is ignoring the fact they're releasing an NBA game later this year for now. Perhaps they're waiting to get through Madden before trying to fire the hype machine up, maybe they're waiting to improve the game to a point where it's actually, say, functional.

Whatever the reason -- we've got silence, and lots of it.

I don't think NBA Live is doomed to not release, but the chances of a delay are very real if the game isn't ready by launch time. It'd probably be for the best, as NBA 2K will outshine it in quality -- I don't think anyone questions that, I certainly haven't.

But this is EA's one and only chance and they have to get it right. The game has to play balanced, has to play smooth online, and has to at least -- you know -- play the game of basketball competently.

NBA Live doesn't need to be an OS rated 8.0 to survive. It doesn't even need to be a 7.0, or what we call a good/solid game. But it does need to be competent, above average even.

The simple fact is, NBA Live has to give customers a reason to buy into the franchise -- to buy into some hope that it could be resurrected and be competitive with 2K's masterpiece. I have long held that the game will do at least that (and sell pretty ok in the process), and maybe I'll end up wrong -- but I do know that anything less will be a disaster for EA.

EA has a one shot opportunity to prove to an extremely skeptical consumer base (especially post-E3) that they can deliver a competent and fun game of basketball. If they fail, the franchise probably will not survive to see another year.

It would be the last bit of the wall of competition going down, and we will usher in what will probably be a permanent new reality in sports gaming: one without direct competition.

Competition is a rarity in sports gaming in 2012 -- and when (not if) one of the NBA franchises folds, it's likely that every major American sport will continue without serious direct competition across multiple platforms forever.

So foolishly, hopelessly (it seems), I'm rooting for EA to pull out a rabbit and to give us hope that more than one game mimicking the same sport can exist in today's marketplace.

But the silence from EA? That silence tells me I might be wrong.

Comments

# 31 bigdoc85 @ Jul 25

I think even incremental improvements on NBA 10 when combined with NCAA will make the game very marketable (that doesn't mean it will have better gameplay than 2k, for instance). For whatever reason, we, the hard-core sports gaming community, think we represent the majority of purchasers. I really don't think we are and EA knows that. If you are working for EA, your first priority is delivering a game that will sell.

Quote:


	Combining college and pro is a good idea, but who wants two trash games? Just more garbage taking up space. The quality is what EA needs to prove they have. That will be seen as a gimmick if the game is not quality. People will simply call for 2K to bring back College Hoops, but they may sell a few more copies by simply being the only one's to have college hoops. The problem is, who cares about them selling more copies?

# 32 DBMcGee3 @ Jul 26

Yep, I finally have to concede that it appears EA may actually flake out on this game once again. I mean we're just over 2 months from their original release date, and not a SINGLE gameplay clip anywhere? Really sucks, because I'm getting pretty tired of 2k's same old song n' dance. Hopefully Mike Wang actually fixes the dribbling this year, or else I guess I'm gonna get a lot better at Virtua Fighter come winter time. C'mon EA!

# 33 truintellectplaya @ Jul 27

# 34MissionMaximus @ Jul 27 (15 Hours Ago)
I guess it's time for another exclusive contract that way some of you EA diehards will love Live again without true competition. Do you think Live would of ever cancelled their game if they had an exclusive contract? The answer is NO. Heck maybe that's why there isn't anything coming out maybe their hatching out a backroom deal with the NBA?

I agree. That is the only way EA is going to really ever dominate basketball again and it seems there diehards want them to win regardless of quality.

# 34 bigdoc85 @ Jul 31

It is dead! No mention of it in EA's earnings materials. I'm on the call right now and will confirm.

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