NBA Live 14 "Launch Window" Title? (Updated: Solved!) - RaychelSnr's Blog

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NBA Live 14 "Launch Window" Title? (Updated: Solved!) Stuck

Posted on September 16, 2013 at 11:28 AM.

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UPDATE: EA has now (finally) confirmed NBA Live 14 is coming out on November 19 for both consoles. So after launch for PS4 and pre-launch for Xbox One.

Before I start the rest of this blog, let me preface it as any six year old would. EA Sports started it, with this tweet in particular:

The wording within that tweet by EA about NBA Live 14 was deliberately chosen and gives the company a clear out of releasing the game on launch day. Simply put, NBA Live 14 has to come out on launch day if it wants to taste any sort of success or have a future.

If NBA Live 14 is truly a launch window title, that could mean it could release anytime from next-gen consoles' launch in November into mid-2014, depending on your definition of launch window. A mid-2014 release, which would still be considered launch window, is almost far enough to just release NBA Live 15 instead -- almost.

If NBA Live doesn't release on launch day, it is going to run up into some major calendar problems. Anything just at and just after Christmas is a true no-go from a retail standpoint. At best, the game could be delivered by the All-Star break in February if it's not released in November -- but by then the damage to potential sales would have already been enormous.

Next-gen customers are going to be fewer than established platforms, and most will buy up their sports game experiences they are going to play until the next season of releases at launch. If NBA 2K is available and Live is not, most will just choose to go with the proven brand and Live will be left with a pool of 100,000 or less customers to try to sell to.

And we can assume, despite all the dangers of assumption, that any delay by Live would likely mean the game simply isn't ready...again. EA has already stated in press materials Live will be available in the Fall -- which means anything beyond launch day creeps into the winter.

If we're just being technical.

None of this is helped by EA's failures to bring basketball to market in the past couple of years. NBA Elite was cancelled after the demo was so bad, the company had no choice but to cancel its plans to release the game. Disks of the game were in the wild -- so for all intents and purposes right up until consumers called EA out, EA had planned to release the game in its broken state. Luckily EA did the right thing by customers and took the heavy financial hit that decision brought.

We heard rumors and rumors of rumors of a new NBA Live over the past couple of years, but EA scrapped plans to develop a new NBA game on current-gen consoles, ceding 2K had won the war on this generation but vowing revenge in the next, or at least that's the tone and wording I pictured EA's executives using when making that decision.

In a release last fall, Andrew Wilson told customers, "It's clear that we won't be ready in October."

So now here we are, waiting on NBA Live 14 on launch day -- as we've all been led to believe, Gamestop was selling Live as a launch bundle after all -- and now we get this.

"Launch window."

What does 'Launch Window' mean? Is NBA Live really not going to make another planned launch day?

Failure to make launch day would simply mean tons of potential customers will buy NBA 2K instead, and given NBA 2K's past performances, it could mean potential customers lost for yet another generation for EA basketball.

Once we get word on an official launch date for NBA Live, expect us to update the frontpage with that news. The game could still be a launch day title and the wording in that tweet just put there to give the title some wiggle room. Hopefully Live 14 is delivered on Launch day. -- as the alternatives bode very ill for the series' future.

Do you think failing to release on launch day would be a fatal blow to the NBA Live series?

Comments

# 1 mdecicco17 @ Sep 16

EA Sports is crazy. I don't understand why they wouldn't try to reenter the baseball industry when they already have a great engine in their MVP series. While the NBA gaming world is owned by 2K, they could have taken a shot the Show, a Playstation-exclusive franchise. If MVP was coming back I would have considered getting an Xbox One, but I couldn't go through another console life span with no baseball. Damn you, EA.

# 2 grodbetatted @ Sep 16

I honestly think that tweet is being read into too deeply...

# 3 13whitebread @ Sep 16

NBA 2K series has such strength in the basketball market I think it's foolish that EA might be able to trump them. It sounds like they might be having problems again with the game.

# 4 SpacialJones @ Sep 16

I tend to believe that that tweet is being taken a bit too literally. Is it official statement or is it just nba live social media guy just writing stuff within the 140 characters? Im not excited about the title as some. live lost my money with Elite. because i purchased it and they didnt launch. but i hope for gamers who want something different to get what they want at the specified time.

# 5 TheLetterZ @ Sep 16

SpacialJones, I'm curious about that possibility too.

However, with them taking so much heat publicly for it for days, wouldn't they have said something to reassure people if they could?

# 6 juicey79 @ Sep 16

I'm sorry but the bigger the whole they dig the better game needs to be....unless they think they can sell more units after 2K releases I don't understand the delay. This is so wild.

# 7 RaychelSnr @ Sep 16

Only two plausible explanations for the Tweet, the person made it worded it so incorrectly that EA would feel the need to come out and correct it, reassuring everyone the game is a launch day title or it was worded that way deliberately to begin creating the expectation the game won't make it out at launch. From my vantage point, have seen no confirmation the game is coming at launch -- but if EA releases Live media today as they said, they have the opportunity to clear it up. If they don't, then it's safe to begin assuming the Tweet was worded in that way for a reason.

# 8 poloelite @ Sep 16

At this point, even if it comes out, should we purchase it on launch day?? I think EA would benefit from taking a page out of 2k's book and drop Live 14 for $20 for a year or two. But putting out a shaky product at full price is a recipe to get more dirt on top of your sinking coffin.

# 9 Frostbite1231 @ Sep 16

I hate to say it, but I saw this coming. When they showed the dmo at E3 with Kyrie Irving by himself on a court, I thought it raised red flags. That whole presentation seemed like they were banking off of the NBA Live name. Unfortunately, that name doesn't mean anything to anyone anymore. We needed to see see full 5-on-5 to cement that this was more than a glorified tech demo and they didn't do that. We haven't really heard anything from them since. Now with this bit of slippery wording, it brings up the past few years of problems with the series. Regardless of how this turns out, I think it's safe to assume that it will be medoicre at best.

# 10 rockchisler @ Sep 16

Its The Ghost of David Littman...."Rears its ugly head" again..

# 11 balljonesjr @ Sep 16

Interesting post ... Didnt we get word that we'd see 5v5 gameplay and screens now this less than a week later. I was so excited to get my hands on live. Guess ill be buying somethingelse to go with watch dogs.

# 12 wxn8822 @ Sep 16

Maybe launch window include是“launch day？？？？”

# 13 scottyp180 @ Sep 16

Ea makes it difficult to stay hopeful about this game and buy into the hype. E3 was a nice little presentation and got a lot of people looking for the more news but the game has been a ghost since. Maybe they are in no rush since 2k hasnt revealed muchnext-gen wise but after the last few years its hard to not feel a little pessimistic about this game

# 14 Shadojoker @ Sep 16

I agree EA should go 2k strategy and price their game at $30 just to grab some market share! I'm skeptical now..why?? Lack of vids,images, etc and a lil too much secrecy!! They should be trying to blow us away by sneaking in tidbits here and there like what Ronnie is doing.