With the help of our readers and EA Sports, we had an opportunity to interview the NBA Live 08 Production Team. 

Operation Sports:  Will we see different defenders play according to their ratings?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  NBA Live 08 will feature the ability to lock up your man with our defensive assist feature.  Moreover, our on ball defense feature will allow better defenders the opportunity to play more efficient defense.  In fact ratings play a large role in our player differentiation and how the various players are able to perform on the court.

Operation Sports:  Will a player with a high block rating, be more aggressive on block attempts?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Again ratings play a large role in how we differentiate players in our game.  Players such as Tim Duncan who block a lot of shots in real life will be more successful at blocking shots in NBA Live 08 than players like Tony Parker who rarely block shots if at all. 

Operation Sports:  How many animations have been added this year?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  We have added over 2000 animations to NBA Live 08.

Operation Sports:  Do teams and players, play like there real life counterparts?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Yes.  Both teams and players will play more like their real life counterparts in this version of NBA Live than ever before.  From the team perspective, each team will evaluate what their goal is for a given possession and decide if they are going to play up temp, slow it down, or somewhere in between.  Individual players will not only look like there real life counterparts but they will play like them as well with features such as Go To Moves, Signature shots, Signature dunks, and Signature passes.

Operation Sports:  Have the animations and foot plants been improved?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Yes.  We have vastly improved not only the look of our animations but the feel of them as well.  In addition we have added ton of new content.

Operation Sports:  Did the cover athlete, Gilbert Arenas, help out with any features or give a few ideas to implement into the gameplay?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Gil was a big part of the NBA Live and our vision to create a great gameplay experience.  He was very helpful in lending us his knowledge of the NBA which in turn allowed us to create a much more authentic experience.

Operation Sports:  We’ve heard there will be no custom teams. Is this a feature that will return next year, as its been a staple of the Madden, NCAA Football, and NHL series (even NBA Live in the past), complete with the features such as build your own arena and redesigning uniforms and team names?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Sorry, but we can't discuss features for 09 quite yet.

Operation Sports:  Will there be the ability to fully edit non-user controlled teams? (I.E. if a trade happens during the season, and you're in your dynasty, can you edit it the rosters to make it up-to-date?)

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Unfortunately not for 08.

Operation Sports:  FIBA World Championships: Will there be more than 8 Teams? Actual FIBA rules complete with the trapezoid lane. Will you be able to mix and match FIBA rules and NBA rules if you so desire in single games as well as the Dynasty (IE using the Trapezoid in NBA Games & Vice Versa?)

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  The FIBA World Championships is a new game mode for NBA Live 08.  The mode will include a tournament structure involving 8 teams.  The current implementation has the tournament taking place on an NBA court with NBA rules.  We look forward to growing this feature in the years to come.

Operation Sports:  Will I be able to run the Triangle offense with the Lakers?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Each Team will have team specific playbooks that both the CPU and User can utilize.  The Lakers triangle offense is a motion offense that will run automatically for the User if the players are in the correct spot. 

Operation Sports:  Will we be able to import draft classes from March Madness 08? If so, will it be available for all platforms?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  Sorry, not for 08. 

Operation Sports:  Are there still going to be two shooting buttons in the final game? If so, can we turn that off?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  There is one button for shooting jump shots and one button for dunking or laying the ball up.  Users will not have the ability to merge these two functions.

Operation Sports:  What additions have been made for the Next Generation Franchise Modes?

NBA Live 08 Production Team:  There are a number of new features for Dynasty Mode for 08.

New Simulation Engine - Possession by possession system allowing for sim intervention at any point. The new simulation screen allows you to view the gamecast and box scores of players on the floor with a variable speed control.

Simulation Special Events - During simulation you will be alerted to specific important situations to give you the option to intervene. For example, you're down by 2 points with a minute left in the 4th.

Dynasty Central - Replaces the calendar and becomes the new core screen for Dynasty. In addition to the schedule, you will have access to information such as staff availability, injuries, news, rumors and more.

"Push" Dynasty - The PDA has been replaced with direct prompting system to alert the user to important events, with the option to automate areas of the game you aren't concerned about. For example, when your scout is available for scouting assignments, the prompt will allow you to go directly to the scouting screen or automate scouting.

Persuasion Mini-game - Adds the ability to modify a player's interest before entering contract negotiations. Free agents can be offered things like Playing Time or a run at the Championship and depending on the age and ability of the player; it may increase or decrease their interest in signing with your team.

AI Team Direction - AI teams now have the concept of being a Rebuilding, up and Coming or Contending team. This will affect trade value. For example, a rebuilding team will be less interested in a long, expensive veteran whereas they are more interested in young talent.

New Trade AI - AI trade offers to the user are back for 08 and now they may include packages (2 for 1, 3 for 2, etc)