If you’re an older gamer like myself, then you remember the reason(s) that got you into playing video games in the first place. Sure, there are a handful of auxiliary reasons, but for me it was the insane amount of fun and excitement they provided. As the gaming demographics have changed over the years, so have the expectations from the gaming community.

Now, not only do we ask the games be fun, but also incredibly realistic, both in look and play -- especially in regards to sports games. Fair or not, that’s the world each developer lives in these days, and any misstep (or four) can set your franchise back for years.

Although NBA Live 16 was met with average review ratings (59 Metascore) and generally considered a failure in terms of retail sales (hard to find accurate numbers, but they are not good so far), it has carved out a small niche in the industry. The people who are enjoying Live might point to many different reasons as to why they like it, but most would agree the reason NBA Live 16 still gets a lot of play time in their rotation is simple: it's just fun to play.

Sure, its competition does a much better job at simulating what we as fans see on the court on TV, but that’s not my point of comparison. When I fire up Live 16, I find myself attracted to the simplistic fun that it provides me, much like what got me interested in video games in the first place.
 

One could obviously argue NBA Live’s failures in the paint, lack of proper animations, and missing player likenesses (all things the most recent patch are trying to remedy to a degree), and I couldn’t argue against you as you would be correct. As I have gotten older though, I find myself with less time to devote to (and worry about) video games, and NBA Live allows me that courtesy of playing a game just for the simple fun of playing it. I fell in love with games like RBI Baseball, Coach K College Basketball, and Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB, not because of how incredibly authentic they were but because of how fun they were.
 

Regardless, I'm aware there is no turning back at this stage. Sports video games will only edge closer in reality to the sport they attempt to replicate as we move forward as an industry, and that’s fine. For myself though, there will always be place for games that just provide fun on the most simplistic level, and my appreciation and support will always be there for developers who can deliver a game like that. In the quest to provide the ultimate sports simulation, developers walk a very thin line in remembering that games need to be fun also, and NBA Live 16 provides exactly that.