This is a big year for all NBA video games. It's a big year because I get the feeling the the market is ready to forgive and forget -- giving everyone a clean slate. Just like the Celtics quick resurgence to the top, NBA Live could do the same this year if the Live developers are able to actually make all the improvements to the game that they are boasting about.

Touting a new feature called Dynamic DNA, which claims to synchronize hot and cold trends and update rosters so that they are in sync with the real-life NBA, the Live crew is planning to give fans something that they have wanted for years: the most realistic depiction of the real-life thing. Aside from that the developers are also are looking to get back to their roots by accurately re-creating the pick and rolls and the one-on-one matchups inside the game.

NBA 2K9 is the returning king of NBA games and is the heavy favorite this year.

Regardless of whether this all comes together, EA will still need to do everything in its power to recreate NBA Live’s image. The reason for that being a combination of releasing poor products on the next-generation consoles and 2K Sports releasing highly acclaimed ones at the same time.

Something working in 2K Sports' favor this year is that the company is not releasing a college basketball game, deciding to focus all of its resources on the NBA counterpart instead. The company is also releasing a DNA system of its own but instead of relating it to real-world statistics, the focus is on trends inside the Association Mode.

NBA Live 09 is looking to return to past glory, but some feel those are days long gone.

The competition only heats up more when including NBA 09: The Inside, published by Sony and claiming to cater more to the hardcore fans while adding more glamor to this year's version. This game would not be as big a deal if not for the success of the Sony MLB series, which continues to surprise everyone in the baseball market. Sony also has an NBA version of "Road to the Show" in the NBA 09, called "The Life." If it's anywhere near as good, it means good things for PS3 owners.

There are many loyalists to the NBA 2K series, but then again there used to be many loyal followers of NBA Live in the '90s, so anything can happen. All powers must fall eventually after all. What needs to happen this year, and why it’s such an important one, is that the gap needs to be bridged between the recent champ (NBA 2K) and the other guys.

NBA 2K8 was a great game but the gameplay, although very well refined, has not had much beefiness added to it as of late, and the same goes for the presentation and the Association Mode. Most would argue, though, that it really doesn't need to rock the boat. 2K Sports created a solid formula for success and the developers have not messed around with it too much, and who can blame them? There is no need to try and outdo their own game by all that much when the competition cannot get out of its own way.

SCEA's NBA 09 The Inside is looking to grab a slice of the market this year with some improved features.

Still, I believe that this season is not as much about how good NBA 2K9 will be, which will surely be another solid release, but what EA and Sony are able to produce. It is important for them to put out good products because people are always yearning to have choices, which will only means better competition and better games. It is not all about graphics either, because NBA 2K8 wasn’t necessarily the most graphically impressive game on the market, but it had smooth animations, great gameplay, and the engine it was built on led to realistic smooth basketball.

If anything, this is solely a year for the two underdogs to rip the guts out of the previous versions and create a solid foundation for their games going forward. If NBA Live 09 and NBA '09: The Inside are able to land a couple right hooks and put themselves back in the fight it can only mean good things for the future.