Mike Wang Has Left EA Canada and the NBA Live Development Team

[ianlast]

Quote: Originally Posted by Crimsontide27

I dont guess I share the same feelings most of you do. While most everyone is blaming the suits, at some point you have to lay the blame on the development team too. I dont recall the first NBA Live that was made, but I started EA basketball with Lakers vs Celtics and all those iterations, moved on to the Coach K college basketball series, and then on to the Live 95+ series. That puts EA making basketball games that I have played personally at around 20 years. Back when I was a youngster, I was allowed to get a game for Christmas and a game for birthday, that was it. Football and Basketball were the 2 games I got every year. What turned from my favorite games of all time, have now been turned to some of the worst games that you can purchase this generation. The only people EA can blame for poor sales is themselves. What went from a yearly " must purchase" for a ton of fans, has gone to a very cautious " Lets way and see approach". No longer can you anticipate what amazing new things have been added to the game, but you anticipate " I wonder what in the hell did the break this time". This generation of sports games from the basketball and football side are terrible. This is not just a bash on EA, other sports companies are at fault here too. Ask yourself.. How many football and basketball titles have you purchased in the last few years that didnt require months and months of awaited patches to make the games play correctly? This has left a very sour taste in my mouth and I no longer buy sports games as much. Matter of fact, its pissed me off. If NBA Live dies off, then good. There will always be a young and eager individual that will be willing to come along and make a quality game where others have failed. With sales as bad as they are, there is no way EA can justify paying these outrageous contracts for sports titles, so there will be other dev teams just waiting for the day that they have the opportunity to shine. EA needs an overhaul from the top to the bottom. The suits and developers alike have gotten complacent and probably point figures at each other about who is to blame. Just like at my work, there are people that complain and under-perform. All it takes is a quick reality check when the big boss pulls out all the application forms he has in the HR file. You realize real quick that even though you may not be perfoming up to standards, there are thousands of others that would just love to take your place. Thats what needs to happen here. EA needs to stop pointing fingers at others about their bad sales results and take a long hard look in the mirror. They ( suits and the dev teams alike ) are to blame as a whole.

I sorta see what you're getting at, but I don't think this is an issue of EA Sports under performing, but rather a case of them wanting to go in a different direction with their style of game.

[kcxiv]

Quote: Originally Posted by Crimsontide27

I dont guess I share the same feelings most of you do. While most everyone is blaming the suits, at some point you have to lay the blame on the development team too. I dont recall the first NBA Live that was made, but I started EA basketball with Lakers vs Celtics and all those iterations, moved on to the Coach K college basketball series, and then on to the Live 95+ series. That puts EA making basketball games that I have played personally at around 20 years. Back when I was a youngster, I was allowed to get a game for Christmas and a game for birthday, that was it. Football and Basketball were the 2 games I got every year. What turned from my favorite games of all time, have now been turned to some of the worst games that you can purchase this generation. The only people EA can blame for poor sales is themselves. What went from a yearly " must purchase" for a ton of fans, has gone to a very cautious " Lets way and see approach". No longer can you anticipate what amazing new things have been added to the game, but you anticipate " I wonder what in the hell did the break this time". This generation of sports games from the basketball and football side are terrible. This is not just a bash on EA, other sports companies are at fault here too. Ask yourself.. How many football and basketball titles have you purchased in the last few years that didnt require months and months of awaited patches to make the games play correctly? This has left a very sour taste in my mouth and I no longer buy sports games as much. Matter of fact, its pissed me off. If NBA Live dies off, then good. There will always be a young and eager individual that will be willing to come along and make a quality game where others have failed. With sales as bad as they are, there is no way EA can justify paying these outrageous contracts for sports titles, so there will be other dev teams just waiting for the day that they have the opportunity to shine. EA needs an overhaul from the top to the bottom. The suits and developers alike have gotten complacent and probably point figures at each other about who is to blame. Just like at my work, there are people that complain and under-perform. All it takes is a quick reality check when the big boss pulls out all the application forms he has in the HR file. You realize real quick that even though you may not be perfoming up to standards, there are thousands of others that would just love to take your place. Thats what needs to happen here. EA needs to stop pointing fingers at others about their bad sales results and take a long hard look in the mirror. They ( suits and the dev teams alike ) are to blame as a whole.

what if its the big bosses fault, then who do you fire?

[Jukeman]

Quote: Originally Posted by RayDog253

"If it don't make dollars then it don't make sense" I guess so???......

They are ran by the illuminati....

j...Just look at the A

[michaeljordanjr]

Live made strides, but not enough this year, every other department but Mike's failed miserably. In fact, for a game that focused most all on gameplay it wasn't THAT eye grabbing of gameplay, even though it was the strongest suite.

So basically, if Wang makes 2K11 have the mobility of Live 10, well then the Live franchise dies, or sells 50K copies a year which is not enough, the team will be fired and restructured into online or iPhone games...

[Warrior8o8]

hah he probably realized how much NBA Live sucked & wanted to get out of that there quick. Welcome back to 2K Mike Wang!! This could be the final nail in the coffin for the Live series.

[Kully]

I think it's still a bit presumptuous to claim this as the death knell for the Live series. 2K did carry on without him, and barring any terrible influences, I believe Live will continue on a positive path. I guess we will know by September how they plan to continue the series.

Mike's statements sure are damning; despite EA's past, Im willing to see how they market and create Live 11 before I shoot it down because of the loss of Mike.

[mrclutch]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kully

I think it's still a bit presumptuous to claim this as the death knell for the Live series. 2K did carry on without him, and barring any terrible influences, I believe Live will continue on a positive path. I guess we will know by September how they plan to continue the series. Mike's statements sure are damning; despite EA's past, Im willing to see how they market and create Live 11 before I shoot it down because of the loss of Mike.

Let me start by saying I'm a Mike Wang fan. With that said sounds like a little sour grapes on his part. If your not happy move on. I don't believe you have to take shots at folks.

And who knows. There might actually be another guys a EA that knows something about Basketball games and they could end up with an even better game with Live 11.
Stranger things have happened.

[kcxiv]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrclutch

Let me start by saying I'm a Mike Wang fan. With that said sounds like a little sour grapes on his part. If your not happy move on. I don't believe you have to take shots at folks. And who knows. There might actually be another guys a EA that knows something about Basketball games and they could end up with an even better game with Live 11. Stranger things have happened.

Well, they did ask him why he moved on and in all honesty, i think an answer was appropriate. Leaving 1 company, going to its direct competition, then coming back. While, he could have just left it as is, why?

EA does everything in their power to lock up exclusives and flat out come and say they want to take away the competition. I am glad he did it. EA is the ones that play the dirtiest. So they got a little dirt thrown at them. In the end, they are still the powerhouse and 2K is the little engine that could. lol