NBA Elite 11 OS Exclusive Video: Miami Heat @ Orlando Magic

[BrianFifaFan]

This vid was the final "meh" for me. I'll grant it is improved, but it just reinforces my feelings that the game is about, as was stated a while ago, about how well you can game, not a representation of NBA ball. LeBron is generic to me, there's nothing "sig" about his movements, shot or anything that makes him seem different. This reminds me of what has plagued other EA games, including my beloved Fifa, for as long as I can remember, a lack of personality. It's cool that I can do skill moves like I can in Fifa in this game, but those moves aren't tied in a meaningful fashion to the players that only do those moves. It's just "I have a 95 skill level so I can twirl my sticks and do whatever." That's not "sim" for me.

Just like the accessory heads, I'm as anal about wanting guys like DWade or LBJ to be different than anyone else. This game needs some Personality Plus, ala Fifa. It needs a huge upgrade next year in signature animations and a locking of certain things to certain players. Like it was said earlier, it's fun to play blacktop ball, but it's not the NBA. Right now, this game really has little to do with the NBA game save player faces and uni's. I'm not at all an online gamer, which is the only place I could see this game having legs. It is really evident you have to have two people playing this game "And1" style to make it shine. I can't see the CPU really looking like I'm playing against a virtual Kobe or Mello in my Franchise.

I loved Live'10 and defended it to the last. I felt it was something special, the same feeling I got with Fifa08, even with all it's rough edges. But this game? With each passing vid, I just don't have the love. What I see is a reboot that seems really barebones in a world of games that are reaching for Fifa/NHL/The Show heights. They may have some rough edges and additions to be made to put them in the conversation. This game isn't anywhere close to being even in the Madden/NCAA/MLB2k 2nd tier league, sorry. Maybe in a few years, but not now......

[rckabillyRaider]

Quote: Originally Posted by kwomack12

at 1:04 lolwut

EXACTLY what I was thinking. Oh my goodness........

Overall, looks decent though but not enough to put them over the hump.

[mlp111]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrianFifaFan

This vid was the final "meh" for me. I'll grant it is improved, but it just reinforces my feelings that the game is about, as was stated a while ago, about how well you can game, not a representation of NBA ball. LeBron is generic to me, there's nothing "sig" about his movements, shot or anything that makes him seem different. This reminds me of what has plagued other EA games, including my beloved Fifa, for as long as I can remember, a lack of personality. It's cool that I can do skill moves like I can in Fifa in this game, but those moves aren't tied in a meaningful fashion to the players that only do those moves. It's just "I have a 95 skill level so I can twirl my sticks and do whatever." That's not "sim" for me. Just like the accessory heads, I'm as anal about wanting guys like DWade or LBJ to be different than anyone else. This game needs some Personality Plus, ala Fifa. It needs a huge upgrade next year in signature animations and a locking of certain things to certain players. Like it was said earlier, it's fun to play blacktop ball, but it's not the NBA. Right now, this game really has little to do with the NBA game save player faces and uni's. I'm not at all an online gamer, which is the only place I could see this game having legs. It is really evident you have to have two people playing this game "And1" style to make it shine. I can't see the CPU really looking like I'm playing against a virtual Kobe or Mello in my Franchise. I loved Live'10 and defended it to the last. I felt it was something special, the same feeling I got with Fifa08, even with all it's rough edges. But this game? With each passing vid, I just don't have the love. What I see is a reboot that seems really barebones in a world of games that are reaching for Fifa/NHL/The Show heights. They may have some rough edges and additions to be made to put them in the conversation. This game isn't anywhere close to being even in the Madden/NCAA/MLB2k 2nd tier league, sorry. Maybe in a few years, but not now......

well said, this is exactly how i feel!!!!!!!!!!! I had high hopes, but this isn't the year for me, so maybe next year, or at the end of the 3 year process!!!!!!!!!!

[manny3118]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrianFifaFan

This vid was the final "meh" for me. I'll grant it is improved, but it just reinforces my feelings that the game is about, as was stated a while ago, about how well you can game, not a representation of NBA ball. LeBron is generic to me, there's nothing "sig" about his movements, shot or anything that makes him seem different. This reminds me of what has plagued other EA games, including my beloved Fifa, for as long as I can remember, a lack of personality. It's cool that I can do skill moves like I can in Fifa in this game, but those moves aren't tied in a meaningful fashion to the players that only do those moves. It's just "I have a 95 skill level so I can twirl my sticks and do whatever." That's not "sim" for me. Just like the accessory heads, I'm as anal about wanting guys like DWade or LBJ to be different than anyone else. This game needs some Personality Plus, ala Fifa. It needs a huge upgrade next year in signature animations and a locking of certain things to certain players. Like it was said earlier, it's fun to play blacktop ball, but it's not the NBA. Right now, this game really has little to do with the NBA game save player faces and uni's. I'm not at all an online gamer, which is the only place I could see this game having legs. It is really evident you have to have two people playing this game "And1" style to make it shine. I can't see the CPU really looking like I'm playing against a virtual Kobe or Mello in my Franchise. I loved Live'10 and defended it to the last. I felt it was something special, the same feeling I got with Fifa08, even with all it's rough edges. But this game? With each passing vid, I just don't have the love. What I see is a reboot that seems really barebones in a world of games that are reaching for Fifa/NHL/The Show heights. They may have some rough edges and additions to be made to put them in the conversation. This game isn't anywhere close to being even in the Madden/NCAA/MLB2k 2nd tier league, sorry. Maybe in a few years, but not now......

I personally think you hit the nail on the head on your "twirl the sticks" comment above. If I recall correctly, NBA Live 2004 introduced to us the concept of freestyle dribbling, which at the time was innovative; arguably the creative highpoint for the series, but was, in retrospect, problematic. The purpose behind that control shift is not much different than the reason for the ELITE reboot now-- to grant the user a better feeling of precision and creativity. However, if you get past the feeling of nostalgia for the LIVE, you'll realize that it got, well, rather repetitive. A player can dribble left, right, behind the back, chain moves together and not after long the concept loses its luster. The gameplay for that year's edition was built around this concept of creating analog stick movement for space on the basketball court, and while maybe it was enjoyable playing against your friend head to head trying to break someone's digital ankles, it definitely wasn't conducive to simulation basketball. Playing season mode and trying to use the analog stick to blow by someone with Chucky Atkins or Lindsey Hunter to score isn't the most realistic representation of the NBA.

Now, ELITE is doing this for player movement as a whole with the ability to gather, eurostep, and layup on demand with little consequence. As a result, gameplay value no longer has anything to do with basketball, simply who can chain moves better than the other player. The short clips that have come out recently embrace this ideology-- the OJ Mayo video highlighting a rather impossible basketball move, but what some may consider an entertaining one in the digital world is a selling point. But I can assure you someone on XBOX Live will control Keyon Dooling and perform that exact move and, well, then the freedom to move isn't all that creative.

The next generation console ultimately ushered in new expectations for video games- there is now a general understanding that games, at least in the sports genre, must look, play, and feel more realistically than their second generation counterparts. Games like High Heat Baseball, NBA Street, or NFL Blitz will no longer be relevant today or in the future because users want to recreate what they see on their High Definition television sets- they want an accurate representation of what they see. Signature shots? Selling Point. Sense of player individuality? Selling Point. Realistic gameplay? Now than ever before, and perhaps different from the Live 2004 days, selling point.

Elite has sacrificed those notions for player control and the ability to euro step and dunk and dribble with no real regard to what people see on their television sets. This move is simply an extension of NBA Live 2004 rather than a move towards a game like The Show which tries to be as authentic as possible. Time will tell if people truly accept that model.

[carnalnirvana]

imo out the box ELITE is designed to be a great baller in user vs user play, same as fifa. I personally feel their goal is to get elite to the status of fifa, halo cod and those types of games..

houndeds of thousands of online matches logged.

and with a goal like that AI development and Sig stuff is minor, since the user determines the tendencies the ballers they use....

i believe, like 09 and somewhat in 10 with heavy editing this game can atleast give me a street version of the nba and by that i dont mean flying dunks, i mean a star players doing work with his supporting cast backing him up...

all i ever asked of nba games is let the stars do work and in live 10 and 09(which i have been playing alot lately) atleast i get that, kobe dropping 50 5 and 3 off da dribble, on pull ups and post ups... while i scramble to stop him....

[Nines]

Vid won't play for me?

[Dachozen1]

looks like a fun videogame to play...look at that hop step and dunk by Vince Carter at 1:13, that's some serious high flying action.

[Nephilim]

I wanna try the demo first before I "meh" anything. Just LOL.