Bring back the old NBA Live

[casey_horton]

As the new gameplay videos have emerged (which there are very few) it continues to blow my mind as I see the same...exact...game. Now we can talk innovations and listen to producer interviews in which they say they have been concentrating on core gameplay but now they shift their focus onto this new gameplay titled "The One". Now much in real life as the virtual reality, parity is dead in the league on as it is off the court. The unreal expectation for this once proud series to dethrone arguably one of the best runs a sports gaming franchise has ever seen, in one season is unrealistic. But there comes a time when one must look at self realization and just start over. I'm talking soup and nuts start over. Between the lunky animations that players don't seem to collide correctly to the "ick" feeling when the basketball hits the rim, it's just time. I had strong hopes that with a year off that the Live team would look at that formula and just...start over? But behold I am not a mind reader and I still feel in my gut it will be the same (to much my dismay).

Now obviously the 2K brand continues to be strong in innovation but Live must look at why. It's the connectivity to the game between the press conferences, the day in and day out office visits in mygm that really make you feel a part of the team and the position. Not to mention how can you compare winning the title in each game. You play over 100 games in a season to reach that peak and for what? 20 secs. That's it. But I will say the greatest thing to 2K is that you can feel connected in literally any game mode you want.


Now graphics wise yea sure Live is pretty decent but looking at scans of players and how it translates some players just look off. It's the bagginess of the jerseys (okay call me picky) but the transitions of players and when a players stand around there's just nothing. It feels static with no continuous flow. For example when a play is dead in 2K every player is moving around whether to slap hands, argue to the ref, run and help a player up. Where is the flow?


Now I will give the overall in stadium feel is there, they've got it down pat. The sound the feel of the stadium but what about the feel off the court? The NBA season is a story with constant peaks and valleys and also side stories that need to be told-to make it an authentic experience.


Im a huge 2K fan and have been for a long time but I was one a Live player and was proud of the game. It's what connected me to basketball at a young age. Maybe one day Live will hear it's fans and just stop repackaging the same game with a new $60 price tag. Here's to hoping.

[Lancio23]

Yea everything you said pertains to 2k, And from owning both games every year since 14 I hope they don't put the my career grind in live going to the gym etc etc yea it's kool but it takes away from me play the game and is sometimes annoying, I hope they take ideas from the other games and not try to be like it.


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[casey_horton]

Could agree more with this sentiment. I think that's what is most frustrating is that there are good ideas out there but it's the fact they haven't adapted to that. I don't think they should take everything 2K does per say but there's a way to make it their own style.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lancio23

Yea everything you said pertains to 2k, And from owning both games every year since 14 I hope they don't put the my career grind in live going to the gym etc etc yea it's kool but it takes away from me play the game and is sometimes annoying, I hope they take ideas from the other games and not try to be like it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PippenFan]

Yeah I used to love live from 98 all the way up to the 2006 game. I agree that it's time for them to think back on what made their game work as well as it once did and try to make it work again alongside some fresh ideas.

[Earl1963]

Since I prefer live 16 over 2K 18, I hope EA doesn't try to make their game like the competition.


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[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by casey_horton

As the new gameplay videos have emerged (which there are very few) it continues to blow my mind as I see the same...exact...game. Now we can talk innovations and listen to producer interviews in which they say they have been concentrating on core gameplay but now they shift their focus onto this new gameplay titled "The One". Now much in real life as the virtual reality, parity is dead in the league on as it is off the court. The unreal expectation for this once proud series to dethrone arguably one of the best runs a sports gaming franchise has ever seen, in one season is unrealistic. But there comes a time when one must look at self realization and just start over. I'm talking soup and nuts start over. Between the lunky animations that players don't seem to collide correctly to the "ick" feeling when the basketball hits the rim, it's just time. I had strong hopes that with a year off that the Live team would look at that formula and just...start over? But behold I am not a mind reader and I still feel in my gut it will be the same (to much my dismay). Now obviously the 2K brand continues to be strong in innovation but Live must look at why. It's the connectivity to the game between the press conferences, the day in and day out office visits in mygm that really make you feel a part of the team and the position. Not to mention how can you compare winning the title in each game. You play over 100 games in a season to reach that peak and for what? 20 secs. That's it. But I will say the greatest thing to 2K is that you can feel connected in literally any game mode you want. Now graphics wise yea sure Live is pretty decent but looking at scans of players and how it translates some players just look off. It's the bagginess of the jerseys (okay call me picky) but the transitions of players and when a players stand around there's just nothing. It feels static with no continuous flow. For example when a play is dead in 2K every player is moving around whether to slap hands, argue to the ref, run and help a player up. Where is the flow? Now I will give the overall in stadium feel is there, they've got it down pat. The sound the feel of the stadium but what about the feel off the court? The NBA season is a story with constant peaks and valleys and also side stories that need to be told-to make it an authentic experience. Im a huge 2K fan and have been for a long time but I was one a Live player and was proud of the game. It's what connected me to basketball at a young age. Maybe one day Live will hear it's fans and just stop repackaging the same game with a new $60 price tag. Here's to hoping.

I think it's early to call Live 18 "the same game."

For reference: I'm a lifelong 2K buyer -- I have never bought a single NBA Live game. They were never my bag, but I certainly played them and enjoyed them in their heyday.

Live 18, from what I've seen, looks like they've made some progress. Did they strip it down to the nuts and bolts and rebuild it from the ground up? It doesn't appear so. But the game certainly isn't the same as Live 16 and EA knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they have to stick this landing or the Live series is dead.

I think EA will. The game clip released yesterday and the screenshots are quite promising overall (IMO).

Would I have liked to see more? Absolutely. Do I expect a genre changing/defining game? No. EA isn't dumb -- they know what works and I expect Live will look more like Madden/NHL than 2K, as both those franchises have seen increasing success in recent years.

My biggest hope is that Live 18 isn't marketed exclusively to online/MyPlayer gamers. I'm a huge MyLeague player (primarily because, as you stated in your opening statement, the NBA is a story with peaks and valleys and MyLeague feeds that for me -- that and I can't trust the AI to do anything competently) and "The One" certainly sounds like a MyPlayer type mode.

I'm not against those modes, but I personally don't play them -- like, ever -- and find the AI can't be trusted to run any team because the AI is almost as bad as Billy King.

We'll know more after this weekend, but I get the sense EA is confident they have, at least, an improved version of Live and solid competitor to 2K on their hands.

[casey_horton]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

I think it's early to call Live 18 "the same game." For reference: I'm a lifelong 2K buyer -- I have never bought a single NBA Live game. They were never my bag, but I certainly played them and enjoyed them in their heyday. Live 18, from what I've seen, looks like they've made some progress. Did they strip it down to the nuts and bolts and rebuild it from the ground up? It doesn't appear so. But the game certainly isn't the same as Live 16 and EA knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they have to stick this landing or the Live series is dead. I think EA will. The game clip released yesterday and the screenshots are quite promising overall (IMO). Would I have liked to see more? Absolutely. Do I expect a genre changing/defining game? No. EA isn't dumb -- they know what works and I expect Live will look more like Madden/NHL than 2K, as both those franchises have seen increasing success in recent years. My biggest hope is that Live 18 isn't marketed exclusively to online/MyPlayer gamers. I'm a huge MyLeague player (primarily because, as you stated in your opening statement, the NBA is a story with peaks and valleys and MyLeague feeds that for me -- that and I can't trust the AI to do anything competently) and "The One" certainly sounds like a MyPlayer type mode. I'm not against those modes, but I personally don't play them -- like, ever -- and find the AI can't be trusted to run any team because the AI is almost as bad as Billy King. We'll know more after this weekend, but I get the sense EA is confident they have, at least, an improved version of Live and solid competitor to 2K on their hands.

Haha loving the Billy King reference. But yea I'm the same exact way, not huge on my player but I understand that majority of the sports gaming market has geared towards an RPG setting. With that said I still believe they can take ideas from 2K and make it their own. Obviously I've brought up many comparisons between the two games but it's because it is its rival in the game market. Not to mention there arent any games that are as in depth and involved like 2K is. Going forward it would have been nice to see a stripped down newer version rather than build off of the same mo-cap year after year a la madden. Hey the trailer looked great for the one but for players like you and me who love to have control over every aspect and player throughout the game it would be nice to see some fresh ideas going forward.

[zrohman]

As someone who has bought all of the NBA Lives, even the terrible ones recently, I can say this game looks extremely different.

Outside of using some old animations, which they seem to be getting rid of more and more each day, the game looks different.

The One mode looks promising. Like stated in the other thread I'm excited not to be starting in a forced storyline. Also, Live starts your rating around the 70's, or has done so in the past, which is nice. It means I don't feel forced to spend money to get my person to a good rating.

Also, gameplay looks great, and looks like we will have a ton of control over our players. Play doesn't look like it's in slow motion, seems like you can blow by guys when you have advantages, Post game seems engaging. Everything looks promising to me.

I've bought all the NBA Live games, tried to support them and like them and they have always came out with garbage, but seems like they have at least something decent this year.