News Post

NBA Live 09 Review

05:39 PM - October 7, 2008 by RaychelSnr

We have posted our review of NBA Live 09.

Quote:


	"At one time, NBA Live was the king of basketball games. Not only was the game the best around quality-wise, but it also sold in large numbers to anxious fans nationwide. As of late, the Live series has fallen on hard times. The game still sells well, but the first two editions on next-gen consoles were atrocious. NBA Live 08 began to bring the series out of the gutter, but there was still plenty of work to do. Enter NBA Live 09."

NBA Live 09 screenshot gallery - Click to view

Game: NBA Live 09Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Xbox 360Votes for game: 38 - View All

NBA Live 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 BrianFifaFan @ 10/08/08 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bring back nfl2k


	I couldnt agree more, NBA 2k9 is challenging I bairely beat the knicks using my Nuggets and got beat down by the Blazers, (superstar setting) you just gotta learn how to play real basketball to win in 2k9, anybody who can honestly say that NBA Live is better than 2k is in just plain denial or just Loves EA cause there is no comparison I actually think that the rating given was a little to high LIve is pure trash.

Since that is your opinion about this game, we won't be seeing you in this thread anymore? Right? Thanks, Brian

# 22 bring back nfl2k @ 10/08/08 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianFifaFan


	Since that is your opinion about this game, we won't be seeing you in this thread anymore? Right? Thanks, Brian

For real do you really think that live is in the same league as 2k this year?

# 23 PaulZweber @ 10/08/08 02:15 PM

No 2k9 review yet, he is trying to save people $60, seems pretty reasonable for him to post here.

# 24 sportyguyfl31 @ 10/08/08 02:27 PM

I'm amazed at the tension between the NBA Live and NBA 2k camps.

If someone likes playing this years live, it doesnt mean they hate 2k or vice-versa. I havent played live in 4 years. I ahve played 2k. Why? Because I liked 2k better. It was the better product.

This year I can only by 1 NBA game and I chose Live. Why? because the demo really impressed me and I liked it..nothing more, nothing less.

Why cant it be that simple for everyone on both sides of the fence?

# 25 killacam92 @ 10/08/08 02:45 PM

Look, i like NBA LIVE 09 but personally, i think 2K9 is better. the graphics, gameplay and FEEl of the game is just more real than live

# 26 PaulZweber @ 10/08/08 02:55 PM

Like I have said before, if you want an part arcade, part sim game, that has plenty of bugs, and a feature that MIGHT be cool, MIGHT ruin the game, then get Live. If you want a harder, more sim experience, with Living Rosters that won't be quite as good as 365 (if they can make it work), then get 2k9. I just personally think 2k9 is much better than Live again this year, and I wouldn't spend $60 on it, and I wouldn't buy it used because then you don't get 365.

# 27 RaychelSnr @ 10/08/08 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulZweber


	Like I have said before, if you want an part arcade, part sim game, that has plenty of bugs, and a feature that MIGHT be cool, MIGHT ruin the game, then get Live. If you want a harder, more sim experience, with Living Rosters that won't be quite as good as 365 (if they can make it work), then get 2k9. I just personally think 2k9 is much better than Live again this year, and I wouldn't spend $60 on it, and I wouldn't buy it used because then you don't get 365.

I think for many, Live will be well worth the $60. I know several guys who have been playing NBA 2Kx for a few years who have decided to switch to Live this year to get a new perspective on basketball. The fact of the matter remains though that 2K just plays a better brand of basketball. However, EA has made another huge leap towards 2K this year and closed the gap even more.

I think I summed it up best at the end of the review when I said Live is for gamers who are looking for a new take on basketball who aren't as hardcore as many NBA fans. For casual NBA fans, Live will play more than good enough to make them happy but the guys who are looking for a more sim-style approach won't appreciate or like Live at all because it doesn't do that near as well as 2K nowadays. I think that's very fair to say

# 28 mgoblue @ 10/08/08 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	I think for many, Live will be well worth the $60. I know several guys who have been playing NBA 2Kx for a few years who have decided to switch to Live this year to get a new perspective on basketball. The fact of the matter remains though that 2K just plays a better brand of basketball. However, EA has made another huge leap towards 2K this year and closed the gap even more. I think I summed it up best at the end of the review when I said Live is for gamers who are looking for a new take on basketball who aren't as hardcore as many NBA fans. For casual NBA fans, Live will play more than good enough to make them happy but the guys who are looking for a more sim-style approach won't appreciate or like Live at all because it doesn't do that near as well as 2K nowadays. I think that's very fair to say

I'd agree with that assessment. I'm a more casual bball guy, I don't dissect the game like the bball nuts here (hell, I don't watch that many regular season games either), so the huge nitpicks for either side don't really matter to me.

# 29 ExtremeGamer @ 10/08/08 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportyguyfl31


	I'm amazed at the tension between the NBA Live and NBA 2k camps. If someone likes playing this years live, it doesnt mean they hate 2k or vice-versa. I havent played live in 4 years. I ahve played 2k. Why? Because I liked 2k better. It was the better product. This year I can only by 1 NBA game and I chose Live. Why? because the demo really impressed me and I liked it..nothing more, nothing less. Why cant it be that simple for everyone on both sides of the fence?

Why that happens, because it seems like many 2K fanboys infect the Live forums to just bash the game. You don't see Live guys going to the 2K forums to say the same thing.

Just an observation.

# 30 PaulZweber @ 10/08/08 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	I think for many, Live will be well worth the $60. I know several guys who have been playing NBA 2Kx for a few years who have decided to switch to Live this year to get a new perspective on basketball. The fact of the matter remains though that 2K just plays a better brand of basketball. However, EA has made another huge leap towards 2K this year and closed the gap even more. I think I summed it up best at the end of the review when I said Live is for gamers who are looking for a new take on basketball who aren't as hardcore as many NBA fans. For casual NBA fans, Live will play more than good enough to make them happy but the guys who are looking for a more sim-style approach won't appreciate or like Live at all because it doesn't do that near as well as 2K nowadays. I think that's very fair to say

The thing about that is, if someone isn't a hardcore, or huge fan of the NBA, do they really care about 365? That seems to be included for more sim fans who want every update asap. EA might have closed the gap, for me, that isn't good enough. If I am going to buy a game I want a great experience. I have no problem buying two basketball games if they both offer great experiences that don't frustrate. Maybe it is still too early to judge Live, Madden wasn't very good on release date, but patches have definitly made it a better game. I don't know if that is going to be a trend in all upcoming games, but it seems like they need more time than they are given to complete a game, and it just releases incomplete. Opinion?

# 31 Pared @ 10/08/08 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	I think for many, Live will be well worth the $60. I know several guys who have been playing NBA 2Kx for a few years who have decided to switch to Live this year to get a new perspective on basketball. The fact of the matter remains though that 2K just plays a better brand of basketball. However, EA has made another huge leap towards 2K this year and closed the gap even more. I think I summed it up best at the end of the review when I said Live is for gamers who are looking for a new take on basketball who aren't as hardcore as many NBA fans. For casual NBA fans, Live will play more than good enough to make them happy but the guys who are looking for a more sim-style approach won't appreciate or like Live at all because it doesn't do that near as well as 2K nowadays. I think that's very fair to say

That's a very fair assessment. I think many who appreciate Live can still agree with that.

# 32 ExtremeGamer @ 10/08/08 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	That's a very fair assessment. I think many who appreciate Live can still agree with that.

Agreed.

# 33 RaychelSnr @ 10/08/08 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulZweber


	The thing about that is, if someone isn't a hardcore, or huge fan of the NBA, do they really care about 365? That seems to be included for more sim fans who want every update asap. EA might have closed the gap, for me, that isn't good enough. If I am going to buy a game I want a great experience. I have no problem buying two basketball games if they both offer great experiences that don't frustrate. Maybe it is still too early to judge Live, Madden wasn't very good on release date, but patches have definitly made it a better game. I don't know if that is going to be a trend in all upcoming games, but it seems like they need more time than they are given to complete a game, and it just releases incomplete. Opinion?

I don't think that's a bad view to have at all, but it's not like companies are releasing perfect games right out of the box. It's just the trend of games today. Companies get extra ambitious with their plans and get the games largely working well before they are released and then tie up any loose ends on post-release patches. It's the same thing we saw/see in PC gaming.

As I said before, casual NBA fans are going to appreciate Live because it plays decent enough and it's atmosphere is about as good as I have seen for NBA games. Hardcore fans think it's all about the gameplay but it's really about more than that for casual players. People go watch Hollywood movies under the same premise, they don't care if the actual avionics of that jet can do that...what matters is that they feel entertained by the whole package. Live does a good job of that this year, it just doesn't play the best game of basketball possible, hence why it was scored where it was.

# 34 Pared @ 10/08/08 03:52 PM

It really is the nature of the beast with sports games and the yearly cycle.

With always updated player movements, yearly renewal of league licenses and cut-throat competition, we may never see the mammoth undertaking of a 3 year developed sports game again.

# 35 PaulZweber @ 10/08/08 04:00 PM

I know it isn't just EA doing this, but it seems like they do it a lot. PC games have done it for years due to internet connection and hard drive, and we are really seeing an increase in console patches. Getting a game "largely working well" before it releases is not a good goal to have. I understand ambitions and deadlines and all that jazz, but there are some games that are released basically broken. It is sad that games are not required to be finished, or actually work, before they are released, and unfortunatly that makes patches a neccesary evil.

# 36 PaulZweber @ 10/08/08 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	It really is the nature of the beast with sports games and the yearly cycle. With always updated player movements, yearly renewal of league licenses and cut-throat competition, we may never see the mammoth undertaking of a 3 year developed sports game again.

Hopefully VC is working on a football game as we speak. They can be working on player modeling, Mo-Cap, interface, code, plays, everything. I would love to hear about them working on a football game to hopefully compete with EA in the future. In a perfect world, 2k would snatch up the NFL License, or at least get a share of it, and they would already have a game 75% complete, with a whole year to polish. I can dream can't I? :0

# 37 RaychelSnr @ 10/08/08 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulZweber


	I know it isn't just EA doing this, but it seems like they do it a lot. PC games have done it for years due to internet connection and hard drive, and we are really seeing an increase in console patches. Getting a game "largely working well" before it releases is not a good goal to have. I understand ambitions and deadlines and all that jazz, but there are some games that are released basically broken. It is sad that games are not required to be finished, or actually work, before they are released, and unfortunatly that makes patches a neccesary evil.

Unfortunately it is definitely the nature of the beast nowadays. As companies continue to try to figure out what makes them the most money, we'll continue to see the process change, but the vote that really matters in this is the consumer. Unfortunately, EA's games continue to sell well so they have zero incentive to change how they do business.

Honestly, when EA's sales even begin to slip a little (Madden, FIFA, Live) you see them redouble their efforts to produce better games quality wise

# 38 RaychelSnr @ 10/08/08 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	It really is the nature of the beast with sports games and the yearly cycle. With always updated player movements, yearly renewal of league licenses and cut-throat competition, we may never see the mammoth undertaking of a 3 year developed sports game again.

I think money talks in this case. There is more money to be made making small yearly updates than releasing one epic game every 3 years

# 39 Pared @ 10/08/08 04:44 PM

Yeah, to put it frankly it "sucks."

We're the ones to blame as well... the consumer.

# 40 rikkifer @ 10/09/08 12:29 AM

sure ea made a few mistakes but overall the game is solid have already played nine games in dynasty (i am 7-2) love the defensive lockdown controls and the dynamic dna and cant wait to see how 365 works generally i am very pleased with the game and have no qualms about playing it for a long time to come so 2k can just bite the proverbial bullet

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