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Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

11:59 AM - March 24, 2009 by RaychelSnr

For some die-hard basketball fans, choosing between NBA Live and NBA 2K this year was like going to a used-car lot and trying to decide if you wanted a refurbished Pinto or a beat-up Camry.

On the one hand, there is the familiar 2K engine, which has problems that have been compounded over the years because its owners have spent all their money adding frivolous features like a sleek spoiler, custom wheels and a lavish paint job, all while refusing to take the car in for the necessary maintenance on the parts that really matter: the engine, the brakes and the transmission, etc.

In the lot across the street sits an ugly looking Ford Pinto, with a rusting exterior, a broken passenger-side door handle and a non-functional air-conditioning unit. But since it just had its engine and transmission replaced, the Pinto runs well, and unlike the souped-up Camry, it will not leave you kicking it in its chrome-plated tires as it is lying dead on the side of the road with a pile of smoke rising from its engine -- though it may still explode if hit in the wrong spot.

Such is the state of this year�s basketball games: One is in dire need of an interior makeover (2K), while the other (Live) might be all right to use in a pinch but still needs a lot of exterior work before it is ready to become an "every day" type of car.

So, here are the key areas that the Live developers need to work on in the offseason if they want their game to earn a spot in the starting five of the 2010 lineup of sports games.

Read More - Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

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

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Member Comments

# 1 stephensonmc @ 03/24/09 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsu_gb23


	The only reason I have never bought a next-gen NBA Live game is because of the animations, ball-physics and net-physics. Quite frankly, this is what makes basketball look like basketball...EA has a lot of work to do.

Working hard on this stuff this year man.

# 2 Stumbleweed @ 03/24/09 12:54 PM

Live's defense is much less frustrating than 2K9's at least. If you stick with your man and avoid getting caught up in the driving animations, the proximity defense is much better, and pressing "block" tends to result in better, more contextual contests than in 2K9 (including a lot of animations where you don't actually leave your feet, which is very welcome). But yeah, the animations tend to suck you in way too often, so that gets negated a lot of the time. But still, if someone relentlessly drives with Kobe/LeBron, if you pack the paint with bigs, you can stop them most of the time. The clipping and footplanting are better in Live also.

But yeah, both games were a disappointment overall, though Live at least progressed forward in big ways from Live 08, while 2K9 regressed in the most important areas that were already handled better in previous games. I'm definitely more excited for Live 2010 than for 2K10, simply because they've shown the ability to improve their game markedly year-to-year, even if the final product still isn't up to my (admittedly high) standards.

# 3 sportyguyfl31 @ 03/24/09 12:55 PM

I honestly feel like Live is close to something very good. The problem with the game this year, is that the player animations seemed generic.

crossing over, ball handling, passing, backing down in the paint, all seemed to be the same no matter who the player was...and the CPU is entirely too scripted: The game begins passive, then gradually rachets up, and then in the 4th quarter, the cpu is lights out.

This made the game too easy, and predictable. I got more enjoymeny out of playing it, but the game simply stopped being challenging, and that's why I ultimately ended up trading it in as well. 0-2 with hoops games this year.

# 4 jaosming @ 03/24/09 01:30 PM

I disagree with you on the rebounding physics, that is something that I love about this game, how unpredictable the ball is. The player animations need a lot of work on the rebounding end, but the ball physics really need to stay the same.

# 5 Jamin23 @ 03/24/09 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave374


	I still really enjoy Live. I wish my team (Toronto) didn't suck, but there's not much I can do about that.

I'm really enjoying live too. I have a dynasty with the sixers and it's funny how the standings are almost identical to the real life nba. I'll probably be done with live after the season ends because I don't get the enjoyment of playing after the season ends. It's a bummer that your done with both nba games. I cna't wait until live 10.

# 6 SDwinder @ 03/24/09 06:28 PM

I enjoy NBA Live a lot. I love the low end court camera view. It really draws you into the game. The pick and roll play is great and hitting one button to call a quick double team on defense is great too.

I bought the game at Xmas and it seems the ball rim physics have improved since then. Anyone else noticed this?

2k9 probably plays a better sim game, but the gameplay and look of Live is more fun for me.

# 7 lamoyou318 @ 03/24/09 06:43 PM

the thing i hate the most about this game is the rebounding

# 8 Altimus @ 03/24/09 06:48 PM

Solid read.

By the way, Camry is Toyota, not Nissan.

# 9 brs2305 @ 03/24/09 07:19 PM

It's funny, that this blog came out just today, because I am officially done with 2k's Basketball, too. We are tweaking on sliders for 90% of the time, changing here and there, but however you turn it and tweak it, something else will be messed up. It is sad, because I really feel every once in a while, that this game really does have a lot of good things to give. Nevertheless it never lasts more than 2 or 3 games and than all the sudden you get like 5 crazy, frustrating, controller throwing situations which actually leaves you there on the couch sadly looking out the window, seeing the snow and thinking: "But I love Basketball and need to play it..."

and now...thank God I just bought a used College Hoops 2k8 to take to Germany to save my life during March Madness.

Let's hope for a better Basketball Year 2010.

# 10 asu666 @ 03/24/09 09:33 PM

I'd love to see some tips and offensive rebounds in Live. I think you made some excellent points in your blog. Hopefully the devs are reading it too.

# 11 mrclutch @ 03/24/09 11:54 PM

I'm betting on Live 2010 being great. If the dev team just fixes the obvious glitches in this years game (NBA Live 2009 Beta)we should have a great game.

# 12 the-ROOSTER- @ 03/25/09 10:50 AM

I picked up Live this year, after playing both demos furiously for a few weeks. While 2K definatlely has "the flash" with smoother animations and better graphics, I found I enjoyed playing Live a little more, aat least on the general basics of the game. They both have their drawbacks as far as fundamentals go, but I kinda dug the "live DNA" thing and I simply CANT STAND "the shot stick" in 2K..... I agree with the above, that EA is close to something really good - as long as they move forward from here, and not backward.....

# 13 Shinyhubcaps @ 03/25/09 12:49 PM

Live has more than a couple of issues. Rebounding and general lack of player control are the biggest ones. Also, what happened to the hop step? It also doesn't look right, meaning the players have awkward proportions and, as mentioned, the physics (and really all animations) are behind where they should be.

That said, the article touches on some of those points, but there is a lot more that keeps Live practically unplayable to me.

# 14 thmst30 @ 03/25/09 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsu_gb23


	The only reason I have never bought a next-gen NBA Live game is because of the animations, ball-physics and net-physics. Quite frankly, this is what makes basketball look like basketball...EA has a lot of work to do.

I hear you. I really tried to enjoy Live this year, but DAMN the animations are horrendous. Everything is so robotic and twitchy. Needs a serious overhaul to get it to the smooth gameplay it needs to be. Plus the inaccurate passing, and horrible rebounding made me give up after a month. I do look forward to 2010 though. If this team puts half the effort forward that the Madden team has, then the game can be pretty solid.

# 15 Behindshadows @ 03/25/09 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thmst30


	I hear you. I really tried to enjoy Live this year, but DAMN the animations are horrendous. Everything is so robotic and twitchy. Needs a serious overhaul to get it to the smooth gameplay it needs to be. Plus the inaccurate passing, and horrible rebounding made me give up after a month. I do look forward to 2010 though. If this team puts half the effort forward that the Madden team has, then the game can be pretty solid.

Live 09 isn't that bad animations or not. It's the most playable in the series til date and it's more playable than 2k9 and more sim than 2k9. Controls take a few seconds to get use to and once you adjust to the pace of the engine the game is fine. Yes it needs more animations for certain things, but it only looks funky because it doesn't play bad at all.

# 16 thmst30 @ 03/25/09 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Behindshadows


	Live 09 isn't that bad animations or not. It's the most playable in the series til date and it's more playable than 2k9 and more sim than 2k9. Controls take a few seconds to get use to and once you adjust to the pace of the engine the game is fine. Yes it needs more animations for certain things, but it only looks funky because it doesn't play bad at all.

Differing opinions.

I think many core fundamentals of this game are badly broken.

# 17 Behindshadows @ 03/26/09 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thmst30


	Differing opinions. I think many core fundamentals of this game are badly broken.

Name something other than offensive rebounding and animations that's wrong with this game. That makes it so unplayable.

I have yet to see anything that makes this game so bad, especially considering just how solid and more sim the gameplay is.

# 18 bkrich83 @ 03/26/09 01:11 AM

I haven't played NBA Live at all in the last 4 years or so, but I have really, really enjoyed NBA Live 09, and think they are on the verge of making a truly outstanding game.

# 19 teebee @ 03/26/09 02:33 AM

How can someone be worried about pivot feet and traveling calls? All these complaints are pretty nitpicky

# 20 thmst30 @ 03/26/09 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Behindshadows


	Name something other than offensive rebounding and animations that's wrong with this game. That makes it so unplayable. I have yet to see anything that makes this game so bad, especially considering just how solid and more sim the gameplay is.

Well being a basketball game, having broken rebounding and bad animations is what makes the gameplay bad to me. I'm not trying to hate on the game, there really is a solid core to work with. I just couldn't put up with those two major issues anymore. Plus the analog passing is still inaccurate. So yea, thats all I'm saying. The rebounding and animations keep me from enjoying the game, because to me they are broken.

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