NBA Live 14 News Post

NBA Live 14 Executive Producer Talks Priorities, Synergy, Commitment & More

02:29 PM - June 20, 2013 by Steve_OS

EA Sports has posted an open letter from NBA Live 14 Executive Producer, Sean O’Brien. He has worked on EA Sports basketball titles for over a decade, with his last stint ending in 2010, as Producer of NBA Live 10. He has made his return to NBA Live 14 and has posted his journey back, as well as his plans for the next-gen title.

Listed below are some of the items of interest, but make sure you read the entire open letter, right here.

Priorities.

Quote:


	...My first priority was to focus on core gameplay. We needed to capture the essence of half-court basketball, providing 1-on-1 isolation both in the perimeter and the post, the 2-on-2 chess match that is the pick and roll, while still offering the gamer the opportunity to push the basketball in transition and have the control required to get the ball into the lane to either take the ball to the rim or find an open teammate if the defense collapses.

The talent.

Quote:


	...One of the things I knew I wanted was the best locomotion and player movement engineers in the company. I was fortunate enough to recruit Gary Paterson (shown above) as my Senior Creative Director, who previously worked on FIFA and was the architect who delivered physics to that franchise. Gary felt that we needed to innovate with dribbling and that no game had truly captured the control required when the gamer was dribbling the basketball.

Synergy Sports Technologies.

Quote:


	...This is the data they use in order to prepare for upcoming games, finding the advantages or insights needed to try and gain the advantage on their opponent. I want NBA LIVE to be relevant to the NBA fan throughout the entire NBA season, providing data and content updates that keep your gaming experience fresh and in lockstep with everything that's going on in the real world NBA. I want to remove subjectivity from how we rate players and have that data provided by Synergy Sports to completely drive how the game plays. I'm really excited about being able to update our game within an hour of something happening in the NBA.

Commitment.

Quote:


	...What we're doing isn't easy and I'm really excited about the progress we've made. I believe that our direction is the right one. The ball is in our court and we need to execute. No more screw ups and definitely no more excuses. ...I understand the skepticism and if I were you, I'd be skeptical too…or maybe cautiously optimistic. I'm not asking you to pre-order the game based on the E3 dribbling demo and a blog post. I'm simply asking you to give us a chance and we'll let the game do the talking. Something that I'm sure is long overdue in your minds (and ours).

Game: NBA Live 14Reader Score: 4/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS4 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 17 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 JODYE @ 06/20/13 02:38 PM

Well, they are certainly doing and saying the right things up to this point which is good, however we've heard the "commitment to authentic basketball" bit before.

There is some optimism to take away from E3 and the rave reviews their tech demo received. Glad he also acknowledged that it's an uphill battle to compete with 2k and that there should be skepticism.

Again, it's still wait and see for now.

# 2 Jano @ 06/20/13 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean O'Brien


	I understand the skepticism and if I were you, I'd be skeptical too…or maybe cautiously optimistic. I'm not asking you to pre-order the game based on the E3 dribbling demo and a blog post. I'm simply asking you to give us a chance and we'll let the game do the talking. Something that I'm sure is long overdue in your minds (and ours).

Now that's exactly what I want to hear some acknowledgement of how bad things have been and some small form of humbleness (is this a word or what? lol). The part about the E3 demo was great to me because in year's past they would have been all jazzed and touting how "this will be the best basketball game evarzzzzz!!"

I appreciate O'Brien being real and saying that we shouldn't be that impressed with something as simple as a dribbling demo.

# 3 ffaacc03 @ 06/20/13 04:14 PM

Agreed with the above comments ...

One of the parts I loved more was this:

Quote:


	I'm also really proud of our partnership with Synergy Sports Technologies. They are a great partner and I feel privileged that we have exclusive access to the same data that all 30 NBA teams use for scouting teams and players. This is the data they use in order to prepare for upcoming games, finding the advantages or insights needed to try and gain the advantage on their opponent. I want NBA LIVE to be relevant to the NBA fan throughout the entire NBA season, providing data and content updates that keep your gaming experience fresh and in lockstep with everything that's going on in the real world NBA. I want to remove subjectivity from how we rate players and have that data provided by Synergy Sports to completely drive how the game plays. I'm really excited about being able to update our game within an hour of something happening in the NBA. We're going to be making an enormous investment into this connected experience.

If implemented correctly and propperly updated, this should do wonders for how the game plays, hopefully they have a good chunk of animations to go along with it and do propper justice to such effort.

He seems to at least have researched on what things are fans most critical of 2K: a biased, infrequent and selective roster update approach that even negates the stablished formulas and scales, that it is based on pure subjectiveness, which then results on such unbalance, that the game is far from an authentic NBA videogame simulation experience.

I am usually someone who gets hyped by videos than by words, but have to admit that there is something, some tone, some "I dont know what" about his letter that has got me interested enough to really give Live an honest chance ... looking forward to "see" whats up with it in the comming months.

# 4 youvalss @ 06/20/13 09:25 PM

If only they had this attitude in 2007...

Better late then never, I guess. I Hope it reflects on the game. Can't wait for some 5 on 5 gameplay videos.

# 5 ccoaxum @ 06/20/13 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youvalss


	If only they had this attitude in 2007... Better late then never, I guess. I Hope it reflects on the game. Can't wait for some 5 on 5 gameplay videos.

i agree better late then never, hope they work hard and give us a decent game, so live 15 will not even be question of rather ppl wnt to play it.

# 6 Guapo516 @ 06/21/13 01:28 AM

I think it's safe to say live is back and going to be better than ever! Nba live will be nothing short of amazing!
The best has yet to come from nba live as well as nba 2k and both will deliver classics. We are in for a treat. The upcoming generation of gaming will be the golden age of gaming!

# 7 champsbasketball @ 06/21/13 03:47 AM

Sounds good. The NBA Live that most gamers like is 10 so it's good to know that one of the head guys are back. What I really am going for with NBA Live 14 is that they make a single player mode. Like Be A Pro mode or something like that.

# 8 Jano @ 06/21/13 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guapo516


	I think it's safe to say live is back and going to be better than ever! Nba live will be nothing short of amazing! The best has yet to come from nba live as well as nba 2k and both will deliver classics. We are in for a treat. The upcoming generation of gaming will be the golden age of gaming!

Really bro smh lol

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

# 9 Vni @ 06/21/13 04:32 AM

They're making very much sense to me.

So far at least.

# 10 bwswat23 @ 06/21/13 07:47 AM

i think they are saying the right things right now im just ready to see some gameplay.

# 11 tril @ 06/21/13 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffaacc03


	Agreed with the above comments ... One of the parts I loved more was this: If implemented correctly and propperly updated, this should do wonders for how the game plays, hopefully they have a good chunk of animations to go along with it and do propper justice to such effort. He seems to at least have researched on what things are fans most critical of 2K: a biased, infrequent and selective roster update approach that even negates the stablished formulas and scales, that it is based on pure subjectiveness, which then results on such unbalance, that the game is far from an authentic NBA videogame simulation experience. I am usually someone who gets hyped by videos than by words, but have to admit that there is something, some tone, some "I dont know what" about his letter that has got me interested enough to really give Live an honest chance ... looking forward to "see" whats up with it in the comming months.

the down side will be when people start complaining that said shooter cant hit an open jumper or struggles for a long period of time, due to teh synergy feature.
I hope there is an option to have this fetaure on or off.

whatis being said by EA sounds good. cant fault any of this

# 12 ffaacc03 @ 06/21/13 10:31 AM

Authenticity should not be sacrificed, reality should not be completely ignored and a subjective approach must not be implemented, just to meet the unfounded perception of "casual NBA followers", whose opinions by the way, vary from person to person, as they evidentely lack objectivity and any relation to meassurable data. If someone is struggling, then that player should do so for as long as his real life counterpart does.

The use of Synergy isnt a novelty or just some fancy words, is a proven, reliable feature that was well received by most Live fans (and may I say, many 2k fans too, i.e. me). One can argue how it is implemented (how ratings interact between them and are related to the available data), but non can argue facts. Yes, there is a level of oncourt context that complements data, but what people fail to see is that such context is already in videogames, in the form of user-cpu interaction and the decissions that present during games.

In sum, it is a welcomed implementation that fits the intended vision of a more authentic simulation ... having said that, it is extremely valuable to be given options and complete customization/editability so each user may have the chance to make the game fit their own unique perception ... I, for one, would definitively appreciate having the option to turn it off, even if I would personaly never do so.

Here is to hope for them not deviating from offering a more authentic experience and for recognizing that offering options, customization and editability is a plus and a pilar from which the game can successfully be built from.

# 13 Guapo516 @ 06/21/13 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jano


	Really bro smh lol Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Yes really bro nodding my head! As good as all the sports games look, madden, NHL, FIFA, UFC, etc.. and i know there arent many in the category of sports at e3 but live was nominated 3x and actually took home a best sports game award. Those other games displayed some impressive stuff so for live to outshine any of them with just a simple bounce tek demo of the game says something, IMO. Nba live probably showed the least of any other sports game shown and still received alot of recognition.

# 14 bxphenom7 @ 06/21/13 12:27 PM

Wow, the guy seems sincere but it's hard not to be skeptical with EA. However, I'll be cautiously optimistic for competition sake.

# 15 mango_prom @ 06/21/13 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffaacc03


	The use of Synergy isnt a novelty or just some fancy words, is a proven, reliable feature that was well received by most Live fans (and may I say, many 2k fans too, i.e. me). One can argue how it is implemented (how ratings interact between them and are related to the available data), but non can argue facts. Yes, there is a level of oncourt context that complements data, but what people fail to see is that such context is already in videogames, in the form of user-cpu interaction and the decissions that present during games.

Synergy integration is possibly a step towards a direction 2k somewhat ignored in the past. What I wouldn't like to see though is adjusting offensive abilities on a short term basis. Now if there are young players clearly showing improvements over the course of the season, or veterans regressing in terms of athleticism, it's nice to have changes backed up by objective data. But overreacting to hot streaks isn't the way to go imo.
Just look at J.R. Smith...if someone actually watched the Knicks and looked at advanced stats, it was absolutely clear that his numbers were a result of taking lots of shots and attacking the rim more ( which would've warranted adjustments to individual tendencies if anything). Instead, 2k decided to jack up his offensive ratings turning him into arcade superman.
And not surprisingly, he was shut down in the playoffs. I think you get my point. Should Danny Green have 3pt maxed out for 2 games if he tears it up in real life? Don't think so.

Basically, I hope EA is careful with constantly changing ratings, concentrating more on individual tendencies and maybe even the type and frequency of plays used by teams instead.

# 16 ffaacc03 @ 06/21/13 06:37 PM

Thats why Synergy integration is so welcomed, they track a really wide array of standard and advanced stats, IMHO, by far the best site. The key to correctly portrait a player in a given timeframe, is to alter what he has been doing differently, be it tendencies or efficiency ... the difference is huge when you go the subjective route (2K) than when you go the route of facts (meassurable data).

I am all in for having players play as their real life counterpart during any timeframe of the season, so if for 5-10 games or so LBJ becomes R. Dupree 2.0, I would want his digital counterpart to do as well and if/once he regains his level, I want him to do it also ...

Now, add in the promised "after 1 hour" (non selective, based on past entries) updates statement and we may be inline to witness a true authentic depiction of the NBA, like never seen before.

Here is to hope that they can sustain such promise, that they can make propper use of this tool and back it up with neat animations and physics to showcase oncourt (there is more on a videogame than ratings and tendencies), if so, I believe this can be a deciding factor that helps Live be relevant again ... thus I am keeping my expectations in check, and at least want Live to show me sights of the future that they are aiming and signs of solid/serious effort being put onto it.

# 17 mango_prom @ 06/21/13 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffaacc03


	I am all in for having players play as their real life counterpart during any timeframe of the season, so if for 5-10 games or so LBJ becomes R. Dupree 2.0, I would want his digital counterpart to do as well and if/once he regains his level, I want him to do it also ...

I like this type of approach for some kind of live season mode if gamers want to recreate real life storylines of some guys struggling and others having a hot streak, but outside of that I think short term rating changes should be optional. If tendencies get adjusted maybe even on a daily basis, I'd love that. With ratings though, outside of a specific real life related season, maybe updates could be made in bigger intervals.
What about a comprehensive adjustment for all players at the end of each month to track trends lasting longer than some generic hot/cold streak?

# 18 kjjnesb @ 06/21/13 09:14 PM

I found this bit interesting

Quote:


	Obviously, with NBA 2K in the picture, I can't reveal our entire feature set

Obviously skeptical based on past efforts but it seems to me that not only are they attempting to make a solid basketball game but also trying innovate where 2K isn't.

From a personal stand point I'm a big career mode guy and while 2K has a good amount of depth in that area My Player can become very dull and routine and Association is really lacking innovation and polish from an AI stand point for going on 3 yrs now.

I knows its improbable but if on top of having good solid gameplay they also had a Live version of Madden's Career mode they could be a serious contender to kick this new generation off..

I remember reading in the Tech behind Connected Franchise that they were sharing the 'FranTk' or Franchise tool kit with other sports games so I'm eager to see if live is part of that.

# 19 wxn8822 @ 06/21/13 10:48 PM

He missed a key point: right now, the game isn't only about dribbling or individual flashiness, it is more about how you put together a game that can really simulates the team basketball and reward those good ball movement, which 2k even hasn't achieved.

# 20 da ThRONe @ 06/22/13 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjjnesb


	I found this bit interesting Obviously skeptical based on past efforts but it seems to me that not only are they attempting to make a solid basketball game but also trying innovate where 2K isn't. From a personal stand point I'm a big career mode guy and while 2K has a good amount of depth in that area My Player can become very dull and routine and Association is really lacking innovation and polish from an AI stand point for going on 3 yrs now. : I knows its improbable but if on top of having good solid gameplay they also had a Live version of Madden's Career mode they could be a serious contender to kick this new generation off.. I remember reading in the Tech behind Connected Franchise that they were sharing the 'FranTk' or Franchise tool kit with other sports games so I'm eager to see if live is part of that.

Considering at this point all I play are be-a-pro modes the lack of progression with 2K is starting to turn me off. There's hardly anything authentic or rewarding about MyCareer.

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