NBA Live 14 News Post

Sean O'Brien Issues Apology for NBA Live's Quality, Promises Improvements

05:28 PM - November 22, 2013 by The 24th Letter

Let's face it, it's not often you see a gaming company not only apologize for a lackluster release but also vow to make tangible improvements to the product before the next version releases.

NBA Live 14 Executive Producer Sean O'Brien is doing just that, commenting on the rough week the folks at EA have had with the largely hugely negative feedback on NBA Live 14 and vowing to improve the title.

"We hear loud and clear that some of you are disappointed in various aspects of NBA LIVE 14, and I�m sorry if the game doesn�t live up to your expectations," O'Brien said. "Looking at your feedback, we have laid out a plan to make NBA LIVE 14 a better game as quickly as we can."

The plan to improve NBA Live 14 will involve Twitch Live streams to teach the skills that will help make the experience with Live 14 a better one by teaching about the gameplay mechanics within the game as well as blogs on the EA website. Currently there are three new posts on the Live website: a controller guide, perfecting your style, and levels of dribble.

O'Brien is also promising tangible improvements to the game. Graphics and animations will see "drastic and immediate" improvements in the coming weeks and months within the game.

With such a negative reaction thus far to Live 14, it is definitely a good sign that EA is ramping up to improve the product post-launch with so much support. This bodes well for the series' future, but this also puts EA behind the 8-ball to truly improve the Live experience sooner rather than later.

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

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Member Comments

# 21 youvalss @ 11/22/13 08:33 PM

Again and again. Unless someone tells them that it doesn't look good, they don't know it. Basically, they had to have people seeing gameplay videos/playing the game to tell them that it's not good. Same thing with Elite, same thing with 13.

They just don't get it. I hope they will this time.

I've said it before - when you don't know what the problem is, you can't fix it.

# 22 killer miller31 @ 11/22/13 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmac747


	Goes to show that this could had been implemented in pass releases amongst all games.

Or its something they can now do with the advanced hardware on the Next Gen consoles.

# 23 RandyBass @ 11/22/13 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scribe1980


	No letting EA skate here...

EA Skate...

Whatever happened to that series?

# 24 shutdown10 @ 11/22/13 08:42 PM

Sean O' Brien does not not realize that this might do more harm then good. He basically admitted that this game was sub-par all along. People that bought the game are going to feel like lab rats that were tested on. How do they recover from this? Will they ever be able to gain trust?

# 25 shutdown10 @ 11/22/13 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noshun


	Sad.. Sean O'Brien is the new David Littman. He lied to all of us about gameplay before summer, and now they come out like its groundhog day, and guys.. excuse me "Struggle Live Apologists" are praising this.. You guys are the reason Live is in this state.. you settle and buy mediocrity, and now you are struggling to find aspects of the game to like to disguise the disbelief of the shattered pride you have. Some of you were lungs full of air, chest pumped out, holding the Live 14 flag baton, saying the other game is stale, yady yada and still are in denial seeing how bad this game is... UNBELIEVABLE.. On top of that you have Scott OG saying that he doesnt care about the low reviews from IGN initally, but then calls those guys "nerfhoops". I wonder what he thinks of Sean, being that hes apologizing for this game he oversaw? No offense to Sean O'Brien either about saying sorry, but this is just sad. now Andrew Wilson is apologizing too.. Their saying that player feedback is showing the game is hard to learn, but they have simplified controls.. so what the heck does that mean. especially for the Struggle Live Apologists screaming that Live has better control then the other game, etc.. Anyone seen Dounte on the EA forums.. pray for that guy... & Sirs, Ced and a few others...

You ethered Dounte! I've been wondering what happen to him on the EA forum since Live 14 was released. He is probably in a wreck because the game let him down and he does not want to show weakness.

# 26 swac07 @ 11/22/13 08:56 PM

# 27 JBulls @ 11/22/13 08:57 PM

"We felt authentic gameplay, control and the connected experience would provide the best foundation for the future. As a result, game visuals and animation polish suffered." Is animation (polish) not a part of gameplay...?

# 28 Iyess @ 11/22/13 09:00 PM

hold on ? they can improve the graphics after they have already the game ? lol and lmaoo whoever said they should refund 60$ to the "beta testers" hahaha

# 29 scottyp180 @ 11/22/13 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingpnp3


	here we go again. actually he didnt lie about gameplay at all. now what is a slight lie is them showing those close ups of irving that look spot on. then you see the game in motion 5 vs 5 and its zoomed out like 10 levels away. so they look bad. and there's no options to choose from to change this. that other thing someone posted and i posted to the EA site myself. where that guy is in dynasty mode and some how deandre jordan starts running point.

I'm not sure if it was sean obrien but someone at EA flat out lied. We were first told that info and videos of the game were coming sometime in august..never happened. Then we were promised gameplay videos before release..didn't happen..atleast not official videos from EA. Not to mention when they promised videos on specified dates and then that didn't end up happening.

The close up excuse is a little weak because all of 2ks trailers were close ups as well. Sure zoomed out 2k doesnt look as good as it does zoomed in but it still looks pretty damned good and definitely is an improvement over current gen (or is it last gen now?) Imo the moment EA messed up with Live was the prerendered video they showed at E3. That video gave the game a false visual identity that it could never live up to and it didn't even look much better than what 2k showed at E3, which we all know was actual gameplay. From there on out all we received from EA was false hope for a game that wasn't even able to meet low expectations.

# 30 canucksss @ 11/22/13 09:02 PM

To be honest...didnt try the demo of this game. But for me to believe in EA....offer those who bought this game a refund or 50% refund...that I know that they are really serious about their promises.

# 31 LingeringRegime @ 11/22/13 09:18 PM

Wow just wow. Put all your money in FIFA and MMA please EA. Refunds are the only thing that can begin to restore the image of ea basketball.

They don't deserve any praise for bamboozling the sports gaming masses yet again.

# 32 DIESEL @ 11/22/13 09:24 PM

A public apology and promises of improvements.

Problem is most people that have to make public apologies aren't around long enough to try and fulfill their promises.

# 33 o Elevate o @ 11/22/13 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyBass


	EA Skate... Whatever happened to that series?

Honestly, I'd hope for a more simulation Skate 4. I loved Skate 2 (never played skate.) and I think they did basically eliminate the Tony Hawk series.

What I don't get is, how can different studios (or whatever, not too familiar with the inner workings inside of EA) can produce simulation experiences within games, and do them WELL, and yet they can't produce the same experiences with, say, Live or Madden or what have you.

It just blows my mind that Live 14, Madden 25, and Battlefield 4 are under the same "brand" so-to-speak.

# 34 RangersCruz @ 11/22/13 09:26 PM

How much are the ps2 graphics going to be fixed?

# 35 Jakeness23 @ 11/22/13 09:27 PM

I really hope Live does well because it's the only sports game I play that has a direct competitor, and honestly the only other sport I can think of that does is soccer. I'm glad to hear that they are set on improving graphics and animations, not just next year, but in this years game, which is refreshing. I like that they can hear and learn from their mistakes and then be willing to adapt, you don't see that a whole lot nowadays. Kudos to you, EA. I'll probably be getting this next month some time.

# 36 jmood88 @ 11/22/13 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youvalss


	Again and again. Unless someone tells them that it doesn't look good, they don't know it. Basically, they had to have people seeing gameplay videos/playing the game to tell them that it's not good. Same thing with Elite, same thing with 13. They just don't get it. I hope they will this time. I've said it before - when you don't know what the problem is, you can't fix it.

Yup. I still remember that guy who worked on Elite coming on here everyday telling people that they just need to play it and that the game was great but just took some getting used to. They've been saying the same bull**** for the past three years.

# 37 blackceasar @ 11/22/13 09:55 PM

This is what I DON"T get and clearly O'Brien and his Live team DONT GET IT..

Quote:


	We felt authentic gameplay, control and the connected experience would provide the best foundation for the future. As a result, game visuals and animation polish suffered.

I mean it sounds like he's saying "well everything else suffered so you can have authentic game play and THATS WHAT WE GAVE YOU PEOPLE!"... when in reality.. he didn't give the Live fanheads authentic gameplay and contorl at the cost of visuals and animation. At this day and age of "next gen" and that marketing gimmick "infinity engine" or whatever they are calling it, the ANIMATIONS alone play a huge part in the gameplay. You are controlling 3d models of people to score points and how they move, react, etc plays as ABSOLUTE MAJOR ROLE IN THAT!!! WTF? You aren't making Defender or Donkey Kong here dudes. Your animations go hand in hand with the game play in this next gen day and age of physics affecting gameplay.

And "foundation for the future?" If you are selling just a foundation then why do you expect people to pay full price for it??? Its like you fools are home builders, and you poured some concrete and stopped there and want me to drop a couple hundered thousand on that????? because I know its a "good foundation"... where's the rest of the home if you want me to pay full price? You think I'm gonna roll up on your concrete foundation you just poured and say "Daaaamn Sean.. that's some awesome concrete you poured.. what? 200k full price for the home? Sold.. here's my money".

Then he goes on to say...

Quote:


	It started 12 months ago, and continues until we build this franchise bigger and better than it ever was..

What? 12 months? You killed your last game like 2+ years ago... 12 months? Really? If you guys have only been working on this thing for the past 12 months, you should have spent the 12 months prior to that when you weren't working on this game playing 2k12 and 2K13....and no.. NOT to copy the game.. but to research it.. look at it.. see WHY I gets great reviews, and why people like it..and why people dont complain about dropping 60.00 on it. Are you so big and mighty of a company that you think you are too good to admit someone else is putting out a better product then you,and you need to figure out how to actually do it BETTER or at least just as good without making the exact same game.

Either you and your team there are full of yourselves and delusional about what you think is a great basketball game and refuse to admit someone else has been stealing market share from you in this genre year after year.. OR... you all are just flat out lazy and HOPE there's not too big of a blacklash...

Either way.. you people have really no excuse. You have come out and admitted what we all already knew, they your game is just not good, or even just OK... at least not OK enough for ask people for 60.00.. you ADMITTED this basically which makes you guys look even worse because you are all grown adults. If you know your game is bad.. why didnt you try to make it good before putting it out?????

So let me point out one more talking point statement he had...

Quote:


	This is just the first chapter in the NBA LIVE comeback story.

Huh? What??? The "first chapter??" Most intelligent people would assume the first chapter was when you guys did the nobel thing of scrapping your last game and starting over to make a better game.. ummm.. 2 years ago. First chapter? Ooooh.... let me move on from my "foundation" metaphor and talk about "chapters"... A can see Allen Iverson right now.. "chapter?... CHAPTER??? .. man.. here you are asking me to pay 60.00 for a full game and you wanna talk about chapter".... Man.. so basically its like you wrote the next Harry Potter, and I ordered it off Amazon, paid you full price and when I got my book..it had like 20 pages in it.. you know.. A CHAPTER...

Just get out of basketball, or at least come back when it's truly time. There's nothing stopping you from making a bball game that's not this awful.. you know it and we all know it... so really..what IS the excuse?

Excuse me while I drop the mic, and clear up that hard drive space on my PS4....

# 38 RyanLaFalce @ 11/22/13 10:10 PM

How do they make improvements to the games graphics when it's already out?

# 39 King_B_Mack @ 11/22/13 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buddaking


	Im truly disappointed that i spent 60 plus tax on this trash, i honestly try to like it and get into it but it was just to bad, very bad. EA knew this sht and basically gave all us basketball fan the middle finger. Sean O Brien apology seem fake to me, after playing live 14, i don't think i will never touch another basketball game from EA sport..............NEVER Enjoy my $60 plus tax money you rob from us gamer* because im pretty sure none of us basketball gamers will support your nba live series again.

I'm sorry bro, but if some nefarious looking character comes walking towards you and you hand him your money before he says anything or shows you a gun or knife or something, it's not robbery. If you went out and spent your money on this game without a single millisecond of actual gameplay footage released from them, then it's on you.

# 40 magicman32 @ 11/22/13 10:45 PM

I have a question. How can they have a bounce tek demo at e3 to promote the game but not have a practice mode in the actually game? That demo at e3 impressed me. The graphics didn't even look bad. It also wasn't slowed down.

The actual game looks and plays horrible. How did they go from that e3 demo to total ****. Smh

In regards to the apology and improvements I'll have to see it to believe it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Sean O'Brien Issues Apology for NBA Live's Quality, Promises Improvements