Can NBA Live win in Next-Gen?? - poloelite's Blog

poloelite's Blog

Can NBA Live win in Next-Gen??

Posted on September 25, 2013 at 12:44 PM.

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The question of whether or not NBA Live can reemerge like the Celtics did in 2008 to reclaim basketball supremacy can be answered multiple ways depending on who you ask. If you're talking to a sim gamer who bypasses pretty screen shots and relies on the details of 5 on 5 gameplay, then almost certainly the answer will be no. This doesn't mean Live won't make tremendous strides in the next console generation, this simply means Live has to do everything right and 2K would have to make a tremendous blunder. In the last console generation, 2K built a steady foundation and then released the classic 2K11 at the same time that NBA Elite was cancelled. Had these two events not occurred at the same moment, I think competition between the two may not be viewed as so lopsided.

As I write this article so many assumptions have to be made, even with both next gen games set to release before we're carving turkeys and getting in line to buy 60 inch TVs for $1 the next day. One is to assume the nuances of basketball that satisfies the sim gamer will be a work in progress for the NBA Live team. They've had to completely start from scratch, so feedback from gamers, discovery of exploits, A.I. and teammate strategy are some of the things that will be fine-tuned going forward. Meanwhile, I would think a lot of the under the hood things 2K has been able to get right will be put on the assembly line and installed in their new shiny vehicle that will grace the shelves. If that path is taken by both game makers, the gap can narrow by large margins, but overtaking probably wouldn't occur until many years into the next generation, if ever.

Now, on to the casual gamer. Can NBA Live overtake 2K in the next console generation? Absolutely! Casual gamers seem to care the most about two things: fun and cool. They don't care if they're allowed to use Lebron like Michael Jordan at a YMCA open gym in 88. They want to go online and dominate anyone unlucky enough to draw them in the matchmaking lottery. Whether there's enough contact in the paint, or if their play books are even remotely accurate probably won't make the cut when they personally review the game and cast their vote. This doesn't mean Live is an arcade fest or should even set out to be one. This just means that the large gap seen by sim gamers is a fraction of that to casual gamers. If Live can deliver a unique and fun experience, they could be on top again. Stable online play, intuitive controls and a few quirky game play modes are just a few areas where Live can seize control and win key battles. It's no secret that 2K borrowed a lot of Live's innovation and with even more innovation on next gen, Live can regain a significant portion of market share with the casual gamers.

So, how players view basketball games, casual versus sim, will determine their optimism on if Live can overtake 2K. There's no doubt that all fans of basketball games will benefit from Live being back as it will push 2K to not just work on 3 or 4 back of the box bullet points. In the next year or so, the gaming community will force more innovation out of both sides and, whether you're a casual or sim gamer, it will be like Christmas as the best team seeks to win.

Comments

# 1 tril @ Sep 26

nice article.

# 2 poloelite @ Sep 26

Thanks fam

# 3 juicey79 @ Sep 26

Where is the trailer from Sept 25?
EA needs all the positive momentum as much as possible.
And not delevering on a trailer is bad news

# 4 poloelite @ Sep 26

Was that the date for another trailer?? Live could take major steps forward by releasing more videos now and not wait on 2K.

# 5 juicey79 @ Sep 28

Still waiting on that trailer

# 6 poloelite @ Sep 28

Man, I have no idea what their strategy is at this point lol. But with their recent history, promising a trailer and not following through isn't a good thing.