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NBA Live 15 Title Update #2 Out Now for Xbox One

We jumped the gun with our initial bulletin, but we can confirm that the second title update for NBA Live 15 is now available on Xbox One. The update will come through automatically, provided your console is connected to the Internet of course. For the full list of patch notes, please see our previous bulletin.

A couple of people have asked about the whereabouts of Rajon Rondo, following his trade to the Dallas Mavericks. I would assume that the deal will be reflected in the next roster update which should hopefully be coming this week, though the holiday season may cause a delay. For those who are unaware, while Synergy data is updated daily and within an hour of a game finishing, additional player ratings, accessories, and transactions are not automated, and are thus adjusted through manual updates. We’ll be sure to post any further information as soon as it’s made available.

You can discuss the second title update in the comments below, as well as in this thread in the NBA Live 15 section of the NLSC Forum.

The Friday Five: 5 Buzzwords We Need To Retire (And Why)

The Friday Five

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! This is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

In this week’s Friday Five, I’m taking a look at some buzzwords that have entered common usage within the basketball gaming community. My feeling is that these words do nothing for our credibility as gamers and consumers, and only serve to stifle our ability to properly evaluate basketball games. These words are ill-defined and overused, to the point where they fail to be constructive, or in some cases, accurate.

I’d like to clarify that I’m not writing this article in an attempt to suck up to any video game developers, or indiscriminately dismiss criticism of the games themselves. That doesn’t do us any favours as consumers. However, I also believe that as a community, we should pride ourselves on having expert knowledge of basketball games, as well as the ability to properly critique and provide constructive feedback on them. To that end, here are five buzzwords that I think we need to retire, or at the very least, restrict our usage of.

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Clarification: Title Update #2 for NBA Live 15 NOT Out Yet on Xbox One

Contrary to an earlier report which I’ve now removed, the second title update for NBA Live 15 is not yet available for Xbox One users. A Tweet by the official NBA Live Twitter seemingly implied that it was, however it appears that the Tweet was simply reminding Xbox One users about the patch, and what it entails. Unfortunately, we mistook the Tweet to mean that the patch was out, and ran the previous bulletin.

My apologies for the mix-up, we certainly aren’t in the habit of spreading misinformation, as that’s not the site we want to be. Unfortunately I jumped the gun on the previous bulletin, owing to my misinterpretation of the Tweet, and the fact that I couldn’t check for the update personally as I only have a PlayStation 4. Again, my apologies, and thank you to the Xbox One users who provided clarification about the situation.

As soon as there is proper confirmation that the Xbox One patch is available, we’ll be sure to post an update.

NLSC Podcast – Episode #105

NLSC Podcast Logo

Episode #105 of the NLSC Podcast is out now, hosted by Arcane and myself. This week, we talk about the patches for NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15, once again reflect on realism in basketball video games, and give our thoughts on the latest NBA news and results. This will likely be our final episode for 2014, so a huge thank you to everyone has tuned in this year. Please join us again in 2015!

  • The second title update for NBA Live 15 is out now, and it’s quite a substantial patch. What are our impressions?
  • Unfortunately, the third patch for NBA 2K15 hasn’t yet arrived on Xbox One. PlayStation 4 users in PAL regions are also still waiting for it.
  • We tip our hats to 2K Sports for their very classy gesture of adding Isaiah Austin to NBA 2K15.
  • NBA 2K15 modding continues to pick up steam.
  • Following on from this week’s Tuesday Triple, we once again discuss realism in basketball video games. What are our expectations, and are we altering our approach as the games change?
  • Moving on to the real NBA, we chat about the latest results. Is there a true top championship contender right now?
  • Jabari Parker is the latest rising star to go down with a serious knee injury.
  • Kobe Bryant has passed Michael Jordan for third on the all-time scoring charts. We reflect on the milestone.
  • Is Rajon Rondo heading to the Dallas Mavericks?
  • The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs offered up an early candidate for Game of the Year.
  • We’re looking to bring back the Question of the Week, starting…now. Post your answers in the comments!
  • We close Episode #105 with a great suggestion for a last minute gift idea, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Click Play to listen to the show!

As always, we welcome your thoughts on this week’s show, as well as any of the topics that we discussed. Have your say in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Mailbag submissions and topic suggestions are also welcome, so feel free to hit us up in this thread.

The Tuesday Triple: How We Handle Realism in Basketball Video Games

This is The Tuesday Triple! Originally, it was JaoSming’s answer to The Friday Five, but now that he’s at Visual Concepts working on 2KTV, it’s up for grabs whenever I have a topic that I’d like to cover in three points instead of five, or I can’t think of five items for a list or countdown. On this occasion, I’m using it to talk about how we handle realism in basketball video games.

Da_Czar’s creed sums it up in six words: Don’t play video games, play basketball. It’s a catchy slogan, the perfect mantra for anyone who wants to see basketball video games become as realistic as possible. For anyone who considers themselves a “sim gamer”, they’re words for us – and the developers, for that matter – to live by. Six words to eloquently and succinctly sum up what we want: realism in basketball video games, from top to bottom.

Do we really, though? Do we appreciate the realism that’s already present in basketball video games? Do we truly realise what realism means for the basketball gaming experience? Do we really know what we want?

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Latest Ultimate Team Challenges in NBA Live 15

New Fantasy and Community Challenges are now available in NBA Live 15’s Ultimate Team. The latest Fantasy Challenge features the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.

BROOKLYN NETS
Beat the Raptors for a red CoinUP item. If the Nets beat the Raptors on Wednesday, the Item will turn green and be worth 5,000 Coins the next day.

Rewards:
Nets CoinUP Pack: A five-item Pack guaranteeing a featured CoinUP Item worth up to 5,000 Coins, and one Silver or better player.

TORONTO RAPTORS
Beat the Nets for a red CoinUP item. If the Raptors beat the Nets on Wednesday, the Item will turn green and be worth 5,000 Coins the next day.

Rewards:
Raptors CoinUP Pack: A five-item Pack guaranteeing a featured CoinUP Item worth up to 5,000 Coins, and one Silver or better player.

This week’s Community Challenge features a couple of games against teams comprised completely of point guards:

Points of Authority
Beat these all Point Guard teams built by SwishGuard and PointsTaken for a chance at 15,000 Coins

Rewards:

Game One – 1,000 Coins
Game Two – Premium Coin Pack

Don’t forget that you can join in the Ultimate Team discussion here in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum.

NBA Live 15 Title Update #2 Now Available

The second title update is now available for the PlayStation 4 version of NBA Live 15, and will be available soon on Xbox One. It contains over 400 improvements including bug fixes, gameplay tweaks, newly scanned player faces, this year’s Christmas jerseys, and an enhanced Shot Meter.

The release notes over on the official website also provide further insight into the Synergy updates in NBA Live 15. A few new Synergy related features have been added in the second title update to provide better integration, including more accurate line-ups in Play Now mode.

All in all, it appears to be a comprehensive and most welcome update for the game. See below for a list of the key changes that have been made in the second title update, and stay tuned for some impressions. In the meantime, if you’d like to add your own thoughts on the latest update, feel free to do so in the comments section below, as well as in this thread in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum.

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The Friday Five: 5 Historical BIG Moments I’d Like To See In NBA Live

The Friday Five

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! This is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

BIG Moments have only been in two iterations of NBA Live to date, but I’m definitely hoping that the mode becomes a staple of the series, as it’s quickly become one of my favourite aspects of the game. I’m liking the improvements and additions that have been made in NBA Live 15, such as the hot spot challenges, scenarios where we’re invited to re-write history, and the wider variety of game situations. If there’s another element I’d like to see added to BIG Moments however, it would be historical challenges.

Now, this would be tricky to pull off, as it would require EA Sports to secure the likeness rights of various retired players. Additionally, the player that I’d most like to see represented in historical BIG Moments – Michael Jordan – is currently signed to an exclusive deal with Visual Concepts, which makes his inclusion in NBA Live impossible. However, let’s put all of that aside for a moment, and pretend that anything and everything is possible. With that in mind, here are the five historical BIG Moments that I’d like to see in NBA Live.

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #104

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Following a two week hiatus, the NLSC Podcast is back with Episode #104! Arcane and I are your hosts this week, as we discuss the latest NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 news, what we’ve been playing lately, and the latest happenings around the NBA.

  • We’re back! We tip things off with some NBA Live 15 news, including the latest roster updates and a touching gesture.
  • Patch #3 is out for NBA 2K15 on PC and PlayStation 4. A lot of work has certainly gone into it.
  • Modding is beginning to pick up for NBA 2K15 PC, thanks to the hard work of gregkwaste.
  • We talk about our recent gaming experiences. Obviously, NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 have been in the rotation.
  • NBA 2K15 face scanning follies are discussed, along with some tips on how to get a good looking scan.
  • NBA Live 06 is still getting some love, almost ten years after its release.
  • The Philadelphia 76ers have finally won a game! Two games, in fact.
  • Golden State is red hot at the moment. How far can the Warriors go?
  • A Tweet from the NBA Meme Team provides us with some interesting fantasy lineup choices.
  • We briefly touch on MJ vs. Kobe, Part Infinity.
  • Ending as always on a lighter note, LeBron James recently violated royal protocol. We aren’t exactly mortified at the faux pas.

Click Play to listen to the show!

As always, we welcome your thoughts on this week’s show, as well as any of the topics that we discussed. Have your say in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Mailbag submissions and topic suggestions are also welcome, so feel free to hit us up in this thread.

This week’s LUT Fantasy Challenge in NBA Live 15: Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are the featured team in this week’s Fantasy Challenge in NBA Live 15 Ultimate Team. Gamers are invited to play a three game series against the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs, with a Premium Coin Pack featuring Nuggets items up for grabs.

DENVER NUGGETS

Play out a three-game series with the Denver Nuggets for a chance at 15,000 Coins.

Players must have one current Nugget in their lineup.

Rewards:

Defeat the Heat: 600 Coins
Defeat the Rockets: 700 Coins
Defeat the Spurs: Premium Coin Pack

FEATURED TEAM PACK

Denver Nuggets: A three-item Pack guaranteeing a Player and Team Item from the Nuggets.

Don’t forget that you can discuss your latest experiences with Ultimate Team here in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum.

Details on the December 6th Roster Update for NBA Live 15

An article discussing some of the key changes in the December 6th roster update for NBA Live 15 has been posted over on the game’s official website. Kobe Bryant is in the spotlight this week, as the Black Mamba has been bumped up to a 92 overall, tying him with James Harden as the top rated shooting guard in the game.

Once again, you can check out a full overview of all the changes that have been made in this Excel file, from ratings changes to accessory updates. If you’ve got any feedback on the NBA Live 15 rosters that you’d like to send in to the development team, producer Fernando Rodriguez is keeping tabs on this thread in the NLSC Forum, so be sure to post any suggestions or corrections there!

NBA Live 15 LUT Spotlight Players of the Week: Griffin & Butler

This week’s Spotlight Players in NBA Live 15’s LIVE Ultimate Team are Blake Griffin and Jimmy Butler. Zach LaVine and Miles Plumlee have also been singled out as Future Stars.

BLAKE GRIFFIN, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS F
Griffin led the Clippers to four straight wins last week to close out an impressive 6-1 roadtrip. His best performance came in Charlotte, where he put up a near triple-double with 22 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists.

JIMMY BUTLER, CHICAGO BULLS F
Butler continued his breakout season with four straight games of 20+ points, including a career-high 32 at Denver. He’s averaging 22 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 3.4 APG on the year.

ZACH LAVINE, MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES G
The athletic LaVine had the best game of his young career last friday in Los Angeles, scoring 28 points and dishing out five assists in a one-point win over the Lakers.

MILES PLUMLEE, PHOENIX SUNS C
Plumlee continues to impress in Jeff Hornacek’s uptempo, small-ball system. He scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in a close loss to the Magic on Sunday, November 30.

Eight-item Signature Packs are also currently available, containing a Signature Edition player, one Gold or better player, and one Silver player. Feel free to discuss the latest Ultimate Team content and your experiences with the mode here in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum!

Mullin & Penny Coming to Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15

Hall of Famer Chris Mullin and former All-Star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway will be the next two NBA Legends to be made available in NBA Live 15’s LIVE Ultimate Team. Both players will be available in random packs beginning this weekend, and in the meantime, you can take them both on in a new Solo Challenge.

ANFERNEE “PENNY” HARDAWAY

Penny was one of the NBA’s brightest young stars before injuries impacted the prime of his career. He was a four-time All-Star that helped lead the Magic to their first NBA Finals appearance in 1994-95.

CHRIS MULLIN

One of the game’s all-time great shooters, Mullin made five All-Star teams while averaging more than 18 PPG over his career. He helped form Golden State’s uptempo “Run TMC” trio with fellow LUT Legends Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond.

Join in the discussion of LIVE Ultimate Team here in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum!

Details on November 26th Roster Update for NBA Live 15

EA Sports has provided an overview of this week’s roster update for NBA Live 15 over on the official website. It examines a few of the top stories in the league at the moment along with their impact on the game’s ratings, including LeBron James’ lack of aggressiveness so far, the hot start by Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors, the continued rise of John Wall and the Washington Wizards, and the strong play of the Golden State Warriors and the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

In addition to spotlighting some of the specific ratings changes in the latest update, the article has provided an Excel file containing a comprehensive listing of all the adjusted ratings (as well as the resulting overalls). If you’d like to provide feedback for the official roster updates, be sure to check out this thread in the NBA Live 15 section of the Forum, as producer Fernando Rodriguez is keeping tabs on it.

Submit a “Defensively Minded” Squad for this week’s LUT Community Challenge

For this week’s LIVE Ultimate Team Community Challenge in NBA Live 15, gamers are being invited to submit their “Defensively Minded” squads.

You can send in your submissions over at LUTHead.com, the hub for the LIVE Ultimate Team community. We also invite you to join in the discussion of Ultimate Team here in the NBA Live 15 section of the NLSC Forum.