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NBA Live 15 Highlights: Knicks vs. Clippers

NBA Live 15 Highlights: Knicks vs. Clippers

In case you missed it, a new video has gone up on our YouTube channel! Dee has posted highlights from our game of NBA Live 15, in which he took control of Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks, and I used the Lob City Los Angeles Clippers. The game was made possible not only due to Parsec, but also the new beta version of the Xbox app that allows games to be streamed to a Windows PC.

Although NBA Live 15 was a rough release in many respects, we had a good time revisiting it, and were able to produce a number of highlights! From Melo’s scoring outburst during a fourth quarter battle, to Blake Griffin emphatically finishing lobs, there were some genuinely exciting moments. There were also a number of defensive plays that felt satisfying and organic, despite some of the quirks with player movement and animations. Unfortunately NBA Live 15 doesn’t support co-op play, but it turned into a great competitive contest down the stretch. Check out the reel!

We also took a deep dive into NBA Live 15 in Episode #480 of the NLSC Podcast, which you can tune into here. As always, please subscribe to the NLSC YouTube channel for more basketball gaming content! Dee and I are also open to suggestions for games that you’d like to see us play, so feel free to hit us up.

NLSC Podcast #480: Is NBA Live 15 Overlooked?

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #480 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA Live 15 generally wasn’t well-received when it was released, but might it be somewhat overlooked today? A fun session playing the game over Parsec prompts us to take a deep dive into all of its pros and cons. Suffice to say it’s a mixed bag, but it might just work its way into our rotation! We also connected to play NBA Live 06 PC with a 2012 season roster, and were reminded of what a special release it was. In this week’s mailbag, we join the community in talking about how we play basketball in real life. Which players would we compare our style of play to, and does that at all influence the creation of our players in career modes?

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

25th Anniversary of NBA Live: NBA Live 15 Retrospective

25th Anniversary of NBA Live: NBA Live 15 Retrospective

To mark the 25th Anniversary of NBA Live, we’re taking a look back at every game in the series with retrospectives and other fun content! This also includes re-running some features from our 20th Anniversary celebrations, with a few revisions. Whether you’re a long-time basketball gamer who grew up with NBA Live and are keen on taking a trip down memory lane, or you’re new to the series and want to learn about its history, we hope that you enjoy celebrating the 25th Anniversary of NBA Live here at the NLSC! Next up is a retrospective of NBA Live 15.

Although NBA Live 14 had been a rough comeback, the mere fact that it was actually released gave us hope that the series wasn’t done. There was a lot of work to be done, though: modes and features needed to be added, mechanics and animations needed to be enhanced, and more authenticity was required. NBA Live 15 took a few steps in the right direction, but it wasn’t a big enough jump. It was a better game than NBA Live 14, no doubt, but that was a low bar to clear. Interestingly, it also dropped a few ideas that were actually worth keeping. Let’s take a closer look at the second year in NBA Live’s comeback attempt, and see what went right, and what went wrong.

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NBA Live 15 Servers Shutting Down December 1st

NBA Live 15 Servers Shutting Down December 1st

EA Sports has announced that the NBA Live 15 servers will be shut down as of December 1st, 2019. In a post over on Reddit, the Dev Team wrote:

As of December 1, 2019, NBA LIVE 15 will be retired. Until December 1, 2019, you will still be able to enjoy NBA LIVE 15 and use any existing Ultimate Team™ Points. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of NBA LIVE 15 and we appreciate your ongoing patronage.

Online support for NBA Live 14 just ended on the first of this month, following an announcement back in June. If you have any unfinished business with online modes such as Ultimate Team, or if you’re a content creator who needs screenshots and footage, I’d suggest getting on that ASAP.

It’s interesting that the NBA Live 15 servers are being shut down so soon after NBA Live 14, and with less notice. EA’s online support for those older releases has already extended far longer than usual however, and it’s highly unlikely that there are enough gamers still playing NBA Live 15 regularly enough to justify the use of those resources.

With the cancellation of NBA Live 20, it remains to be seen when EA will pull the plug on the NBA Live 16 servers. I would assume that the servers for NBA Live 18 and NBA Live 19 will remain active for some time yet, especially with the series currently on another hiatus. I’ll be sure to post any further information as it’s made available, but in the meantime, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below, as well as take the discussion to the NLSC Forum.

Monday Tip-Off: NBA Live 15 Ultimate Team Reel

Shawn Kemp dunks in NBA Live 15 Ultimate Team

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Begin your week here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and basketball gaming.

As you may have seen, in the past few months I’ve been making some videos for Wayback Wednesday. I’ve really enjoyed creating some video content for the NLSC, and I’ve been working on sharpening my video editing skills as I’d like to keep making them. To that end, I’ve made use of some NBA Live 15 clips that I’ve had saved, and put together a highlight reel of my exploits in Ultimate Team.

Since my NBA Live 15 Ultimate Team – the Breeze, named after Chicago’s team in World League Basketball – featured a healthy amount of NBA Legends from the 90s, I’ve used songs from the NBA Live 99 soundtrack as the score. Despite the fact I’m traditionally more interested in the franchise modes, I’ve become quite fond of Ultimate Team these past few years. I had a lot of fun assembling and playing with my 90s squad, but sadly, I wasn’t able to acquire Scottie Pippen. Perhaps I’ll have better luck in NBA Live 16. In any event, check out the reel below, or watch it here on YouTube if you can’t see the embedded video.

There are some rough animations in NBA Live 15, but hopefully, you still enjoyed the reel; I certainly enjoyed checking out some old highlights and putting it all together! More videos will be on the way soon, including commentary, excerpts from the NLSC Podcast, tips videos, and more. In the meantime, I invite you to check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel; I’d like to think we’re finally making good use of it! Have a great week, and be sure to check in later for Wayback Wednesday, Episode #148 of the NLSC Podcast, and The Friday Five.

Monday Tip-Off: Head in the Cloud – Basketball Video Games & Always-On

Gaming in NBA 2K14's MyCAREER

We’re at midcourt, the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Get your week started here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to basketball video games.

Always-on remains a controversial issue in video gaming, right up there with downloadable content, microtransactions, and third party developers producing platform exclusives. So strong is the backlash against it, Microsoft even had to change its approach with the Xbox One, and is arguably still feeling the effects of its initial stance as the console continues to be out-sold by the PlayStation 4. The message is clear: gamers do not like always-on.

As the online component of basketball video games has become a bigger part of the experience, our community has started to feel the sting of always-on and cloud saves. Key game modes require a constant connection to the Internet, and while a couple of them can also be played offline, issues can arise when there are temporary connection or server issues. But what happens when the server is shut down for good?

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Monday Tip-Off: Lost Forever – The Missing Trophies & Achievements

We’re at midcourt, the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Get your week started here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to basketball video games.

For some gamers, Trophies and Achievements in video games are of great importance. For the gamer who strives for 100% completion, there are few things as satisfying as the sight and sound of a notification informing them that a Trophy or Achievement has just been unlocked. It’s a concise representation that yes, you did indeed do just about everything you could with a game, and then some. And, if you’re the kind of gamer who likes to brag about such things, it’s right there in your public profile, for everyone to see.

For other gamers, Trophies and Achievements are nothing but a nuisance, a meaningless aspect of modern games that are only useful to people who want to brag about ultimately useless accomplishments. You play the games because you’re interested in them, not to get some virtual pat on the back for performing some mundane task. Simply put, Trophies and Achievements aren’t something that everyone is interested in, or obsesses over.

Personally, I find myself somewhere in the middle. I’m not obsessed with collecting every single Trophy or Achievement in every game I play, but I also find them to be fun goals to shoot for, when I’m looking to extend my gaming experience. Basketball video games have had some fun and interesting challenges in the form of their Trophies and Achievements, but in some cases, shooting for 100% completion becomes impossible sooner than you might expect. Servers are inevitably shut down at some point, at which point Achievements involving online play or timed content become lost forever.

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #128

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It’s back to our regularly scheduled programming this week, as Arcane and I host Episode #128 of the NLSC Podcast! An overview of this week’s show is as follows:

  • In case you missed it, last week was a big episode for the NLSC Podcast, as we welcomed Leftos and JaoSming back to the show to talk about NBA 2K16.
  • Our 20th Anniversary of NBA Live content has tipped off, and we have a couple of other housekeeping announcements to make.
  • Catching up on all the NBA Live 16 news, we give our thoughts on the soundtrack, latest ratings reveals, and screenshots. Are we hyped for NBA Live 16?
  • We recap a huge amount of NBA 2K16 news, including a new trailer, and several in-depth developer blogs. Has it moved the needle on our excitement for NBA 2K16?
  • New content for NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 is slowing to a halt, and we’re finding that we’re just about ready to move on. Still, we have been spending some time with last year’s games as of late.
  • The Atlanta Hawks are retiring Dikembe Mutombo’s #55, so we reflect on some of our favourite Mutombo Moments.
  • J.R. Smith has officially re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers; Tristan Thompson has not. Once again, we reflect on the Cavs’ chances this year.
  • What do we think of Mickey Arison’s proposed Miami Vice/South Beach alternates for the Miami Heat?
  • We end Episode #128 of the NLSC Podcast with an All-Time Lineup game.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

The Friday Five: 5 Basketball Video Game Surprises

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.

If you’re relatively new to basketball video games, or at least the basketball gaming community, you may not have much of an idea of how things used to be when it came to previews and interactions with the developers. With all the tidbits on social media, developer blogs, in-depth interviews here at the NLSC and around the web, live streams, and so on these days, we get to learn a lot about the upcoming editions of NBA Live and NBA 2K before they come out. This allows us to be well-informed, and in turn, savvy consumers.

Of course, the downside of such in-depth coverage is that some of the mystery is taken out of basketball gaming. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – with games coming out every year, we want to know whether the latest iteration is worth spending money on – but it also means that we don’t often get to be surprised by something really cool in basketball video games. Every so often though, EA Sports or 2K Sports will announce something that catches us off guard, and that’s what I’m talking about today: five times that I was surprised by basketball video games. Let’s get to the Five!

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #124

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This past week delivered a little bit of everything: new NBA Live 16 screenshots, confirmed details on NBA 2K16, leaked details on NBA 2K16, and a couple of noteworthy NBA tidbits. Join Arcane and I as we give our thoughts on it all in Episode #124 of the NLSC Podcast!

  • We open with a reminder about our upcoming NBA Live 16 development team interviews. Get your questions in ASAP!
  • NBA Live 16 has also been on display at a Jordan Brand event, and EA Sports are inviting gamers in the Orlando area to join in some playtesting sessions.
  • We have our first official details on MyTEAM in NBA 2K16. The game’s soundtrack has also been released on Spotify.
  • Details on game modes have also been leaked. We comment on the latest leaks and rumours, as it appears that where there’s smoke, there is indeed fire.
  • We reflect on the differences in the previews for NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16 so far.
  • Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15 has been celebrating Christmas in July, and delivered one of us a nice present.
  • Will LeBron James star in Space Jam 2? It’s likely just speculation and joking around, but…should he?
  • Baron Davis is talking about a comeback attempt, while Stephen Jackson is calling it a day.
  • In free agency news, Seth Curry gets his big break, while Richard Jefferson changes his mind…somewhat less controversially than DeAndre Jordan.
  • The Indiana Pacers will wear jerseys celebrating the 30th anniversary of Hoosiers.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

The Friday Five: 5 Most Annoying Basketball Video Game Bugs

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.

We care a great deal about our basketball games in this community, and likewise have high expectations for our basketball gaming experiences. If the controls feel off, or the animations are funky, we notice. It bothers us when the wrong players are scoring most of the points, or when superstars aren’t playing like superstars. If the simulated stats aren’t true to life, it detracts from our enjoyment. In a nutshell, if the gameplay doesn’t feel right, and an acceptable level of realism isn’t present, we’re going to grumble.

However, as with video games of any genre, what really impedes our enjoyment of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball titles is the presence of bugs. Now, some bugs are small, while other bugs render games almost completely unplayable. For the purposes of this list, I’m focusing on smaller bugs that can be worked around, or only occasionally occur, but are nevertheless annoying. There’s nothing completely gamebreaking here, but still plenty of irritation to be found. With that said, here are five of the most annoying basketball video game bugs that I have experienced.

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #123

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The 2015 NBA offseason is slowing down a little, but news about this year’s NBA video games is just starting to heat up. Arcane and I are your hosts for Episode #123 of the NLSC Podcast, in which we react to the latest NBA Live 16 news, discuss some NBA 2K16 leaks and rumours, and find a few other things to talk about, too.

  • This past week has brought us some new NBA Live 16 screenshots, and a healthy info drop by way of a developer blog. What do we make of the latest details?
  • We also received some interesting tidbits by way of DualShockers’ video interview with NBA Live 16 designer Ryan Santos.
  • We’ll have the opportunity to conduct some interviews of our own with the NBA Live 16 development team in the near future, so we invite everyone to get their suggestions for questions in ASAP!
  • The NBA 2K16 achievements list has revealed some pleasing details about this year’s game, and also provided some minor spoilers about the MyCAREER story.
  • Rumours about the presence of college basketball in NBA 2K16 remain unconfirmed, but they’re too juicy not to report on and discuss. Do we think it will be a reality?
  • What have we been doing with basketball games this past week? We may have a couple of surprises here.
  • Player movement is slowing down, but there’s still some interesting signings worth talking about, including Josh Smith joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
  • Will Becky Hammon become the first female head coach in the history of the NBA?
  • We end Episode #123 of the NLSC Podcast with a mention of a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

The Friday Five: 5 Goals I’ve Had for Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15

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.

As I’ve mentioned in recent episodes of the NLSC Podcast and in last week’s Friday Five, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15. Although I’m traditionally more interested in modes like Dynasty, Ultimate Team definitely piqued my interest last year, and this year I’ve been hooked on building my team and playing through various Fantasy Challenges. As I also said last week, while I’m hoping to play a lot of Dynasty in NBA Live 16, I expect that I’ll continue to spend a lot of time with Ultimate Team, too.

In the meantime, Ultimate Team has definitely become my mode of choice in NBA Live 15. To that end, there are a few goals that I’ve set for myself as I continue to play the game up until the release of NBA Live 16 in September. I’ve managed to achieve a couple of them during this past week, but a couple of others…well, I still have a ways to go. For your reading pleasure this Friday, I present five goals that I’ve had for Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15.

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #122

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After scheduling conflicts and illness caused us another undesirable delay, we’re back with Episode #122 of the NLSC Podcast! Join Arcane and myself as we chat about the latest NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16 news, give our thoughts on the wild start to the 2015 NBA offseason, and talk about a couple of other things that are on our minds.

  • We catch up on the latest NBA Live 16 news, including the developer blog on visuals, new screenshots, and details on the early version of the game that was on display at E3 2015.
  • We’re sold on the Special Edition of NBA 2K16, and we’re liking the tidbits we’ve heard so far, but we want to hear more about this year’s game from Visual Concepts.
  • What are we playing at the moment? Andrew shares some recent NBA Live 15 Ultimate Team stories.
  • We both added some classic titles to our basketball video game collections recently, but unfortunately, one of us was a little unlucky with our purchase.
  • The 2015 NBA Draft saw a couple of surprise picks. We give our thoughts on how our favourite teams fared.
  • Is Joel Embiid the next Greg Oden?
  • Once again, we play fashion critics, as we discuss the new jerseys for the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
  • We discuss the 2015 NBA offseason, from the feud between DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl to DeAndre Jordan’s controversial (in)decision, Luke Ridnour’s wild ride, and the major player movement so far.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

The Friday Five: 5 Modes I Enjoyed More Than I Thought I Would

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.

Well! It’s certainly shaping up to be an interesting – and somewhat controversial – offseason so far. Some big names are staying put, a few significant players are moving on, and at least one key free agent has completely changed his mind. I was considering writing about a topic related to the offseason for this week’s Friday Five, with the DeAndre Jordan situation being an obvious frontrunner. However, I can pretty much sum up my thoughts on that in ten words: it was a situation that was handled very, very badly.

Besides, as I mentioned in last week’s Five, I want to concentrate on putting out some articles about basketball video games, since that is the focus of the NLSC after all. The Finals and Playoffs offered an incentive to talk about real basketball, but as we find ourselves in the offseason and waiting for more news on both NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16, I feel some game related topics are in order. To that end, this week I’m talking about five game modes in basketball video games that I ended up enjoying more than I thought I would. Let’s tip things off with a mode from NBA 2K!

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