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EA Canada is apparently holding playtesting sessions on April 11th and 12th for a “New NBA Concept” and are inviting anyone in the Vancouver area to fill out a survey if they are interested in getting involved. There’s no further information on the concept at this time and anyone who participates will certainly be under a non-disclosure agreement, but if you live in the area and are interested in doing some playtesting and getting a glimpse behind the scenes, I’d encourage you to fill out the survey.
It will be interesting to see what this new concept turns out to be. It’s unlikely to be NBA Live, which is currently being developed at EA Tiburon, but could be something related to NBA Jam or NBA Street if not a new game entirely. Feel free to speculate in the comments below, as well as in this thread in the NLSC Forum.
Here’s what EA Sports needed to do in order to make a better NBA Live game ( NBA Live 14 ):
> Interface
– Just stick to the basic lay-outs of the past NBA Live games. ( NBA Live 08 to be exact ) Where there is Play Now, Game Modes, Roster Management, etc.. That’s it. Just enhance the backgrounds, fonts or just put cool background highlights videos. If we want to create a player, we can do it. If we want to go to a season, we can do it. If we want to start a Dynasty mode, we can easily do it. If we want to go to sleep, shopping, date our girlfriends, we can also do it. Because we didn’t have to worry about getting skills points or what so ever. If we want to enhance our player’s ratings, we can do it in a blink of an eye. All we want to do is play some Basketball Video Game in our spare time. See our created player compete with NBA superstars. No more complications, no more complicated controls, no more other stupid requirements before you can play. We just wanna play hoop. That’s it.
> Controls
– Take the controls in NBA Live 08. Just make sure that PC users can do jab steps using their keyboard. Like holding the crossover button & pressing the directions that they want to jab. We don’t need complicated controls. All we want to do is play ball. Shoot, dribble, attack the paint, defend, block some shots, pass & do team work. Just put many different animations with it. It’s Basketball. Plain & simple.
> Graphics
– EA Sports is greater than 2k graphics wise. The faces, sweat, etc.. They are better & more life-like. 2k just kicked their butts with animations, in-game presentations, user interface & game play. So basically, all EA Sports have to do is just solidify their graphics even more. No more long alien-like arms. No more stupid robotic-like movements when the players are just standing or running or anything. Get the actual body size / type of payers. For example, Dwight Howard or LeBron James. Make it unique. Put that headband over the high hair-line of LeBron. The tattoos, sweat, make the player’s hair wave or move when they are running or moving or anything, as well as their jerseys. That’s for you, Joakim Noah & Kenneth Faried –> the hair movements. And most of all, THE NET REACTIONS. If someone dunks, the net should go berserk. If someone swishes a 3, the net should react to that swish. Just enhance the net effects in NBA Live 06-08. That’s it. The past NBA Live games, the net reactions look stupid. ( or should I say, it’s close to no reactions at all ) So fix it EA Sports, it’s never too late. If these things are done, 2k will have something to think about.
> Animations & AI
– We are all sick & tired of the same animations of NBA Live series. ( But it’s good animations though, but in time, you will get tired of seeing it over & over & over again. ) Why not put 10 or more animations during time-outs? Like the coach is extremely upset with what happened. Or he is just calling a momentum-stopping time-out. Or he is just calm. Something like that. Put all the signature jump shots of players. Er, that beautiful Shawn Marion shot, right? And when they make the shot. Like Jason Terry’s wings-out-run after he makes a 3 or crucial jump shot. Put more animations on the court, like the coach will call a player then whisper some instructions to him, then he will whisper it afterwards to one of his teammates. Or an occasional contest to a call on the referees. Yes, the refs. Put some more animations to them too. Put some in-game player’s mannerism on the court. Like Kobe scrubbing his chest & blowing his closed hands. LeBron playing with his mouth piece, and a whole lot more! Make the players change their face/mood when they are driving or dunking. Like, open-mouths, angry-looking. Something like that. Put some realistic dancing hot cheerleaders during time-outs or half-times. I mean, HOT & BEAUTIFUL cheerleaders! Hey, that’s why we play ball right? Realistic crowds, mascots routines. It’s time to show 2k who’s the boss. And EA Sports has to go to the extreme if they want to stay competitive. Or else, they will just walk through the open doors of oblivion.
> Game Play & AI, too
– Just press numbers on PC. 1,2,3,4,5. or 1,1, 2,2, 3,3, 4,4, 5,5. Then the team will do some plays. For point guards to centers. Stick to the basics, not complicate it in the controls just to be noticed that it is different from the previous versions. That’s just stupid. Like I’ve said, all we need to see is just enhanced graphics & new players ( rookies ) year after year. The AI has to be more accurate. No more dribbling in one place when his teammate was wide open. Continuous movements without the ball. Set screens. Precise passing. No more ball-hugging in the fast break. And yes, at the defensive end too. The AI have to be more defensive minded too. Hey, we can already make robots. Why not make a smart AI ball player?
> Sounds & Music
– Marv Albert & Mike Frutello. Marv Albert & Steve Kerr. That’s fine. But why not a trio like in 2k did? Why not put Reggie Miller, Marv Albert & Steve Kerr? Or, Mark Jackson, Ernie Johnson & Jeff Van Gundy? “Hand down, man down.” “Puts it up, puts it in!” And Van Gundy’s grudges & complaints in the league. Like he hates this, he likes that. Imagine that! Wooh! Or why not make them all available? Make it optional. Commentators 1 – Miller, Albert, Kerr. Commentators 2 – Jackson, Johnson, Van Gundy. It’s up to you. It’s your choice. Who do you want to cover your game. And when it comes to arena sounds, put all the individual arena announcer in the NBA. Who could forget this guy in Detroit, “Chauncey….. Bi, bi,bi,bi,bi,bi,billups!!!” Like that. Put it all in there, so the users can have a feel that they are in a certain arena. And put the pre-game rituals in an arena too. Like a national anthems, a salute to arm forces, a special guest, ( Barrack Obama in Washington I guess? ), fire goes up from the backboards, etc.. ( Yah, I’m an 03-04 Pistons fan. That’s obvious. ) And when it comes to music, well, I’m good with that. NBA Live series always has an excellent pump-up sets of music. Just surprise us.
—> Well that’s all ! Just stopped by to express something. More powers to all the NLSC team ! Peace out! =)
I’d like to agree with all of that, however, pretty doesn’t make better – referring to your take on EA’s graphics. Even though they have been rather pretty they were still subpar (as were 2K’s) compared to other titles. The skinny player models they use are a huge throw off to some people (like me). I personally would like EA to adapt to something similar to that of 2k’s player models.
I just stated some of the things they needed to do. ( those are just little pieces, because as of now, EA Sports is not even close to what 2k Sports has brought to the table. ) As of now, NBA 2K series starting from 2K9 has been installed in any of our gaming consoles rather than an NBA Live game. & I totally love NBA 2k, So much! Especially NBA 2K12, because of the amazing Ultimate Base Rosters. I didn’t like NBA 2K13 that much though, because it looks like Jay-Z 2K13, because there’s Jay-Z everywhere, & for me I feel terrible about it. ( It’s just in my opinion. But when it comes to the actual gameplay of 2K13, man, I can spend 3 days straight without sleeping just by playing it. Just remove Jay-Z from the interface. Just because he produced it doesn’t mean he can have his face all over it. I love him as a music icon, but man, we are playing ball here. And damn, there’s Bieber in it! Enough said.. =D ) I just wish EA Sports can bounce back from the mud that they’re into right now. Because we all grew up playing with NBA Live games. I just wish they can come up with something good, or I mean, something extraordinary. To at least compete with NBA 2K. But for now, NBA 2K series all the way! NBA 2K > NBA Live. Maybe at least, for now……..
Or should I say, it’s like Friendster & Facebook. NBA Live series is Friendster. NBA 2K series is Facebook. We know the story. Enough said. =D
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Not to discourage any discussion of what Live should be doing, that’s always welcome here, but I doubt that this has anything to do with NBA Live. It’s more likely Street or a brand new title altogether, with Tiburon continuing to develop NBA Live 14.
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[…] survey was caught by NLSC (via Polygon). It asks for interested participants in and around the Vancouver area who can play […]
[…] survey was caught by NLSC (via Polygon). It asks for interested participants in and around the Vancouver area who can play […]
[…] survey was caught by NLSC (via Polygon). It asks for interested participants in and around the Vancouver area who can play […]