NLSC Your source for basketball video games.
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the lack of developments regarding NBA Live three years after EA Sports last addressed its future.
That’s right. It’s been three years since the official NBA Live Twitter posted an update on the series. The Tweet confirmed that there would be no NBA Live 20, while also stating that they were “excited by (their) progress”, having been “putting in reps on (their) console basketball games”. At the time, it sounded like they might be changing direction, or at least opting for a longer development cycle, after NBA Live 19 failed to move the needle as hoped. The series’ struggles were cause for scepticism, but the fact that they were addressing the future also invited some degree of optimism.
Three years later, with absolutely no further developments or announcements, it’s much harder to be optimistic. EA Sports’ message to NBA Live gamers three years ago acknowledged the need to get everything right and “earn (their) future”. It was an honest statement, though nothing we hadn’t heard before after previous games failed to live up to expectations. More to the point, there was also an explicit promise to provide regular updates, which obviously didn’t happen. Indeed, the only activity on the NBA Live Twitter since then has been to re-Tweet a tribute to Kobe Bryant from the main EA Sports account. So, three years later, what do we make of this?
Well, it’s stating the obvious, but it doesn’t appear that we should expect NBA Live to return anytime soon, if ever. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that, but for those of us who grew up with the series, wanted to see it recapture its past glory, and at the very least provide basketball gamers with an alternative, it’s a reality that we do have to acknowledge. I’m not suggesting that everyone needs to give up hope and forget about NBA Live, especially when there’s a dedicated community that’s really enjoying NBA Live 19. It’s fair to be interested, and there’s value in demonstrating that interest in EA returning to the basketball gaming space. It’s just wise to temper expectations.
Every so often, there are hints suggesting that a return for NBA Live isn’t impossible, albeit a slim possibility. To that point though, the fact that another year has passed since that Tweet was posted very likely doesn’t change anything. In other words, it’s no less likely three years later than it was after two, or for that matter, after six months with none of the promised updates. We went from “ambitious” and pleasing progress, to seemingly throwing in the towel right then and there. In many ways, marking the anniversary of that Tweet isn’t so much about the future of NBA Live and whether it can or will come back, but the squandered opportunities over these past three years.
It’d be one thing if EA simply didn’t preview anything until they had something they felt would impress, but the complete radio silence is deafening. They’ve done nothing to keep the brand alive and in gamers’ minds while allegedly working towards making a triumphant return. The funny thing is that they didn’t really have to do anything of their own. Throughout 2019 and 2020, I was posting our 25th Anniversary of NBA Live content, tagging the official account whenever I shared it on Twitter. Simply re-Tweeting my retrospectives and other content would’ve kept their feed active, and sent the message that they wanted people to care about and take interest in NBA Live.
And yes, it would’ve been exposure for us, but it’d also be ready-made content for them, free of charge. Celebrating a major milestone for the series would’ve been as easy as a re-Tweet. Lest this come off as sour grapes – although, I do believe I have some legitimate gripes, given how a Ronnie 2K wannabe gave the old guard the cold shoulder – it’s not just my content, either. As I said, there’s a dedicated community that’s still enjoying NBA Live 19 to this day. Simply sharing any highlights that they’re tagged in would’ve been an easy way to get content on their feed, keeping NBA Live in everyone’s minds, and drumming up interest in a potential return.
The fact that they didn’t speaks volumes. It suggests that maybe the suits have decided that competing with NBA 2K is impossible at this point, and that it would be better to quietly pull the plug. I can’t blame them for feeling it’s an uphill battle to take on NBA 2K, because it absolutely is. Going back to what I said last year though, both the NBA Live series and its most ardent supports deserved better. I mean, we deserved better games and a viable alternative, but if this is the end, we deserve to know. With such a long history featuring many successful releases, and loyal fans that have so many fond memories, there needed to be a definitive statement. We all deserved that closure.
Sure, after three years with no developments, you could argue that we can take it as read. We have our answer, and it’s up to us to make our peace with it. Even so, I can’t help thinking about what a missed opportunity it was when that announcement was posted three years ago, only to follow it up with absolutely no developments. Even though expectations were low and many gamers had long made the switch to NBA 2K, people were still interested in NBA Live. Indeed, there are still people interested in seeing the series come back! You can see it on Reddit, Twitter, in our Forum, and elsewhere. Through silence and blunders, there are gamers that still hold out hope.
At this point, I can’t be as optimistic as them. With that being said of course, I’d love to see NBA Live return; I’m just not holding my breath on it happening. The point is that the interest is there, and with not everyone being completely happy with what NBA 2K has done or is still doing, even sceptical gamers would at least have some interest in what NBA Live could provide as an alternative. Despite disappointing releases and failing to live up to the promise they made three years ago to share regular updates and developments, the door hasn’t been slammed shut on NBA Live. It’s an uphill battle to be sure, but there is an audience that’s willing to be won over.
That’s what makes three years without any developments a missed opportunity. Even after all the disappointments of the eighth generation – rough games, cancelled games, and changes in direction – gamers were still willing to give NBA Live a chance. They were still interested in having a fun and viable alternative to NBA 2K, even if that game wasn’t quite as deep when it came to modes and content. That kind of loyalty, goodwill, and open-mindedness is nothing to take for granted, especially after so many years of struggling to produce a satisfactory release. Though we’d heard the promises before, when NBA Live 20 was cancelled, we still looked for silver linings.
Mention of “the next generation of players and platforms” gave us hope – as well as patience – as the ninth generation of consoles loomed. Going quiet for the rest of the PlayStation 4/Xbox One generation felt excusable, if the series was poised to return bigger and better than ever as a launch title for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Three years later, that launch has come and gone, and there are no developments as far as NBA Live is concerned. Or, if there are, we don’t know about them, because those regular updates never eventuated. There might’ve been big plans that ultimately fell through, or it might’ve just been wishful thinking on EA’s part as much as ours.
Whatever the case may be, though the door remains ajar thanks to a contingent of hopeful fans, three years with no developments has done the dormant NBA Live series no favours. It also doesn’t help that NBA 2K23 is one of the best releases in years, with gameplay that has been extremely well-received. The addition of a revolutionary feature such as MyNBA Eras, on top of deep modes in MyTEAM and MyCAREER, has only steepened what was already an uphill battle. “Streamlined” experiences won’t do if NBA Live ever returns. Of course, seeing the gap widen even further could well have convinced the suits to quietly can NBA Live for good.
If there’s one ace that NBA Live still has up its sleeve, it’s that despite its generally positive reception, NBA 2K23 has been criticised as one of the greediest games in the series when it comes to its recurrent revenue mechanics. Additionally, NBA 2K23’s MyCAREER story has been panned, as have the mandatory quests that impede the traditional career mode experience. I’ve long felt that NBA Live’s best chance at winning over the audience and gaining back relevance is to be a more traditional alternative. No pushy microtransactions, no pay-to-win, no non-basketball fluff in its career mode; just a really good sim basketball game with all of the necessary staples.
Needless to say, this is an unlikely expectation to have of a Triple-A developer. The last couple of NBA Live games didn’t copy MyCAREER’s pay-to-enjoy model, but make no mistake: if the series were more successful, EA would absolutely follow in 2K’s footsteps there. Furthermore, NBA Live was already a series that was doing the bare minimum as far as its modes, roster editing, and other staples, while NBA 2K keeps expanding and innovating; something that was once a hallmark of EA’s series. Unlikely as it may seem, NBA Live still has an opportunity, but the bare minimum will no longer cut it. We’ll expect those three-plus years to have been put to good use.
Three years later, there haven’t been any developments with NBA Live, despite the assurance of regular updates and a promising future. Indeed, from what we’ve heard, people who were working on NBA Live have since moved on to other games at EA. That’s as close to a “development” as we have, and it’s not a positive one. Again, I won’t tell anyone to cease all hope or interest in NBA Live. I’m a Live fan from way back, and I’m all for competition and alternatives. I wish I could be more optimistic, and I’d be thrilled to be proven wrong. Until that happens however, a Tweet that once felt like a beacon of hope is instead a melancholy reminder of unfulfilled promises.
