On the heels of my Monday Tip-Off article discussing rosters and roster editing in NBA Live, a new update has been pushed through for NBA Live 18. As with all roster updates, it will be downloaded automatically when you fire up the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, provided of course that your console is connected to the Internet.

At a glance, it appears as though the rosters are quite up to date in terms of the latest transactions. Aaron Brooks is notably still missing from the Minnesota Timberwolves’ roster, however this is likely due to the fact that they currently have more than fifteen players. With any luck, issues like that will be resolved very soon. I haven’t had a chance to check everyone’s uniform number as yet, but looking at a few recently traded players, it appears that a few corrections have been made since the previous roster.

Speaking of uniforms, the latest update adds new classic uniforms for the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns. These classic uniforms will be worn for selected games during the 2018 season. No other retro jerseys are available in NBA Live 18 at this time.

As always, we’re looking to compile feedback about the rosters to send along to the development team, so feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below, as well as here in the NLSC Forum. See below for some screenshots of all the new uniforms in-game.

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We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Start 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 other basketball video games. This week, I’m tipping things off with a few thoughts on the current lack of roster editing functionality in NBA Live.

With NBA Live 18, EA Sports’ long-running basketball series has taken some pleasing steps forward. While there’s still room for improvement, it’s had the best reception of any NBA Live game on the current generation, among gamers and reviewers alike. There’s more fluidity on the sticks, the controls have been expanded, and with The One, the game has a much deeper career mode along with some solid connected experiences. NBA Live appears to be on the right track, and even cracked the top twenty downloaded games on the PlayStation Network in September.

The team at EA Tiburon has to feel pleased with the more positive reaction to NBA Live 18, not to mention motivated as they begin work on next year’s game. However, there is one feature that’s conspicuous by its absence in NBA Live 18, and that’s roster editing. We haven’t seen roster editing in the series since NBA Live 10, and gamers are understandably getting impatient to see it return. While other areas of the game have rightfully been prioritised, roster editing is a staple that must return in NBA Live 19. That’s assuming, of course, that there isn’t a way for it to be implemented in this year’s game.

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Episode #225 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and myself as we discuss the past week in basketball gaming news, including topics related to NBA Live 18, NBA 2K18, and NBA Playgrounds. As always, we also recount our most recent experiences on the virtual hardwood.

On this week’s show…

• Patch 1.04 has been released for NBA Live 18. In addition to addressing some key technical issues, it’s made some pleasing improvements to the feel of the game. There is, of course, still room for improvement.
• As it turns out, NBA Live 18 was one of the most downloaded games on PSN in September, which bodes well for a strong comeback for the brand.
• Xbox One users are facing some technical restrictions in terms of uploading media from NBA 2K18. Once again, we discuss the frustration with the lack of sound recording on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
• It seems that player face scans are being used for AI players in 2K Pro-Am. As such, it seems like a perfect opportunity to have some fun with wacky scans.
• NBA Playgrounds has received a new patch, and more controversially, paid DLC which adds eight Class of 2017 rookies and three new playgrounds. The move seems to lack the goodwill that Saber Interactive has previously demonstrated.
• We wrap up Episode #225 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming. We’re not quite done with MyCAREER or 2K Pro-Am yet, so the grind continues. Also, we lay out some more plans for both NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:41:03 — 69.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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 latest title update (Patch 1.04) has been released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of NBA Live 18. As always, it will come through automatically as long as your console is connected to the Internet. If you do encounter any issues, try restarting your PS4 or X1.

Patch 1.04 addresses several technical issues, including a couple of crashes, a bug with the auto substitutions option, and online stability. There are also some noteworthy gameplay tweaks, including responsiveness on jumpshots and shot contests, as well as first step animations. Player ratings on Ultimate Team cards have also been updated to better reflect the most important attributes, and some players have new faces, including the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown.

You can check out the full patch notes below, and I’ve also added them to this resource in our Wiki. Feel free to share your impressions of the patch in the comments section below, as well as here in our NBA Live 18 Forum.

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Episode #224 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and myself as we discuss the past week in basketball gaming and NBA news, as well as provide our ongoing impressions of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.

On this week’s show…

• New rosters have come through for NBA Live 18, and they include the two biggest transactions from the past week or so. Unfortunately, there are still some issues with missing transactions and players, incorrect jersey numbers, and a couple of other problems.
• Master Challenges have been added to Ultimate Team in NBA Live 18. We’re glad to see new content being added so early, and hope that it will continue throughout the season.
• NBA 2K18 has received another patch this week, addressing some noteworthy technical problems in modes and gameplay. It’s quite welcome, but how many title updates will we see this year?
• The problems with microtransactions and grinding in NBA 2K18 continue to be a big story. It has spread beyond the basketball gaming community, as mainstream publications and content creators are touching upon it. We crunch a few numbers, and provide some more thoughts on the situation.
• Downloadable versions of the updated NBA 2K18 cover are now available. It’s a nice gesture, but could it result in collectors being scammed?
• Our Week in Basketball gaming included a tentative second attempt at 2K Pro-Am, more grinding, some fun Play Now games in NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, more grinding, MyTEAM games, and yes, more grinding. MyLEAGUE games to follow, closer to the start of the 2018 season.
• Dwyane Wade has joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. Can anyone in the East compete with the Cavs this season?
• We wrap up Episode #224 of the NLSC Podcast with a nice story about Dirk Nowitzki and an appreciative Dallas Mavericks fan.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:44:50 — 72.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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.

A new roster has been pushed through for NBA Live 18, and will be downloaded automatically as long as your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One is connected to the Internet when you fire up the game. As you would expect of a roster update, it features recent transactions, all the way up to September 27th.

The two most noteworthy transactions reflected in the latest roster are the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dwyane Wade signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Other transactions include Andrew Bogut signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls’ acquisition of Quincy Pondexter, and Tyler Zeller joining the Brooklyn Nets.

Browsing the Rosters menu in NBA Live 18, it does seem that a few transactions from the past month unfortunately remain unaccounted for. Notable examples including Aaron Brooks signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves. and Tony Allen joining the New Orleans Pelicans. A handful of other players are missing here and there, so the rosters aren’t quite complete yet.

These omissions highlight the need for user roster customisation, which we were hoping to see return in NBA Live 18. To that end, a few people have been asking whether roster editing functionality will be added to the game via an official patch. As we’ve discussed in the NLSC Podcast, it’s something that we’d love to see, but there’s been no word of any plans to that effect. As such, my advice would be to not expect it to happen. If we hear anything to the contrary, we’ll be sure to let everyone know.

We’re currently compiling feedback on the NBA Live 18 rosters to send along to the development team at EA Tiburon, so if you’d like to help out in creating a list of missing players, incorrect jersey numbers, and so on, be sure to check out this thread in the NLSC Forum. You can also check out some screenshots of various players in their new uniforms below.

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We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Start 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 other basketball video games. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the current controversies surrounding NBA 2K18, and the goodwill that Visual Concepts has lost.

I’ll admit that there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to write this column. I’ve already discussed the matter in Episode #223 of the NLSC Podcast and in the NLSC Forum, and I’d rather not sound like a broken record. Furthermore, it’s all too easy to come across like a hater, gleefully indulging in some opportunistic bashing simply because there’s a controversial issue that’s a hot topic at the moment. However, it is a big deal, and it’s something that we basketball gamers shouldn’t let slide. I am of course referring to the aggressive implementation of Virtual Currency in NBA 2K18.

By now, if you haven’t played NBA 2K18 and felt the sting of VC gouging, you’ve no doubt heard other basketball gamers expressing their outrage. Perhaps you’ve even read about 2K reaching out to a site that published a negative review, asking them to reconsider their score. These are disturbing and disheartening practices for a company that is the brand leader, with a vast majority of the market share. As a game, NBA 2K has gone from strength to strength in many aspects, stepping up to deliver great experiences on the virtual hardwood as the NBA Live series has faltered. That’s earned them the adoration of gamers, but right now, that goodwill lies in ruins.

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Episode #223 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane, Kenny, and myself as we offer up further impressions on NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, discuss some recent controversies, and comment on the Carmelo Anthony trade.

On this week’s show…

• Following on from our initial positive impressions, we continue to enjoy our experiences in NBA Live 18. There is still room for improvement however, and we’ve identified some issues that we definitely hope can be patched.
• We’re glad to see the new Nike Statement jerseys added to NBA Live 18, but the latest roster update leaves something to be desired. Hopefully, post-release support will be on point this year, once the season begins.
• Moving on to NBA 2K18, while we’re still liking the 5v5 gameplay and looking forward to MyLEAGUE, we’ve really soured on MyCAREER. 2K Pro-Am meanwhile proved to be a disaster last week, which is a shame given how much we enjoyed the mode in NBA 2K17.
• A lot of users has been losing their MyPLAYERs in NBA 2K18, which has been a tremendous pain for anyone who happened to purchase VC to upgrade them. A nasty bug has also caused problems with pre-order bonuses disappearing when creating new MyPLAYERs.
• Although NBA 2K18 has been receiving high scores from several publications as usual, some reviewers – and a lot of gamers – aren’t so enthusiastic. One review in particular has attracted controversy.
• We wrap up Episode #223 of the NLSC Podcast with a few thoughts on the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Is Melo a little underrated?

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:43:23 — 71.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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.

EA Sports has hooked us up with a few digital copies of NBA Live 18 to give away, so we’re tipping off our first contest for this basketball gaming season. For our first giveaway, there are two codes for PlayStation 4 and two codes for Xbox One up for grabs. Please note that the codes for PS4 are US region locked, while the codes for X1 are global. Our apologies for any inconvenience; we’ll try to sort out a global giveaway for PS4 at some point in the future.

To win, simply tell us about your favourite NBA Live game in 200 words or less, and let us know whether you’re after a PS4 or X1 version of NBA Live 18. There are two ways to enter:

1. Register an NLSC Forum account and reply to this topic.
2. Register an account and reply in the comments section of this news post (guest posts are not eligible).

I’ll pick four winners (two PS4, two X1) out of the entries that I like the best, and hook them up with a copy. Please note that it’s one entry per person, NLSC staff members are not eligible, and all decisions are final. If you miss out this time, we’ll be giving away a few more codes in the near future, so there will be another opportunity to snag a free copy of NBA Live 18. Once again, please also note that the codes we’ve been given for PlayStation 4 are US region locked, but the codes we have for Xbox One are global.

Entries close midnight October 1st, US Eastern time. Good luck, and get your entries in ASAP!

The winners have been drawn. Congratulations to shinron15, deihatein, Jarmonity. and Shuajota! Thanks to everyone who entered, stay tuned for more giveaways.

Patch 1.03 has come through for both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of NBA Live 18. A new in-game update is also available, adding new content and Live Event challenges. All of the latest updates should download automatically as long as your PS4 or X1 is connected to the Internet. If you encounter any problems, try restarting your console.

The most significant additions in these updates are probably the new Nike Statement jerseys (formerly known as alternate or secondary uniforms) for all 30 NBA teams. At launch, NBA Live 18 only featured the Association and Icon jerseys, formerly designated as the home and away uniforms respectively. Notably, a few home/away uniform assignments are actually incorrect in NBA Live 18, as not every team has chosen to wear their white Association jerseys for home games this season.

A new Celebrations Crate has also been added to The One. As the name suggests, it includes a selection of ten celebration animations for your player. The Crate will cost 12,500 Reward Points, which are earned through playing The One, LIVE Run, and the Pro-Am Tour. New Live Events have been added, including “Fear the Beard” and “What If: Melo Traded”. Finally, new rosters have also been pushed through, however a lot of recent signings are still unaccounted for at this time. We’ll be looking to compile some roster feedback in the Forum, to send along to the development team.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. I’ve also set up a discussion and information topic for the NBA Live 18 title updates here in our Forum, as well as an update history resource here in our Wiki. If you’d like to check out some screenshots of a few of the new Statement jerseys in NBA Live 18, see below.

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Episode #222 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane, Kenny, and myself as we offer up our initial impressions of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, and look ahead to the 2018 season of basketball gaming.

On this week’s show…

• After spending quite a bit of time with the demo, we finally have our hands on the full version of NBA Live 18. Pleasingly, the game is feeling like a significant step forward.
• Interestingly, WNBA Play Now has been a lot of fun, changing up the experience. It definitely feels like something to build upon.
• Ultimate Team could stand to be deeper, but there are a couple of nice features with the starter packs, based on your favourite team.
• Franchise needs some work, but may be worth checking out as well. All in all, NBA Live 18 is shaping up to be a good comeback for the series.
• Our initial impression of NBA 2K18 is that the NBA gameplay is a bit more fun than MyCAREER on the sticks, but it’s mostly some of the concepts that bug us. Starting from scratch again has us a little shook (sorry).
• The biggest gripes with NBA 2K18 so far? The VC gouging, and a bewildering change to free throw shooting for MyPLAYERs.
• Despite our complaints, there are some noticeable improvements to the gameplay, and other modes are looking good as well.
• There’s still a lot to sink our teeth into, but on the whole, we are looking forward to the next year of basketball gaming, in both NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:30:10 — 62.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five discusses five hopes that I have for the 2018 basketball gaming season.

As I noted earlier today, with the release of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, a brand new season of basketball gaming is now underway! My pre-order of NBA Live 18 downloaded a couple of days ago and then unlocked at midnight Australian Eastern Time, so I stayed up quite late playing the game and sharing some initial impressions on Twitter. As of this writing, the day one patch for the PlayStation 4 version of NBA 2K18 has just finished installing, and I’ve almost finished downloading the PC version on Steam as well. I anticipate that I have a big weekend of basketball gaming ahead of me.

With any luck, we’re all in for twelve months filled with fun basketball gaming experiences. I’ve felt optimistic about this year’s releases through most of the preview season, and I came away from both the NBA Live 18 demo and The Prelude to NBA 2K18 with some positive impressions. I’d like to spend more time with the full versions of both games before I offer up some in-depth impressions (and eventually, comprehensive reviews), but as I look ahead to the 2018 season of basketball gaming, I do have a few hopes for the experiences that will be on offer in this year’s releases.

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The wait is over! The preview season is officially done, and a new season of basketball gaming has begun, with the official release of NBA Live 18 and the Early Tip-Off Weekend pre-order release of NBA 2K18. As I mentioned in yesterday’s bulletin, our modding community is already gearing up to do some great things with the PC version of NBA 2K18, and we’ll also be looking to create other fun original content based around both games.

Whether you’re playing NBA Live 18, NBA 2K18, or both games, I invite everyone to join us for what will hopefully be a fun season of basketball gaming over the next twelve months. In the wake of both games being released, I’d just like to spotlight a couple of key discussion topics in the NLSC Forum:

NBA Live 18

• Impressions
• Bug Reports
• Ultimate Team Discussion
• User Videos
• User Screenshots

NBA 2K18

• Impressions
• Bug Reports
• User Videos
• User Screenshots
• Modding Progress & Tools

As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve added new sections for NBA 2K18 to our Downloads database, so if you want to get a head start on modding, there’s already a place to upload your work. Once again, I hope that our community makes good use of our upload facilities this year.

Speaking of making good use of our facilities, I’m also hoping to see lots of great discussion about NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18 in the Forum. Whether it’s mods, impressions, sliders, gameplay tips and advice, tales about the mode you’re playing, reactions to the in-game stories, or anything else about the games, don’t be shy. Join in the conversation today!

Rest assured that plenty of great mods and engaging original content are in the pipeline, so be sure to keep it locked to the NLSC throughout the 2018 basketball gaming season!

With the imminent release of NBA 2K18, it’s come time to add a few more sections to our Forum and Downloads database.

As we gear up for another season of creating great updates for the latest NBA 2K game, I’ve added a Modding section to the NBA 2K18 forums. That’s the place to post all releases, previews, requests, and any other topics related to modding the game. I’ve also prepared our Tutorials & FAQs section, where we’ll be compiling modding guides and other resources for NBA 2K18. Please note that the NBA 2K17 forums have now been moved to the Older Games section.

I’ve also added a new section to our Downloads database, so that we have a place to upload and list mods for NBA 2K18. This year we’re bringing back the Rosters section, so that modders can link to a release thread containing information about how to get their rosters via the in-game sharing function, as well as links to any required art packs. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we start seeing the first releases for this year’s game!

Since we are on the cusp of a new modding season, I would like to encourage modders to make use of our free upload facilities. I realise there are reasons why you may prefer to host files elsewhere and simply add them to our Downloads section via the external link option, but in the past couple of years, we’ve had to remove a lot of files due to broken links after only a few months. Please consider hosting or mirroring your files on the NLSC, or at least ensuring that your host of choice does not routinely remove uploads.

In addition to all the mods that our community creates, we’ll also be covering NBA 2K18 through our original content, including Monday Tip-Off, The Friday Five, YouTube videos, and of course, the NLSC Podcast. We’ll naturally be doing the same for NBA Live 18, so keep it locked to the NLSC for all your basketball gaming needs!

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m offering up some trivia about NBA Live 98 and NBA 2K18.

NBA Live’s hiatus officially ends this week with the release of NBA Live 18. From playing the demo and reading a couple of the early reviews, I would have to say that the game definitely still has room for improvement, but has also made some pleasing strides since its reboot in 2013. I’m quite looking forward to playing NBA Live 18, but the title does make me reflect on how long I’ve been a part of the community. Before I took over the NLSC, I remember visiting it and checking out the news when NBA Live 98 was the upcoming game. By the time the preview season for NBA Live 08 rolled around, I was covering it myself here on the NLSC.

Since NBA Live 18 will be out in a couple of days, I thought it might be fun to look back at the previous two NBA Live games that were set in a season ending in eight. I’ve already posted an in-depth retrospective of NBA Live 98, and one is in the pipeline for NBA Live 08 as well, but these are some quick trivia notes about both games that I hope you will enjoy. With that being said, let’s take a look back…way back…

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