Tag Archives: The One

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 discussion of whether 99 Overall ratings should be possible to attain in NBA Live and NBA 2K.

Few aspects of the core gameplay experience in basketball video games cause quite as much controversy as overall ratings. They cause heated debates and much frustration when a player’s overall appears to be too high or too low, or otherwise incorrect when compared to other players. It’s all too easy to place too much emphasis on them, even though the individual ratings are more important, and the formula for calculating the overalls often makes it difficult to get every player’s rating to be “perfect”. However, although they can be problematic and even unclear, they are an important mechanic.

A debate that I’ve seen come up more than a few times over the years is whether or not any player deserves the maximum rating of 99 Overall. Not counting some of the boosted cards in Ultimate Team and MyTEAM, only a few players have reached that level in NBA Live and NBA 2K over the years, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson. It’s also become a prominent goal to reach in NBA 2K’s MyCAREER, emphasised by NBA 2K18’s Road to 99. Few things make a player stand out in a video game quite like boasting a maxed out overall rating, but the question remains: should 99 Overall be possible in the first place?

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EA Sports has released a new NBA Live 19 trailer, spotlighting the authentic courts from around the globe that will be featured in The Streets. The trailer prominently features Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, who confirmed on Twitter that he is part of the NBA Live Squad, and will therefore have a presence in the mode. Cover player Joel Embiid also appears in the trailer.

The featured venues shown in the trailer are Quai 54, Rio De Janerio, The Tenement, The Cage, Cherashore Playground, Drew League, Venice Beach, Barry Farms, Kezar Pavilion, Hoop Dome, Margaret Hie Ding Lin Park, Dyckman Park, Seattle Pacific University, and Rucker Park. You can check out some profiles and screenshots of the venues here over on the official NBA Live 19 website.

Check out the trailer below, or catch it here on YouTube.

What are your impressions of the Global Courts trailer? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

GameStop’s pre-order listing for NBA Live 19 has revealed some new details about the game. There will be a new commentary team of Ed Cohen and Jay Williams, with new dialogue being added throughout the season. The story in The One will apparently begin in high school, and Big Moments return as part of The League.

There will also be a handful of in-game pre-order bonuses, based around cover player Joel Embiid. These include signature shoes, a jersey, a custom court, and more. See below for all the info that’s been revealed by GameStop’s store listing.

Speaking of Joel Embiid, a cover reveal trailer has also been released. ThaLiveKing posted several high resolution screenshots from the trailer in our Forum. You can watch the trailer below, as well as check out all of the screenshots.

Finally, Gaming Trend recently spoke with NBA Live 19 Creative Director Connor Dougan. Connor discussed some of the key improvements and new features in this year’s game, from Real Player Motion technology and dynamic AI to clothing and the player progression system in The One.

As always, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in the NBA Live 19 section of the NLSC Forum!

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Episode #254 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and myself as we discuss the cover leak for the Standard Edition of NBA 2K19, the situation with NBA Playgrounds 2, and our plans for this year’s games. Our Week in Basketball Gaming also returns, along with some other fun topics.

On this week’s show…

• It seems the NBA 2K19 Standard Edition cover has been leaked, with Giannis Antetokoumpo being the featured player. We discuss the choice, and the situation with the Early Tip-Off Weekend being exclusive to the 20th Anniversary Edition.
• NBA Playgrounds 2 was indefinitely postponed a month ago, and we still haven’t heard anything further. Is there any big announcement that could feasibly make up for the lack of hype?
• What are our plans for NBA Live 19 and NBA 2K19 when they’re released in September?
• HAWK23 has made a welcome return to the community, and is currently looking at fixing up the links for the Ultimate Base Roster for NBA 2K12 and NBA 2K14 PC.
• We reflect once again on our own history with modding, and why we don’t mod as much as we used to. We’re not shutting the door on the idea, though.
• If an NBL 2K or NBL Live game were ever to be released, what would it be like? We have some fun with the idea.
• We wrap up Episode #254 of the NLSC Podcast with a short discussion of the NBA Draft, and the (latest) Dwight Howard trade.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:28:34 — 60.9MB)

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Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

With the trailer giving us our first glimpse of NBA Live 19 in action, we also have some initial details about the game. The official website has posted several informative articles, and media outlets such as SBNation and The Undefeated are also providing an insight into what’s new.

There’s a lot to digest from the articles, and I encourage you to read them in full, but I’ll summarise them as best I can. This year, we’ll be able to build a squad of current and former NBA players, while competing for rank and rewards. The One has been revamped with a new progression system, with Icon abilities based on real players past and present. This works independently of the Playstyles, Traits, and so forth, which are still in effect. A new story has also been implemented this year.

On top of that, The One has gone global in NBA Live 19, with The Streets World Tour. This involves playing on courts from around the world, and recruiting players for your squad. A new narrative system has been added to The League, for those who prefer the NBA side of things. There are also more hairstyles, tattoos, and other player creation elements.

Gameplay has also been a focus this year. Real Player Motion technology has been implemented to improve player movement and animations. This includes a lot of signature player animations compared to recent years. Right stick dribbling remains, but has been enhanced. There are new triple-threat moves, and one-on-one play has been improved at both ends, including playing off-ball. New AI also focuses on bringing more realism and dynamic play to NBA Live 19.

Finally, there will be a demo again this year. We’ll be able to download it on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 24th, ahead of the September 7th release.

The official NBA Live website has also provided us with a handful of screenshots, and a preliminary features list. Be sure to check them out below. What are your thoughts on what we’ve learned about NBA Live 19 so far? Have your say in the comments section below, and join in the discussion taking place in the newly opened NBA Live 19 section of the NLSC Forum!

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We have our first teaser screenshot for NBA Live 19, via the official NBA Live Instagram account. The screenshot features a variety of current and former NBA players posing on a street court, with the Legends wearing their throwback jerseys. WNBA player Maya Moore and NBA Street character Stretch are also notably among the players in the screenshot.

While there’s still a lot to learn about NBA Live 19, this obviously confirms the presence of NBA Legends, at least one NBA Street character, and WNBA players in this year’s game. It remains to be seen what capacity Legends and WNBA players will appear in throughout the game, but if nothing else, it seems as though they’ll be present in The Streets. From the screenshot, and other teasers from the developers on Twitter, it seems that international street courts will also be featured this year.

NBA Live 19’s presence at EA Play 2018 will allow us to find out more about the game very soon. Details are expected to be revealed during EA’s press conference, which will begin in about eleven hours. You can stream it live here on YouTube, or watch it below once it begins.

You can also check out the full size teaser screenshot below. What do you make of the teaser? What are you hoping or expecting to hear about NBA Live 19 during EA’s press conference? Have your say in the comments section below, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum.

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Episode #251 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I as we follow up on some more snippets about NBA Live’s future, and discuss a couple of topics suggested by listeners. We also catch up on what we’ve been doing on the virtual hardwood, and talk about the 2018 NBA Finals.

On this week’s show…

• A recent Polygon article has gone into a little more detail about the future of NBA Live, with additional quotes from Seann Graddy. We discuss what he might have meant when talking about the goal of appealing to a “new, younger demographic”.
• What are our expectations in terms of demos for NBA Live 19 and NBA 2K19? Are they likely to be any different to recent demos and The Prelude DLC?
• Is it likely that we’ll ever see a Free-to-Play basketball game, similar to Fortnite?
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming included a couple of tough but satisfying victories in Ultimate Team, as well as success in LIVE Events. We also spent time with The One, checked out the community uploads in MyLEAGUE, and played with the All-Time Teams.
• We wrap up Episode #251 of the NLSC Podcast with a quick recap of the Conference Finals, and our thoughts on the 2018 NBA Finals so far.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:00:39 — 41.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

Episode #246 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I as we talk about content updates for NBA Live 18, NBA 2K developers soliciting feedback on Twitter, questions regarding NBA Playgrounds 2’s release date, and more, including another week in basketball gaming and the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

On this week’s show…

• A new roster has come through for NBA Live 18, and while it’s welcome, it also highlights how the official updates need to improve. Some of the new content in Ultimate Team has also sparked controversy among NBA Live gamers, though it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
• Beluba has been soliciting feedback for NBA 2K19 through Twitter polls. We’re pleased to see those efforts, though the voting has been a little surprising so far.
• Pre-order information for NBA Playgrounds 2 mentions a May release. As we note, that isn’t Summer anywhere on Earth.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming has centred on NBA Live 18, as we take a momentary break from NBA 2K18. Instead of MyCAREER and 2K Pro-Am, it’s all about The One and Ultimate Team for us right now.
• We wrap up Episode #246 of the NLSC Podcast with our usual chat about real basketball, including the ongoing 2018 NBA Playoffs and LeBron James’ future.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:43:40 — 71.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I for a discussion of the latest basketball gaming news, including NBA Live 18’s digital sales on PlayStation 4, a new branding opportunity for EA Sports, the aftermath of the NBA 2K League Combine, and our inaugural March Modness event. Also, the word “obviously” is overused. Obviously.

On this week’s show…

• We tip off Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast with the story behind our new design, specifically how it came to be launched earlier than expected.
• Our inaugural March Modness event is underway! New mods will be coming throughout the month of March, and modders have a chance to win a copy of either NBA Live 19 or NBA 2K19, just by releasing new work.
• NBA Live 18 is currently among the most popular titles in the PSN Store, indicating strong digital sales on PS4. Clearly, the discounts have been working as far as getting more people to try out the game.
• EA Sports are also partnering with SportsCrate. We discuss the promising nature of the commercial partnerships in NBA Live 18, and what it means for the recovering strength of the brand.
• And then there were 250! The top players from the NBA 2K League Combine have advanced to the next round, but will it have any affect on us casual 2K Pro-Am gamers?
• We wrap up Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which included another session of 2K Pro-Am where nothing was going right, and hitting The Streets with a brand new player in NBA Live 18.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:15:55 — 52.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

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 way basketball gaming has changed in recent years, and whether the traditional approach has become outmoded.

Basketball video games have obviously been around for a long time, bringing great enjoyment to people who love both the sport and gaming. Compared to other sports, basketball has proven to be a little harder to accurately represent in a video game, with so many variables affecting the level of realism. While arcade-oriented games often still hold up thanks to their casual approach, sim-oriented titles tend to show their age. Whether it’s the shot distribution, scores that are too high or too low, a lack of realistic strategy, or a shallow season mode experience, a lot of classic games do leave something to be desired, as much fun as we had with them when they were new.

Fortunately, basketball gaming has improved in leaps and bounds over the years. From deep and engaging modes to smarter AI and more realistic gameplay, we’ve been able to enjoy experiences on the virtual hardwood we could only dream of all those years ago. However, it feels as though basketball games have set a new course in recent years, shifting away from the experience that we’ve traditionally wanted. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it’s important that the games keep up with changing trends and demographics, but as we discussed in Episode #236 of the NLSC Podcast, it sometimes feels like traditional basketball gaming is coming to an end.

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Episode #232 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I as we discuss some promising news regarding NBA Jam, the appeal of playing and modding old games, our past week in basketball gaming, and recent events in the real NBA.

On this week’s show…

• Legendary NBA Jam announcer Tim Kitzrow posted a Tweet suggesting that a new NBA Jam game might be on the horizon. With the game celebrating its 25th Anniversary, a rare version may also be made available (licensing issues permitting).
• If there is a new NBA Jam game, what features and improvements would we like to see?
• When it comes to video games, it’s fun to revisit old favourites. It’s something many of us have done from time to time, but what is the appeal of playing – and indeed, modding – old basketball games?
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming has been all about NBA Live 18, from LIVE Events and The League to Ultimate Team. We also talk about whether we need a bit of an extended break from NBA 2K18.
• We wrap up Episode #232 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA chatter, including the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent struggles, some thoughts on a few other teams, and the latest All-Star voting results.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:24:30 — 58.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

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 recent Star Wars: Battlefront II events that were available in NBA Live 18.

As you may know, EA Sports recently introduced some crossover content in its sports titles, promoting the upcoming release of Star Wars: Battlefront II. For NBA Live 18, this took the form of Live Events challenges, all of which take place on a fictional Star Wars-themed court (located in Orlando, of course), with various Battlefront II-inspired gear and accessories available in the reward crates. As it stands, there’s currently a last call for the Battlefront II Challenge, giving gamers one final chance to earn some Inferno Squad-themed gear for their players to wear in The Streets.

I must admit that with all the grinding I’ve been doing to improve my NBA 2K18 MyPLAYER for 2K Pro-Am, I haven’t taken part in as many Live Events in NBA Live 18 as I’d like. However, having caught the trailer for the Battlefront II events, I wanted to make sure that I at least played a game or two before the promotion was over. The fictional court certainly looked cool, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to stock up on some extra gear for my player to wear in The Streets. As such, I jumped online in NBA Live 18 last week, and managed to take part in a few games.

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Episode #226 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane, Kenny, and myself as we discuss the latest updates for NBA Live 18, NBA 2K18, and NBA Playgrounds, recount our recent basketball gaming experiences, and look ahead to the 2018 NBA season.

On this week’s show…

• New rosters have been released for NBA Live 18, accounting for recent transactions and adding new classic uniforms for eight teams. With the 2018 season right around the corner, we hope that EA will remain on the ball with forthcoming updates.
• Patch 1.04 has been released for NBA 2K18. It’s a substantial update and addresses a lot of issues, but unfortunately, it’s caused a lot of problems as well. Bewilderingly, it’s also nerfed certain VC rewards even further.
• NBA Playgrounds has received a hotfix that addresses an issue with the previously released Roster Unlock DLC. Once again, we reflect on how the game has evolved since launch, and whether paid DLC is a wise approach given the circumstances.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming included our best session of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K18 so far, further progress in MyCAREER and The One, and a bit of Ultimate Team.
• The 2018 NBA season tips off next week! We’ve felt a bit jaded and disillusioned in recent years, so we’re hoping that the upcoming campaign will be a fun and exciting one that we can really get into.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:53:04 — 77.7MB)

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.

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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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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