NBA LIVE 09 Community Event Report - PART 1 |
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Written by Paul Miles
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Thursday, 10 July 2008 |
I can finally reveal some of the details from the NBA Live 09 community event.
There is huge news to follow in Part 2, which I understand I will be able to post after E3, but for now this will have to wet your appetite !!!!
The community event gave us the oppurtunity to get an extremely in depth look at the new game, with the producers present to walk us through, answering questions along the way and ample “play time” with an early version of the game itself so that we could get a feel for what EA are trying to achieve and give our feedback on what we thought could be improved/added to the finished product.
For starters, the game has a complete new engine to that of its predecessors, with EA citing that great emphasis has been placed on completely revamping the core gameplay. The producers made it very clear that they weren't at all happy with Live 08 and felt it very necessary to rebuild the series from the ground up for this years title, something I felt was evident right from the outset.
The first glimpse we got was the pre menu screen where last year you could take a player of your choice and practice shooting/dunking etc on an empty court. This time round, it is set in the NBA academy (one of the new in game features). The academy is two practice courts decked out in the team of your choosings colours. This time round, there are other players on court along with coaching staff and some other cool items too......I will talk more about the academy feature a little later.....
The player likenesses on court, as last year are very very good but obviously improved upon. EA have worked on the fabric of the uniforms so much that the jerseys/shorts move independantly from the player and when you notice it, you will be impressed !!! Player animations themselves have been given a complete overhaul and we were informed that many more signature shots and animations would be included this time around. Collision animations are also much hyped and on playing the game, I would have to agree its looking good.
Ball physics are a lot more realistic now and the producers know how important this one is. In the version we played, I still felt the ball sometimes seemed like it was sucked into the basket, along with a couple of other problems. We were told that there were some known bugs but EA assured us these would be ironed out for the final version. Overall I was impressed with the improvement of the ball physics, but I am not sure if you get the same realism as you do with the ball physics in the Fifa games for example. I will wait for the finished title before I pass judgement !!!!
One of the most exciting aspects of Live 09 is that you can now really play some defence. I believe it should put an end to the dunkfests of past NBA Live games. You really have to play the ball around to get open looks now which is not something the Live series has conveyed in the past. With the ability to close your man down or step back with push of a stick, in the version we played, it really made for some interesting contests especially around the key. I was slightly disappointed with the defence on double teams, as I felt the second man didn't do anything apart from come over and stand there, obviously we hope that that is a fixable bug as opposed to a permenant problem. Check out the features list further down the page for more defensive news.
The passing system is far smoother now, with far superior animations which was pleasing to the eye, especially from throw to reception. Again in the early version that we played, there were times when the passing was too accurate, for example full court, but again is something EA are aware of and will continue to tweak until the game is shipped.
Rebounding was a huge problem for me in Live 08 and I am pleased to announce that it is close to 100% better this time round. I witnessed players aggressively climbing for boards, something that was clearly absent last year. The only problem I had with rebounding was that it was far too easy to grab the offensive rebound after a free throw. That happened with far too much frequency for my liking.
The low post game is far more realistic, in 08 it was too easy to dominate with more or less any player. This will not be the case this time around, with player effectiveness in the post being more attribute based.
Each year these titles are released, many people bring up the fact that there are never enough differences in style of play and gameplan of CPU teams. This may no longer be an issue but you will have to wait for me to elaborate on that one in Part 2.
Those that know me are aware I am a big audio/visual presentation fan. I was disappointed to learn that in 09 they have removed the team starting lineup announcements. Instead, a more refined version takes its place focusing on the “star” of the team. While not a major issue, I really wish that rather than taking good things out, they would just keep adding to it. I find myself saying “oh well, maybe next year” a lot when it comes to this topic. Another blow was the lack of half time or post game analysis, these things vex me greatly. They all add to the authenticity in my book...... Oh well, maybe next year !!!!
On a positive note, the crowd in the arena have been improved so that they will be louder in clutch situations and playoff games than they would normally. There are now many more different character models in the crowd including mascots and cheerleaders creating less “deja vu” moments as you survey the arena.
Dynasty mode
The Dynasty mode takes its usual shape, but with some cool added extras.
When you first pick your team of choice, you will choose a “team direction” I thought this was a great addition, from Up and coming to competitive to rebuilding, each category with its own set of objectives and awards.
Next you will hire your staff members from scouts to coaches. These can then be upgraded using points earned during your season. The upgrades are in a tree format with each one leading to several new possibilities. One of which we saw was increased free agency interest.
On the main page of dynasty mode is a scrolling window displaying news from around the league in your dynasty mode. These included teams looking to trade, injuries, rookies available in the draft and player of the month.
Pre season draft camp provides you the oppurtunity to carry out drills and challenges on draft picks aqquired from a full working draft, in the NBA academy to see if they will cut it in your organisation.
I think these are positive steps toward making the dynasty mode a more original experience.
New Features
NBA Academy:
The academy is a fully operational practice facility, where you can converse with a number of coaching staff and take up specific challenges related to offense/defense. By completing challenges you will unlock further, tougher challenges. Completing these will count toward your overall “completion of NBA Live 09. The producers also pointed out some gym equipment around the facility which in the finished version should be interactive too.
There is also a large TV screen on the wall of the academy which will play any saved replays you may have gathered in game. In fact the replay system has been completely overhauled, giving you the ability to save highlights and screenshots/photos, edit them and then upload them to EA's ever growing Easportsworld site to showcase your talents or lack there of if you so wish !!!!
Quickstrike ankle breakers:
By holding the L trigger and moving the R stick, you can perform fake outs, on the spot skill moves
and dribbles to try and make a defender commit, once he makes his move if performed correctly, you will blow past him leaving him completely wrongfooted.
I was concerned that this would be too easy to do, but am pleased to say that it isn't. With the new defensive gameplay element (see Lockdown D), it will really be a challenge to wrongfoot a player with good defensive capabilities.
Pick and roll control:
Another good addition whereby you can, at the push of a button, call a second man over to execute a pick and roll. Once you master the mechanics of this one, which you can in the academy, it will really help you to create some very attractive offensive plays. Once you call the second man over you have the option to use him as a screen and drive the lane, pick and roll or try a pop up jumper.
This was a very enjoyable feature to use and although someone playing good D can scupper your plans, you will be creating a highlight reel sooner rather than later.
Signature play calling:
Simple but effective, this feature replaces the “named” plays in your playbook with plays for a specific player instead. When you bring up plays to choose from, you will see the players name making it much easier to pick out the man you want, when you want.
Lockdown D:
By holding the left trigger on D, you will face the oncoming ball carrier and now you have the ability to play back or push the right stick foward to get in his face. So for example for a good 3 shooter, you can really get on him to close down his view to the basket or in the case of a speedy PG, you can play back and wait for him to make his move. It is also worth noting that if you choose to close a player out by thumbing the R stick up, you can easily back off again by thumbing the R stick down.
This feature was certainly one of the most popular with the community leaders during the event, and rightly so. Using this feature really gives you the feel that you are playing on court defence, rather than just trying to block your man from running past. A huge step in the right direction for the defensive side of the game for sure.
FIBA :
24 international teams are available to play with in the game too, with authentic rosters and jerseys, so those of you that will be watching the hoops in Beijing this Summer will be able to recreate those matchups.
Be A Pro:
NBA Live 09 will incorporate the same style Be a Pro mode that Fifa introduced, whereby you will play as one specific player, earning points for playing well in that players position. I am a big fan of this mode as it gives you a whole new way to play each game, so this can only be a success.
Overall I am very enthused by what I saw at the community event, enough to say that I will be definitely picking up this title on the release date........There are other reasons for that definitive statement and I promise to reveal all in part 2 !!!!
Paul Miles
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 July 2008 )
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