why are the graphics getting worse each year?

dude the graphics this year are not good and since 03 its gone down. WHY?

yet the gameplay keeps getting better, how odd.

I think its just adaption, I've adapted to 05's graphics and they seem normal now

It's not so bad when you're in press box view. You don't really see their faces, but the game could use some improvement in the lighting department.

From seeing screenshots (as Live doesn't work on the hunk of junk I'm using right now) the graphics keep getting better. They took a step back in some facets this year (most notably jerseys) but only because they shrunk the resolution. If you take a look at the faces this year, and the faces from 2004 and 2003 and honestly think they're getting worse you're way too picky. They may not be improving much, but they're not getting worse by any means.

There should be no arguement about the graphics being worse this year... this isn't a matter of opinion as it would be if we were comparing 2003 and 2004 .... and 2004's graphics are great if you have a decent card... 2004 is one of the best graphically and Gameplay wise.... 2005 is horrible even on PS2 the graphics are worse... wish I'd known before I bought it... and if you play on TV -out 2004 looks exactly like ps2.... whereas 2005 looks ok it's even worse on the high Reso. Monitor .. I'm completely disappointed... looks like ESPN 2k5 will win the basketball title this year ... EA still has the best football game though

The textures last year looked sharper then this year, however the models look ALOT better in Live 2005 Imo.

I'm assuming by this being a new engine that next years will be more along the lines of NBA Street Vol. 3 and with the extra time much better than it looks at present time. You might not like the graphics but that's not as important as gameplay and that certainly doesn't disappoint, and why would you buy a game solely on graphics. $40 for graphics, I don't know about that.

i think the player models look a bit fat in Live. they don't have those athletic builds. why can't they just build a completely new graphic engine?

i think the player models look a bit fat in Live.

not really all the players but some of the do look fat(Aroyyo)

The cyberfaces are good this year. They just look terrible when lighting is on.