The Annual NBA Live Traditions...

[EGarrett]

1. Someone will infer way too much from the first preview screenshots about the game, particularly that it will be nothing but a highlight reel because the first screenshots are of highlights. (check)

2. EA will claim some new graphics overhaul that makes players look better than ever. Whether it's implemented or not, it's usually forgotten within the first day or two of gameplay or the graphic changes are unnoticeable. See: Live 98, 2000, 2002, 2004...(check)

3. EA will claim to be including classic teams, only to retract it at some point due to either time or legal concerns. See: Live 96, 2000, 2001, 2004...(amazingly yet to happen)

4. There will be vague claims of specific updates to franchise mode, only to find that the changes are lazy and insignificant at best, and with one or two changes the mode is the same as last year. See: Live 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 (check)

5. Someone will guess that Michael Jordan will be the coverman for this year's game, before and after preview photos are released. See: Live 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004

6. EA will claim that signature moves have been implemented for specific players, but will never say exactly which players have them or how to execute them...and curiously no one will ever be able to get any of them to work until EA eventually admits that there are no signature moves. See: 98, 2000, 2002, 2003,

7. Someone will claim that they managed to put in each player's individual jump shot style...and will note that Peja Stojakovic's shot looks JUST like his real one. And when confronted with the reality that there is no such thing in the game and Peja's shot looks just like everyone else's...they will quietly slink away. See: Every preview forum for each Live since 2000...

8. EA will ignore wishlists and introduce a brand new gimmick that no one wanted or requested as the key feature for this year's version. It will be interesting but totally overpowered and make it far too easy to score. Until next year's version when it is neutered completely and replaced by the new gimmick. (check. See: The 2001 floater and post-up game, Freestyle control, The Pro Hop, Freestyle Air)

9. EA admits that last year's game had such and such major flaws that have no been perfectly fixed in this years game...and they have been improved...but the new engine now introduces some brand new massive flaw that they will claim to have fixed next year. See: Live 96, 97, 98, 99, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

10. Many, many people on the NLSC will listen to early reports of the flaws in the game and truly believe that EA will fix all of them in the two weeks between the console release and the PC release. (See: Every Live since the NLSC opened)

11. Most of those same people will also expect a patch from EA that fixes the flaws in the game...only to be heartbroken when none comes. (See: Live 2001, 2003, 2004)

12. Rebounding will be very messed up...but people like me will claim that it works perfectly in the first few days. (See: posts from me about Live 2002, 2003 shortly after their release)

13. Someone will confuse the early high-rendered concept shots with actual in-game footage See: Live 2000 (Tim Duncan and Jordan), 2001 (KG and Duncan), 2004 (Yao and T-Mac) etc... (check)

14. Someone will be shocked that they're STILL using those uncool "salary points" instead of actual dollars for franchise mode salaries, though EA is legally unable to use dollar salaries. (See: Live 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

15. I will play the game every day despite it's flaws. (95, 96, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04)

Others?

[madskillz]

This isnt a problem in Forums, anyone can talk about anything...

however, EA's best interest in making profit and market their NBA Live Serise. Here's why? They have all the time and technology to make a one hell of NBA games... Look at ESPN and NBA Ballers.

I promise you that there will be always something missing in the serise... it is their marketing strategy, that way we will buy their game each year hoping that it will be the best serise. EA puts just enough efforts to put smiles on our face for first 2 or 3 month into playing.

otherwize, what do we have to look forward to if they make it too perfect? They have to work HARDER to make it better than previous ones... get it? less work they put into current project, less work they put into to the next serise to come out with more upgrades.

Look around, No companies are really interested in your health or interests. its all about whats in our pocket. money money money...

[sixerfan03]

9. EA admits that last year's game had such and such major flaws that have no been perfectly fixed in this years game...and they have been improved...but the new engine now introduces some brand new massive flaw that they will claim to have fixed next year. See: Live 96, 97, 98, 99, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

No Doubt. There will never be a perfect game.



Here's One:

People will complain about the pace of the game.

[Mazzocchi]

3. EA will claim to be including classic teams, only to retract it at some point due to either time or legal concerns. See: Live 96, 2000, 2001, 2004...(amazingly yet to happen)

How come they can do it with Madden but they cant do it for NBA Live?
even if they have just their numbers as their names, that will be ok (liek madden)

[#12]

in madden, they have the numbers incorrect but its still better than nothing

[Bang]

Clap Clap Clap
EGarrett, you got all the points right.
*Curses NBA Live 2004 for not giving him an open path to the basket foul and resumes daily routine of playing it for 4 hours.*

[Nick]

Haha, it's so true EG... so true...

[Guest]

You forgot about the release date nonesence, when they claim the game is "IN SHOPS" when it not. In the US and Cananda there set, they get the game straight away. There was 6/8 weeks difference between the US release and here in the UK. Which in turn forced me to Download my own illegal copy, but i still went out and bought the game once it finally got its official UK rls

[Bang]

Why can't they just use fake names and fake team names (worst case scenario) for classic teams? That won't be too bad.
Ready to play with Charlse Barkli and Karim-Abdhul Javar?
I wouldn't mind that at all.
I think you forgot how they decrease/change the 50s~90s all stars...

[EGarrett]

Why can't they just use fake names and fake team names (worst case scenario) for classic teams? That won't be too bad.
Ready to play with Charlse Barkli and Karim-Abdhul Javar?
I wouldn't mind that at all.
I think you forgot how they decrease/change the 50s~90s all stars...

That would actually be great.

They can just leave the name field blank then let us change it if that's legally allowable.

Why not "C #33" on the 70's All-Stars and such.

And I really wouldn't mind if they had "Boston Team '86" and you could choose a throwback jersey for them from the game's list.

EA is so focused on what they legally can't do that they forget to try and see what they can do...

[Colin]

they have the C #33 thing in madden classic teams. And you can change them. But apparently some of the numbers they assigned were wrong, I don't know much about old school football but that's what I've heard. And all the Madden people bitch about some people having the wrong numbers, and about 2 other problems. They should be happy. [/end rant]

[Andrew]

They would still have to use generic cyberfaces that don't really resemble the actual people, and they wouldn't be able to use their name in the commentary or PA announcer audio. When it's all said and done, it wouldn't be that much different to creating the Legends ourselves - it would save us a little time with the creation, but the resulting players would be the same.

[Bang]

Well if you write it
Charlse Barklie
wouldn't the announcers just say "Charles Barkley"?
I don't know if this is legal...though - -;;
How come Winning keeps the faces similar but doesn't have issues?
In Winning Eleven they write Pele as Peli and Maradona as Marhadona or the like and they just say "Peli" and "Maradona"
They seem to have no problems.....except for Netherlands - -;;

[BIG GREEN]

2. EA will claim some new graphics overhaul that makes players look better than ever. Whether it's implemented or not, it's usually forgotten within the first day or two of gameplay or the graphic changes are unnoticeable. See: Live 98, 2000, 2002, 2004...(check)

I'll have to disagree with that one. While not marginal...the facial graphics improve every year. From a patcher's standpoint i can honestly make this claim: many of live's player faces improved alot last year compared to live 2003.

11. Most of those same people will also expect a patch from EA that fixes the flaws in the game...only to be heartbroken when none comes. (See: Live 2001, 2003, 2004)

They made a patch for live 2003 and 2004 that fixed atleast a couple things.

[EGarrett]

I'll have to disagree with that one. While not marginal...the facial graphics improve every year. From a patcher's standpoint i can honestly make this claim: many of live's player faces improved alot last year compared to live 2003.

Many cyberfaces...including Jason Kidd and Vince Carter...look awful in 2004 IMO.

[Andrew]

Well if you write it
Charlse Barklie
wouldn't the announcers just say "Charles Barkley"?
I don't know if this is legal...though - -;;
How come Winning keeps the faces similar but doesn't have issues?
In Winning Eleven they write Pele as Peli and Maradona as Marhadona or the like and they just say "Peli" and "Maradona"
They seem to have no problems.....except for Netherlands - -;;

They would still have to record the announcers and commentators saying "Charles Barkley", which they couldn't do without Charles Barkley's permission. As far as images go, they might be able to get away with a generic face that looks fairly similar.

Perhaps it's a different situation when it comes to current and former NBA players. Consider that the "Roster Players" (the Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley of NBA Live 97) were made to look different from their real life counterparts.

[EGarrett]

Is Erick Barkley still in the game?

I don't understand how that works. They can record the name "Barkley" if Erick Barkley is in the game...and they're allowed to have the pronunciation feature. So...are they supposed to try and disable the Barkley pronunciation when someone creates a player named Charles Barkley?

[Andrew]

I don't think Eric Barkley is still in the game. I do know that some Charles Barkley audio exists - if you create Barkley and change his PLAYERID, you can get the PA announcer to call him by his real name - but Marv and Mike will only ever call him by his number.

Of course, a text-to-speech engine would make things much easier.