Blocking Dunks/Layups isn't New at all

[malice_05]

This isn't a new feature implemented into the Live franchise y'all. Blocking dunks would be almost impossible but blocking lay-ups can be kind of easy if you time it right. EA shouldn't be putting so much shine to the "new feature" because it was already in the Live series.
Who agrees with me?

[Andrew]

It's not new, but it's an improvement over NBA Live 2003 where blocking dunks was virtually impossible, and blocking layups were not common enough. When a 6'0" guard drives into the lane where a 7 footer (let's say Shaq) is waiting, the chances of a layup being swatted away should be quite high. That's not the case in Live 2003.

Improvements to blocks are worth mentioning but you're right, it's not a brand new feature.

[33]

The blocks in 2003 ? who said that...no, there were some moves wich could be compared with blocks but there wasn't that feeling of jumping in the air saying "not in my house" and block that ball !

In the 2003 they all wanna do some topten blocks...that was ridiculous !
Impossible to block a dunk and blocking a layup was a rare thing.
I hope they fixed that in the 2004. Yao blocking a Bryant dunk is a very goog thing !

In the 2001, that was possible. So yes, bring that feature back in the live series.

[Metsis]

This has been a problem with Live games throughout the series.

In the early versions you could always block a dunk if you were standing in the right spot... And that was dumb. Then there were the games that had no blocks and then they implemented the jumping system with different verticals and all hell broke loose again...

Finding the balance will take it's time, but they are working on it...

Same goes for steals by the way... In other games you get tons and then next year you hardly get any.

In Live 2003 the stealing was a defensive method basically for the AI and blocking for the player...

[EGarrett]

There a few things that need to be addressed for them to increase the realism in the lane...

First of all, players verticals need to be taken into account when shooting or doing layup animations...right now players jump different heights when trying to block shots but when shooting or doing a layup/dunk animation they jump the same height. In Live 2001 this mattered more but it was difficult to time your shot release with each player spending a different amount of time in the air...so I think they took it out.

When Vince Carter or 90's Michael Jordan go into the lane...whether dunking or laying the ball up, they should be way up in the air, where most defenders can't even get to the shot. When John Stockton drives to the basket, no matter which animation he is doing, he shouldn't leave the ground much at all. The layup rating I always suggest would, of course, also control which actual animations the player was capable of doing around the basket.

This way, even if players automatically go into animations when driving to the basket...most players will get their shot swatted regardless. On jump shots, if they introduce a jump-and-shoot animation and a set-shooting animation, that each had the same release timing...they could make certain players require more space and time to get their shot off...so players like Steve Kerr would really have to be open and guys like Kobe could shoot off of dribble moves.

It also would be interesting if players could have customizable arm lengths to go with their body models. Nothing too complicated...just 1 (Kevin Willis, Yao Ming)...2...(average)...and 3...(lanky, like Mutombo or Ben Wallace). That would make a big difference in shot blocking...and since arm length is always something commentators talk about when evaluating players it should be included.

Hopefully that made sense...