Years you strayed from NBA Live for another product?

I came back to the Light Side this year and bought NBA Live 2008 (and kept it) and love it. I'm so happy EA is respectible again.

In all of my years playing EA Basketball games (since I was 9 in 1991), the only years I EVER used another product as my main game were during NBA Live 2003 (Steve Francis cover) and this past year, 2007 (with T-Mac). I think EA could advertise absolutely nothing but a roster update for Live and I'd always have interest for it upon release.

Truthfully the only thing I covet from the other series is the shot stick but that's not something that makes or breaks the game for me.

Just curious to see similar accounts from other die hard NBA Live fans.

Here is to hoping EA keeps trying as hard EVERY YEAR as they did this past year.

The only reason I have ever played Live, this millenium, is because of mods. ID and 2K on the consoles plz kthxbai.

That's cool... I never played inside drive before but I heard it was alright.

I've only really ever played the NBA Live series since NBA Live 95 but I've often given other NBA titles a look to see what they offered, notably a couple of games in the 2K series, Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, NBA Full Court Press and NBA Inside Drive 2000. While those others games have certainly had their strong points I've always preferred the NBA Live series at the end of the day and would rather see it improve than move to another series. I guess I just prefer EA Sports' approach to certain things (Freestyle compared to Isomotion, for example).

I'm a bit like you Andrew....a supporter since Live '95 days, & absolutely loved the series from '95 to 2000, but then when PC stopped being the focus, the game has never rekindled that form....2005 was solid & promising....I want to see Live return to its glory days....when it does, I'll be there ready to jump back on the ship

My friend bought 2008 for ps3, I thought it had some great moments but they always got countered by two bad ones, so I'm taking this year off as well. Tried 07, it sucked, never touched 06, never really liked 2005 too much. So 2004 was the last game I really played.

The worst thing for me is that I don't like the 2k games too much either, so I don't know if I have a bball game for me this year.

i played 2000, 03, 04, 05, and 07

i hate 04 with carter on cover

i like 2000, 05, and 07 - what i liked with 05 mainly was the graphics

Been playing EA games since Lakers versus Celtics but I finally took a year off this year. I have NBA street Homecourt for PS3 but no live. Maybe Ill get it later.

I played live because it's the only basketball game for PC. The games has been a down fall since 05 with way too many bugs and too unrealistic IA. 07 was just a messed, a waste of money and I don't think I even finized one game. O8 is better only because 07 was so horrible. I would perfer PC because I want to listen to my tv while I play game but I have to admit, I'm starting to lose interste in a hobby that I've enjoy for so long. I'll try to give 08 a try to see if some of these bugs can be fixed but it seems EA is more intersted in making a shitty product the buck than making a game that is playable. I mean 07 cpu's don't even sub in players..how can someone messed that up! NO we got the same sub issue in 08 where star players don't ever get sub! Sometimes I wonder if the creator even know what basketball is...oh well...what the hell...right..just another guy complaing about the same old shit ...

2k2 was a great game and better than Lives and 2K8 is far better than Live. I have no regrets, most of my problems with 2 K was Isomotion and the robotic feel. That has been greatly improved and modified to my liking. EA has an easier and less complex control scheme for gameplaying but 2K has a better gameplay experience. Isomotion is not as easy to grasp as FReestyle but the Game that 2K presents is AWESOME. iT FEELS SO MUCH BETTER AND NO ROBOTIC feeling when playing through an entire game. My view was very similiar to Andrews' but this year I switched. I will take the same approach next year and try both and pick the one that wins for me then too

I moved to 2K7 last year and i'm sticking to 2K8 this year also.

The ones I have on PC are 96,99,00, had 01, 03,05,06,07. PC stopped being the focus when 03 came out. What happened to face import, a PC only feature? I am really close to buying a PS3 (so I can have a good version) but will probably get 2K just to give a big F.U. to EA for taking my $50 with MOH:Airborne. A game that was over hyped, unfinished and failed to deliver. I guess It is my fault for pre-ordering an EA game. Should of learned not to do that after Live 07.

Face it EA will only port games from the 360 to PC from now on to make extra money. Thus leaving holes and bugs in the game.

Perhaps the new Games for Windows initiative is reason for hope, during the conference call with Peter Moore he stated that the PC remains an important platform but I guess we'll see whether that results in a greater focus on the PC version. Even if they had ported the Xbox 360 version to the PC this year, I would have much preferred it to the PS2 port we ended up with. It has its own issues of course but I'd rate it higher than the PC/PS2 version nevertheless.

I remember making a reply here, but the forums weren't working well, and it was lost.

I seem to defect every 2 years. Here is my pattern:

NBA Live: 2000, 2001
NBA Inside Drive: 2002, 2003
NBA Live: 2004, 2005
NBA 2K: 2006, 2007
NBA Live: 2008-Present

Looks like the next NBA 2K game I will buy will be NBA 2K10, or however they handle the title for 2010.

This year, and have last year's 2K7 (both college and NBA).

The 2K8 gameplay, feel and graphics are 10 times better (Xbox 360 mind you, as sports for the PC besides Madden is pretty much dead).

It will take a massive effort from EA's NBA Live team to win me back, the competition is just too solid.


EDIT:

And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, you're talking to someone that played Lakers vs. Celtics all the way up to the original PC games and beyond.

The market needs more sports video games to drive positive competition, which makes better games for the consumer overall.

Truth.

I bought a PS3 and got 2K8 for x-mas and love it.

um..i bought nba live 08 for pc this year..but when i got my 360..after a hard decision i decided to get nba 2k8..and i dont think i will have a problem with it

It's over. I'm done with this crap. I swore up and down that I'd download the game this year to test it out before wasting $30 but I broke down and bought it. I've played this series since Lakers v. Celtics and the last 2 years have been the absolute worst. The downhill slipping began after 2000 (year they introduced freestyle). How hard is it to let a target audience test the damned thing? I'm talking 30 year olds like me, not 10 year olds who care about "shoe patches. "

I mean, c'mon. No rebounding on free throws?????? Never facing the other basket when you're on offense and dribblingaway from your target basket????? The feel in the last 2 years is the worst it's ever been. I'm tempted to say it's all little stuff but it's not. Shitty graphics for the upteenth time? Shitty menu systems? No player lock??? (and even with the patch, you keep shifting players if you press pass on defense) No 5 on 5 internet play? Not more than 4 computer gamepads??? Outdated rosters with no rookies???

I'll give them the dunk contest, they nailed that 3 years ago but it's all old hat now.