NBA Live 11 News Post

Mike Wang Has Left EA Canada and the NBA Live Development Team

06:11 PM - February 1, 2010 by BrianFifaFan

NBA Live 11 has just taken an incredible blow.

Quote:


	"Mike Wang has left EA Canada and the NBA LIVE development team and will be heading back to the United States. I wanted to take this opportunity to personally thank Mike for his contributions during the 18 months that he was working on NBA LIVE. His vision and leadership within gameplay on NBA LIVE 10 was part of the reason why that game was critically reviewed as having taken a tremendous leap in quality and at least as good as any other basketball game on the market. Our goals for NBA LIVE 11 are simple. We want to be one of the best sports games on the market � on par with franchises like NHL, FIFA and Madden. In the coming months, we will show you just how we will do that. I wish Mike and his family the best of luck. Sean O�Brien"

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Member Comments

# 41 stephensonmc @ 02/01/10 09:37 PM

Hello my friends, It's nice to see all of you.

One thing I can say, and this thread has proved it, is that you guys are THE most passionate group of community members I've ever seen. When I see this kind of passion, I can't help but feel good about the future of this business.

We laid the groundwork last year on what true community engagement for the benefit of the product was, and I thank you guys for that.

With that said, please settle down guys, poor blackflash (horrible name homie) is not doing lip service at all, he's speaking from his heart -- recognize this please.

That's not to say that I don't feel where you guys are coming from -- really, I do. Everyone here knows what Mike brings to the table so I'm not going to spend my time pumping him up (I'm sure he'd like that -- you know I'm kidding man

).

There's absolutely no reason to jump to conclusions, or think of crazy scenarios that may have taken place -- you don't know, so why make yourselves crazy? In this business, people make decisions. Chalk this one up to that my friends.

It's not fair to Mike, or the people working on NBA LIVE that you all know and love (iminurbase, santos, etc.) to speculate their present, future or even past situations. I consider alot of you guys on this board my friends. I've spoken to alot of you guys offline, and trust me, I've missed talking with all of you.

We made that commitment over a year ago to give you all of us, and we asked nothing in return. What I'm about to ask from you now is going back on that. Please, if you can, try not to speculate about things. I KNOW how this news is to you guys, I get it. Let everything come out in the wash and make informed, confident decisions for YOU guys and noone else.

I hope you guys are doing well, CV -- you're an animal

BS -- you're a homer (j/k)
23 -- keep the peace my man

I wish I could name you all, but that'd take too long!

I REALLY shouldn't be posting this...

Take care,
Marcus

P.S. -- and please don't say "RIP Marcus," it kind of freaked me out when I read that.

# 42 BroMontana82 @ 02/01/10 09:39 PM

i'm not a live fan at all but this only bad for 2k fans if live starts going down hill. live stepping it's game up only makes 2k respond and raise their own bar. competition is key to making both games better. but yeah, maybe 2k's big news for tomorrow is that wang is coming back.

# 43 noshun @ 02/01/10 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephensonmc


	I REALLY shouldn't be posting this... Take care, Marcus

Marcus,
Just out of curiousity.. and for CV's sake. Why is it that you guys can show up for this thread, but have NO presence in the FReezing thread for NCAA 10 Basketball? I mean there is so much frustration with that game... and yet the only statement from EA's part is that "There will be no patch", and thats months ago. There was no follow up whatsoever on EA's part to address the many concerns that people that own that game have problems with.
I dont know the specifics given for what you guys are allowed to comment on, but man.. the game dropped, and any EA presense was no where to be found. I just found it odd.

# 44 stephensonmc @ 02/01/10 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noshun


	Marcus, Just out of curiousity.. and for CV's sake. Why is it that you guys can show up for this thread, but have NO presence in the FReezing thread for NCAA 10 Basketball? I mean there is so much frustration with that game... and yet the only statement from EA's part is that "There will be no patch", and thats months ago. There was no follow up whatsoever on EA's part to address the many concerns that people that own that game have problems with. I dont know the specifics given for what you guys are allowed to comment on, but man.. the game dropped, and any EA presense was no where to be found. I just found it odd.

I have no idea noshun, I don't work on that game, nor do I work on NBA LIVE -- i just came in this thread as a bystander knowing more than you guys do about the situation, but that's still very little.

# 45 rockchisler @ 02/01/10 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephensonmc


	I have no idea noshun, I don't work on that game, nor do I work on NBA LIVE -- i just came in this thread as a bystander knowing more than you guys do about the situation, but that's still very little.

Noshun If you been on here paying attention the last few months you would know the answer why Marcus has not commented on NCaa ....

# 46 noshun @ 02/01/10 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephensonmc


	I have no idea noshun, I don't work on that game, nor do I work on NBA LIVE -- i just came in this thread as a bystander knowing more than you guys do about the situation, but that's still very little.

Ah gotcha.. turn two & carry on then. My Navy days crept in there...

# 47 green94 @ 02/01/10 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephensonmc


	P.S. -- and please don't say "RIP Marcus," it kind of freaked me out when I read that.

lol, you are missed Marcus!!

# 48 BiggD @ 02/01/10 10:11 PM

Good to hear from you Marcus... its a really sad day, LIVE was just turning the corner with you,Mike,Ryan Etc. I really believe given more time you guys could have really turned out some amazing b-ball titles...but such is life

looks like i'm gonna have to get used to 2k's controls again(no fun at all)

# 49 Guffers @ 02/01/10 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Court_vision


	Honestly man...I hate going hard on this. But the way EA has completely deserted NCAA basketball is a disgrace. I am just the idiot who's bothering to keep posting the "freezing" thread as a reminder. A lot of the other guys have just given up on EA and your basketball games. You've got a game that freezes...and no producer or salesman in sight. Yet, here's a potentially negative thread...and what a surprise, Flash is here and you've even shown up. What does that say? Like I said, I'm just the idiot who's mentioning the freezing. The others are the guys who won't be buying your basketball game in 11.

Yep the ignoring of the freezing is getting a little rediculous now. If NCAA had been given decent post release support then I can say with almost absolute certainty that people here would not be so inclined to proclaim that the sky is falling.

Just one decent patch to address the freezing and a few minor gameplay niggles...Just one patch and you guys could have avoided some of the negative feeling around your basketball games right now.

Personally I think NBA Live has taken great strides. But there is no way in hell I'm purchasing it new this year. It could be the greatest basketball game in history, I'll still buy it used. Why? Because I, like a lot of people here, feel like I've been taken for a ride.

I'm sorry for labouring this point in this thread but we can't get any response any other way. The freezing thread has sat there in the NCAA forum for months now, growing steadily and still being ignored.

# 50 krazyboy225 @ 02/01/10 10:29 PM

Dont overreact guys..
Yes mike is gone
Yes he is missed.
He is still just one guy... get over it.

# 51 fsufan4423 @ 02/01/10 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krazyboy225


	Dont overreact guys.. Yes mike is gone Yes he is missed. He is still just one guy... get over it.

Don't overreact guys..= Live will be better next year

Yes mike is gone= He moved on to better things

Yes he is missed.=We have a great team in place

He is still just one guy... get over it.= So is LeBron to this Cavs I guess

# 52 Pared @ 02/01/10 10:50 PM

krazyboy is actually right. The overreaction is phenomenal.

It takes more than one person/two people to make/break things.

And let's not all pretend the staff in place don't all have a different way of looking at game development after last year. These guys deserve a lot more credit than they're being given.

Go look at the credits for Live '10. Way more than one or two names but if you'd read this forum you'd never know that.

# 53 Tomba @ 02/01/10 11:09 PM

No worries if NBA live 11 loses it's editing capabilities tombasports opens up a cheerleader section! so here's to hoping!

# 54 Pared @ 02/01/10 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcxiv


	Hehe, thats how it works. When you cant/wont do something about a situation. you ignore it. When you need to crowd control on a situation you can somewhat control you do it. EA isnt responding to the freeze because in their minds from a business standpoint, the game is done and dead. They are just going to let it rot. Its how the business world works like it or not.

Much like 2k did with their baseball game last year.

This isn't delegated to ONLY EA.

# 55 Kully @ 02/01/10 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	krazyboy is actually right. The overreaction is phenomenal. It takes more than one person/two people to make/break things. And let's not all pretend the staff in place don't all have a different way of looking at game development after last year. These guys deserve a lot more credit than they're being given. Go look at the credits for Live '10. Way more than one or two names but if you'd read this forum you'd never know that.

Sensible post Pared.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	Much like 2k did with their baseball game last year. This isn't delegated to ONLY EA.

Edit: and their Hockey game this year. But this isn't (supposed to be) a 2K thread.

Just got to wait and see what Live brings us in October.

# 56 Dantecamp21 @ 02/01/10 11:26 PM

I've read trough the entire thread. Nobody saw that one coming. Sad news for all of us Live (and other basketball games) fans.

I still think this year's Live is a solid game and could have benefited from another development cycle with the same team.

But at the same time, it's obvious now that people will fly away from next year's game (and understandably so).

NBA 2K10 has a ton of freezing issues, poor serves and advertised features that doesn't work at all. But at the other side of the coin, they have solidified the NBA 2K series on the market with some great iterations and even after some off-years, people tend to give them the benefit of the doubt (and rightfully so).

If EA Sports management believes that they have a well-rounded, solid product on their hands once Live 11 is finished, they should label a 29.99 price tag on the game (just as 2K did with its 2K5 line-up, at 19.99 back then).

People would at least give it a shot and if, in fact, the game is good and the post release support is steady, their credibility would be on its way back once again.

They must make an effort to get the game into people's house or else It won't matter if the game receives stellar reviews all around, it will still be labeled as "best game sports nobody played" because people won't buy it out of the blue anymore.

# 57 Tomba @ 02/01/10 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	Much like 2k did with their baseball game last year. This isn't delegated to ONLY EA.

True...good point...though I feel VC is in a much worse 'show and prove' situation...

Live just needs a good set of eyes and needs to have it's game be developed next to real game footage...simple. direct comparison is what's needed not 'ohh you have to do this" and then have that said producer waving his hands...but i digress...this is a Wang/beluba thing

I think we were equally sad to see him go from 2k. Not having him with EA means one of two things hypothetically... and their both good

1)He's going to work on Sony's NBA 11 The Inside for PS3?
or....
2)He's off to work for the actual NBA!

# 58 blues rocker @ 02/01/10 11:43 PM

hmmm...well, this is obviously not good news. It's hard to say why Mike left - maybe he just got a better opportunity somewhere else (more money, a different type of game that he wanted to work on...maybe he was just allergic to Canadians...) - just because he left doesn't mean he left for a bad reason.

anyway, I will give the dev team the benefit of the doubt and hope they build upon the foundation that was laid in Live 10 - I think Live 10 was a great start, and if they use that foundation to really improve the areas that are still lacking, then I am pretty confident in Live 11. can they make all of those improvements without Mike Wang? I hope so. We will all have to wait until the 2011 demos drop and then compare ourselves.

Hopefully Mike left his "philosophy" behind and the current dev team learned enough from him to continue what they started with Mike. I really hope they don't scap the Live 10 foundation and "go in a new direction," because I thought Live 10 was going in the right direction with the controls and gameplay.

# 59 jlbrown143 @ 02/01/10 11:59 PM

I 've read all of the threads in here and I have to say I don't know to what degree Mike Wang's contribution made on the game but to me Live was a disgrace until he got there..lol

I appreciate the mods and devs trying to take the sting off of the news ..but come on fellas...be real...live is improved over 09 but that's it. The game is still a year or two away from being great! We need to just be resigned to the fact that we love basketball and that EA and 2K have given us a great experience in getting as close to the game as we ever will outside of attending the games themselves.

I am truly grateful for all of the games made good and bad because all of my winters and most of my summers have been filled with game playing...... mostly basketball games. Marcus and blackflash you guys want a good game just like the rest of us...we know that, but we have to blame somebody and since you guys are the closest you guys are it...not fair but true........I have one request for the company...quit acting like were idiots...and shoot straight from the hip with us!! we can handle the truth....give us that much atleast.

You would have more respect for dealing straight up with us than running and hiding when the sh_t hits the fan....!! If the game is having issues, fix them and if you can't fix it, then just say you can't fix it...(is that really hard to do?) Empty hype and hollow promises will only lead to more disappointment and ridicule.....

if you want your sales and your fans back...give us a game worth buying not one just getting you guys by.....we deserve better..really......we can't get our money back...were stuck once we give that 60 dollars to the game stop clerk. Respect is all we want!!! RESPECT!!! (I'm tired of wasting my hard earned money on unfinished products)

# 60 Jano @ 02/02/10 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	krazyboy is actually right. The overreaction is phenomenal. It takes more than one person/two people to make/break things. And let's not all pretend the staff in place don't all have a different way of looking at game development after last year. These guys deserve a lot more credit than they're being given. Go look at the credits for Live '10. Way more than one or two names but if you'd read this forum you'd never know that.

QFT this is basically my feelings on this whole situation. I understand all the anger and frustration but I'm not going to sit here and say that Live 11 is going to be a bust just because Wang and Marcus are gone. This game was still built by a team of guys so it still has a chance.

Now one thing I can say is that this game is probably not going to sell well but thats because EA dug themselves a huge hole with Live 07. That game buried them deep and the only way they are going to build up a bigger fanbase is to continue improving.

And imo they have been doing that just look at the progress from 07 to 10 its huge. Now that jump in quality isn't all that huge compared to 2K but its still something.

I agree that the loss of Wang and Marcus was huge but I feel like it was one that took more credibility away from the team. I dont feel that losing them will completely destroy this teams ability to make a good basketball. Just look at 2K they lost Wang too but it did not take away from there ability to make a basketball game.

This is all this team has left because imo they lost most of there credibility with Live 07. A lot of people didnt even want to look at Live again because of that disaster. And while Wang and Marcus did help the situation it only caused a minor look back from some fans as evidenced by the sales.

Right now the Live development team's mission is to keep improving they cant do anything else at this point. They are not going to gain the respect of the bball community until they put out a great bball game. It may take them a couple years to get to that level and that's the problem here. Time is not on there side and it doesn't help that they are still trying to dig themselves out of that hole created by Live 07.

So to sum this up the problem with Live right now is not the team that's creating the game but the problems that were created in its past. If the team that worked on Live 10 were to have developed the first next gen Live I think we would be in a better place right now.

The team that is in place now is one that is actually dedicated to making a sim basketball game that could not be said for Live dev team's of the past. As gamers that's all we can really hold onto because if that's not there goal then we are in trouble.

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