Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

[Shinyhubcaps]

Live has more than a couple of issues. Rebounding and general lack of player control are the biggest ones. Also, what happened to the hop step? It also doesn't look right, meaning the players have awkward proportions and, as mentioned, the physics (and really all animations) are behind where they should be.

That said, the article touches on some of those points, but there is a lot more that keeps Live practically unplayable to me.

[thmst30]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

The only reason I have never bought a next-gen NBA Live game is because of the animations, ball-physics and net-physics. Quite frankly, this is what makes basketball look like basketball...EA has a lot of work to do.

I hear you. I really tried to enjoy Live this year, but DAMN the animations are horrendous. Everything is so robotic and twitchy. Needs a serious overhaul to get it to the smooth gameplay it needs to be. Plus the inaccurate passing, and horrible rebounding made me give up after a month. I do look forward to 2010 though. If this team puts half the effort forward that the Madden team has, then the game can be pretty solid.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

I hear you. I really tried to enjoy Live this year, but DAMN the animations are horrendous. Everything is so robotic and twitchy. Needs a serious overhaul to get it to the smooth gameplay it needs to be. Plus the inaccurate passing, and horrible rebounding made me give up after a month. I do look forward to 2010 though. If this team puts half the effort forward that the Madden team has, then the game can be pretty solid.

Live 09 isn't that bad animations or not. It's the most playable in the series til date and it's more playable than 2k9 and more sim than 2k9. Controls take a few seconds to get use to and once you adjust to the pace of the engine the game is fine. Yes it needs more animations for certain things, but it only looks funky because it doesn't play bad at all.

[thmst30]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

Live 09 isn't that bad animations or not. It's the most playable in the series til date and it's more playable than 2k9 and more sim than 2k9. Controls take a few seconds to get use to and once you adjust to the pace of the engine the game is fine. Yes it needs more animations for certain things, but it only looks funky because it doesn't play bad at all.

Differing opinions.:wink: I think many core fundamentals of this game are badly broken.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

Differing opinions.:wink: I think many core fundamentals of this game are badly broken.

Name something other than offensive rebounding and animations that's wrong with this game. That makes it so unplayable.

I have yet to see anything that makes this game so bad, especially considering just how solid and more sim the gameplay is.

[bkrich83]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

I haven't played NBA Live at all in the last 4 years or so, but I have really, really enjoyed NBA Live 09, and think they are on the verge of making a truly outstanding game.

[teebee]

How can someone be worried about pivot feet and traveling calls? All these complaints are pretty nitpicky

[thmst30]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

Name something other than offensive rebounding and animations that's wrong with this game. That makes it so unplayable.

I have yet to see anything that makes this game so bad, especially considering just how solid and more sim the gameplay is.

Well being a basketball game, having broken rebounding and bad animations is what makes the gameplay bad to me. I'm not trying to hate on the game, there really is a solid core to work with. I just couldn't put up with those two major issues anymore. Plus the analog passing is still inaccurate. So yea, thats all I'm saying. The rebounding and animations keep me from enjoying the game, because to me they are broken.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

Well being a basketball game, having broken rebounding and bad animations is what makes the gameplay bad to me. I'm not trying to hate on the game, there really is a solid core to work with. I just couldn't put up with those two major issues anymore. Plus the analog passing is still inaccurate. So yea, thats all I'm saying. The rebounding and animations keep me from enjoying the game, because to me they are broken.

I have tons of offensive rebounding, just not an many as I should so I don't really see that as an issue. Secondly the so called analog passing. I wouldn't know I use icon passing all the time. I never use analog passing that feature has been broken in Live and 2k's games for years. Especially on a fastbreak when some how they just make sure you pass it to the wrong person to prevent the score.

Either way nothing is so broke in this game that makes it unplayable. And the offensive rebounding isn't broken, people just feel like they aren't getting enough of them compared to the cpu which in honesty they aren't getting many either. And the animations in this game don't make it unplayable, the animations that are there are fine and the game plays good. Maybe it doesn't run as smooth as super fast skating across the court 2k but what is here is very solid and well pace basketball.

[mrclutch]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

I can't believe I'm saying this....but I agree with Behindshadows.

I can't even imagine why anyone would use analog passing. I think the only reason thye have it in the game is because it's always been there. Icons baby.

On offensive rebounding, I think it's not that far off. If you check the stats in a real game they are few and far between.

I think what really throws the rebounding off is the elevated shooting percentage in the game on the default settings. Fix that and the rebound nnumber will be pretty close.

peace

[thmst30]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

I have tons of offensive rebounding, just not an many as I should so I don't really see that as an issue. Secondly the so called analog passing. I wouldn't know I use icon passing all the time. I never use analog passing that feature has been broken in Live and 2k's games for years. Especially on a fastbreak when some how they just make sure you pass it to the wrong person to prevent the score.

Either way nothing is so broke in this game that makes it unplayable. And the offensive rebounding isn't broken, people just feel like they aren't getting enough of them compared to the cpu which in honesty they aren't getting many either. And the animations in this game don't make it unplayable, the animations that are there are fine and the game plays good. Maybe it doesn't run as smooth as super fast skating across the court 2k but what is here is very solid and well pace basketball.

OK, so if the animations and rebounding are fine then why has Mike made those his top two priorities to FIX for NBA Live 10? They are broken, and even he knows it.

[bigsmallwood]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

I have tons of offensive rebounding, just not an many as I should so I don't really see that as an issue. Secondly the so called analog passing. I wouldn't know I use icon passing all the time. I never use analog passing that feature has been broken in Live and 2k's games for years. Especially on a fastbreak when some how they just make sure you pass it to the wrong person to prevent the score.

Either way nothing is so broke in this game that makes it unplayable. And the offensive rebounding isn't broken, people just feel like they aren't getting enough of them compared to the cpu which in honesty they aren't getting many either. And the animations in this game don't make it unplayable, the animations that are there are fine and the game plays good. Maybe it doesn't run as smooth as super fast skating across the court 2k but what is here is very solid and well pace basketball.

There is LITTLE to nothing wrong with this game. If anybody has ever played a real game of basketball or watched a game of basketball, you know that there are few teams that avg a high number of Offensive Boards. I agree with BehindShadows...this game is NOT unplayable. It is actually the best Live since 06' with freestyle superstar. IMO people are complaining about the wrong things with this game. Other than the players running the baseline and not going out of bounds, I believe the animations are pretty accurate. Of course they could add a few more and maybe change the free-throw system but the game is the BEST option available. And yes I own 2K9 as well, but NBA Live 09 employs strategy. In 2K9 the CPU AI barely calls any real plays outside of trying to back door passes to death. And as a person who has been an avid fan of NBA 2K......NBA Live is back and is the Better game and will probably be Phenomenal next year if they add all the right game features ( ie beef up Be A Pro etc. etc.) and get a few little things right...Live 10 will be the new standard. :wink:

[sportyguyfl31]

The biggest mistake I made was trading in live to give 2k another shot.

Now that is a first.

The two brands seem to be flip flopping. Live is gradually becoming more "sim", and 2k is become more and more bling and flash.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

OK, so if the animations and rebounding are fine then why has Mike made those his top two priorities to FIX for NBA Live 10? They are broken, and even he knows it.

Not broken, adding more animations in which every company does every year they add more. And rebounding was an issue in Live 08 now it's accurate in this game. Like another poster said you can fix it with sliders. In which L4D's sliders did indeed fix. So no more issue with that.

Read all the other responses besides mine, this game is great!

[thmst30]

Re: Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09

Not broken, adding more animations in which every company does every year they add more. And rebounding was an issue in Live 08 now it's accurate in this game. Like another poster said you can fix it with sliders. In which L4D's sliders did indeed fix. So no more issue with that.

Read all the other responses besides mine, this game is great!

So, I guess Mike Wang doesn't know what he's talking about?
http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames...ory?id=3900151

ESPN: What was the one gameplay aspect that frustrated you most about the 09 game that you wanted to fix?

<table align="right" width="320"> <tbody><tr> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>Mike Wang: The first one for me is rebounding. It's just not right. The way guys go and position themselves, it just fundamentally wasn't basketball. With that you get guys jumping over your back, too many offensive rebounds, guys not boxing out properly, users not being able to get to the ball. It was just broken.
The other thing I'll say is that Live in the past struggled with controller response and feel. It felt almost like a turn-based basketball game where you triggered an animation and then you just watched it and you had to make decisions like you were playing chess. But basketball is a fast-paced, twitch and react game. It just needs to be more explosive in general. Live always felt robotic to me, so that's my first priority of what I'm fixing.

Broken rebounding and robotic feel. Lets see, isn't that exactly what I said? However I'm completely wrong though.