Re: Mike Wang Has Left EA Canada and the NBA Live Development Team
Well, there's that famous saying, "if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it probably is a duck." This news just really brings me down about the Live programming vision. And I'm starting to agree with CV and those who have said that a lot of DC is going on. Mike Wang went back to the other team in Nov. and they just announced it yesterday? Sounds more like Jon R. let them know that the story was gonna drop today and they had to try and take the upper PR hand. But the article is so condemning of the EA's staff's vision about the future of the Live franchise, there is no spinning it.
So here's an open feedback comment that I hope the Live team really takes to heart. The game was working, even if the sales didn't show it. The controls are perfect in concept, if not polished in execution. The pace and flow of the game and base AI concepts are in the right direction with what feels good for a basketball title. Long story, short, the gameplay is the base foundation of where this game needs to hang it's hat. If you change it, you've totally missed the point.
NBA Live doesn't have the cushion that Fifa enjoyed over PES in the soccer genre, having licenses. There are licenses in both games, so NBA Live can't hide behind authenticity claims. The gameplay is what will be judged the most. And NBA Live has had terrible gameplay for a few years now. Now, there's a compelling arguement that it has surpassed the comp in that realm. It wasn't perfect, but it offered the control scheme and had superior momentum and footplanting tech to the comp. A stable foundation on which to build. If this is changed to be more "fun" or "accessible" you've once again missed the point.
The lead producer is talking about being a Fifa or NHL. Both those game took their lumps while rebuilding and eventually beat both of their competitors at their own game, being more authentic than the other. It wasn't about the traditional EA approach of Smoke and Mirrors with features and presentation. Those games hung their hat on gameplay. And gameplay that was different and controls that, while trying to be accessible, had depth to provide unrivaled gameplay experiences. And over time they took the throne by staying with the vision. If you guys don't try to out-sim 2k and stay the course, you'll lose totally. This is my one "game killer." If you change the controls from what they were, even one bit to be more accessible, I'm out. Not a threat, I'm just one little consumer, but a statement of what, IMO, was the single greatest evolution of the game in recent memory.... Brian
Well, there's that famous saying, "if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it probably is a duck." This news just really brings me down about the Live programming vision. And I'm starting to agree with CV and those who have said that a lot of DC is going on. Mike Wang went back to the other team in Nov. and they just announced it yesterday? Sounds more like Jon R. let them know that the story was gonna drop today and they had to try and take the upper PR hand. But the article is so condemning of the EA's staff's vision about the future of the Live franchise, there is no spinning it.
So here's an open feedback comment that I hope the Live team really takes to heart. The game was working, even if the sales didn't show it. The controls are perfect in concept, if not polished in execution. The pace and flow of the game and base AI concepts are in the right direction with what feels good for a basketball title. Long story, short, the gameplay is the base foundation of where this game needs to hang it's hat. If you change it, you've totally missed the point.
NBA Live doesn't have the cushion that Fifa enjoyed over PES in the soccer genre, having licenses. There are licenses in both games, so NBA Live can't hide behind authenticity claims. The gameplay is what will be judged the most. And NBA Live has had terrible gameplay for a few years now. Now, there's a compelling arguement that it has surpassed the comp in that realm. It wasn't perfect, but it offered the control scheme and had superior momentum and footplanting tech to the comp. A stable foundation on which to build. If this is changed to be more "fun" or "accessible" you've once again missed the point.
The lead producer is talking about being a Fifa or NHL. Both those game took their lumps while rebuilding and eventually beat both of their competitors at their own game, being more authentic than the other. It wasn't about the traditional EA approach of Smoke and Mirrors with features and presentation. Those games hung their hat on gameplay. And gameplay that was different and controls that, while trying to be accessible, had depth to provide unrivaled gameplay experiences. And over time they took the throne by staying with the vision. If you guys don't try to out-sim 2k and stay the course, you'll lose totally. This is my one "game killer." If you change the controls from what they were, even one bit to be more accessible, I'm out. Not a threat, I'm just one little consumer, but a statement of what, IMO, was the single greatest evolution of the game in recent memory.... Brian
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