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

[blues rocker]

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

Played a bit of both games last night...and the controls and movement in LIVE is just so much better. It's not even close.

However, LIVE is behind in all other areas by massive amounts. That's where Beluba's leaving is going to kill the series. He's an animations guru and he'd already 'promised' a tonne of new animations for LIVE 11.

You can read between the lines pretty easily here...he had a set of things he'd already said he wanted : animations, post game, hard core SIM stuff. He is a hard core SIG guy. He was the one who added most of 2Ks sig stuff.

EA's management said "we don't want to go in that direction".

Beluba walked.

It's a real pity as the game just needed that one more solid season of animations, post game, sig stuff.

The controls are so sweet that I find it hard to play 2K at times. It's dissapointing that the rest of the game isn't going to ever catch up.

You fellas are kidding yourselves if you think LIVE 11 will be "fine". No way in hell Marcus and Beluba just walk away if it was going in the right direction.

Yep...this is exactly how I see it. It's a real shame, because if EA would've allowed Mike Wang another year to really be in charge of the game and do all the things he wanted, then Live 11 could've been an amazing game...they were so close with Live 10 - the controls and movement were amazing, but it just needed some tweaks (more animations, faster animations, etc), but overall Live 10 had a great foundation and now it appears EA is going to scrap all the great stuff from Live 10 and "go in a different direction." EA is so dumb. They had a great opportunity to make Live 11 be the game that changes peoples' minds about Live...but they blew it. They had a perfect setup - a great lead gameplay guy who knew exactly how to make the series great again, and they ignored him. so dumb.

My only hope at this point is that Mike Wang can take all of the great dribbling and movement from Live 10 and bring it into 2k11. But, unfortunately I don't see that happening because I have a feeling 2k's engine is too old and can't achieve the type of movement that Mike was able to bring to Live 10...guess I'll just have to hope.

[dickey1331]

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

Kinda but not like the NFL where only EA can make it.

It's still exclusive ain't it?

[Pared]

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

Guys - thread isn't about any exclusivity deals. Back on topic please.

[pezone]

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

I guess I'll be going back to 2k.........it's a shame!

[Crimsontide27]

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

The reason I think this is a sign of things to come is because its obvious that consumers have been voting with their wallet when it comes to the direction live is going.

At this point, consumer confidence in the EA Live brand name is at an all time low and for good reasons. Its gonna take a lot for EA to regain its customers, but I dont think thats their plan. At this point they have probably alienated enough people that they are trying to re-create the Live brand and get a different consumer group all together to purchase the product. This most likely means getting away from the "sim like" crowd that the people on this board want it to be and going toward the more casual NBA Jam / Hangtime crowd.

[edubbs]

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

My only hope at this point is that Mike Wang can take all of the great dribbling and movement from Live 10 and bring it into 2k11. But, infortunately I don't see that happening because I have a feeling 2k's engine is too old and can't achieve the type of movement that Mike was able to bring to Live 10...guess I'll just have to hope.

I agree.

Live's control is in a league of it's own. It's very unrealistic to think the other game can match the control in the Live series in just one dev. cycle, and after all of these years.

Although, I think it is realistic to think that they can close the gap on the quality of the controls to the point where the subpar control in 2k isn't as big of an issue considering it's other strong points.

[kgisbeast]

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

I think this effects the live team. Any time you lose someone with Mike Wang's creative ideas it is a loss, but from the sounds of it Live was going a certain direction regardless. What I didn't like about live this year and what frustrates me about EA in general is they are trying to appeal to too many different audiences. You end up with games that are watered down in a way, tryinig to do a lot of things but don't do anything that great. They are trying to sell games. They dumb things down and take out features because it just makes it easier on the casual fan. Instead of doing both sometimes and having that depth, but also making it easy. EA pumps out these games every year and has a certain way they do things. 2k on the other hand tries to make games as realistic as they can, while sometimes sacrificing ease of use. When these games are released every year there are always sacrifices. It goes both ways. I think one of Mike Wangs strengths was making things easy on the user, and attention to detail, but it was kind of like he fit better with 2k because they need him. I think Mike Wang is telling the truth that his goal is to make the most realistic game possible, and the ultimate sim and he is best served at 2k trying to do that.

In a way this could be a positive for Live because their plan may come to fruition with or without him. I don't expect a true sim here though or the most realistic game. EA no matter what game you look at Madden, Fifa as good as they are have this cartoony reality. They are good games that give the impression of realism but they also are arcade games imo. Who's to say Live still can't reach Fifa's level or MAdden's level of popularity? It still can. It just might not be the most realistic game around or have the most depth or attention to detail and realism.

The point is EA is a huge company and will be ok. They are huge because they make good games and are smart at what they do. They walk that middle road and do well at it. It's just a different philosophy. In my opinion guys like Rob Jones went to 2k and guys like Greg Thomas and 2k, sega sports was created in the first place because it was a bunch of people who wanted something more sim and attention to detail then the oldschool madden games. The nfl 2k series was born and the rest is history.

[Teebone21]

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

Did ea expect mike to wave a magic wand over night for this series to sell like hot cakes. It was in such bad shape that it was going to need time to heal its wounds.

Since the ncca basketball series is done i was hoping that there would of been more resources and help with mike to make nba live 11 a quality game.

Well it looks like it will be back to the 2k series for me. I hope mike can incorporate live's dribble system with the 2k series.

no no no no we need our shotstick

[Jukeman]

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

you'll prolly see Steve Nash dunking next year....

Bulls Vs...

NBA Showdown..

NBA Live 95-2000...



I want my EA Sports back

[-DaVe-]

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

[RoyalBoyle78]

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

Mike Better be careful, Take 2 is laying off 400 employees, hope there's no bad blood and they took him back just to dump him.....LOL...I kid, I kid...

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1066211p1.html

[CX1329]

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

you'll prolly see Steve Nash dunking next year....

WELCOME TO....NBA LIVE!

[Behindshadows]

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

Mike Better be careful, Take 2 is laying off 400 employees, hope there's no bad blood and they took him back just to dump him.....LOL...I kid, I kid...



http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1066211p1.html

Article is terrible, it's a rumor! But most companies today are laying off tons of people my company laid off 680 employees in 2 weeks.

But you can tell Take 2 doesn't respect 2ksports even as a division. Almost ever article you read on the company. 2ksports division is never even mentioned as a part of the company. No wonder they are down to two sports titles with VC intact.

No effort or name recognition as even being with the company. And they wonder why their sales numbers slip in certain parts of their sports sections.

R.I.P: APF, ESPN NFL, NHL 2k series, and the beloved College Hoops.

Thanks to Take 2 for killing a great series of games.

Also this thread has turned into a 2k fest and a easy ticket for the fanboys to gloat and boast on EA's situation.

I think Live 11 will still deliver, rather we like it or not, each game since 06 has been better than the other. So I don't see the series declining, just improving. If they want to try new things each year until they find a solution, let them.

But I do agree with one thing. The big wigs pulling the strings are the ones ruining efforts by the developers. They need to go have board meetings and write on chalk boards. And let these developers do their jobs and save this series. Without all the number throwing! When in reality they are the problem, not the developers.

[CX1329]

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

I know that no matter what happens, I'll always be fond of Live 10. The more I play this game, the more I learn about it, and the more I enjoy it. I'm even about to start a Dynasty, and I'm usually a Quick Game person.

[23]

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

Its all about dollars. IF it doesnt make them, then it doesnt make sense. EA wanted a quick fix to all their sales problems. It doesnt work that way. The suits only see that as a failure. They dont care why. So, they want to move in a different direction.

I will say one thing, there is no way on gods green earth that the suits look at websites like this. They just want to see reports on how the game is doing and they do all their choices based on numbers. 2k struggled with NHL and MLB, but they are letting the new teams do their thing and are cutting them some slack. They knew it was goign to be bad. They are giving them a chance to turn things around. They arent moving in a different direction.

Anyways, EA shouldnt have made their press release about this yesterday. It made them look bad and desperate. Which quite frankly is/was.

That EA CM dude doesnt even want to step into this anymore. I Dont blame him.

Being that you have a huge bias and a connection with the competition, Its not right that you try to use this opportunity to smash on EA any way you can.

Dont try stirring up anything in here about the company, and quite frankly it gets annoying after awhile seeing you running around the site patting yourself on the back about 2k info and seeing you do this as well.

Im not being a jerk but relax