A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

[RayDog253]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

I think everything wouldn't be as hectic right now, If David Littman never came out and said they have a 3 year plan.

What do you guys think???


Just wondering, does anyone know if the NHL team came out and specifically said they had a three year plan while developing NHL 07???


Yes, this was originally posted in another thread.

[RayDog253]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

^This needs to be spray painted across the front door of EA Studios so they read it as they walk into work everyday.

Lol, yeah I totally agree. And I forgot to mention in my last post great thread and post WTF.

[Philstat]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single animation feature has been re-implemented save a few, and have improved leaps and bounds over last year.

We have done so much more in this one year cycle than has ever been done before.

A larger team, working longer hours, given more time and touching more features than we ever would have thought possible.

NO DOUBT, you guys have done more than the two primary issues I listed, though these are the ones being touted. I clump the RTP, animation and control together as many others probably do - I hope the demo blows me and everyone else away. I've been bothered by the poor physics and animations in the videos so far, they look stilted, unnatural, guys jumping straight without bending their legs, jumping too high, players not fighting for rebounds, everyone dribbling like Curly Neal, little difference in player models (sizes of players), the rim physics, the ball swishing the net on every shot, the ball dropping straight to the floor on some plays like a rock, the weird timed block shots - the list goes on. IMO, all the work you guys did on the animations & physics should have fixed the overwhelming amount of issues I just listed, yet a month from release and they're prevalent

[Live_4real]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

Just some topics that I would like to share....

- Great post WTF

- I don´t understand the EXTREME panic that in the last few days appeared in this forum, wait until the demo to say you don´t like the direction, decisions, features, etc.....

- I don´t understand people blaming EA because they bought every single Live, even tho they were not a complete package, especially talking about 06-09.

EA was not responsible for you buying all the Lives, nowadays you have all the information you want before the game comes out, to make the right decision about purchasing it

EA is of course responsible for the "bad" NBA product they developed

I don´t say this because I want to bash the consumer, I just feel like sometimes the consumer doesn´t understand how to send a message to a game company, if you don´t like the product, you simply don´t by it

If you don´t like it, but you continue to give them your money, they will continue to do what they wan´t, I can recall 3 examples of this, Madden, Live, and PES, the only difference is that Madden keeps selling Millions (no competition).... the other 2 nowadays turned into the community feedback, problem is they are 2-3 years behind the competition

I am a long (not as long as some of you) live dude, but I can proudly say that my last purchased Live as 05, I understood that all the Lives after that, would not be a total package (even tho I played all of them)

I had a hard time not purchasing live 10, but I was lucky enough to have gamer friends, so I actually played it a lot, and I can say that it was the best in this console gen but it was not the total package.

- I understand the concerns abut this 3 year plan continuation, but only time or sales (I hope not) will tell...

Buy or not Elite 11 for what it is, and not for what it can be in the future, the consumer wants instant gratification, the companies are the ones concerned about the long term

PeAcE

[Playmakers]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

The development team for EA NCAA Football 11 have their stuff together - this year's game is FANTASTIC!

I don't know what to say about NCAA Football 11

The game is absolutely amazing....I've purchased 07, 08, 09 and 10.

This years version is straight smooth....year 5 and NCAA 11 delivers finally. In fact this was their 1st year using the new loco motion engine.

I love the way they finally stepped up the animations canned or not they look great on the field. Hands down the best EA sports game to date IMO

[RayDog253]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

Just some topics that I would like to share....

- Great post WTF

- I don´t understand the EXTREME panic that in the last few days appeared in this forum, wait until the demo to say you don´t like the direction, decisions, features, etc.....

- I don´t understand people blaming EA because they bought every single Live, even tho they were not a complete package, especially talking about 06-09.

EA was not responsible for you buying all the Lives, nowadays you have all the information you want before the game comes out, to make the right decision about purchasing it

EA is of course responsible for the "bad" NBA product they developed

I don´t say this because I want to bash the consumer, I just feel like sometimes the consumer doesn´t understand how to send a message to a game company, if you don´t like the product, you simply don´t by it

If you don´t like it, but you continue to give them your money, they will continue to do what they wan´t, I can recall 3 examples of this, Madden, Live, and PES, the only difference is that Madden keeps selling Millions (no competition).... the other 2 nowadays turned into the community feedback, problem is they are 2-3 years behind the competition

I am a long (not as long as some of you) live dude, but I can proudly say that my last purchased Live as 05, I understood that all the Lives after that, would not be a total package (even tho I played all of them)

I had a hard time not purchasing live 10, but I was lucky enough to have gamer friends, so I actually played it a lot, and I can say that it was the best in this console gen but it was not the total package.

- I understand the concerns abut this 3 year plan continuation, but only time or sales (I hope not) will tell...

Buy or not Elite 11 for what it is, and not for what it can be in the future, the consumer wants instant gratification, the companies are the ones concerned about the long term

PeAcE

Great post. And I agree 100%.

Oh btw, I think I just found my first signature quote.

[DaveDQ]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

I believe in 3 year plans, but I believe you should be hush hush about them. The automatic conclusion is that year one isn't what year three will be but we are to trust that the game is on its way. And that is enough merit for a purchase? We are buying the game in good faith?

When EA renamed this title to Elite, when they started talking about the 3 year plan and the introduction of a new staff, it was an admission that all previous next-gen titles were so bad that those things had to happen. But the game, as it has been represented in recent videos, just doesn't live up to all of that.

I am still willing to be patient and anticipate good things from the changes EA has made, and I don't want to dismiss it entirely, but the game in its current form just doesn't hold well.

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

I'm probably in the extreme minority of people in this thread that haven't purchased a next-gen copy of NBA Live, but I just want to say great post WTF. Also great post by the Czar.

Despite the fact I haven't bought Live since 06 on PS2 (which I traded in quickly), I had been a hardcore NBA Live gamer for a long time. I usually had both basketball games, Live on PC and 2k on dreamcast or playstation 2. 2k had some very bad years so I was always happy to go to a fully patchable PC version of Live. We could cover up a lot of the issues that came with the game through global edits via spreadsheet and even managed how to alter some animations through the aiact.

To me it's a simple concept. The reason why I got sold on 2k was because it looked like basketball. I have no idea what happened between 2k6 and 2k7 but look at the difference in dunk animations. Whatever change they made in mo-cap was huge, from then on everything looked amazing. It just flat out looked like basketball. Why do I want to play a game that looks terrible but the producers say it has top notch control over a game that looks like basketball?

The great irony to me is that 2k caught heat for using the same game engine it's been using since last gen on the first couple releases, but since then everybody's shut up. EA comes out with a new engine which was supposed to drastically improve the game in the future but now they're permanently stuck playing catch-up.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

To his creidt, one EA guy who I won't name messaged me and said "sorry...we can't fix it as they have deemed it's not worth fixing due to low sales". Basically, "the suits don't think it's worth the time as so few of you bought the game and the team has been taken off it".

and that right there is why I am done with all EA Sports titles

[mlp111]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

i got a three year plan for elite as well, let me pay $20 dollars for the game this year, $20 next year, and the remaining $20+ tax the 3rd year. Therefore, i will have the dreamed completed process or product and they will have the complete payment of $65 dollars.

[pnpisback]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

Brillaint Post WTF. Sums it up beautifully. EA markets their games as if their past was unknown. There is very little trust between longtime EA basketball fan's and EA's hoop titles. With all the turnover they have I don't think they fully understand how much their past effects hoop gamer sentiments Today.

Live 10's failure to sell well IMHO had virtually nothing to do with the quality of that game. It was the result of the gamer's distaste for their entire next gen product line.

If we match up the marketing videos and press with actual footage of those games you would see a grand difference between what they touted and what we received.

I mentioned in an earlier post about them definitely attracting new buyers with the Fame of Littman but those new fans are not the base of support this franchise has enjoyed over the years.

When guys like shadows and Pasta are not really feeling what your doing your losing you last line of support. What you gain in return I don't believe will garner long time success for your series.

The gamer crowd will move onto the next game shortly after launch. They are not throwing their own personally sponsored launch parties and making up flyers and videos and rosters keeping your game alive and others interested.

Selling a basketball game to me is much different than selling to the other audiences. I don't think people are getting that aspect when I talk about The sport I love is not able to be compared with those other sports.

Much of that has to do with the History of the 2 game companies still left developing hoop games and what DROVE most of live's fans into the hands of 2k. IF you don't understand why they left. You can never understand how to get them back.

Apologies for the ramble. Again outstanding post and you summed up the spirit of many hardcore hoops fan with your post.

i agree, but heres the thing. the real problem. the longtime fans are few. the casual gamer are many. i finally realized this once they kept ignoring us. i was like OHhhh, okay, i get it. its more of them then it is us. i saw it in how they would discuss certain game feature changes and why. it was always about not offending the casual gamer. and im thinking i've probably given EA a grand of my cash just for nba lives alone or close to it. and you're talking about the new guy. wow. but thats what happened. so i realized it must be more of them then it is US. that means until they lose them. they wont care about us. the only thing we have is the actual devs are our age bracket/generation. so they want the real game just like we do.

and its not saying there isnt a younger crowd that doesnt want a sim game. they do. but their base are basically 28 to 40 year olds. lets keep it real here. some of the younger sim ballers are part of a new base. based on what they've seen and us pumping up what we HAD and thought we would Have HAD by now.

the only thing i think will save us this time is that this is the only time they put this allstar team together, and are actually using something that has worked and been in use for 2 years or so with another title under their roof. so to say 3 years this time. it may be true just cause it took nhl 2 to 3. now if by chance Ea doesn't get it right by year 2. I'm throwing you guys a life vest. and i'm getting a helicopter out of here.

[nccomicfan]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

100% guarantee the demo will be out before the release date of the game.

When? enough tease..when?

[Behindshadows]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

When? enough tease..when?

2 weeks before...On the 21st...it was leaked out on Youtube earlier today.

[TUSS11]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

2 weeks before...On the 21st...it was leaked out on Youtube earlier today.

Video interview?

[ILLSmak]

Re: A 3 Year Plan (LONG read)

Having a long-term plan is a good thing... every game should continue to develop, and 'starting over' every three years isn't a bad thing if it keeps the product fresh. Unfortunately, producing a bad game and making an excuse is not part of it.

A bad game is a bad game, period, it has nothing to do with a plan. A raw game, well, that's different. You guys should appreciate it if Elite is really a raw version of something better. I thought 09 was a raw version of what Live should become, but I guess not. Live 09 and 10 were by far the best Lives ever...

But one of the keys to having a three year plan is making progress with each step. Then, you can say "Just wait til next years game if you liked this one."

It's kind of like trying to get girls... you gotta be at least decent with a plan for the future. Nobody wants someone who is stagnant, period, but nobody wants someone whose greatest trait is something that will or could happen in three years.

BAD IDEA TO MENTION THREE YEAR PLAN. Why go through the growing phase, then? Way to turn more people to other games.

-Smak