NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

[lakerfan1]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

long time lurker, first post
Like many here, I buy the other game EVERY year, but personally, I usually get bored in a week or two. Not different this yr. I really enjoyed Live 10, and am happy to report that Live 15 is flat out FUN.

I have the same impressions as most of you, but I'll be focusing on impressions from playing mostly as the Lakers: really loving the immersion from staples center specific sounds/crowd noise: 'mvp', 'we want tacos', 'defense', booing dwight and harden every time they touch the ball.
Flow of the game (minus the wonky animations).

cons which I hope get fixed via path (If someone can comment if fixing via patch is even possible, that'll be greatly appreciated):
Kobe's fadeaway jumper-from standstill, takes a tiny hop away from basket where you have to release the shot button immediately to get a "great shot". Any nba player can jump higher than that! Also from the post (clicking in right analog), his fadeway turn around animation just doesn't look right. It's a weird angle usually, regardless if I'm turning right or left--almost as if he's turning around in the same position, instead of drop stepping left or right.

No momentum jump shooting. This one is a big one. I can be running full speed in one direction, press shoot, and the player does a standstill jumper (automatically squaring his shoulders to the room, instead of squaring them while mid air). no fading in the direction i'm running (which the other game does beautifully)

Those are just minor gripes that distract from the overall flow of the game. Still having fun and am excited to get online after practicing a bit. I only have time for one bball game and this yr it's live.

[pdawg17]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Ive played about 4 online games.. all 4 were pure cheese. Until EA can really start putting thought into physics and animations, this game becomes NBA Jam when playing someone else online.

There is potential for good games though. Had a great triple overtime game yesterday that had maybe 8 dunks combined. Both teams shot under 50% fg. Very fun.

[dubplate]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Only played half a game with ten minute quarters but I can tell I'm going to have fun with this game. It may not be a hardcore simulation of the sport but it's close and that's good enough for me since it's FUN to play.

I wish I could say the same about 2K15 but I'm just not feeling their next gen efforts. To me playing 2K15 feels like work and Live feels like a vacation.

[alexthegreat]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Don't know if its still like this offline, but the in-game substitutions and rotations are horrible online.

One game I decided not to mess with it and let the CPU handle it. They changed the entire starting lineup in the 2nd half, and kept Dame out for an entire quarter.

[pslieber]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Concur with many of the sentiments above. NBA Live is arguably more 'fun' to play...with 2K the more well-rounded product.

What Live offers is something different, not necessarily better. Much like The Show - while an outstanding game - 2K began to get stale for me. I wanted something a little more free flow.

Also and as a near solely offline player - I don't have any mates who own the same sports titles I do - having a fun game keeps me coming back for more.

Still, there are some very glaring issues with Live that need fixing. The same can be said for UFC and NHL: two very criticized games, but ones EA seems committed to fixing post release via consistent patches. These titles made me confident Live will get similar TLC toward better subsequent product.

As a game reviewer for multiple sites, I can respect sentiments that a launched product @ full price should not be borderline beta. Still, I'd rather see a publisher committed to continuous improvement than a one and done (when earlier console generations didn't afford a patch opportunity).

Hopefully the Live team will keep doing its thing.

[JLowden717]

I got the post patch Ea Access version and it played the Halftime show and Post game show

[WTF]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Yeah, you all don't have the "in game" update that happens with the full version I don't think. That's the thing that made the highlights glitch.

Looking forward to having them back. They actually were picking really good highlights for the end of quarters, halftime report, and post game report.

[nba2kpdx]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Just judging from the improvement from live 14, I think EA will need 2 more cycles to catch up to where the competition is now.

There are some nice individual elements but as an overall Sim style bball game this title is lacking.

[nick_sr]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Overall, I enjoyed the game play this year.
But, what makes really annoying me is every point gaurd's fatigue is hardly reduced during
the entire game without substitution.
Is there anyone who aware of it?
Will that be fixed in next update?

Was the same last year. Hopefully it can be fixed

[hawley088]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

this is a tough choice for me, i have not played 2k15 but i have watched many streams and videos and i just spent about an hour with the live 15 demo.

in 2k the player movement is horrible imo, you spend half the game just bouncing back off of defenders, no matter where you are on the court, i saw more realistic movement in live.

the espn presentation is very refreshing to me and i think live definitely gets the edge here, the commentary also isnt that bad, maybe because it was all new to me as a long time 2k player but it wasnt trash like maddens or nhl, it was very fluid

i like the sound effects of the net and rim better in live, obviously 2k is ahead in the graphics department but live is definitely passable this year. 2k is very shiny, live is a little more dull. the crowd models are terrible in both but the reactions and sounds seem to be great in 2k and in live.

im not a huge basketball fan, its my number 3/4 for sports, football and hockey being 1 and 2, but i always get the itch a couple months into the basketball season and as of now i dont know which one to get

[blackceasar]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Only played half a game with ten minute quarters but I can tell I'm going to have fun with this game. It may not be a hardcore simulation of the sport but it's close and that's good enough for me since it's FUN to play.

I wish I could say the same about 2K15 but I'm just not feeling their next gen efforts. To me playing 2K15 feels like work and Live feels like a vacation.

So the physics and gameplay of one has you use your "basketball mind" to earn and manufacture baskets and the other is a run N gun, run through everyone, everyone do the same move/who can get to the basket quickest game. I get it. One is closer to simulating the real game, the other is the one you'd find in the arcade. One makes you run plays (like a real game) to achieve success, the other just asks you to run through and past defenders...Not judging you, each to his/her own I guess.

[blackceasar]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Just judging from the improvement from live 14, I think EA will need 2 more cycles to catch up to where the competition is now.

There are some nice individual elements but as an overall Sim style bball game this title is lacking.

EA's head dude even said they are about 2 more cycles away from being the basketball game everyone is truly wanting.. which is fine.. so can we get Live 15 for 29.99.. then Live 16 for 39.99 and Live 17 finally being 59.99??

[magiclakers32]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

I'm not sure that guys in here are saying that Live is better than 2K - at least the guys that I respect/trust when it comes to their impressions of the game. I love 2K this year, but I can tell that I'm going to love this game as well. To argue that the OVERALL experience of Live is better than 2K would be ridiculous. The graphics, gameplay, modes, depth of those modes, animations, etc. are much better in 2K when you look at it as a whole. I think that most would agree with that.

But, the reason that myself (and I think some of the other guys) enjoy Live - and maybe even prefer it (that doesn't mean it's better) in some cases is because there are some aspects that it does better than 2K. And while they are little things, those little things do matter to some people more than others. In my opinion, here are some of those things:

Arenas
- Each arena is beautifully replicated, along with customized stadium sounds and energetic crowds. There's a big difference in "feel" when you're playing at home as opposed to on the road. And each away game also feels different - the atmosphere is totally immersive.

Color
- Live's graphics aren't as good as 2K's, but the colors really pop and draw you in.

Presentation
- ESPN-style presentation/camera is outstanding. When you combine this with the arenas and the colors, it's very easy to lose yourself in the game.

Automotion
- This is really well implemented this year. While the CPU AI isn't as team specific as 2K, the player movement of Automotion is outstanding. Guys like Pau Gasol don't always camp on the low block every time down. I don't have to call a play to get different types of movement. Also - and this has always been one of my big pet peeves of 2K - when guys come around screens in Live, they don't automatically drift either outside the 3-point line or with one foot on the line. They will actually come off screens tighter and stay inside the 3-point line, actually allowing you to take a mid-range jumper.

Post Game
- 2K has an insane amount of post moves and animations that are beautiful to watch. But what good are they when I can take any post player - let's just say Kendrick Perkins - and back down Dwight Howard every single time until I'm a foot away from the basket for an easy hook shot? While the post moves are limited and sometimes ugly in Live, it's also a much more physical "experience" because you can't just do whatever you want down there. Guys that are tough to back down are actually tough to back down.

Offensive Rebounding
- Sliders do help this in 2K, though it's still ridiculous. Not only are the offensive rebounding numbers insanely high, but they put the shots back up off the rebound every single time. I saw someone else mention this and I'm glad they did, but in Live, they will actually kick the ball back out. Even though that's a little thing, that is a HUGE deal when it comes to a realistic experience.

And when it comes to "sim" as you mentioned above, a game is only as sim as you want to play it. I don' think either 2K or Live are sim games. But, they can both be played as a sim should you choose to play that way. That's why Live having sliders would help tremendously. But, the idea that 2K gameplay trumps live when it comes to a sim experience simply isn't true.

I didn't want to make this into a 2K/Live debate, but it seems like that's the best way for people to understand how Live stacks up. 2K does a lot of things better than Live does, but this is the Live forum, so I'm highlighting why I enjoy Live. Luckily, I have both games so I'm able to enjoy each of them for different reasons.

I love your post bro. and I respect it. I do think 2k is a sim though. Again it may not be perfect. And you are right. A game can be as sim as you make it. But to a degree.

Simulation: the representation of the behavior or characteristics of one system through the use of another system

The point is to attempt to the highest degree to represent the nba.

So obvioulsly for developers there is a point in which fun takes precedent over simulation. However in these two games in particular some of the things you mention as strengths are not in line with realism. However thats ok for those that its ok for. I just thought we all wanted things to be as close to the nba game as possible.

The crowd chanting "defense" and "three" literally 1 minute into the first quarter may be "fun" but doesn't feel authentic to me at all. However Im not here to make an argument just giving my feelings.

It seems that in 2k many things can be done with sliders to enhance the experience. But here it becomes the battle cry of all things wrong. As you mentioned with the offensive rebound situation. Not only are they trying to address it via patch. But I can use sliders or edit the whole roster if I chose to. But in live they almost cant miss shots in the paint, but its ok because it's ok?

I've had so many guys do things that are not appropriate that it's not even remotely simulating who they are or what they do. You mentioned automotion. Thats fine, but they arent running real sets. Just moving. The fact that thats ok, is fine for you. But for me, I want the teams to approximate the nba counterpart.

Point for me being, if 2k released this it would be an absoulute uproar and the Live fans would be laughing.

good discussion though brother. I appreciate you.

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: NBA Live 15 and First In-Game Update Available Today, Post Your Impressions

Is Synergy not updated yet? I thought it's supposed to be updated after games? Roster updates aren't done daily?


Sent from my iPhone

Synergy is updated for last night's games. I have screenshots but don't know how to post them.

The rosters aren't updated.

[sarlndr]

I've been trying to buy the digitally but it keeps telling me I have an invalid name and I need to connect to the internet. What in the world? I'm online dangit, I AM on the internet, lol.

Crazy.