Disclaimer: I have played NBA Live since 95, and 2k since, well, 2k. I am a “fanboy” of BOTH games. My intention with this thread is not to start a “which game is better and therefore has the cooler fans” argument. Rather, I’d like to create a thread where people who own (or have significantly played) both games, can have a mature conversation about core gameplay / control mechanics.
While each gamer will inevitably prefer one game over the other (even if only slightly) I’d like to create an “unbiased” list of strengths and weaknesses, that (mostly) everyone can agree with. My reasoning is that if we combined the strong points of both games into a single game, it would be nearly perfect. And if the developers can see an “objective” list that fans of both games created together, perhaps they’d be more likely to adopt the other games strengths, and thus, everyone benefits.
The goal is not to declare one game better than the other; the goal is to come to some sort of agreement between the two communities of the two series’ strengths and weaknesses, so they can both move forward.
As more users post in this thread, I’ll try to summarize the general consensus by updating my original list of strengths. If this thread becomes popular at all we’ll even break the lists down into sub-categories (offense, defense, etc…).
What’s considered on-topic: Core gameplay / control mechanics.
What’s considered off-topic: AI play and logic, Graphics, Signature shot comparisons, Game modes/options, online issues (except directly related to gameplay), Commentary, presentation, instant replays, and anything that takes place before the opening tip-off, and anything after the final buzzer sounds.
NBA 2k10’s Strengths
NBA Live 10’s Strengths
Keep in mind the areas I’ve deemed “Off-Topic.” You could argue that nearly all of the “off-topic” issues are strengths for 2k (or Live, I suppose). But those issues are for other threads. For now, I want to talk about core gameplay / control mechanics, and nothing else.
While each gamer will inevitably prefer one game over the other (even if only slightly) I’d like to create an “unbiased” list of strengths and weaknesses, that (mostly) everyone can agree with. My reasoning is that if we combined the strong points of both games into a single game, it would be nearly perfect. And if the developers can see an “objective” list that fans of both games created together, perhaps they’d be more likely to adopt the other games strengths, and thus, everyone benefits.
The goal is not to declare one game better than the other; the goal is to come to some sort of agreement between the two communities of the two series’ strengths and weaknesses, so they can both move forward.
As more users post in this thread, I’ll try to summarize the general consensus by updating my original list of strengths. If this thread becomes popular at all we’ll even break the lists down into sub-categories (offense, defense, etc…).
What’s considered on-topic: Core gameplay / control mechanics.
What’s considered off-topic: AI play and logic, Graphics, Signature shot comparisons, Game modes/options, online issues (except directly related to gameplay), Commentary, presentation, instant replays, and anything that takes place before the opening tip-off, and anything after the final buzzer sounds.
NBA 2k10’s Strengths
- Post Game (wow, nearly worth the price of admission alone)
- Player differentiation (Shaq and Dirk are roughly the same player in Live)
- Catching and shooting (inside)
- User can consistently intercept passes if in good position (Live’s user pass interception is far too random)
- Blocks are less "arcade" than Live
- Fastbreaks (they hardly exist in Live)
- Having a good bench matters (out of the box, even with shorter quarters- not sure how Live could botch this issue so horrendously)
- Alley oops
- Contextual animations
- Animation variety (you can play this game for months and still see NEW animations)
- Animation aesthetics (FAR superior to Live, miles and miles and miles ahead)
NBA Live 10’s Strengths
- Running Plays (first time that running plays in an NBA game feels “mainstream” instead of something that only experienced gamers do)
- Realistic FG% out of the box
- Sense of speed (have you SEEN the NBA lately?)
- Catching and shooting (perimeter)
- Can’t throw ill-advised passes into the paint all day
- Can’t drive into the paint all day
- The paint feels like the paint (intense, heavily valued, etc…)
- FORCES you to shoot jump shots (not a choice to play “sim” or not, you HAVE to play somewhat sim to score, which is how it should be. Is it just me, or does 2k seem far more susceptible to abusers/cheesers than Live?)
- Tighter player movement control (2k is often described as “on-skates”)
- Animation brevity (2k has prettier animations, but at the cost of feeling in control?)
Keep in mind the areas I’ve deemed “Off-Topic.” You could argue that nearly all of the “off-topic” issues are strengths for 2k (or Live, I suppose). But those issues are for other threads. For now, I want to talk about core gameplay / control mechanics, and nothing else.
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