NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

[RaychelSnr]

We recently had a chance to interview David Littman, creative director at EA Canada for NHL Slapshot, NBA Elite and the NHL series. He helped to oversee the re-imagining of the NHL series when the current-generation consoles were released, and he is now filling a similar role for NBA Elite 11. We wanted this interview to focus on the differences between the rebuilds of NHL and Elite, and we also wanted to get a bit deeper into why NBA Elite is going in a different direction this year.

Read More - NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

[Positive Chance]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

Nothing new here for me . I've been hearing it a lot, and hopefully the game comes out great .

[Jano]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

Great interview!! This exactly the direction I've been wanting to see a basketball game go in. It hit on so many points I've been thinking about for years now, the whole animations arm's race bit in paticular.

To some this interview won't sound like much but the things he was talking about here are what I've been wanting to see in bball games since I played Live 2003.

This interview was so in-tune with my view of how a basketball game should be played its scary lol

[mlp111]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

nothing new, still losing interest in this game more and more as the days past by!!!!!!!!

[noshun]

I thought this was about basketball..read so much hockey info...didnt even finish reading.

[TreyIM2]

I can't wait to test this pup out in the demo. I just hope that the animations, smoothness and fluidity is there unlike much of what I've seen in the vids shown thus far. By far, this is my most anticipated game for the rest of the year.

[ehh]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

This was much more in depth but still pretty much the same, and only, thing EA has been talking about in regards to Elite.

[brs2305]

Great interview! Always interesting to see things from a producer standpoint.

Of course there are doubts, but think about the past. Whenever somebody came up with something absolutely new to people, these guys got laughed at at first or in many cases even worse (think about the world is round not flat kind of stuff).

Of course this will be far from away from a "round world theory", but it's the same problem (convincing people).

So all what I am saying is, that I will definitely try this game out. The worst thing that could happen is that it blows. But there is also a chance that it might be the beginning of something great like NHL 11.

[nccomicfan]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

I am first to admit I am not a stick virtuoso, I win or lose by strategy and knowledge of the sport..The more I hear from these guys, the more I worry that my enjoyment of this title may be hindered by the totally stick driven gameplay

Before you say it, I know I can use the button controls, but somehow I doubt that will be enabled for head to head online, which is where this game beat it's competition last year

[nccomicfan]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

This was much more in depth but still pretty much the same, and only, thing EA has been talking about in regards to Elite.

agreed, it just keeps the theme that this is the year for the new controls and this title may not be fleshed out overall

[tdplaya04]

I'm not sure I like this new shot stick mess, remember this is a video game not real life basketball, i should be able to make shots according to how good the player can shoot, I dont want to miss open shots with ray allen all the time because I didnt aim strait on shot stick!!!

[scottyp180]

This is pretty much what we have been hearing from EA all summer. It seems like they are really banking on the demo to attract fans. Personally I'm a 2k fan, but I am a basketball fan first and foremost, I buy the game that I enjoy most. Last year Live's demo had me considering buying the game but I chose 2k in the end. I'm really anticipating this demo, as everyone should. I never understood fanboys who stand by just one game, both Elite and 2k11 have potential to be great this year, could be the first time since 05 that I actually buy both games.

[Live_4real]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

This is pretty much what we have been hearing from EA all summer. It seems like they are really banking on the demo to attract fans. Personally I'm a 2k fan, but I am a basketball fan first and foremost, I buy the game that I enjoy most. Last year Live's demo had me considering buying the game but I chose 2k in the end. I'm really anticipating this demo, as everyone should. I never understood fanboys who stand by just one game, both Elite and 2k11 have potential to be great this year, could be the first time since 05 that I actually buy both games.

The problem is people don´t care about basketball, they don´t look for the best basketball/NBA experience, they look for that specific company experience regardless

Good read, I just hope that people that qualified this guy as the "Hockey guy" realize that he is a intelligent dude and he nows what to do to revolutionize sports gaming by giving extra user control, even if he is not a basketball brain, they have people at EA that are, so that "problem" invented in the beginning was non existing

Time will tell if this 3 year project will put Elite series in the 90`s regularly, and time will tell if NBA ELITE 11 will be a TOTAL experience, knowing that the 1 year dev cycle could be short, to do the necessary changes that NBA live 10 NEEDED

PeAcE

[scottyp180]

I'm not sure I like this new shot stick mess, remember this is a video game not real life basketball, i should be able to make shots according to how good the player can shoot, I dont want to miss open shots with ray allen all the time because I didnt aim strait on shot stick!!!

I feel you but what worries me is the complete opposite. If shooting is as skill based as they say then I should be able to perfect any players shot. So if I have kobe or ray allen's shot down pat will I not miss a shot with them unless I make a mistake or the computer blocks me? My guess is that the players hot spot (the point you release the stick/ball) will change depending where you are on the court and how well someone is defending you.

I just hope that good shooters shouldn't ruin the game. I shouldn't be able to just rain down shots all day just because I am good with a player's shot. Whether I am someone as good a Kobe or a poor shooter like rondo learning and knowing someones shot should not make them better than they actually are.

[Tha_Kid]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Interview with Creative Director David Littman

Thing is there is a lot I like in this interview, but the game footage just hasn't been living up to it. I'm looking forward to better footage and a demo of (hopefully) the final build.

As far as the Skill Stick (cute name), I have to say I am in favor of it. Shooting in basketball games is generally kind of up in the air but usually rewards strategy & execution, etc. Whatever Live 10 was doing wasn't rewarding for a lot of gamers and it showed on these forums. I look forward to skill based shooting as there are situations in 2K where I know (or feel strongly) that a player probably has no chance of making a certain shot (see J.R. Smith, once his shooting streak hit blue in the new video). That shot going in is a rarity, but I'm excited about being in complete control of whether or not he can shoot himself back in the game.