NBA Elite 11 Demo Roundtable

[bmgoff11]

i dis agree with the summary i like the game after getting use to the controls it plays great to me //

[RICH72601]

I don't think Elite is as bad as Live 07 (actually I played it the other day). Live 07 was just broken. Elite just does not feel like basketball. I did like Live 10, but EA b-ball titles just seem so generic. This is 2010 right? They have been hyping the RTP since day one and I have yet to see something in the game that makes me even think of that. Most of the time when there's contact between two players, it's just awkward. The problem with EA is that even when they have a solid product, they never build upon that. People may say 2K is the same game, but it's a good one and I feel they build on top of that every year. 2K is not perfect by any means, but IT'S BASKETBALL.

[JayMizzle]

I agree with all that article...period

[Kaanyr Vhok]

I get the feeling that they went too far in building off 2ks weakness instead of their own strengths. Live 2010 was a more realistic game than 2k10 out of the box. With sliders it was all gravy but out of the box Live was more like the NBA even with the bad animations. They held up this strawman argument about control and canned animations which really wasn't 2ks main flaws and they were fixable flaws. CH 2k8 didn't have a problem with control or restrictive animations.

[d-vonthegreat]

This game just strait up sucks, I never bought a ea basketball game since live 07, then i played 2k for the first time and I can never go back 2 playing ea basketball it's to arcadey, and the graphics are horible. Compared to 2k11..... Nba elite is trash and datz da truth.

[DirtyJerz32]

it's a sad day in EA bball land. No NCAA either, this is just depressing.

[dredre]

the demo wasnt that bad, but its definitely a big drop off from live10

[ctindal21]

smh, dang EA...=(

[Fngb3]

I don't disagree with much here. I had this game pre-ordered along with 2K and once the demo came out promptly cancelled my order but I just wana mention a simple thing regarding the passing button that I haven't seen anyone mention yet, thought it's possible I've just missed it:
Their reasoning for mapping it to the R2/RT button is likely because the right stick sees so much use between dribbling and shooting that it would be even more awkward to try and hit X/A to pass. Think about taking a shot where the shot stick needs to stay perfectly at the top of the circle but then trying to 'slide' your finger over to X/A because you want to pass out of your shot.

The problem is (I think, but could be wrong) that a command to pass is actually activated once the trigger is 'released' not pressed. This is compounded by the greater amount of time it takes to fully compress a trigger button, versus compressing a regular button. Hopefully that's all it is and they can change it to be when you first begin to pull the R2/RT trigger.

Still aint buyin the game but figured someone should say they didn't think EA was completely insane when they moved passing off of X/A.

[rEAnimator]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Demo Roundtable

I don't disagree with much here. I had this game pre-ordered along with 2K and once the demo came out promptly cancelled my order but I just wana mention a simple thing regarding the passing button that I haven't seen anyone mention yet, thought it's possible I've just missed it:
Their reasoning for mapping it to the R2/RT button is likely because the right stick sees so much use between dribbling and shooting that it would be even more awkward to try and hit X/A to pass. Think about taking a shot where the shot stick needs to stay perfectly at the top of the circle but then trying to 'slide' your finger over to X/A because you want to pass out of your shot.

The problem is (I think, but could be wrong) that a command to pass is actually activated once the trigger is 'released' not pressed. This is compounded by the greater amount of time it takes to fully compress a trigger button, versus compressing a regular button. Hopefully that's all it is and they can change it to be when you first begin to pull the R2/RT trigger.

Still aint buyin the game but figured someone should say they didn't think EA was completely insane when they moved passing off of X/A.

That's the exact reason we did it.

Having pass on release is so you can have more say on who the pass goes to (near or far player when they are both at the same angle from you).

The freestyle pass gives you a quicker pass doesn't it?

[Behindshadows]

Love this, thanks for posting for the most part. I agreed with everything. My full blog is coming after the Cowboys game, had to do a lot of research and a lot of videos to bring it too life.

Chris and Stevie B...great job.

[RayDog253]

Re: NBA Elite 11 Demo Roundtable

I'm fine with the passing. It was weird at first but I got used to it.

I guess these guys just need to work on their "Trigger Finger"(I play alot of FPS's).

[10yard-Fight]

j. cole track is certainly a positive aspect of the demo

live 10 demo was way better. it actually convinced me to BUY THE GAME.

[Fngb3]

Can I do a roundtable of my own? And answer the same questions?

Best thing about the demo?
I didn't mind being on the practice court with my never-to-be-legendary-player-because-i'll-never-spend-the-time-gettin-him-there. I had a good time playing around with the controls, honestly. They felt responsive enough at the time that I was looking forward to a 5v5 game.

Biggest Disapointment?
There's a lot of problems with games. Life is complicated, afterall. It's hard to emulate. I actually haven't been playing both series for years and years. I love basketball, play it all the time, but never enjoyed basketball games. I came back last year and really enjoyed both games (2K more so). I can overlook sliding feet and canned animations and bad graphics and ball warping and limbs going through peoples heads. Honestly, I don't get too bothered by all that. Instead I enjoyed the two games last year, and won't enjoy Elite 11 this year because of one simple idea; That you are successful in the game for playing it like a real basketball game. That EA is so far from that mark is the biggest disappointment.

The gameplay is ______ ?
...where basketball games were at 9 years ago.

Caught my eye?
Pau Gasol looking worse in this game than he does in real life. (yes, of course I'm a Celtics fan)

EAs stock up or down?
Obvious. The bigger picture here might be the impact on 2Ks stock. By comparison, 2K looks like the Sistine Chapel of basketball games. Competition is critical to progress. That's evolution in a nutshell. The concern now is, with 2K having no competition (at least for a minimum of what, 3 years? before EA can build on this new core [assuming they're still around]) are they able to maintain they're edge and stay vigilent in their desire to improve.

[Fngb3]

It's easier to stay the same. Not to get all dramatic but it's true in business, and society and everywhere else. Familiar is easier. New is scary.
I think the change of the name is being undervalued. We have been told from the very start that all of this is a reboot. If we look at reasoning you really have to be honest and say, real-time physics is eventually going to be a must in sports games. EAs been working hard to keep up but doing it with a system that at it's very core couldn't compete. At some point they needed to bite the bullet and start over and they gave us ample warning of that.

I've heard people on youtube say "why did they release this demo? they could have gotten more people to buy it if they hadn't."
Really? And if you got blind sided buy this game AFTER you dropped $60 on it you'd be happier?

Listen, these people aren't stupid, despite what so many are saying. They knew they were starting over, and that it was going to be ugly. Much respect to them for pullin the trigger and doing it, AND not suckering us into it. Thank you for this demo EA. I'm not gonna buy your game this year, but it's nothing personal. You can bet that I'll be followin, and a few years from now I'll be back because you guys were stand up enough to tell it like it is.


Interesting side note: In 3, maybe 4 years, when 2K has to make the inevitable leap to real-time physics, who do you think is gonna be ahead then??