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.