NBA Elite 11 Demo Impressions

[Patr1ck]

I have found that if you play the game like a spastic, that's what it looks like. If you play under control, make common sense basketball decisions, it looks pretty good. I have been having ups and downs while playing the demo. When I am enjoying it, I am being calm with the controls, testing different moves and not being a stick wiggler. When I am not enjoying it, Iam trying to do too much without thinking about it. The controls are very deep and I expect people who continue to give it a chance will end up liking it more in the long run.

I hate most of the blocking and rebounding animations. Nobody in their right mind blocks shots or grabs rebounds with their arms bent. Nor do they punch the ball when blocking. There are only a couple realistic looking rebounding and blocking animations with outstretched arms. Not to mention players putting both their hands in the air when trying to block.
That and all the in air collision animations are bad.

What good is the spin move? They just spin in place and don't go anywhere.
There still doesn't seem to be a way to take a quick "first step" after stationary dribbles. It's that same feet stuck in mud feeling.
It seems that playing defense up on the ballhandler is more effective at stopping the drive than backing off, which is he exact opposite of real life. Possibly because of the small defensive help the game gives you when you are on the ball handler.
I can't seem to deny perimeter passes without turning my back to the man I am guarding which is also the opposite of how you deny perimeter passes in real life. Works fine in the post, though.
Got my dunk blocked as I was throwing it down over the rim and a goal tending call was issued. This is two issues in one. The high vertical leap on defense, and the same old goal tending issue. They need to add a check to see if it is a dunk, and make sure goaltending does not get called.
I understand why they made the jump so high and quick. It's hard to contest pull up jumpshots since you don't know when they are coming. Ray Allen has knocked down a slew of them.
Collisions on jumpshots are pretty good. However, I don't like the defender leaning away from the shooter sometimes when attempting a block.
You have to time your shots and layups at the end of a prohop. If you start too early, it won't start the shot.
Players look really dark on the court. They don't "pop" like the Live 10 players did. They look fine up close, though.
Commentary is excellent. Breen gets excited and it adds to the intensity of the moment. Marv Albert rarely did that in Live. Mark Jackson is quite quiet, though.
Alleyoops need a lot of work. You can still throw one to a stationary post player and the defense will most likely not be able to defend it. Although, it is on pro difficulty. I like how you can come up with the loose ball if you miss time the pass.
The gathers are great, but they should have replaced turbo, giving you a small boost to get to the basket. I feel that they slow me down sometimes.
Players don't look they have any urgency when running sometimes. Especially the slower ones. Just looks like they slowly jogging.
Got my ass handed to me on Superstar difficulty.

More later.

[BigDre1992]

this game was terrible.... nuff said... the passing sucks, the graphics suck, the new controls suck, everything about it sucks... i felt like i was playing nba live 2002.. EA just dont release this game please.. its horrible

[bronco_4_ever]

im in australia and no demo yet, do i really have to make a us account or just wait for another day

[Lamrock]

Just wait it out. The game is horrible but it should be up tomorrow.

[youvalss]

I hope this doesnt happen to my demo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJxyODxpbII

LMAO...that's one of the funniest youtube videos ever!

LOL!

[rizzlekayandretti]

i aint gone lie i like and hate this game
PRO's
no 2 man animations
thumbstic based offense and defense
self thrown alleys,tip dunks
atmosphere still pretty good
player faces look alot better
authentic team plays
the on the fly coaching is actually usuable
very responsive controls no lag like live10

CON'S
difficult passing WTH! passing
steep learning curve for shooting and dribbling
hard to get rebounds against the cpu
cpu steals the ball way too much
no injuries
still bad officiating
very odd looking jump animations yuk!
no dynamic commentary like 2k
lac of signature styles and shots
sum of the most difficult to execute controls in a bball game ever

[nebriga]

hello i am from austria, i get the demo today,I am very disappointed about the game!!!!
the graphics and gameplay are still two years old!
the hands-on control is the worst thing I've seen and played

alone is the turnover are some of the nerves and the ps3 system cost when you play online.
No turbo button?? wtf!
ok it's a demo, but that alone tends to me this year to switch 2k11!!
why change something that is good, for example, the shooting in nba live 10 was great!
which had only the rebounding and ball handling to improve! not the whole game is what made the Liveseries so good!!.yes its now Elite series but i think i buy this year 2k11!!!
sorry Ea u F.... the game up°!!!!!!!!!!!

[saharor1]

when may get the demo for ps3? i live in israel(very near to europe) midle-east
everyone in israel have it and i cant find it in ps store

[Andrew]

No turbo button?? wtf!

Honestly, I don't mind that change. I had my doubts when I heard about that (that's been known for a while now) but the individual player acceleration seems to work pretty well without it.

why change something that is good, for example, the shooting in nba live 10 was great!

I disagree, I definitely wouldn't call the shooting in NBA Live 10 great. Of course, if you want to shoot that way, the control scheme is still available (both in the full version and in the demo).

[Andrew]

My impressions, as posted on the main site. It's a long read, but I had a lot to say.

First of all, I have to get this out of the way: I'm somewhat surprised at the largely negative reactions so far. I don't disagree with all the criticisms - and I'll certainly get to those shortly - but I do feel like people have gone in with the attitude that the demo is going to terrible based on the videos that have been released, balking at the new controls without giving them a chance and refusing to see any good in the demo.

I know, I know, I'm coming off like a Live/Elite fanboy making excuses. I'll certainly admit to my long history with the NBA Live series and my enthusiasm for it, as well as my preference towards its approach to certain aspects of control and the like. However, the bottom line of my NBA 2K11 demo impressions was that the stripped down demo doesn't do the full game justice and that I expect great things of the final product, which in all fairness is just a few steps away from saying "Forget the demo and any problems you may have with it, the final game is going to be great". That's more along the lines of 2K fanboy sentiments and it's coming from a longtime NBA Live fan.

What I'm getting at here is that despite my history with the NBA Live series, I'm approaching both demos with an open mind and trying to be as fair and unbiased as possible. I wasn't as impressed with the NBA 2K11 demo as other people were, but I believe I'll like the finished product a whole lot better. In contrast, I liked the NBA Elite 11 demo a lot better than most seem to, while hoping that the finished product eliminates a couple of the issues and delivers the goods across the board.

A few more quick thoughts and I'll wrap up this lengthy intro and get into my impressions. First, for those who don't like the new controls, I'd highly recommend switching to the Alternate control scheme to play with classic face button controls. If you liked the controls in NBA Live 10, you might like them a little better. Second, you can change the camera angle before you begin a game; I prefer playing with the broadcast camera and as such find other angles awkward, which definitely affects the experience. If you haven't tried changing the angles yet, definitely give it a try.

Finally, if you have NBA Live 10, pop it in and play a game or two then go back to the NBA Elite 11 demo. If you don't have NBA Live 10, the demo is still available (or at least it still is in the Xbox Live Marketplace) and is close enough to the finished product to make a comparison. I do feel the improvements are apparent and as I said if the new controls are an issue, give the Alternate, NBA Live 10-style configuration a shot.

So, without any further ado, my impressions of the NBA Elite 11 demo.

I've found myself adapting to the new controls a little quicker than I thought I would, though using the right trigger to pass and switch players on defense does feel a little unnatural after years of using a face button. I'm still getting the hang of the dribbling moves as you have to be careful not to hold or tap up, otherwise you'll find yourself attempting or at least faking a shot (and picking up your dribble) when you don't want to. I'm finding it harder to take people off the dribble which isn't a bad thing as such, but hopefully in time I will be able to pull off those moves more fluidly.

The layup controls are a little awkward though. The theory behind the layup controls - roll the right stick from left or right to up - does make sense and is a fairly intuitive way to choose whether you want to finish with your right or left hand. It's a bit difficult to master though and the simpler control for attempting a dunk - hold straight up on the right stick as you're moving towards the basket - does invite the possibility of turning the game into a dunk fest. I've noticed sometimes your player will attempt a layup regardless, though there are a few dunks from too far out still in this build that will hopefully have been removed (or will be patched out) of the final version. I haven't come across too many of them myself but I know they're in there from videos and other people's impressions and I have seen a couple of iffy ones.

I do like the feel of the game though. The removal of the canned animations has definitely been to the game's advantage and while the results don't always look the best, there's a feeling of being in control that I feel is a definite improvement over NBA Live 10. Slight improvements have been made every year in that regard beginning with NBA Live 08 but there's always been a heaviness, a "clunkiness" to the controls where you'd lose control with a bit of momentum. Momentum still plays a factor but more than last year I feel like I retain control of my player once the pace picks up a bit.

While I'm still yet to master breaking my opponent's ankles, right stick shooting is fairly easy to pick up. So long as you're not shooting out of your range, there's enough leeway on the sweet spot so you don't get punished if the stick's at 88 or 89 degrees as opposed to a perfect 90 degree angle. It's easier to tell when you've released too early, too late or within the good release window and if you miss left or right, there's a rhyme and reason to it. Sliders might need to be tweaked for realistic percentages for longer quarters but the new controls are an improvement over the dice roll that took place with the shoot button in previous games.

I was skeptical about the removal of the turbo button but I'm finding that I'm not missing it much. The individual player acceleration abilities seem to work fine and the removal of the turbo button seems to have helped in cutting down on the out-of-control moments.

Free throws use the same method as jumpshots and as such, it's my favourite mechanic for free throws since the T-Meter. Whereas the down-up movement in previous games was too sensitive and the hold shoot method used the last couple of years took away the ability to aim, the new system is perfect. Like the T-Meter, there's a sweet spot with some leeway. Using the right stick is more challenging than the old T-Meter though and is nicely integrated into the gameplay because it's the same mechanic as shooting a jumpshot. With the on-screen display, you can see exactly what you did on an attempt (and correct it if necessary) with a clear indicator of when to release the stick. Indeed, I may end up liking it more than the old T-Meter.

Defense is certainly harder without the Defensive Assist but with good positioning it's definitely possible. I haven't yet mastered the defensive slide that allows you to gamble on trying to make a quick recovery and get back in front of an opponent but I can see it being a useful tool. To be honest, I'd prefer to use a face button to grab rebounds and block shots, it does feel awkward to do that by pressing up on the right stick though I have found myself getting used to it somewhat. Steals are good, I've also seen a couple of nice hustle plays take place on steal attempts which I'd deem better than last year; your players actually try to save the ball to a teammate, though they aren't always successful.

The default sliders do allow a lot of blocked shots, so that's something we'd have to try and tweak. Interceptions aren't too bad and generally come from bad decisions, rather than some of the magnetic interceptions the CPU would make in the past. There seem to be more deflections rather than flat out interceptions as well, giving you a better chance to recover the loose ball. The physics engine does a nice job of having deflected passes and blocked shots go off at different angles in a way that makes sense. At the very least it's not the same thing all the time with anything canned.

Speaking of the physics, I think it's going to prove to be a worthwhile addition as I've seen a couple of good looking collisions but having said that, there are some that aren't aesthetically pleasing and I can certainly see that costing EA Sports some sales. Even though the aftermath of a collision usually makes sense it's not always pretty or 100% realistic so I can see why that's turning a lot of people off the game. I liked the feel of it though and in that respect I think they've done a pretty decent job in the space of a year. Unfortunately the lack of polish is noticeable at times, certainly in videos and I realise how that can be off-putting.

Presentation is good, although the EA Sports logo is still being used the style of the overlays is definitely making use of the ESPN license and the NBA on ESPN music is also featured. Along with the three man crew of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, it does a more than respectable job of aping an ESPN broadcast including the highlight reels and instant replays. I've seen some complaints about the commentary and while it could be better, I didn't think it was too bad.

I still think it's a mistake to make Baseline High the default camera angle. I know I can't speak for everyone here but I prefer the broadcast angle and I know I'm not alone there. It's easy enough to change and the setting is saved, but for the sake of presentation I think the broadcast angle should be the default. I'm also disappointed to see that once again, the PAL version uses the metric system for player measurements. I'm sure it's done to make things easier for those us in countries that use the metric system but when it comes to basketball I think in terms of feet and inches and again from a presentation standpoint, it would make sense to use the imperial system in all versions. If that could be patched or toggled, that'd be great.

I'm a Dynasty geek but I do like the look of Become Legendary. Obviously what we saw is very limited and the full version is prone to more quirks, bugs and annoyances, but for me it's a case of so far, so good. The Player Lock AI wasn't too bad, you might need to call for the pass fairly regularly if you want to get your touches but your teammates don't just stand around which is certainly good news. It's tough to get a really good idea of the grading system with two minute quarters but it seems reasonably fair and logical. As with everything, I'll let the final verdict rest with the finished product though.

A small thing I noticed that I thought was cool was that when I finished the Jordan Draft Showcase game and proceeded to the mock draft, the game listed "Australia" under my school, seeing as though I had selected "N/A" for my school and entered Australia as the country of birth for my player. Not a big deal, but a nice little detail for those of us who might seek to create foreign born players. You can also save and upload your player from the demo to use in the final version, much like NBA 2K10 allowed you to do last year with the Draft Combine.

Getting back to the gameplay for a moment, I do see some improvement in playcalling this year. The extended playcalling time that Novell mentioned in our Q&A is definitely helpful in setting up the play and it's a lot easier to run plays with teammates being a little smarter (and more patient) as well as the automatic icon passing when running a play. It works much better than it did last year when the "next pass" indicator was the same as the pass button, which all too often led to passing to the wrong person if you didn't resort to Direct Pass which isn't always as quick.

The CPU does run plays but I felt there was perhaps a bit too much freelance basketball taking place. I'll reserve judgement until the finished version however, by which time I should hopefully have mastered the defensive controls and positioning. The correct players seem to be taking the most amount of shots though and it is possible to play defense, with the physics engine cutting down on a player's ability to get to the hoop at will by clipping through the defense, though that's not to say there isn't room for improvement.

Earlier I mentioned giving the Alternate controls a try if you're not feeling the new Hands-On Control and I feel that's worth repeating. I tried a couple of games out with the face button control scheme and the game was certainly very playable (and perhaps more palatable to some) with very limited use of the right stick (dribbling moves only) but there is definitely less precision on jumpshooting with the face buttons. Deciding whether to dunk or layup is a bit easier with the NBA Live 10-style controls though.

On the whole, I liked what I saw in the demo. I realise that may be an unpopular opinion but it's an honest one. I would certainly agree that the physics engine doesn't always have the most pleasing results from an aesthetic standpoint and like I said, I could see that coming back to haunt EA as a lot of people are finding that distracting from the feel of the game. The controls feel pretty good to me though and I think they need to be given a chance; I was skeptical right up until I started playing through the tutorials but I've found it fairly easy to pick up.

My suggestion is to give the new controls a chance as well as try out the alternate face button controls before you dismiss the game completely. If you can get past some of the more awkward looking moments, the game feels pretty good and responsive with the on-court action making sense and responding accordingly to your input...it just doesn't always look the best.

Above all, I'd encourage everyone to try the demo for themselves. I would not expect everyone to agree with me and share my positive experiences but don't rely on videos and commentary to make up your mind. I feel that there are some clear improvements and the finished product will be fun and certainly playable if not always aesthetically perfect in some of the collisions and animations. Become Legendary seems promising...here's hoping that the rest of the game modes are up to scratch in the final version and some of the quirks are ironed out.

[The X]

Hey Andrew, good impressions.

I stuck clear of all videos & impressions before playing demo to keep as free from bias as possible. Might fire it up again & give it another go. There is no way I will buy the game, but it might be worth getting next year, depending on what strides forward they make in the game.

In regards to the controls, I agree with what you said about wishing that some of controls should be on face buttons rather than dismissing them. I actually asked rEAnimator over at OS that exact question.

Although I didn't like the demo, I am confident Elite can be a good game by the end of its 3 year cycle, much like FIFA was. I didn't like '08 when new controls were introduced, but loved '10.

rEAnimator, thanks for being so candid with your responses. I have one question.

I did like the shot mechanic controls based on skill. I didn't mind other stick controls, but wasn't a fan of having the passing on the shoulder buttons & the face buttons losing most of their functionality. I know the demo gave an option to choose old school controls, but I didn't really want to play with them, I wanted to play with a hybrid, being able to use the stick controls, but at the same time have passing mapped to X button as well as others.

So my question, is it possible in Elite 11 for me to customise my controller options in the final retail version to a hybrid so that I can keep stick controls for offense, but move say pass to X or anything else like pro hop to triangle?

rEAnimator was nice enough to respond with the following message:

So I seem to remember Litty saying you can do something like this in the Mayo video, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes.

But I've never tried (or wanted to try) customizing the controls myself so I'm not speaking first hand.

I'll see if I can find out more for you though.

I hope for your sake & other players' sake who like the new controls but not all of them, that you can map passing, blocking & rebounding to the face buttons. If not, would be good to be patched, so glad I raised the question to him.

[Andrew]

There is no way I will buy the game, but it might be worth getting next year, depending on what strides forward they make in the game.

No way at all? Like I said I'm surprised by the reactions, which is not to say I thought everything was perfect in the demo but I was expecting much worse given some of the comments I'd seen beforehand. I thought it was more than playable, I liked it more than I did the NBA 2K11 demo (but do expect the full version of NBA 2K11 to far exceed the stripped down version we got to play).

In regards to the controls, I agree with what you said about wishing that some of controls should be on face buttons rather than dismissing them. I actually asked rEAnimator over at OS that exact question.

I'm definitely interested to try out a hybrid of the control schemes. I remember that comment from David Littman in the Mayo video and it may be that more of a hybrid will be the best scheme moving forward (or at least be available as another option by default). Shame we can't try it in the demo though.

[The X]

There is no way I will buy the game, but it might be worth getting next year, depending on what strides forward they make in the game.

No way at all?

With a kid these days, household down to one salary, rising day-to-day costs & interest rates likely to keep going up, yep, no way this year due to me only buying 1, maybe 2 games (if lucky) per year. I'm now a bit more cutthroat with my decisions on money unfortunately.

Actually, I should probably reserve my no way comment, as there is one way I would buy it, if my mates who also play online on PS3 were to get it, then I would definitely consider buying for that purpose. I'd say Elite will probably be alright human versus human, & Legendary Mode looks alright too. Jam is a nice bonus.

Anyways, I'll go off & give it another whirl now. But yes, hybrid controls would help I reckon. I actually went into the controls menu & was hoping it would be an option, but unfortunately was not.

[Andrew]

Ah, totally understandable. I'm guessing you're definitely getting 2K11 for PS3 then? I'll be getting it for PC, Elite 11 on 360.

[benji]

The sad fact is, as I mentioned elsewhere, you can't do anything of worth if you're attempting to start from scratch in nine months. NHL took time off to properly relaunch, Elite also needed to.

Elite has bombed almost everywhere because of this demo, I'd also think the Jam stuff was nearly erased. Once again, the next game has to deliver. And EA can't figure out why their sales are imploding. 2K11, the best selling of the two, delivered all the modes expanded, improved gameplay and Jordan to the point people were only waiting on the the online. Then Elite showed its demo, and its worse off than Live 10, the best Live in forever. Now, what does Elite have?

EA bailed on the last three year plan because of sales, they threw in Jam this year to try and bail this out, and I don't have high hopes.

And I want Live/Elite/whateverthefuck back and I want it on PC and I want it to contend because 2K got complacent for three years while Live provided nothing but absolute shit. Live 10 stepped it up, so they bought back Wang and bought Jordan, and went all out on the modes. THAT'S WHAT I WANT. I don't care if only 2K comes to PC, if 2K has to compete with Live on the consoles with PC a straight money port. Would I prefer Live and 2K both, yes, but if only one is coming, I'd prefer they're both competitive.

And I'm seeing nothing that EA's team gets it, as it's been since Live 2005. 2K's GameStyle's is basically what these games have needed at the most core level. You need to deliver to all the groups that want your game from the start. And then you pile on the content, Association, My Player, Jordan Challenge, until they don't give a shit about any flaws and play your game until the next one.

EA's message is the same almost every cycle, we're redoing it all and making it perfect, and wait for next year. I could believe this when they did the Live 99 to 2000, 2001-2002 and 2004-2005 changes, but even back then they were starting over every three years at least. The fact they're facing massive budget and sales issues these days really does not inspire confidence. As bad as 2K lumping shit onto the same engine over and over is, it's not the disaster EA development has been over the last decade.

[The X]

Ah, totally understandable. I'm guessing you're definitely getting 2K11 for PS3 then? I'll be getting it for PC, Elite 11 on 360.

Yep, I'll get on PS3. One of my mates is a HUGE MJ fan (can't wait to pick n roll him to death with Jazz ) so he was going to get it regardless. I play online with him & a couple of other mates. I need my basketball fix this year since the last year has been all FIFA '10 so it was always going to be one of the two of them (shame no CH2k11). Although admittedly, after really enjoying 2k6 & 2k7, I didn't think 2k8 was fun, 2k9 was more fun but a bit too arcadish. I actually traded in 2k9 when I got 2k10 & after the patches & other crap, I now kind of wish I had of just kept 2k9 since I had made my own legend teams in it.

[hova-]

It's interesting to see that you seem to like the demo as it is, Andrew. It's your opinion and I think you definitely did a good job of giving reasons why you consider the demo as good.

What I miss a bit are the graphical aspects as well as the animations. You did not really mention them in your critique (correct me if I'm wrong) and I think they are a big reason why 2k11 is the better demo in the eyes of many of us. While I know you are a gameplay enthusiast (so am I), I think especially the animations and the transition and smoothness of these bring a lot to the gameplay table. While player models and faces can actually be ignored considering gameplay, the different animations shouldn't be.

The flow of the game in Elite suffers from robotic animations in my opinion and makes the game very tough to handle. It forces different actions and let's the game at time look unrealistically quick. 2k already did a better job two or three years ago if you ask me (2k8 was my first 2k title, and the animations and the movement are way better then in the Elite demo IMO).

So don't see this as a critique to your critique, since I really respect your opinion (I can understand that you also like the Elite controls more than isomotion, for me it's just the other way around ... I think it's always a thing of practice), but I'd like to hear what you think about the graphics and animations.

[The X]

As I said, I gave the demo another go & it wasn't as bad as I initially thought. Is it worth buying for me? No. But there is some potential for next year based on the controls & improved physics if they continue to build on that & improve the flow of the game.

What is growing on me is the R2 pass button (even if I would prefer it being a face button). I like the fact I can run around whilst holding it, waiting for my player to move to the space I want him in before I can deliver the pass.

One other thing I did was go to game settings & turn home and away team playbooks to auto. This seemed to help the flow & teams were running plays & made game somewhat more enjoyable.

I think Being Legendary Mode is a better first year effort than 2k's Be A Pro mode. I think this will probably get a lot more play than other modes. I played this mode in Broadcast mode, which made it infinitely better in my eyes. Not stuck to stupid behind person mode. The other thing I liked about it was you could use icon passing for teammates to pass to other teammates, so whilst you're playing as your player, you're also running the team.

Overall, animations are terrible for rebounding & other aspects. Would prefer more defensive controls. A hybrid controller mapping is greatly needed. I like the shot stick mechanics (as said previously), getting use to other stuff as well. Am surprised the game did not include a feeling of more physicality. Would be good when defending, especially in Legendary Mode.

Overall after a second look I give the demo a 3 out of 5. There is some good things, but a major lack of polish & feel hurts. Am going to go back & play 2k11 demo again to see if it deserves the 4 out of 5 I gave it previously. Ratings are obviously for what I thought of game, not demo content.


EDIT: Played 2k again. Yes, it's an old engine but it's just so polished & looks & feels like you're playing an NBA game. Went back to Elite & although it is cool to pull off moves & have more control, the polish isn't there. PS3 demo still has framerate issues, which is just unacceptable Does 360 lag at times? If it's all about control, lag isn't good.

[Fozzrat]

anyone know what time demo comes out in Australia tomorrow.

[JaoSming]

CPU cheating to tie it? Or dumb inbounds?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkTkg2xyI5U#t=8m0s


good impressions andrew. I can't forgive the jerky animations as much as you do though, it ruins the immersion for me and as I said before, the game has tons of potential.....but so did 10, 09, 08, 07, 06.. .. ...

I am interested in this hybrid controls bit though, hopefully we can get some answers on that.

[Sokrates505]

i think i will get the game.
after spending some time, it gets a lot better esp. become legendary.
but i don t understand why they released the demo/game with this graphics and animations.
i love live and like parts of elite , but i think the graphics and the animations will kill the sales completely.
because today, in vidiogaming and in general, nothing mathers more then to look good.
i prefer other values too, like balancing, and skillbased gaming and not only how good something looks (except girls )

[Carmo]

Ok, so I pre-ordered 2k11 today and then I was like "maybe I should give Elite another shot..." So I was just playing it again and man, it really is a good game. I'm actually having a hard time deciding whether I should go back and pre-order Elite instead... I understand the visuals are not spot on but EA did say that it would be the case. However, they really aren't terrible, they just aren't 2k11 good. I do love a good looking game, but Elite is not bad, it's just not an improvement on last years game. There were some pretty sweet animations in there too though. Some of the blocks I saw were great, swatting it from behind into the backboard and stuff.
Also, a note on the controls. I thought they were brilliant! Annoying to start with to get used to them, wanting to use R2 for turbo and then throwing a crappy pass was annoying, but in the end I think they are the best controls I've used for a basketball game. Still getting used to them but the fact that they are so skilled based makes it just a really fun game to play. I thought it gave pretty decent control on defense as well moving the right stick to the side that the offensive player was moving seemed to be a help in staying with him. I found the control to be a breath of fresh air.
Now I'm a Live dude at heart but I also love a pretty game so I'll probably stick with 2k for this year. But I think EA aren't getting enough credit for their innovations this year. People need to give it a few games to get used to the controls and get used to the feel of the gameplay. I think this game next year is gonna be a killer to play and to look at.

[wabenne]

Attention Andrew?

Hey Andrew just had a couple of quetions for you, I truly do appreciate all that you do in the way of getting us information, and I defienetly respect your opinions and views. I like you am a life long Live fan, I have never bought a 2k game and have always been a defender of Live. But truthfully this year I will be buying 2k and not Elite. I came in with an open mind about both games waiting to get the demo's look and I was very unpleased with Elite.

My question was as a long time live fan, do you not feel like the foundation of what Live was about has been stripped away? I mean that saying it seems like with the new direction of schemes it took away from the Live feel in what separated it from other games.

My 2nd question was cleary from a learning standpoint there is a big curve from right stick dribbling, to the getting use to no turbo, to getting use to passing with R2, don't you think its to much change at one time? It actually becomes a turn off and causes frustration as you see with many comments to the game instead of bringing excitement

My 3rd question is while we disagree on our feelings towards the game, even reading your article I didn't get the feeling that you are excited about Elite 11 the same way we have been excited about pryor live games including Live10. Even as excited as picking up 2k and we alike are avid live fans. Doesn't that seem to suggest that coming from live10 which was a great start a big problem, meaning one year ago we were excited and pleased with live10 more than anything we were looking for more depth in the modes (with some improvement with the gameplay) now where has the excitment gone it seems it has been lost becuase Elite 11 is so opposite direction of Live10 its liie a whole new game then a continuation of a already good game. What are your feelings there?

My Final Question: In one of my reviews I suggest that the Live brand was Dead and not just the name, that so much frustration would come out of this at a time when 2k is building. Even I had to admit that thought the demo for 2k was barely nothing, just that short gameplay along with the rest of our knowledge of what is in the game lets us know how great as you stated the game is going to be. With that said I believe that Elite putting out this product will be smashed by there competition who along with Jordan, gamplay, smoothness, depth of modes and challenges, intervies and so on seem to be excelling. Do you think as I think it was a very bad time to make so many changes that would bring forth all of this frustron that we are seeing with the Demo in a year where your competitors have put in things that the fams will obviously go toward?

Andrew if you don't get a chance to respond as I know your busy responding to a lot I understand but if you do thanks a lot.

[atlwarrior]

I was a bit harsh about the controls and for that im sorry EA lol. Theyre actually pretty deep. But fact is nobody will take this game seriously better yet give it a chance until EA does something to make the animations look better. Shouldve taken this year off. I wouldve settled for another yr of live 10 with patches & rosters.

[needcollec]

THIS IS ALL DEDICATED TO ANDREW

I understand that your a live fan I am too, but my man give it up
please!! just accept Elite for what it is a sorry excuse for a game.
Your taking up for EA in every which way even when people were saying how
bad the elite 24 videos were you said i expected much worse just as your
saying now be honest its a bad game.

Pros
-Shooting with skill I love that your skill determines your shot
-The defense has improved fabulously (no more running down the lane with
off ball defense is wonderful) and thats about it

CONS!
-How the fu** is everyone basically the same size smh everyone looks like
nate robinson on the court bynum and gasol look about as tall as the
hoop imagine yao ming in there oh my lord!
-WHY DOES KOBE HAVE BROWNISH HAIR!!! I DONT EVEN HAVE TO GO FURTHER ON
THAT
-Jermaine O'neal looks like a piece of black tar im black myself so dont
say im trying to be racist im being real
-The foul animations are terrible I really wanna look EA, Andrew and
everyone else who supports this in the eye and ask them how the fu** you
support a game like this be honest
-Commentary no where near 2k's
-No signature post up Fadeaway shots AGAIN! second year straight for EA
-The game speed is toooo quick im not talking running up the court I'm
talking jump hooks when certain players jump for a jumpshot it looks
very unrealistic
-there is no fluidity
-I was playing on superstar all of a sudden ray allen's a lockdown
defender I mean hes gotten better but constantly poking the ball and
stealing it doesn't happen in and nba game especially from ray allen

Im done with that I could be on it for hours im not talking about "oh
the game could be better in the future with updates" no im discussing
the nba elite 11 demo it is a disgrace the people who created the game
have eyes just like us the court and players are to small its just sad
really why cant they see that...the objective is create a game better
than last years and better than the competition(2k) they said "its the
most realistic basketball game you'll ever play" ask yourself is this
game better than 2k10 and 2k9 forget 2k11 how do you create a game to
deal with competition and your game is better than the older additions
im puzzled

PS I really want a response from you Andrew I'm not a 2k fan but I'm
buying it this year how can you compare ELITE to 2k10 and 2k9....2k11 is
ssoooo realistic its gonna destroy elite