Why every game feels the same way.

[_cashless]

Don't you get that feeling that every game feels the same game. Dosn't mater if it's orlando - chicago in regular seasong or lakers - spurs game 7 conference final. I think the reason are the crowd, the sound and the general environment. The intense-level never go higher no mater the game and that's a damn shame really. I want the roof to tear off when you hit a 3 pointer at the buzer ect ... But no such thing. I want the crowd to react after how big the point / reabon / steal is ..

Another thing is that you never get any contact with the crowd. They look like dumbies taped on the chairs like a 1700 brittish school class. No intensity what so ever. In order to change that you HAVE to add more peoples just hanging around the bench .. Look at the attached photos. Compare the live-screens with real photos from nba games and you'll see where i'm geting at...








Get the crowd involved!! I think the crowd should look as life like as the players. Now it's like nba players meets a buncha crappy the sims characters. Have them animated as well (like the coach). I want photographers changing positions, bench players to stand up once the game get's really intensive (like the end of the game) ..

[seanakaforty]

Good point. Although things like this seem small, they would add the "NBA atmosphere." Comparing those graphics really sums the whole thing up.

[hillwoodballa24]

in the playoffs, the crowds are always packed, in 04'

[BIG GREEN]

yep..agreed. They need to bring the crowd into the game...change their volume to very loud..and have commentators sound differently.

[cocobee]

yep..agreed. They need to bring the crowd into the game...change their volume to very loud..and have commentators sound differently.

That would be awesome! And have better crowd logic too--like in dynasty mode--when the 2 best teams in the League are playing eachother--the stadium needs to be PACKED! Playoff games needs to be LOUD and crazy!
That would add so much to the atmosphere of the game. Like when the visiting team scores the crowd volume settles but when the home team is up and winning the crowd goes nuts.

[Ruff Ryder]

I'd like to hear the commentators get more tense toward the end of tight games.

[_cashless]

Yeah .. Exactly what i'm talking about. There's a big diffrence between packed and packed as well. Just cause the arena is full seated dosn't mean it feels like a real game. Look at that Lakers game (photo i attached). It would be so cool. And have the crowd blocking the sidline on the broadcast camera cause they're so close to the floor ..

[Full Surface]

I wish they'd make it so that the crowds wore jerseys. I've never seen a basketball game in this modern era that had 50 people wearing suits.

[PrpleHayz]

itd be sweet also if they had it so they booed the opposite teams star player or jerky kinda player like ron Artest whenever they scored

[Gripni]

I think another reason the games don't have the right feel is because they don't have the build-up they do in real life. IRL everyone is talking about the game that will be on. You see in on SportsCenter, in the newspaper, and on commercials. You don't have that in NBA Live 2004.

The commentating should also be different. IRL the commentators are very different in the playoffs than in the regular season.

The main reason is because in NBA Live the games don't matter. You can't have the same pressure in NBA Live that you do IRL. IRL, everyone talks about the games. You desperately want your team to win. If they lose you can feel it. You can't feel it in most video games. If the games were watched by millions of people around the world it would be different. I know my games would have a different atmosphere if instead of being all alone playing the AI I had gone through 30 other gamers, been watched everywhere, had fans chanting my name around the globe, and especially if my salary depended on what I did in these 48 minutes. I don't think that concept is very far away, either. There are plenty of leagues for NBA Live 2004. Watching sports games are enjoyable. You can also make a lot of money by winning video game contests. But it's still completely different from real life.

NBA Live and drama are far from each other.

[_cashless]

Gripni .. hmm .. well yeah .. but in the end of the day it's just a video game. On you it sounds like it's hopeless, maybe i misunderstand you here...?? They have to make the best of the situation knowimsayin ..

[Jackal]

I think all this might change this year. In one of the previews, where they mentioned the thing about how body sizes will have an effect. It was in what Yohance posted I think, thus if you bump Stoudamire against Shaq, Stoudamire will go flying. This way, teams that have an inside-outside thing will go to that more. The physics are important. This might have an effect, butofcourse...that's just my assumption.

New collision models have been added for more realism based on momentum and mass. If Shaq bumps into Damon Stoudamire, Damon’s going to be flying across the floor. Likewise, don’t expect Shaq to give up much ground with that massive caboose of his. This really makes the player play according o the actual team’s strategy in many cases, and possibly gets them to think twice about driving down the lane.

[allamerican08]

All that crowd stuff is a very good idea and will definetly make a better atmosphere. But i think the most important thing that NBA live should have is a "Team Play" concept. And with that, have crowds who respond to Team concept.
Eg, I played with the Bulls and we had a 29th rating, but i played a team game with passing and all that, and we won team such as Dalas, LAL by a tonne of points. Yet no one showed up to our games.

[Alcoholic]

I think all this might change this year. In one of the previews, where they mentioned the thing about how body sizes will have an effect. It was in what Yohance posted I think, thus if you bump Stoudamire against Shaq, Stoudamire will go flying. This way, teams that have an inside-outside thing will go to that more. The physics are important. This might have an effect, butofcourse...that's just my assumption.

New collision models have been added for more realism based on momentum and mass. If Shaq bumps into Damon Stoudamire, Damon’s going to be flying across the floor. Likewise, don’t expect Shaq to give up much ground with that massive caboose of his. This really makes the player play according o the actual team’s strategy in many cases, and possibly gets them to think twice about driving down the lane.

Yeah, that should also stop people being able to score against Shaq using lower name players (like Nesterovic)..




And what the hell is this? You expect them to put this in the game???

[Kwan706]

It would be alot better if the crowd would be a little more into the game

[fgrep15]

You should hear crickets and the wind when you go to play in Atlanta.

People only come when they're playing the Lakers, Magic (Tmac), Raptors (Vince), Philly (Iverson) or Cleveland (Lebron), apart from those and maybe some others their aren't too many fans, and they don't even cheer for their home team

[Metsis]

Adding tons of crowd and crowd animations will cause the game to slow down. If they start doing realistic crowds, the game specs will go through the roof.

And don't forget that this game is also made for the limited consoles and basically is made for them and then ported to the PC... Which sucks just so many ways that I can't count.

It would be great, it would add to the feeling of the game... I would like it to have some effect in the game too... If you're home fans would be crazy your team would play better or something...

I am not expecting anything too revolutionary in this, but we'll just have to wait and see...