http://www.easports.com/games/nbalive06/producer.jsp
IN THE PAINT WITH RICHARDS
NBA LIVE 06 Producer Talks About
Freestyle Superstars and More!
Everyone’s anxious to get all the details on the new Superstar feature of NBA LIVE 06, so rather than giving you the same info that’s floating around the internet, we went straight to the development team of NBA LIVE 06 for the inside scoop. Check out part one of our interview with producer Dean Richards. Part two goes into more detail about features of the game that have yet to be announced… stay tuned!
Part One
EA SPORTS: How many Freestyle Superstars are there in NBA LIVE 06, and what can they do that other players can't? Is there one on each team?
Dean Richards: In NBA LIVE 06, there are six Freestyle Superstar types that all possess unique attributes and skills in terms of player control and functionality. This includes five offensive players: Highflyer, Scorer, Playmaker, Shooter and Power; and one defensive player: the Stopper. The Scorer and Stopper both have an inside and outside type reflecting the differences between a 'Big Player' and a 'Small Player'. Each Freestyle Superstar will have their own unique playing styles not only from each other but from the rest of the players in the NBA. They will be able to dunk, shoot, steal, block and pass like no other players on the court. For instance, players like Steve Nash who are great Playmakers, will be the only type of players able to throw no-look passes or behind-the-back passes. [
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[b]The Freestyle Superstars are based on the best players in the NBA. Not every team has these types of guys, but it generally averages out to be two or three per team. The best thing about Freestyle Superstars is that they are an extension on our Freestyle Control, which allows users to express themselves out on the court by when and how they perform these Freestyle Superstar moves.
EA SPORTS: How do you go about modifying a Superstar? Can you modify as you please or according to characteristics that player has in real life?
Dean Richards: Yes, you can modify a Freestyle Superstar -- there are few ways a user can do this. One way is to go into our ‘Player Editor’ in the front end menu and raise a particular player’s attributes in order for them to become a Freestyle Superstar. The other way is if a player has the ability to be more than one Freestyle Superstar, users can change that player from one Freestyle Superstar to another. During gameplay, players can only be one Freestyle Superstar on offense and one Freestyle Superstar on defense. This makes for some interesting strategies heading into gameplay as your personnel on the court dictates your style of play.
Control of a Freestyle Superstar during gameplay consists of a user holding/pressing the left trigger/button. When it is held down, the user can use one of the four face-buttons to access a number of Superstar moves based on that Freestyle Superstar type.
EA SPORTS: What kinds of tricks and moves are incorporated in the "Freestyle Superstar" aspect of the game?
Dean Richards: There are a number of Freestyle Superstar moves a user can perform depending on which Freestyle Superstar they control. For the Powers and Highflyers we bring all-new dunks, and if someone is in your path to the basket, they have the ability to go through and/or over your opponent to jam it home.
Playmakers have a specialized passing game that allows users to control the type of pass they want to throw whether it’s on the move, stationary or even while they are in the air.
Scorers have a variety of shots and lay-ups that allow you to reverse the ball, put it behind your back, or switch hands, to name a few. These players make the impossible look possible.
Shooters have the ability to utilize a variety of shot types to drain the long-range ball, like a set-shot, bank-shot or a fake-pass to fool the defender before taking the shot.
On the defensive side of things, we have incorporated the ability to steal and block the ball from all new angles and the ability to be a threat while rebounding, allowing Stoppers to jump over your opponent to steal an otherwise easy rebound.
EA SPORTS: Have there been any enhancements to the online gameplay?
Dean Richards: This year we will be adding two new game modes online. They are the ‘Freestyle Challenge’ modes of Slam Dunk Showdown and 3-Point Showdown. These two game modes were in NBA LIVE 2005 as part of the ‘All-Star Weekend’ and now will be available for people to play online. These fun game modes allow the user to have a great, quick and competitive online experience. Don't forget that you will also be able to play with your Freestyle Superstars online in 1-on-1 and 5-on-5 gameplay.
EA SPORTS: If you could play NBA LIVE 06 against any NBA player, who would you take to the virtual court and why?
Dean Richards: If I could play NBA Live 06 against any NBA player it would have to be Dwyane Wade. He is a very talented player with a competitive spirit and a great addition to the EA family. A definite Freestyle Superstar. It would be fun to match wits against a player of his stature.
how sad BUT I BET YOU next year the biggest innovations would be allowing more than one offensive sets for a player. I bet you that's gonna be one of their newest feature for Live 07.
