Currentgen reveiw from EA
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:14 pm
Before I start with this recap there are some things that I feel all of you guys should know and understand. Before this event I pretty much was clueless about the effort it took to make these games. I knew it wasn't simple but I really had no idea about all the work and effort it takes. I mean the audio alone is enough to make the average mans head spin. It's a complicated process... more then any of you will ever know but these guys word hard on every level.
Coming away from this event really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Some people come away some years feeling the producers don't put there all into this game and that's just not true. Some of you think they don't listen to what we want and that's not true either. These guys give 110% and I saw it firsthand. 1 thing I learned is that due to time constraints and the overwhelming development process it's just something's you can't get done. The important thing is that you build on what you've started and this year is the year that will make all the non believers shut up.
The developers are everyday guys just like you and me. These guys are really cool and really listened to what we had to say about the game. They can take criticism and the fact that their egos don't get in the way of that is phenomenal. The team is great and these dudes have my full respect. I met some cool people and these guys were so willing to listen to everything we had to say and they are even implementing our ideas into the game.......So without further a do i give you the Recap
Current Gen over view
Looking at what live was last year and what it's shaping up to be this year is like day and night. last years version was a virtual dunk fest with people abusing the FSSS mode. The AI wasn't that great and it lacked execution in key areas. One of the things you'll notice right away is just how physical the game is going to be. The Superstars are going to Shine and the stars will fill there rolls and the Xfactor will be a factor in the game. You can actually play some real D and your going to have to use some in game strategy and make adjustments on the fly. The game is going to challenge you and it's going to be a more balanced game then in years past. It's about D, it's about executing your plays, it's about getting your crowd into the game, it's all about getting the W the best way you can and it's still loads of fun to play.
Defense
Their was a huge improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Players have some "weight" to them and the collision animations that have been added to the game are really going to add to the battles that your going to have.When the full court press is run your going to see the computer players ride you up and down the court your going to see them practically be in your shorts. If you happen to beat a player off the dribble and get to the lane your going to see a help defender try and close off on you and stop your dribble penetration and if you try and go up for a dunk or lay-up expect to get hammered more often then not. There will be no easy dunks or lay-ups in this game and with all the new collision animations it'll make it very fulfilling when you can get in the lane and score. Great 1 on 1 defenders and great defensive teams are going to make it more difficult for you to score. Your going to have to rely more on the midrange game this year then in any previous years. There have been new defensive plays added and the D will be really solid. The amount of steals that you got before will be cut down. No more getting like 20 steals a game with 1 player and the defensive stoppers will play a bigger role in the game.
FSSS/player specifics
As much as the defense has improved in this game the offense is just as good. The biggest change has come with the FSSS mode being toned wayyyy down. Don't think your going to do spin move after spin move and then get in the lane and throw it down with ease cause it's not going to happen. Don't get me wrong the Superstars will shine and have an impact on the game but it's just not going to be easy. New post moves have been added and you can really go to work with inside scorers. You can command some double teams and that will leave some of your other players open to do some damage. Also there are new animations for all the Superstar types and the level star you are will depend the move set you can do. Example of this would be Dwade being a superstar High flyer so he can do some moves that Ricky Davis who would be a star HF couldn't do. Same goes for every other FSSS type. Including Steve Nash making passes that Jamal crawford can't. Also there are a ton of player specific free-throw animations. Kidd does the kiss, Arenas does his thing, Shaq does the forehead wipe and so many more.
Offense/Passing/S trategy
This year's game will be all about angles and match ups. Your going to see some mismatches happen during the game depending on the offensive sets you run. It's possible that you could see Shaq have to come out and guard nash on a pick and roll and you can exploit that match up. It really adds a strategy aspect to the game without taking the fun away from it.
The passing has also been reworked. there are a ton of new animations just for passing and it's smarter too. In past lives when you tried to throw it in a certain players direction it didn't always go to the person you wanted it to go to. Not anymore because if your pointing in a guys direction that you want to throw it to he's going to get it. Also the type of pass you throw will be key as well. For example If you have Tim Duncan on the block and he has a man pinned your going to want to throw the bullet pass in there to him so he can go to work in the post -OR- If he has a man fronting him your going to want to throw the lob over the defender to give Tim the best shot at getting to the basket.
Also another change that was made was the ability to choose who's going to go up and catch the famous alley oop. Remember how you would run a break and you wanted to get it to a certain guy but couldn't do it because the AI gave it to the guy who it thought had the best chance. Well now it's completely your choice but it comes with it's risk and rewards. If the guys out of position he could miss the OOP or he could re adjust and try to throw it down and man there are just a ton of scenarios that could happen and it gets better.
Remember how in past versions If you were running the break how the AI wouldn't always get into the best position to score? That has also been changed by an AI dynamic called secondary break.
The AI will have the wings run out to their spots on the floors and break to get down the court and score. You can really play the way you want to play. If your the Suns and you want to run the break the players are going to run the break. If your the Lakers your going to see them bring it up court and setup the triangle. Teams are going to play like their real life counterparts.
Atmosphere
Als o new to the game this year is the intensity and momentum meter. The intensity and momentum features are all about the overall atmosphere of the game. The sound dynamics have been reworked to get this across in the game. If your getting blown out your crowd is going to boo you and they will not get excited when you score. If you start to go on a run and cut the lead down you can almost feel the crowd get back into it and cheer you on.
If your down 3 points with 10 seconds to go defenders are going to guard your harder, Your players are going to try harder to get open, the crowd is going to be going nuts and it'll really feel like your in the game. There is also a "Rival" concept that's going to add to the overall feel of the game. Prime example is if you take that situation I mentioned above and add the Dallas Mavs against the Spurs at home game 7 of the West finals you've got yourself one intense game.
The same dynamic will be used in games that aren't that important. Naturally if your early in the season games just getting started the fans are having fun and cheering but the level is turned up depending on the situation and the development team really executed this feature.
Dynasty
The Dynasty has a new Dynamic to it. One thing that's really cool is how you can start your dynasty off with the 06 Draft. You can switch the order around or you can keep it the way it was. You can pick who you think your team should have gotten. Due to a few rookies being unsigned at the time of viewing there are "fake"players in the draft for now and because we know how the NBA works there will be some rookies who don't make it. The asst. coach and rumor central thing is great...Team Chemistry plays a huge huge huge roll in your teams success... I'll explain more when I get to the next gen preview. 1thing that you will see a big difference in is the Draft and scouting. The rookies are going to have more balance to them. Their ratings are going to be more balanced and it'll be some studs that come out of the draft and for all of us salary cap fans the Mid Level exception has been added to. I'll go into more detail about the dynasty when I do the Next Gen and I'll also go into the all star weekend mode in the next gen as well.
All in all this game is miles ahead of what it was last year and you guys will not be disappointed. I tip my hat to Brian and Jeff and the rest of their team you guys did a great job
Coming away from this event really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Some people come away some years feeling the producers don't put there all into this game and that's just not true. Some of you think they don't listen to what we want and that's not true either. These guys give 110% and I saw it firsthand. 1 thing I learned is that due to time constraints and the overwhelming development process it's just something's you can't get done. The important thing is that you build on what you've started and this year is the year that will make all the non believers shut up.
The developers are everyday guys just like you and me. These guys are really cool and really listened to what we had to say about the game. They can take criticism and the fact that their egos don't get in the way of that is phenomenal. The team is great and these dudes have my full respect. I met some cool people and these guys were so willing to listen to everything we had to say and they are even implementing our ideas into the game.......So without further a do i give you the Recap
Current Gen over view
Looking at what live was last year and what it's shaping up to be this year is like day and night. last years version was a virtual dunk fest with people abusing the FSSS mode. The AI wasn't that great and it lacked execution in key areas. One of the things you'll notice right away is just how physical the game is going to be. The Superstars are going to Shine and the stars will fill there rolls and the Xfactor will be a factor in the game. You can actually play some real D and your going to have to use some in game strategy and make adjustments on the fly. The game is going to challenge you and it's going to be a more balanced game then in years past. It's about D, it's about executing your plays, it's about getting your crowd into the game, it's all about getting the W the best way you can and it's still loads of fun to play.
Defense
Their was a huge improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Players have some "weight" to them and the collision animations that have been added to the game are really going to add to the battles that your going to have.When the full court press is run your going to see the computer players ride you up and down the court your going to see them practically be in your shorts. If you happen to beat a player off the dribble and get to the lane your going to see a help defender try and close off on you and stop your dribble penetration and if you try and go up for a dunk or lay-up expect to get hammered more often then not. There will be no easy dunks or lay-ups in this game and with all the new collision animations it'll make it very fulfilling when you can get in the lane and score. Great 1 on 1 defenders and great defensive teams are going to make it more difficult for you to score. Your going to have to rely more on the midrange game this year then in any previous years. There have been new defensive plays added and the D will be really solid. The amount of steals that you got before will be cut down. No more getting like 20 steals a game with 1 player and the defensive stoppers will play a bigger role in the game.
FSSS/player specifics
As much as the defense has improved in this game the offense is just as good. The biggest change has come with the FSSS mode being toned wayyyy down. Don't think your going to do spin move after spin move and then get in the lane and throw it down with ease cause it's not going to happen. Don't get me wrong the Superstars will shine and have an impact on the game but it's just not going to be easy. New post moves have been added and you can really go to work with inside scorers. You can command some double teams and that will leave some of your other players open to do some damage. Also there are new animations for all the Superstar types and the level star you are will depend the move set you can do. Example of this would be Dwade being a superstar High flyer so he can do some moves that Ricky Davis who would be a star HF couldn't do. Same goes for every other FSSS type. Including Steve Nash making passes that Jamal crawford can't. Also there are a ton of player specific free-throw animations. Kidd does the kiss, Arenas does his thing, Shaq does the forehead wipe and so many more.
Offense/Passing/S trategy
This year's game will be all about angles and match ups. Your going to see some mismatches happen during the game depending on the offensive sets you run. It's possible that you could see Shaq have to come out and guard nash on a pick and roll and you can exploit that match up. It really adds a strategy aspect to the game without taking the fun away from it.
The passing has also been reworked. there are a ton of new animations just for passing and it's smarter too. In past lives when you tried to throw it in a certain players direction it didn't always go to the person you wanted it to go to. Not anymore because if your pointing in a guys direction that you want to throw it to he's going to get it. Also the type of pass you throw will be key as well. For example If you have Tim Duncan on the block and he has a man pinned your going to want to throw the bullet pass in there to him so he can go to work in the post -OR- If he has a man fronting him your going to want to throw the lob over the defender to give Tim the best shot at getting to the basket.
Also another change that was made was the ability to choose who's going to go up and catch the famous alley oop. Remember how you would run a break and you wanted to get it to a certain guy but couldn't do it because the AI gave it to the guy who it thought had the best chance. Well now it's completely your choice but it comes with it's risk and rewards. If the guys out of position he could miss the OOP or he could re adjust and try to throw it down and man there are just a ton of scenarios that could happen and it gets better.
Remember how in past versions If you were running the break how the AI wouldn't always get into the best position to score? That has also been changed by an AI dynamic called secondary break.
The AI will have the wings run out to their spots on the floors and break to get down the court and score. You can really play the way you want to play. If your the Suns and you want to run the break the players are going to run the break. If your the Lakers your going to see them bring it up court and setup the triangle. Teams are going to play like their real life counterparts.
Atmosphere
Als o new to the game this year is the intensity and momentum meter. The intensity and momentum features are all about the overall atmosphere of the game. The sound dynamics have been reworked to get this across in the game. If your getting blown out your crowd is going to boo you and they will not get excited when you score. If you start to go on a run and cut the lead down you can almost feel the crowd get back into it and cheer you on.
If your down 3 points with 10 seconds to go defenders are going to guard your harder, Your players are going to try harder to get open, the crowd is going to be going nuts and it'll really feel like your in the game. There is also a "Rival" concept that's going to add to the overall feel of the game. Prime example is if you take that situation I mentioned above and add the Dallas Mavs against the Spurs at home game 7 of the West finals you've got yourself one intense game.
The same dynamic will be used in games that aren't that important. Naturally if your early in the season games just getting started the fans are having fun and cheering but the level is turned up depending on the situation and the development team really executed this feature.
Dynasty
The Dynasty has a new Dynamic to it. One thing that's really cool is how you can start your dynasty off with the 06 Draft. You can switch the order around or you can keep it the way it was. You can pick who you think your team should have gotten. Due to a few rookies being unsigned at the time of viewing there are "fake"players in the draft for now and because we know how the NBA works there will be some rookies who don't make it. The asst. coach and rumor central thing is great...Team Chemistry plays a huge huge huge roll in your teams success... I'll explain more when I get to the next gen preview. 1thing that you will see a big difference in is the Draft and scouting. The rookies are going to have more balance to them. Their ratings are going to be more balanced and it'll be some studs that come out of the draft and for all of us salary cap fans the Mid Level exception has been added to. I'll go into more detail about the dynasty when I do the Next Gen and I'll also go into the all star weekend mode in the next gen as well.
All in all this game is miles ahead of what it was last year and you guys will not be disappointed. I tip my hat to Brian and Jeff and the rest of their team you guys did a great job
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:20 pm
Sounds good. Is there an "X-Factor" for every team? Can you pick them?
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:22 pm
hm... like the idea of like he "player weight"...
but i wont like it until i play it and truely see it for myself rather than reading something..
however some good writing.
i agree with decreasing the crossovers and the freestyle thing..
wonder if they got rid of the throwing the alleyhoop behind you and still having the guy catch it no look
but i wont like it until i play it and truely see it for myself rather than reading something..
however some good writing.
i agree with decreasing the crossovers and the freestyle thing..
wonder if they got rid of the throwing the alleyhoop behind you and still having the guy catch it no look
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:31 pm
ThanKs alot for sharing. Very happy about the tomed down FSS.
All in all the game sounds good from whatI read. The additional post moves are great and I like how they changed the dynamics of the fast break. Feels good to here passes will also actually go where I want them to go.
All in all the game sounds good from whatI read. The additional post moves are great and I like how they changed the dynamics of the fast break. Feels good to here passes will also actually go where I want them to go.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:37 pm
-Young Buck- wrote:Sounds good. Is there an "X-Factor" for every team? Can you pick them?
It's based on the clutch rating, X-Factor players are already designated.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:39 pm
Andrew wrote:-Young Buck- wrote:Sounds good. Is there an "X-Factor" for every team? Can you pick them?
It's based on the clutch rating, X-Factor players are already designated.
So the clutch rating is back? That would be cool, as long as you can edit it within the game like the dunk package.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:45 pm
Andrew is you doing a nextgen recap.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:54 pm
Are you Ali G or something? Jesus...
Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:11 pm
Good start and great details, but Andrew is the man of the day for me with his NBA Live 07 Communty Day review I'm waiting patiently for. 
Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:16 pm
Da BaLLa wrote:Good start and great details, but Andrew is the man of the day for me with his NBA Live 07 Communty Day review I'm waiting patiently for.
Yea me too because he said he is not that big on the nextgen version gameplay in another thread and I need to know about that.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:49 pm
Good to hear they're making it harder to score... but I just want to know if i can actually play defence without overdominating or sucking at it lol... and if its going to be too hard to score on the cpu... I guess you cant have the perfect game so my question probably doesn't matter lol
Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:14 pm
Man this game sounds like EA finally got it right. I just can't wait for the Next Gen version of the game. That'll be something to see. Thanks for the review.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:00 pm
This sounds fuckin awesome!I don't think i've been ever excited as much about one game then this years live.After reading this report,I know from someone that they are really puting effort in.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:27 pm
sounds good...i hope its the game is really what theyve been saying it is
Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:57 pm
thanks for the recap ı'm really excited ı want to play it 
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:19 pm
ther is one thing that makes nba 2k amazing for me and its the animation from the bigining of the game and in the helf time
can some one tell me if we going to see in nba live 07 somthing that its near to this?
can some one tell me if we going to see in nba live 07 somthing that its near to this?
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:30 pm
wow, sound nice 
finally, they've added MLE
thanks for the review
finally, they've added MLE
thanks for the review
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:31 pm
What kind of animation are you talking about? Do you mean the cutscenes?
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:39 pm
I hope they don't hard code the team playing styles..
For example if the players on your team aren't spot up shooters or run and gun type players, you won't be forced to play the suns style if u're using the suns.
For example if the players on your team aren't spot up shooters or run and gun type players, you won't be forced to play the suns style if u're using the suns.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:43 pm
cluber77 wrote:ther is one thing that makes nba 2k amazing for me and its the animation from the bigining of the game and in the helf time
can some one tell me if we going to see in nba live 07 somthing that its near to this?
Since I now know what you're referring to...no, there's no pre-game, halftime or post-game show in NBA Live 07. There's some new cutscenes though, the presentation of the starting lineups looks better this year. The starting five introductions are also on Exhibition games instead of the FSS intros.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:44 pm
tanx
Last edited by cluber77 on Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:45 pm
Answered above.
Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:02 pm
is it the same old PA announcer voice who has been doing NBA Live since as far as i can remember?
Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:25 pm
i hope not... is that PA guy even a real PA announcer? if he is, which team does he work for?
Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:43 pm
Yes, it's the same guy. And yes, he's a real PA announcer. He used to work for the Grizzlies while they were still in Vancouver.