NBA Live 07 Community Day Recap & Report

hey andrew nice article


I got a few questions:

1. In the next-gen version, did they fix the camera angles. Hopefully they gave them some of the camera angles of current gen?

2. Did you enjoy playing current gen on next gen more...?

If you actually read it, you'd see that he did not play next gen...

1. In the next-gen version, did they fix the camera angles. Hopefully they gave them some of the camera angles of current gen?

2. Did you enjoy playing current gen on next gen more...?

1. Can't really say since I didn't play NBA Live 06 on Next Gen. Camera angles looked fine to me in NBA Live 07.

2. I guess I was more keen on Current Gen since I can't afford a 360 right now but I really liked what I saw on Next Gen, from the gameplay to the graphics to Dynasty Mode. If the 360 wasn't still so expensive I'd be inclined to get it for NBA Live 07.

nice review Andrew....the current gen version sounds good with respect to gameplay....

my problem is I don't give a shit how the current gen version is as I'm a next gen player....I felt a little underwhelmed by the review....I honestly couldn't care much about the graphics & presentation, as I expect them to be good, given the system....it's the gameplay and dynasty mode that I'm concerned about, which are the two main factors that I want in a game....

it sounds like momentum & real physics look to be a good selling point, but it really concerns me when you say that the 360 version's gameplay isn't at the current gen's version at this stage....next gen should be at worst on the same level when released, if not better....I read it in another review that the next gen gameplay wasn't at current gen gameplay yet....I hope that this is remedied before release or I'll be returning the game quickly....

by the sounds of it, next gen's dynasty mode looks better, but is clearly the same....I couldn't care for menus, so I'm really hoping that the stats engine is better, otherwise it's just plain disappointing....the reason why I'm concerned is that EA is talking up it's next gen dynasty mode as being deeper, but is it really? I couldn't give a shit about ESPN integration, I've already got Foxtel, so I don't need it....

maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm concerned for next gen players (namely myself)....

from your article, for me here are the positives and negatives:

Positives:
- Momentum & physics play a big part in the game.
- Toning down of Freestyle Superstar abilities. After the first day of playing the game, I stopped using them as they ruined Live '06.
- Players like Andre Nocioni are X-Factors. If I created myself, I'd have to be an X-Factor player as that's what I'm like in real life. Can be good if included in offense and flow of the game or a non-factor. Good to see different level of stars. Whether I use the Freestyle Superstar abilities will depend on them being balanced & not feeling cheap. We'll see, but it's still promising though to see guys like Big Shot Bob having some use in the game.
- Subtle on-ball scenarios which are only a small part of the game but still noticeable.
- Different buttons for dunk, layup & shoot. It had to be done.
- The intensity feature. Momentum is probably one of the most single influential features of real life basketball, so i'm glad it's found a way into the game.
- Different passing, good.
- Announcer will call out generic draftee's names (like 2k6 does).
- Player & team chemistry seems alright. It could be very good, if pulled off correctly. I don't really like 2k6's chemistry feature, but in this one, I can ditch Rafer Alston because he can't handle playing with T-Mac. I can ditch the bad seeds like Isaiah Rider before they destroy my team's chemistry.
- MLE, Bird Rights finally in Live.
- I said it might be a big bug in another thread, but I'm glad they're including final 2006 draft picking orders, so that Memphis will pick No. 8 instead of Houston, who have Battier. It's like Memphis have a chance to pick whoever they want, whether it be Gay or Foye or Carney.
- You can actually trade for draft picks. Will be interesting to see if you can get them at a fair price & that they are not overvalued.
- Player fatigue. I really hope this is an on-going thing that can affect the player's performance, injuries, etc. I heard somewhere that 2k7 will have gradual season wear.
- Big one for me is the ability to allocate playing time when simming. Due to time constraints (& no ability to save in-game again), I sim at least half my games & intervene in a fair share. For me, this is a great feature. Whilst a lot of people might not like it, for me it's a bread and butter thing that is appreciated.

Negatives:
- Whilst it sucks that dynasty off-season is linear, not having a save function (like nba2k6 has) is unforgivable.
- Next Gen gameplay (including on-ball scenarios) don't appear to be on level with current gen at this stage, which is a concern considering how close release date is.
- Dynasty mode is not as deep as I would like. It seems improved, but not by much. Seems more cosmetic.
- Stats engine in dynasty mode after first season.
- No in-game save feature.

As can be seen by lists of positives & negatives, it does appear that the game is looking up, however the next gen gameplay is of a real concern. Please qwell my doubts Andrew

Question to Andrew: you say that Intensity is done differently in 360 version, how so? The current gen version intensity sounded fine. Is it better of just different?

Cheers for the inside scoop Andrew, it is really appreciated to get something more indepth from someone who knows what they're talking about

2. I guess I was more keen on Current Gen since I can't afford a 360 right now but I really liked what I saw on Next Gen, from the gameplay to the graphics to Dynasty Mode. If the 360 wasn't still so expensive I'd be inclined to get it for NBA Live 07.

What system do you play Live on???

Great review...i don't think anyone could've done a better job with that Andrew.

I have one questions for you, how was the frame rate on the next gen version?

Looked pretty smooth to me. I don't have an exact figure for you though, sorry.

Thanks a lot!

Wow great review man, glad to hear that EA has made improvments.

Andrew, I've thought of another question. I've been unable to make a fair judgement based on the screens...

Do the arm/leg bands this year have any depth to them, or are they simply textures again? I certainly hope it's the former. If not, God I hope this year we can figure out how to make them look more realistic.

Thanks, in advance.

Hey Andrew! Thanks a lot for all the info- Definitely a pleasant in-depth reading!

I've got 1 Q about next-gen, would be awesome if you could answer it;

How are rim physics in next-gen? Did you happen to see numerous animations? In-and-Outs? B/C last year the was only one "swish" animation, and probably another 1 or 2 for the ball going in..

Thanks a lot! Keep up the great job mate!

Thanks Andrew for the excellent report. You always come through for us.

Kudos on the review. I must admit I havent finished reading it yet so I'll share my views in a future post. No wonder you took so long.

edit: no questions here man. You got just about everything covered.

excellent review on the game. i am very interested in the gameplay and the dynasty thanks andrew

I'm curious about the rim physics as well. From some of the videos I've seen, freethrows are no longer a simple swish; the ball seems to clank off the back of the rim and there seemed to be more bounce animations. How are the rim/net physics on regular jumpshots? Are they always a nothing but net swish 90 percent of the time?

Speaking of regular jumpshots, does Kobe have his own jumpshot in the current gen game? (Not FSS Turnaround)

Thank you for your time and dedication to this forum, and the NBA Live community.

Great to see ya back Andrew, looks/sounds like ya had a great time.
I'll definitely say that youve pumped me up for Live 07, especially for the 360. Before I read this, I had doubts as to whether I would get it, but now Im pretty sure I will, or at least give it much more of a chance.

All I have to say: SOLD!

Okay, its not all, but basically yeah. You Andrew pulled it off again. And maybe getting some inside info got actually easier now that you've seen the guys working on the game. And know them a bit.

Great preview, in depth and more important than anything, straight to our gripes and wishes etc. You know what we want and what we were worried about after Live 06. Those points seem to be addressed to some extent...

Most of the best fixes and additions don't make for a big seller... Just like adding MLE or removing those behind the board shots etc. don't sell a lot of games. It just makes the previous game look bad... I think there's a plethora of fixes in the game that are straight down our alley that have never been mentioned anywhere and will never be.

I'm sure happy that my Chemistry suggestion finally made it through and basically in a form I had envisioned in one of my long emails.

Great job Andrew, great job... Can't wait to get this...

Andrew said the game is almost done and not quite yet if not then why can't they fix the stat engine i mean the game doesn't come out until next month or two i think... they have plenty of times to fix those minor bugs .... i guess they just want some selling points for next year.

andrew is the bugs to do with scoring in the paint still in this year? by that i mean the following:

- point guard just standing in the paint over 5 seconds and then scoring.
- getting called for an offensive foul in the "no offensive foul circle" under the basket.
- being impossible to black when laying it up under the basket.
- alley oops hitting off the back of the backboard.

thanks a lot!

Dear Andrew ,

I've got couple questions :
1. What was The main goal in NBA Live 07? (in NBA Live 2005 was All-Star Weekend, in NBA live 06 was freestyle superstars)
2. How about the net animation? (in NBA Live 2005 and 06 was terrible)

Sorry for my english i'm from lithuania.

Is NBA Live 07 that good or EA paid you to say all these things?

I'm sorry, but I don't care for that remark at all. I'm presenting my honest opinions based on the observations I made. Perhaps we'll find some nagging issues when the full version is released; I tried to cram as much in as possible but 2-3 hours isn't really that long to try out a game especially when you're covering three different platforms and checking out as much as possible.

EA hasn't paid me one cent to write these opinions, they are my own. If you want to write me off as a stooge, that's your decision I guess but I really don't care for a remark like that.

Of course, but I was just kiddin (or not... ). But this seems like a huge leap towards the positive way that EA hasn't really... you know... put effort in the last years. Arcade after arcade after arcade... and no simulation. Although I was able to make NBA Live 06 quite a simulation game after almost a year of tweaking the sliders, this NBA Live 07, after your report, seems like a huge step in the right direction. So no offense intended towards you, that was pretty much a joke as I hope you did understand.

But now let me ask you some questions:

1) How is with this weight thing? I mean, is there a difference between a 270 lbs player with 50 strength and a 150 lbs player with 90 strength? What would the difference be? The 270 lbs player will get less banged up in the lanes while the more stronger player will be able to back down his defender easier? Or there is no difference at all? What if the two players collide?

2) Is there such thing as season fatigue or the fatigue is being reset after every road trip/home game?

3) Is the height any advantage in rebounding? I mean, if I have a 5'11 player with 99 off reb rating battling a 7'1 player that has a 20 def rebounding rating, with the sliders either on default or properly set, who would usually win the rebound?

Also, who do you think will be more likely to block a 6'5 guy? A 7'0 guy with 20 block rating or a 6'3 guy with 59 block rating?

4) What does team chemistry does as a matter of fact? What does it influence? It influences team's ratings (that is, each player's ratings like offensive awareness, defensive awareness and such), or it not, then what does it do in terms of gameplay.

After all, team chemistry is made by the player playing the game, if I want to pass to Wade with Payton, and suppose they are not very good friends to say the least, then he's just going to pass the ball and that's that

The chemistry factor I don't think is much more than a player demanding to be traded or not, and if so, then what if you don't want to trade him? What happens to that player? Will his ratings drop and his value drop on the market or it's just some text "simulating" a real thing feature?

5) What kind of in-game dunks did you seen that were different than in NBA Live 06? Did you see a one-legged windmill ala Rodney Carney or Andre Iguodala? Or a 180 off one leg? Because I think there are some basic dunks that are just missing from the game...

6) Are you telling me that generated rookies will actually be called by Marv and Steve with their surnames? No more "nr. 5 makes the basket" but "George makes the basket?".

Thanks and remember... I was just joking. I Hope your review is accurate and NBA Live is going to be the best basketball game ever.

thanks sir Andrew for the review. I really can't wait to play 07!

But i'm really confused. You said that FSS abilities is switched from one to another by pressing down the right analog button which you identified as the R3 button. But you also said that backing down on opponents is also done by pressing down the right analog stick.

So which is which sir?

Thanks a lot!

... and, will the current gen pc version will allow mods and patches?

Thanks again sir.

...don't really want to be too skeptical or something, don't wanna take away the excitement we all share about the upcoming Live. Just trying to be a little cautious and not get overexcited - reading the preview felt to me more like reviewing the wish list that is being sent to EA each and every year. Although it sounds like we're finally about to get what we've been waiting for but - let's be honest - wasn't it just like this every single previous year? And what did we get most of the time... one or two stupid "features" or flaws mostly ruined the entire gameplay...

Let's wait to see the final product, I truly hope it ain't gonna be another wasted potential...

Still haven't read this thing yet. Didn't expect Andrew to have a goatee.

- Game intensity, momentum, and depth chart editing in dynasty mode.

- Continuing with FSS.

From the screenshots so far the game looks a lot like Live06 visually, but by the sounds of it the game plays a lot better. I'm looking forward to it now. Thanks very much Andrew. Your work is appriciated.

Just one question. You may have answered this already but i'm lazy. one thing i hated about live06 was the rebounding animations, amongst other animations. Is the rebounding animation and feel the same? Also, is there new and better animations, and not too many funny looking ones left over from live06 (i.e. weird looking dribbling, passing animations etc.)

[quote="tempo"]andrew is the bugs to do with scoring in the paint still in this year? by that i mean the following:

- point guard just standing in the paint over 5 seconds and then scoring.
- getting called for an offensive foul in the "no offensive foul circle" under the basket.
- being impossible to black when laying it up under the basket.
- alley oops hitting off the back of the backboard.

thanks a lot![/quote]

...this is actually a very good note Tempo, gameplay tweaking should focus significantly more on game in the paint, which I believe has not been the case in recent years as much as it should've been. Why not introducing a simple mechanism that would rapidly increase the chance of losing/stealing the ball underneath the basket as opposed to less congested areas away from the basket? It really sucks that you can stand in the paint with the ball and the chance of losing the ball depends on nobody knows what (combination of defenders' ratings etc.)