Live '07 Preview @ NBA Basket Jam in Germany

[pHLo]

Today i was at an event in Munich, Germany
the NBA Basket Jam

and there was an EA Sports area where u could play on one of the 6 XBox 360s against a friend or the computer

when is was playin a game against a mate we were asked if we wanted to take part in a tournament later that day and i participated in it....

...and guess what, i'm the champion of day 1
now i got the chance to advance to the german finals and then to a european contest for live '07

and yeh... now some information for you guys
the most impressing fact about the new nba live was the graphics, they're just off the hook, simply awesome (compared to the 06 pc version)

unfortunately the next-gen is only for XBOX 360 and PS3 but yeh...
there are also some things i have missed in the next-gen version that Andrew mentioned in his current-gen preview

there is no extra button fur dunks and layups, it's one button (like '06)
and i didn't notice an intensity bar which should be in the current gen version (as andrew said...)
i think it has been said already but there are NO X-factor players in next-gen

i didn't play dynasty mode.... but maybe i'm able to get a little preview of that tomorrow, i also want to check some of the new (reported) 75 (!!) ratings out

if you have any questions just ask... i'll play the game tomorrow, too
i hope i can get some useful information for you guys if u want to know sth

[hipn]

Congrats on the 1st day champ and thanks for the info.

[pHLo]

thank you
and yeh no prob...
i forgot to mention some things....

1. the players run slowly as hell ^^ at first i didn't even notice where the "run" button was because of it.. but yeah, i think that can be fixed with the game speed slider or different sliders
2. even the coaches and referees look awesome, not only the players, it's very spectacular
3. 3 pointers are too easy, okay.. the hardest level i played on was All-Star, but still... way too many "in ya face"-3pointers =/

and ye... i'll say it again, i'm open for every queation

[hipn]

Ok, I got a few questions:

When playing, and you go up for a dunk or layup, does it seem like you get sucked towards the net?

Oh also, are the animatiosn realistic? Compared to real life NBA, I mean is it almost EXACT?

How do you change FSS during in-game?

[M Harlem 231]

Do the nextgen version have any new dribbling moves?

Also is that a early build your playing?

[pHLo]

okay 1. animations do look a lil bit better as last year, but it's still a "video game dunk" (or layup) there are cool new animations, cool new alley-oops for example
all in all: better but still not almost exactly like real life

2. as funny as it sounds, i didn't use the superstar button
gotta try that out tomorrow, i didn't even notice a button for it, but there was a back down button again very useful.... i'll try it out tomorrow

and yeh.. another thing i forgot... i don't have a clue how u hit a FT... it's a cool individual animation for some players, but i only got 1 of 25 FTs xD (with Diop of all players xD )
i even missed many FTs with good shooters like VC, Jerry Stackhouse, etc

ah well... i gotta get used to the new system

[FiRePrOoF]

Congrats, what team did you use in the tounement?

[pHLo]

thanks !

i used different teams...

2 guys used western all-stars ( -.- )
so i took (my ) eastern-all stars

i played my first game with phoenix, i knew that i'll win that one coz my first match was against a kid, maybe 12 years, so i took a team who is fun to play - Suns

and in the final match i played with Dallas (coz the other guy used Kings), i put Dirk on SF and made it hard for him to get a 3 going with Peja

so i switched the teams, reacting to the enemy's team =D

tomorrow i gotta play with NJ

EDIT: and to say sth bout the teams....

T-Mac is unstoppable when u play him right.... one trey after another (well... on all-star)

Dirk hits everything from mid-range against a smaller defender (i think i didn't brick one single midrange shot with him)

Wade is good, but not unstoppable, good shotblocker though; he blocked a couple of McGradys 3s so u see... blocking jump shots is a bit easier again this year

and ye... the offensive rebounding via tip-in is still too hard to defend, i had a series of 3 tip-ins twice in the tourney

Steve Nash is fun to play
(and to come back to Superstar button... i didn't hit a special button jonly the pass button and he did a behind the back pass on a 2 on 1 fastbreak)

keep the questions coming

[ThaLiveKing]

What camera did you play on? The Press Broadcast or the Baseline one? And overall feel of the game. does it feel like Current gen or is it a lof different!!

[M Harlem 231]

Did you see any new dribbling animations?

Was that a early build you was playing?

[pHLo]

What camera did you play on? The Press Broadcast or the Baseline one? And overall feel of the game. does it feel like Current gen or is it a lof different!!

haha yeh i forgot that one too.....

the camera sucks big time

i played my tourney games on press box, the overview is good, but the camera is way too slow, u don't see the player after a quick inbound after a basket or sometimes on the break.... big minus right there

and i played baseline low for a very short time.. so i caan't really say much about it... i switched to press box since i'm more comfortable with it

"sideline" is okay, but i didn't play much on that too....

about overall feel..
it's different, but u feel familiar with some aspects (can't tell which ones tho...)

if u're an experienced NBA live player and had the game last year it's not hard to get used to the new gameplay

but ye... it's different

Did you see any new dribbling animations?

Was that a early build you was playing?

1. no... but i didn't concentrate on that either
i'll have a look tomorrow

but u're still uber-fast after a spin move... so u will see a player spinning around on the break again

2. i think it was the full version, didn't notice any bugs
the ea guys didn't say anything bout an early build, too (i could ask them tomorrow, though)

[M Harlem 231]

So if you had to rate this game what will you give it?

[pHLo]

So if you had to rate this game what will you give it?

9/10

but ye.. i gotta admit that i'm hyped after this day...

maybe my rating will drop after a while... but still it's definitely better than last year's version

[Malfa]

wait

peja is on the kings!?!?/

wtfffff

[pHLo]

yep, and Marquis Daniels still was on the Mavericks roster..... I'm not sure but i think even Ben Wallace played for his old team

old rosters (no off-season trades)

amd yeah, Steve Nash had his long hair still... so maybe it's not the final version as i said before

but i'll get the pc version anyways.... so with andrew's dope patches that won't be a problem at all

[ThaLiveKing]

So if you had to rate this game what will you give it?

9/10

but ye.. i gotta admit that i'm hyped after this day...

maybe my rating will drop after a while... but still it's definitely better than last year's version

Thanx for the review though, I honestly hope EA comes through with a great game

[M Harlem 231]

yep, and Marquis Daniels still was on the Mavericks roster..... I'm not sure but i think even Ben Wallace played for his old team

old rosters (no off-season trades)

amd yeah, Steve Nash had his long air still... so maybe it's not the final version as i said before

but i'll get the pc version anyways.... so with andrew's dope patches that won't be a problem at all

Yea that was a older build because in the new videos Steve Nash hair is short.

[bullkirk]

Thanks for the rewiew phlo,can you give any rating?(the bulls ratings )

[volsey]

But Peja was traded during the regular season??? I'm sure the teams can't be that outdated. You sure this was 07?

[black man]

Was the gameplay as choppy as the preview vids? I'm already thoroughly disappointed so far as it is.

[pHLo]

But Peja was traded during the regular season??? I'm sure the teams can't be that outdated. You sure this was 07?

100% sure
man i can read... and it looks way different to '06

and many off-season trades weren't included in live '06, too
(plus missing rookies, portraits, etc. )

Was the gameplay as choppy as the preview vids? I'm already thoroughly disappointed so far as it is.

choppy ? nah it ran fluently, without any probs
only the players "ran" slow as hell...

Thanks for the rewiew phlo,can you give any rating?(the bulls ratings Mr. Green )

no prob
i'll get the rating tomorrow for you as well as Kirk Hinrich's

[ThaLiveKing]

Do you have a video camera to record some footage

[pHLo]

unfortunately not...
but i'd look like a nerd if i did this anyway

[M Harlem 231]

Thanks alot pHLo.

Last questions.

How was the collision detections?

Was the ball physics off?

[pHLo]

collision detection was pretty good in my opinion

it's defenitely a change to '06 but i don't think it was as important as andrew described it...
but he played current-gen tho

idk about the ball physics being off... but i didn't look at the ball physics