It’s been a long road back for a franchise crippled by a lack of innovation. Throughout the ‘00s, NBA Live’s annual releases stagnated as it struggled in the transition to the Xbox 360 and PS3. This lead to its eventual demise in 2010 as 2K Sports’ NBA 2K series blitzed ahead quicker than a Clippers fast break.
It was heartbreaking for me, someone that had grown up playing the NBA Live series since its beginnings in 1994, right as Jordan mania spread across the globe. Ironically, just as the series had lampooned itself to the top on the back of Jordan’s Bulls, the series’ 2010 collapse was just as rapid and crushing as the Bulls’ fall from grace after Jordan’s retirement.
Five years since NBA Live 10, and after disastrous launch attempts with NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13, not to mention last year’s frustratingly poor reboot, NBA Live 15 has a lot of ground to make up. Thankfully, this year’s game is more than just a step in the right direction: it’s a late-season push for that final playoff spot.
Sounds promising, confirms a few of the things that Sean mentioned in his interview with us.
