EA Bashing

Man you boys are off to a good start...

We still don't have any idea on what the dynasty holds and there are some minute things in the game that with a little fine tuning would make the game so much better.

EA bashing seems to be a hobby for some you guys... And I can honestly say that Live 2005 and Live 2004 are worlds apart and I believe Live 2006 will be a whole other game than Live 2005 as will the dynasty modes be.

Before you start bashing EA on the head with NBA Live 95 just think about what they are doing... They are releasing the game for two totally new platforms PSP and XBOX360 and I'm sure PS3 will follow close behind. Last time the team did this, we didn't get the game for the PC at all!!!

I'm grateful that the game will be out for the PC and I'm sure it will be better than 2005, it damn better be...

Would it really be better if they did not release the game at all? What would you guys bitch about then? Why didn't we get a new NBA Live this year etc. etc.

They are doing all they have time for... Get real, it ain't the end of the world if the game is not totally revolutionary each time it comes out!

i have xbox so i don't care. and if they didn't release it for xbox, i would of bought xbox 360!

Great post Metsis

I like how EA deals with their limited time to produce a game. I'm actually looking forward to Live 06, i've never looked forward to a game as much as Live 06 (i dont get many games...)

Yeah so all you bitches bitching, don't be a bitch and stop bitching about it you bitch.

Gamecube gaming, i'm coming BACK (my PCs suck)

Yet you keep on bashing... Would it be better if they released it every other year?

Would you be contend to playing NBA Live 2005 for two years? I wasn't too keen on NBA Live 2001 for two years... Maybe the first 6 months went ok, but after that I played Live less and less... Live 2005 has kept me going this far and I play a game here and a game there, but it wouldn't hold it's grip for another year.

Why would you buy a game that you so fervently look at in disgust? Why? No one is forcing you to buy it... And there are even alternatives on the consoles, but us PC guys are stuck with Live.

I agree with you pals. Let's give EA some credits for doing a nice job in improving the game. It won't be perfect but I'm sure that it is far better than Live 05.

i give credit to ea, no doubt they are trying but not as much as they do for xbox360. how much is xbox 360? cuase i mifgt buy it and play live 06.

As far as i know it will cost $399 but i am not sure pal. I will just wait for the Ps3 so that NBA Live 07 would finally a lot lot better than any basketball titles.

I kind of a agree with you Metsis, as of lately they've gotten a lot of crap from a lot of people, some might be justified, but most of it isn't.
I choose to wait until I say that it sucks that the dynasty is the same and so forth; sure it might look the same, but for all we know, it could be a lot better than last year, not everything relies on how it looks...
But then you also need to think of this from our (the consumers) side, we've been waiting for a new version now for months now, and we get a preview that looks just like last year... Not gonna get very many happy faces. We expect EA to do their best at making a great game each year, and if we get a version that seems like they haven't been as active as previous years, that'll be a disappointment...
They have yet to disappoint me with a game, and I really doubt that they will this year. I remember thinking that last year looked a lot like the previous version (same thing this year) when we got previews, and as soon as I played it, I was proven wrong; I'm sure it'll be the same this year as well, maybe even better. Just wait and see I suppose.

I kind of like the idea about putting it on a sabbatical year off for the series though. Take time to really make the gameplay stand out and work like it has the potential to, actually make it a basketball simulation. And also get time to fix/put in all the little small things that are in our wishlists. It's a bunch of those small things that will really improve the whole gameplay experience, not including a big new feature each year.

But with the off-year would be murder... I would certainly stop playing Live before the next release... The two games that have kept me going until the next release have been 2000 and 2005.

But no way would they hold up for two years. I was extremely pissed when Live 2002 wasn't made for the PC at all. It wasn't any good so it really doesn't matter, but at the time it was a huge pain in the butt. Basically PC players didn't have any new options for playing basket ball...

Maybe they could release a patch for the old game a year from it's release while they kept on working on the new game... Now that could cover it... Fix little things and tweaking the game. Like for NBA Live 2005, making it harder to block jumpers and some of those dunk attempts, but also making dunkin less effective and thus making people want to take jumpers too instead of dunking all the time. A good dunker should be able to dunk well, but an average dunker should miss lots of attempts in traffic. Making the AI more active on the trading game and actually making a few trades every now and then. Offering some trades to the player as well. And maybe we could get by for another year before the next big release...

A few guys would be looking over the customer feedback and fixing the game based on it for a year and rest of the team would be working on the new game.

Maybe consoles could get another cheaper release of the game, in return of a code or something that would come with the game. So they would have to pay like 5-10 dollars on the update to cover up the manufacturing costs and delivery charges...

This just might work, but then again, it might not be in the best intrests of EA financially, but it would probably be great for us end users...

Some of us, including me, may have exagerated with criticism, but let me explain my reasons.

First of all, we DID have a significant improvement from 2004 to 2005. There have been many new additions to Live 2005, to the gameplay, to the game modes (full AS weekend), and to Dynasty (pda, rookie scouting and try-outs, GM evaluation sistem, Players agents' responses for Free Agents.
I wasn't disappointed with LIVE 2005.

This year it's a different story. I haven't heard of any significant addition, beside the freestyle superstar (which I dont' consider so important)

I guess what most of us are truly expecting is a kind of shake-out in the way the game is developed. I don't like EA tendency to build upon the previous version. I am personally getting tired of small new features that add something to the game without really elevating it to a Madden's Status. This doesn't mean EA should forget about the good things from the previous version, they only have to reproduce them in a completly new version of the game each year.

Since every year we put in 50-70 bucks depending where you live, I guess we deserve more than this.

I just got mad when I saw the huge skating effect of the players. I watched some new videos of 2k6 and it looks light years ahead. I suggest you do the same: watch 2k6 videos from ign 20/20, and then watch again Live 2006 videos. It just look ridiculous.

Thanks for the info re: 20/20 at least we could compare both games. On your opinion, what are the improvements of 2k6 over 2k5?? Is it really much better than live 06??

Thanks for the info re: 20/20 at least we could compare both games. On your opinion, what are the improvements of 2k6 over 2k5?? Is it really much better than live 06??

I didn't want to turn this topic in a 2k6 topic again, I only used it as an example to explain my point of view. However since you asked here are some:

We were quite surprised by the number of changes being made to both the game logic and the core mechanics. When you put them all together, NBA 2K6 may end up being the biggest face-lift the franchise has seen in years

The most significant and noticeable change is that shots are now mapped to the right analog stick, which is now aptly named the "shot stick.....

.....So if the right stick is mapped to shots, what happened to isomotion juke moves? Before we explain that, we should mention that the standard turbo button as you know it has been scrapped altogether in NBA 2K6. In its place is the "aggressive button." What's the difference? Instead of giving you a speed boost and draining an energy meter like a standard turbo button, the aggressive button merely acts as a modifier......

....There's a new dual player control mechanic in NBA 2K6 as well. By pressing the Y or triangle button, you can cycle through all the players off the ball. Once you have your man selected, you can issue him several simple commands, such as set up in the post, set a pick, or pop out to the three-point line......

....Each individual player also has unique AI tendencies programmed into him so he'll play like his real-life counterpart. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire will execute the high pick and roll in the circle. Rip Hamilton will spend all day running off staggered screens and curling off the last pick to get his midrange shot off. Shaq will make his living in the paint, while Tim Duncan may spend at least some time out at the elbow area for his patented long bank shots.

from: http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/nba2 ... 31128.html


and:

The core gameplay isn't the only thing that's getting a major overhaul in 2K Sports' upcoming basketball sim. NBA 2K6 is also boasting a large number of changes in association mode

One of the biggest changes to this year's association mode is the addition of year-round scouting........you can bring in your top prospects for predraft workouts and actually play with them to get a firsthand feel for their skill levels. You can schedule a variety of different types of workouts, each of which takes a certain amount of time on your predraft schedule. You can do a simple shootaround, a one-on-one between two different prospects, or even a full five-on-five game with 10 different prospects.

Team practices are handled differently now as well. First of all, they are no longer linked to team chemistry, so you don't have to worry about your team grumbling every time you set up a simple shootaround. They're also done on a day-by-day basis now instead of weekly. This gives you more flexibility to plan for big games.


Related to team practices is a new player development feature. Each month your team is allocated 10 hours' worth of player development time. You can spend these to do individual workouts with a player that can impart a permanent boost to statistics. These workouts play out like minigames. The example demonstrated to us was a shooting workout for Devean George of the LA Lakers. In this minigame, we had to shoot from three set places on the floor. One was a short-range shot in the paint. Another was just above the free throw line, and the third spot was beyond the three-point arc. In a given period of time, we had to score a certain number of baskets for the development workout to be successful. We were able to complete the workout, but mostly by shooting the short jumper. As a result, George's shooting improved across the board--three-pointers, mid-range, and short-range--but his short-range game was improved most dramatically because that's what we shot the most in the workout.


The last major new addition to the association mode is a set of stats called "bottom dollar......This doesn't mean you're going to have to start setting prices for hot dogs, beer, and parking. Instead, the moves you make with the franchise will naturally affect how your finances shape up. Winning is strongly (but not completely) correlated to ticket sales. Likewise, the popularity of your players contributes to how your merchandising operations work. So if you do something nutty like trade away Shaq for Lamar Odom and a bunch of stiffs, you can expect that the amount of money you take in from merchandising will take a hit. Each player in the game will have a specific rating for marketability.

Team chemistry is still in the game, but it's now tied to how often you win and how successful you are at keeping a team together. If you choose to shuffle star players in and out of your roster like a deck of cards, you can expect that your team chemistry rating will suffer, and your player attributes will take a corresponding dive

from: http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/nba2 ... 31149.html

I cut a lot of stuff so I suggest you read the whole thing....

I wouls also add that they have completly revamped the commentary and changed the commentators as well, they added new cut scenes, new end of quarter's wrap-ups, and the even implemented a thing called the CRIB wich is basiclly your virtual house where yuo can buy several items to personalize it.


Read also this: http://xbox.ign.com/articles/637/637854p1.html

Gone from the series is Full Authority. Gone are the cut scenes of players talking to you looking for advice or a trade during The Association. Gone is IsoMotion as you knew it.

That's right, gone, scrapped, completely out of NBA 2K6.

The team has also completely rewritten the code for everything in the game from rebounding to fast breaks to defense. That's right, completely rewritten the code

Yet you keep on bashing... Would it be better if they released it every other year?

Absolutely. If it meant they would actually improve the game instead of adding alot of hype that everyone buys into until they've played the game for a month or so and gets sick of it I'd definitely see that as a good idea. I know the PC users will complain about it, but you're not the only gamers in the World. Console users would far outnumber PC users, and even if there are alternatives I don't think that's really a justification for it not being a good idea. Maybe it would provoke other companies into making an NBA game for PC?

I look at it this way, if various other NBA games can make mass improvements to their product in the same space of time EA has to do things to Live, why should we let them off about it? I've read a few people say "oh EA are on a tight schedule they do the best they can in the time they get"... they get just as much time as any other NBA game, and after seeing the additions made to NBA 2K6 and NBA 06, there is really no excuse.

Live 05 was a big step forward in certain ways... they revamped dynasty mode which was good, they created the All-Star weekend which was cool for a while but also a sign that they are willing to go forward. This year however, they just don't really seem to care too much but I would bet my house that Live 07 will come out with 5 times the amount of new features Live 06 will have. Hence the idea of a new Live every 2 years being a good one.

They are doing all they have time for... Get real, it ain't the end of the world if the game is not totally revolutionary each time it comes out!

Rubbish. We don't even want a revolution, I mean for fuck sakes, IN GAME SAVES... why could they not add this? Does it require them to float their company on the share market, change the name, buy it back and then hire 10 times the amount of employees just to put in game saves back into the game? No it doesn't. The only time a game company can rest on their laurels and just release a souped up version of last years game is if the game reaches perfection. And judging by the unreadably long wishlist from last year, it definitely is not.

People have every right to be disappointed with the dynasty mode... we can only base our opinions of what they have shown us. Sure, they might have some extra little things we haven't seen but if they're not going to show them to us, then why can't we complain about it?

Lets put this into perspective, no one here actually owes EA anything.. they don't do anything for the NLSC community and very very rarely interract with us. We are all loyal to the NBA Live series, and we provide our loyalty at our own financial loss. Why is it so unreasonable to think that we should expect the best game we can get for our money? We don't have the best game in the EA Sports series and we certainly don't have the worst, but this forum was created for discussion on the game and if that discussion happens to be negative then so be it.

Yet you keep on bashing... Would it be better if they released it every other year?

Absolutely. If it meant they would actually improve the game instead of adding alot of hype that everyone buys into until they've played the game for a month or so and gets sick of it I'd definitely see that as a good idea. I know the PC users will complain about it, but you're not the only gamers in the World. Console users would far outnumber PC users, and even if there are alternatives I don't think that's really a justification for it not being a good idea. Maybe it would provoke other companies into making an NBA game for PC?

I look at it this way, if various other NBA games can make mass improvements to their product in the same space of time EA has to do things to Live, why should we let them off about it? I've read a few people say "oh EA are on a tight schedule they do the best they can in the time they get"... they get just as much time as any other NBA game, and after seeing the additions made to NBA 2K6 and NBA 06, there is really no excuse.

Live 05 was a big step forward in certain ways... they revamped dynasty mode which was good, they created the All-Star weekend which was cool for a while but also a sign that they are willing to go forward. This year however, they just don't really seem to care too much but I would bet my house that Live 07 will come out with 5 times the amount of new features Live 06 will have. Hence the idea of a new Live every 2 years being a good one.

They are doing all they have time for... Get real, it ain't the end of the world if the game is not totally revolutionary each time it comes out!

Rubbish. We don't even want a revolution, I mean for fuck sakes, IN GAME SAVES... why could they not add this? Does it require them to float their company on the share market, change the name, buy it back and then hire 10 times the amount of employees just to put in game saves back into the game? No it doesn't. The only time a game company can rest on their laurels and just release a souped up version of last years game is if the game reaches perfection. And judging by the unreadably long wishlist from last year, it definitely is not.

People have every right to be disappointed with the dynasty mode... we can only base our opinions of what they have shown us. Sure, they might have some extra little things we haven't seen but if they're not going to show them to us, then why can't we complain about it?

Lets put this into perspective, no one here actually owes EA anything.. they don't do anything for the NLSC community and very very rarely interract with us. We are all loyal to the NBA Live series, and we provide our loyalty at our own financial loss. Why is it so unreasonable to think that we should expect the best game we can get for our money? We don't have the best game in the EA Sports series and we certainly don't have the worst, but this forum was created for discussion on the game and if that discussion happens to be negative then so be it.

This is what I call well proven point. I totaly agree with Jae.

Definitely agree with Jae here.

To add, even though I'm one of the more vocal critics of EA, I've been loyal since Live 95, so I have every reason to be disappointed. I was disappointed with Live 2005, even though they added the All-Star Weekend and revamped the Dynasty, they took a step backwards with gameplay. Slow passing and too many blocks are enough to have me stop playing the game on PC faster than any of the previous Lives (2001 being an exception, that was a piece of shit). I play the game for the sake of the game, and it just amazes me why they would remove something that was working, or change something for the worse.

From the previews for this year's version, I saw a lot of recycled stuff from Live 2005, and that really concerned me, because it reminds me of NHL 06, which is virtually an EXACT duplicate of NHL 2005. From the reviews from some of the users here who played the demo, it might sound a little promising, but then again, I don't want to get my hopes up because when I saw the previews for 2005, I was disappointed, and I was disappointed even more with this year's version, so who knows, I might be surprsied.

Well, Jae...

You have some points there, but my point all along has been that let's give the game a chance before we bash it to the ground. We know nothing about the dynasty mode only a short vid and a very short interview about it, which basically tells us nothing about how the game works, only what it looks like.

The coach feature is new and the video shows absolutely nothing about how they improve or effect the game. We have no idea what does the rumor mill include... The player evolution could be something that is improved from the former models of the feature...

And Jae, well what you want for the game might not be what us all want. There are literally thousands of improvements that are introduced for the game and they can only make a certain amount of improvements for the game.

And one more thing! What does 2k6 have to offer for the next generation consoles? Does it have the graphical output of Live 06? The EA team has probably resourced alot of resources to make the next generation game look like it does in the screenshots... Is 2k6 even coming for the next gen consoles?

I am just glad that we will have a new NBA Live game instead of missing on one again. The base set by Live 2005 is quite solid and the game could be a keeper with a few small improvements to the dynasty that couldn't possibly be seen in any of the videos and wouldn't be something that they would advertise as most wouldn't know what they are talking about.

Trust me Jae, I'll be the one to join in on the EA bashing if the dynasty isn't any better than it was in Live 2005, but it's too frikkin early to say anything concrete about the game... We have no idea about the game yet.

METSIS WROTE:
Man you boys are off to a good start...

We still don't have any idea on what the dynasty holds and there are some minute things in the game that with a little fine tuning would make the game so much better.

EA bashing seems to be a hobby for some you guys... And I can honestly say that Live 2005 and Live 2004 are worlds apart and I believe Live 2006 will be a whole other game than Live 2005 as will the dynasty modes be.

Before you start bashing EA on the head with NBA Live 95 just think about what they are doing... They are releasing the game for two totally new platforms PSP and XBOX360 and I'm sure PS3 will follow close behind. Last time the team did this, we didn't get the game for the PC at all!!!

I'm grateful that the game will be out for the PC and I'm sure it will be better than 2005, it damn better be...

Would it really be better if they did not release the game at all? What would you guys bitch about then? Why didn't we get a new NBA Live this year etc. etc.

They are doing all they have time for... Get real, it ain't the end of the world if the game is not totally revolutionary each time it comes out!

Hey, listen up Metsis. We're not bashing EA. They're doing it to themselves. You don't mislead people into thinking that, for example, you can hire a head coach, then only allow gamers to hire supporting staff and assistants!!! They hype up basketball gamers and get them excited about purchasing the game and give them less than what you are led to beleive will be in the game. Its all a marketing ploy to increase revenue with minimal new features added. Thats what pisses us off!!! Other basketball games have these features we are looking for, so why can't the LIVE series implement them in their game??? The reason why alot of us are pissed is because we know that EA produces the best games in hockey, football, soccer racing..., but for basketball they don't when it comes to additional features and deeper game modes, such as Dynasty. I acknowledge that EA has the best gameplay and give them credit for enhancing gameplay, however, deeper Dynasty's and additional game features are also desired in the game and we ask for these features year in and year out, and they're not giving it to us. Which would lead me to believe that they don't care what we want and will only produce a game that "THEY" feel is enhanced from the previous year. Now I know the team works out of Vancouver, Canada and that smoking up in Canada is seen as acceptable (I live in Canada and trust me, you smoke a drug, nobody cares), but in all honesty, what the hell are they smoking???? Becasue they're on... on something powerful!!!

And Jae, well what you want for the game might not be what us all want. There are literally thousands of improvements that are introduced for the game and they can only make a certain amount of improvements for the game.

I'd be happy if you can name 100 improvements. Keep in mind, these improvements may be so insignificant, and keep in mind that these improvements can be cancelled out with significant removal (like taking away the in-game feature, taking away stats, etc)

I am just glad that we will have a new NBA Live game instead of missing on one again. The base set by Live 2005 is quite solid and the game could be a keeper with a few small improvements to the dynasty that couldn't possibly be seen in any of the videos and wouldn't be something that they would advertise as most wouldn't know what they are talking about.

Like Jae said, I'd rather wait every two years for major improvements and changes rather than seeing the same game gradually being built on every year. There might be a lot of big additions that we can't see in the videos, but a lot of our disappointment and "bashings" are based on what we already see in previews. These previews, historically, in more cases reflect the final game product, and that's not something to easily dismiss.

Trust me Jae, I'll be the one to join in on the EA bashing if the dynasty isn't any better than it was in Live 2005, but it's too frikkin early to say anything concrete about the game... We have no idea about the game yet.

Still too early to reserve a final judgement, but we have a bit of an idea on what the game is like based on articles and previews.

While I think it's in our best interests to criticise what we don't like and offer our own perspective on how to make the game better, I think it's the more personal comments that are detrimental to our cause. Hurling childish insults and personal abuse isn't going to improve relations with the development team or give us much credibility. I know a lot of us don't do that, but so often in life the bad seems to outweigh the good.

I happen to know how hard the production team works on the game, so comments about them being "lazy" are really off base. Let's not confuse laziness with simply getting things wrong or having the wrong focus. I don't think there's any question that they put a lot of time and effort into NBA Live, but seem to focus on the wrong areas when making improvements.

For example, with NBA Live 06 they might have been better off furthering Freestyle Control as well as greatly expanding Dynasty Mode, rather than going all out with Freestyle Superstars and just touching up Dynasty Mode. However I must say if bugs are fixed and Dynasty's AI/logic is improved I'll be somewhat satisfied. My position on that is different because I did enjoy NBA Live 2005's Dynasty Mode despite its problems so as long as things are getting consistently better and not worse, for me at least the development is satisfactory.

On the other hand, perhaps there's some merit in bringing one element up to speed first (such as the gameplay) then expanding the game modes the following year. I don't think a huge overhaul is in order, rather building upon the current foundation. With Dynasty Mode, that means reordering the offseason calendar so you sign, re-sign, trade and release throughout the offseason. It means continuing to improve the simulation engine and adding other elements of free agency. The base is already there. A new interface wouldn't hurt but we have adapted; as much as I'd like a more PC-friendly UI I'll sacrifice it for the greater good.

I think our attitudes could be a lot better about the situation. The production team has no obligation to post here, so if they're not made to feel welcome they're not going to bother. If we don't give the impression we'd actually be interested in hearing what they have to say and they could post without everyone hurling childish insults and saying "Don't listen to them, they're a bunch of liars", what incentive do they have for sharing information with us?

I'm not saying it has to be an ass-kissing festival, but a little maturity wouldn't go astray. I know this doesn't apply to everyone and my intention isn't to scold everyone, but there is somewhat of a negative vibe that really suggests we aren't willing to hear anyone out because we've already made up our minds and the production team can't be trusted.

There's something else that I did find rather disappointing last year. When the official patch for NBA Live 2005 was going into production, I was asked if I could get some feedback from the community in regards to user's system specs and whatnot. So, I created a sticky and asked for information that was going to be useful in developing a fix. It got plenty of replies, but about five of them provided information about their PC's specs. The rest of them were posting bug lists that had already been posted or insulted EA at length.

So what was the end result? People complaining that the fix didn't work for them or fix the problem with their hardware, a problem that might have been avoided had more people offered the requested information. I was really disappointed about that, because it truly was about the most hypocritical thing we could do as a community. EA had offered a chance for us to help them out and be involved with something, and most people couldn't be bothered doing their part...then complained that EA didn't care about their customers.

Again, I don't mean to chastise everyone but that was a prime example of interaction with EA that could have been handled a lot better. Insteading of taking advantage of the opportunity, a lot of people took it as an opening to bash. In all fairness, those who didn't post their specs and couldn't get the patch to work with their hardware have only themselves to blame.

We shouldn't stop being critical, we shouldn't stop talking about what we want from the NBA Live series, what's wrong with any of the games and what needs to be fixed. That's not the issue. It's the way we approach it, the way we handle opportunities to be involved with the development of the game and any add-ons/fixes.

I think if we can do that, we'll see more interaction with the production team. At least, I hope that would be the case.

Andrew: You make a good arguement, however, you are one to accept what they give you. If the product is shitty, or the same as last year, why should we be blind and continue to purchase a product in which no major improvements, which we the consumers demand, are implemented??? If I go to a resturant, and their food sucks, trust me, I'm not going back. And if NBA Live 06 sucks, or is similar to last years (Live 05), I'm not purchasing it. Maybe if the sales are down this year, they will focus on enhancing the right aspects of the game that need enhancements, or the areas in which we the consumers ask for. I don't think they read our wishlist, at least that what they make me assume.

That's not what I'm suggesting. It's in our best interest to be critical of the things we don't like and make suggestions. There's evidence that suggests they do indeed take into consideration what we do with the Wishlists. In any case, there's absolutely no chance of them knowing what we want if we don't do the Wishlist or post ideas in the forum (which I'm told they do browse).

It's more the attitude and the approach. "Fuck you EA you lazy bastards, fix the fucking game!" isn't constructive criticism, not only because it's an unpleasant remark but because it doesn't offer much in the way of feedback.

And trust me, I have my complaints about the game. It's just that in general I do enjoy the games so I am perhaps more willing to give it a chance. But on that same note, I won't be happy with a game that doesn't meet any of my expectations.

i'm os lazy to read...

Andrew, you are once again, right on the money...

I wouldn't want to read a forum where every other header has some negative remark about me or my company... What would be the point to read anyones comments or anything, if 90% of the posting is total bs and bitching about how "lazy" me or my company is and how they should do better...

We can and probably have influenced the game to some extent... And I'm happy that our wishes do actually show up every once in a while, so I'm sure the game will be better again this year, we might not get a "huge" improvement over last year, but we will get an improvement.

And about the off-season Andrew... In the vid, it looks the same, but you really can't tell as only the month of June is shown. There's the draft lottery, then the player practise games for the rooks, then there's signing your own free agents and then there's the draft! And this is a rigid order in which to make things, but it is as rigid as this in real life too! No free agent signings can be even negotiated before the month of July, in real life NBA! So we could possibly have the option of "trading" or "signing" after the draft, as it does not show any functionality of the off-season. So it could actually be there, but we don't know this, it might be the same or might be like this... It would really help the off-season if you could trade and sign players during the same period of time and if we could finally get the "mid level exception" it would really light up the off-season all fresh and new. The Off-season in NBA is pretty rigid in june, you can't do much. One more thing would be nice, if there would be a "resign" option too in july, the guys are free agents, but it would really help you to find them from the FA pool, if you could have a separate list for them... Especially 4-5 seasons into the dynasty.

We need to constructive and not bashing, this has been my point all along. Let's see what the game has and how it plays out before we blow up EA's offices to kingdom gone...

ps. The examples of me and my company are purely hypothetical, though I wouldn't mind owning a huge operation like EA sports... I'd have a bit more money at my disposal then

Critisism on its own isn't bashing. I get accused of EA bashing quite alot but you'll never find a "Fuck EA" type post that I've made. Alot of people are under the misconception that this is an official EA website and we need to be as complimentary about the game as humanly possible.

There has been alot of "This fucking sucks it's just like 05 fuck EA" type posts showing up recently, and I agree those should go but personally I still reserve the right to critisise the game if what I am seeing looks sub-standard to me.

It would really help the off-season if you could trade and sign players during the same period of time and if we could finally get the "mid level exception"

I think I read in either Shane or DA's threads about their hands on preview for Live 05 that the producers said it was something they really wanted to impliment in Live 06. Whether that's actually happened is unknown, but I would've thought they had said something by now.

They have only give us a few teasers about the dynasty... Nothing too concrete has been revealed yet.

MLE would be one of those features that don't give the game huge merchandising value and thus isn't a real seller if you mention it in an interview.

I know Jae that you are not the worst of the litter... There are people who come here to do just EA bashing and you are certainly not one of them.

But why the negativity already? I didn't go into expecting too much off of Live 06 so I ain't too disappointed yet. The UI looks the same, but as I've said on numerous occations, it might be GOOD and not "it's the same crap as before"... They haven't redone the UI so they might have worked on what goes on behind the UI and that is what really matters!

I am still optimistic about the game and I am sure that we will be much wiser in the coming weeks and especially after the release.