GamePlayBook NBA Elite Preview

[Arcane]

http://www.gameplaybook.com/news/nba-el ... station-3/

To be honest, there was nothing truly wrong with what NBA Live was doing. Our fellow basketball nut Chris Buffa has been reviewing games in the series over the past few years, and he’s liked what he’s been seeing. That said, the series always came up short behind 2K Sports’ NBA 2K series, if only because something clicked better in those games than in Live. EA Sports is recognizing that, which is why it canned Live altogether in favor of a fresh new take on its outlook on basketball. And that, friends, is where NBA Elite 11 comes in.

Like NBA Live, NBA Elite 11 is all about on-the-court dominance. However, EA Sports understood that the gameplay wasn’t up to snuff, so it did away with it in favor of a new, innovative technique. Like the NHL series did, the gameplay will rely on the use of both analog sticks. The left stick will control your player’s movements up and down the court, so they can hustle to get close to the basket, either for an ideal lay-up, an unexpected dunk or a shot from the outside. But player movement is only part of the equation, as you’ll use the right analog stick for hand movements. This includes all the shots we’ve described, as well as finding the “sweet spot” to assure that they’ll go in.

Although it was still an early build, we got a look at this new control scheme in action at E3 a few weeks ago. Despite the need for some tightening, we got an understanding of what EA was going for. The control scheme is a lot more natural than what it was in Live, complete with free throw shooting (you hold up to initiate your player movement and then release the stick right when the timing is right) and “hustle” moves to get closer to the basket. There are still more tricks to be uncovered, but thus far, it’s a system that could do for basketball what NHL did for hockey.

That’s just the start. NBA Elite 11 also means a fresh start in terms of appearance. The animations are much more natural this time around, and not “canned” like in previous renditions of Live. For instance, you won’t go into an automatic animation when you try to go for the basket and either automatically get a hand in your face or watch the ball sink in. It’s real-time interaction, so depending where your analog stick movements go, you can either successfully score or watch as the ball is swatted away or, worse yet, stolen. EA Sports paid better attention to the physics engine thus far, and although we haven’t seen all the courts and players, it’s a step in the right direction for its b-ball focus.

Boom! That just happened.

Along with revitalized graphics and gameplay, NBA Elite 11 will also include a variety of modes, including Be a Pro, where you can live the life of an NBA superstar while keeping concentration on your moves, techniques, teamwork and other aspects. It’s a careful balance you’ll have to keep, lest you end up an ego-ridden player who no one will want to work with. The game will also feature other modes, including online interactivity with fellow users and plenty of competition. We wouldn’t be surprised if some form of NBA Fantasy Camp somehow ended up in the game, a place where you can train rookies to become the next big thing in the league.

This is merely an early look at the game, as it still has a few months left to go before it hits retail in early October, in time for the next NBA season. So far, EA Sports is on the right path for relaunching its franchise, although there are some questions in regards to going up head-to-head against 2K Sports’ forthcoming champ, NBA 2K11. We’ll answer them in due time, so be sure to check back for a hands-on report and more info on NBA Elite 11. We’ll see who wins this face-off yet…

[ThaLiveKing]

Nice REad!!

[Andrew]

How dare people get excited for NBA Elite 11 in the NBA Elite 11 section, or the producers talk up their product.

Seriously, if it bothers you that much and you're just going to troll, just stick to the 2K sections.

[Arcane]

I think it was more the writers point of view too not a producer I just copied and pasted the article quoting the entire thing it wasn't my point of view that was stated in the article.

[shadowgrin]

Huh theyre too confident on winning to be the #1 basketball simulation what a guess bravoo!!!
let see if you have a enough feature to counter the 2ks feature lets see your ability when there is no Mike Wang in your side..

What did you inhale or drink that caused you to lose a large amount of braincells? Or are you just too stupid that even your braincells committed suicide because they can't take your retardation?

[Axel The Great]

Huh theyre too confident on winning to be the #1 basketball simulation what a guess bravoo!!!
let see if you have a enough feature to counter the 2ks feature lets see your ability when there is no Mike Wang in your side..

Nothing else to it.

[dennis09]

Mr. Andrew can you delete the fucking negative posts of my brother because annoying me shit

[Andrew]

If you like. Done.