NBA Live 09

Murph · Post by **Murph** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:49 pm

IGN not diggin' it. They gave it a 6.5

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/917/917206p1.html

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:57 pm

The comments i've read on another forum is that the game is quite good.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:40 pm

Seems to have frame rate issues. An EA game? No way!

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:53 pm

Which version has framerate issues?

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:31 pm

It's significantly better than last year...but it's still around a year to two years behind 2k9. It's not a turd or anything...if it was your only choice, you could definitely be happy with it.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:35 pm

Rodster wrote:Which version has framerate issues?

From the 360 reviews.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:05 pm

Thanks Greg, i'll check the PS3 review as well. Yeah DB I have no doubt that 2K9 is the better more realistic Hoops game of the two but i'm getting both this year. I enjoyed both demos. And I like hearing Marv say his patented ..Yesssss !

Wilk5280 · Post by **Wilk5280** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:32 pm

I went with Live just for something different. 2K has felt the same to me since its jump to next gen on the 360.

It's a great game, make no mistake about it. The demo seemed to really have beefed up on the presentation, but the gameplay just feels the same and I'm sure I'd get bored quickly after the new presentation wore off.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:52 pm

PRBoom wrote:I went with Live just for something different. 2K has felt the same to me since it's jump to next gen on the 360.

It's a great game, make no mistake about it. The demo seemed to really have beefed up on the presentation, but the gameplay just feels the same and I'm sure I'd get bored quickly after the new presentation wore off.

I agree. I probably won't be getting a hoops game but if I would it would be Live for the same reasons above.

eman · Post by **eman** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:51 am

Haven't really played a Hoops game since Inside Drive 03 and NBA Live 2000 on the PC. Man, Live 2000 was so damn good IMHO.

I'll checkout both but I'm leaning towards 2k9 since I've read it's a bit more realistic and polished.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:43 am

I'm curious as to which will have better online team play, since that's pretty much all I do with sports games these days. Pasta Padre's article on 2K's team play seemed like it had some potentially annoying quirks (it picks the team for you, so people would probably back out until they got a matchup they liked?), so I Gamefly'd Live which should be here today.

fanatic · Post by **fanatic** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:59 am

I'm like some of you here - Not as into the NBA anymore but willing to give these games a chance if they really stand out. That being said, I'm really curious to see how NCAA Basketball 09 turns out this year. If the look of the game is as slick as the NBA version and the ball movement reflects the college game, then I can see it being a potentially great game.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:00 am

Well honestly, I'm pretty underwhelmed with both games. Because this is the NBA Live thread, I'll keep my early impressions solely to this game.

This game is decent. It's slowly improving, but in my mind has a ways to go. Here are some quick observations:

- The game play seems rather mechanical and stiff. Similar to Madden where you just don't have that sense of realistic player movement. It almost has a robotic feel to it.

- Graphically, this game shines. It's looks fantastic. However, if the players don't move in a realistic manner and appear as if they all basically move the same, a detachment is felt over the course of the game.

- My main beef with this game is the responsiveness of the controls. The delay with the jump button is head scratching. Why they couldn't make it more responsive is beyond me. Maybe they were looking to add a more simulation feel, but it comes off as quite frustrating. In addition, passing the ball around the perimeter again feels rather robotic. Whereas the other game feels more fluid, I feel as if I'm struggling with my button presses.

- Shooting seems rather canned in my opinion. There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason if a shot goes in. Now, I understand there's an element of programming that goes in to determine if a shot falls. However, release point doesn't seem to make a darn bit of difference. That's rather disappointing.

- Fast breaks just don't flow well. There seems to be a lot of catching and stopping, catching and stopping. It's better than it has been in year's past, but it's still missing that up and down feel.

- The commentary is very good. The presentation before the exhibition games at least leave something to be desired. It doesn't get you all hyped up to play in my opinion. The crowd noise seems to be kind of an after thought. When I was playing, I felt as if the crowd was talking amongst themselves and while you hear clapping and applause after a made basket, it's as if the crowd doesn't genuinely feel like they're a part of the game.

All in all, there are those of us who will find enjoyment with this game, but I can't imagine this being a game you could play an entire season, much less a half a season. I think it would better suited playing against a friend. It's getting there, but has a ways to go.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:49 am

sportdan30 wrote:My main beef with this game is the responsiveness of the controls. The delay with the jump button is head scratching. Why they couldn't make it more responsive is beyond me. Maybe they were looking to add a more simulation feel, but it comes off as quite frustrating. In addition, passing the ball around the perimeter again feels rather robotic. Whereas the other game feels more fluid, I feel as if I'm struggling with my button presses.

That's my main complaint as well. It is damn near impossible to time a jump to block a shot or grab a rebound in this game. The delay is atrocious. Flying in from the week side to get a block or a huge rebound is one of the most gratifying things in hoops games, and 2k nails that part. Live...is pretty pathetic. That's why it's already on ebay! It's like you're playing in quicksand.

Graphically, I don't think it's NEARLY as good as 2k9 either. The players all look like skeletons...way too skinny...and the crowds are terrible. That doesn't mean 2k9 is outstanding or anything (framerate issues w/ certain cameras)...but it's better than Live.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:58 am

Are the sluggish controls just part of the retail version? The one thing I don't like they did was to remove the shooting icon during the game. It's there while in the gym but not in game which bites.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:29 am

Rodster wrote:Are the sluggish controls just part of the retail version? The one thing I don't like they did was to remove the shooting icon during the game. It's there while in the gym but not in game which bites.

The controls were there in the demo too, just not quite as noticeable. Just press the jump button to try to block the shot when running...you know, like chasing a guy down or coming from the week side. You will jump after the ball is already in the basket. Annoying as hell.

One thing that Live does better is rebounding and then putting the ball back quickly. 2k9 seems to take a while to gather yourself to jump when guys in the NBA don't need to do that normally. Now, if you can time your jump correctly, that's a whole different ballgame since the delay is so bad.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:41 pm

This sluggishness of the controls thing has been an EA problem with this and FIFA. Somehow, the NHL series escaped this plague...thankfully.

Anyway, NBA2K8 was IMO one of the greatest sports video games of all time, so if 2K9 improves on that, what more could you ask? Just playing Live because you are tired of 2K is understandable, but the 2 games are still worlds apart, IMO.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:17 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
Rodster wrote:Are the sluggish controls just part of the retail version? The one thing I don't like they did was to remove the shooting icon during the game. It's there while in the gym but not in game which bites.
The controls were there in the demo too, just not quite as noticeable. Just press the jump button to try to block the shot when running...you know, like chasing a guy down or coming from the week side. You will jump after the ball is already in the basket. Annoying as hell.

One thing that Live does better is rebounding and then putting the ball back quickly. 2k9 seems to take a while to gather yourself to jump when guys in the NBA don't need to do that normally. Now, if you can time your jump correctly, that's a whole different ballgame since the delay is so bad.

Hmmm, you guys have me thinking. I'll need to try the demo again because I hate sluggish controls in sports games.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:11 pm

Man I played the PS3 demo some more and I didn't sense any sluggishness in the controls.

What version is everyone playing? I'm leaning on the PS3 version. Are the 360 and PS3 versions identical graphics wise or does the 360 look and play better?

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:19 pm

Rodster wrote:Man I played the PS3 demo some more and I didn't sense any sluggishness in the controls.

What version is everyone playing? I'm leaning on the PS3 version. Are the 360 and PS3 versions identical graphics wise or does the 360 look and play better?

I won't say the buttons are unresponsive, but the jump button, which is key in a basetball game has a delay. And I played the retail version on the PS3. The graphics look very nice as compared to 2K9.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:31 pm

If anyone wants my NBA Live...45 shipped. And I haven't activated the Live 365 stuff either, so it's like new.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:43 pm

db, if you can wait till next week i'll let you know then.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:52 pm

Rodster wrote:db, if you can wait till next week i'll let you know then.

I'll let you know if it's sold. I gotta a buddy that wants to play it this weekend if I still have it. LOL.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:32 pm

No problem if you sell it. I'm waiting for the TRU sale next week. I'm not sure what I plan on getting.

ddtrane · Post by **ddtrane** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:18 am

Rodster wrote:No problem if you sell it. I'm waiting for the TRU sale next week. I'm not sure what I plan on getting.

Wait a minute. I thought the TRU sale won't happen until the end of the month?