EA´s Surprising Turn Around and Live

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 8:55 pm

I reluctantly picked this one up today. It was an impulse buy because I really wasn´t looking forward to basketball games this year.
 
 Whoa what a big improvement over year´s past.
 
 I don´t think the game is "there" yet. But what a string of good improvements over the last two year´s for EA Sports. MVP, NHL, Live, NASCAR, NCAA. Okay EA Sports could do better but it´s not like we can´t say the same thing about Sega Sports (that´s not really the point here.)
 
 Anyway for me there´s one more game to go before I say EA Sports has "done it". If FIFA isn´t at the same level Live, NHL then for me that will be a disappointment.
 
 But hopefully EA Sports realizes the way to better sales isnt´ by alienating the hardcore gamers.

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 9:10 pm

JRod I feel ya man. I am waiting to see what FIFA is like. EA has made some great strides in sports gaming this year.
 
 I am having a blast with Live and NHL...go figure <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_cool.gif">

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:49 pm

Jackdog, you playing NHL on console or PC?
 
 Played my first two games of NHL on EASO today. One bad game, (dude kept taking one player from deep in the zone and skating all the way into my zone and trying to stuff/crash the net...boring) and one real good game. Lost 2-1 and the dude played straight up. Man that was fun.
 
 Wondered if anyone here was playing the PC version.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:42 am

I am having a very good time with Live and I bought it on impulse as well. I just can´t describe how much better it is than 2003. The list of things I like is becoming a lot longer than the things I don´t like.

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 2:03 am

im really enjoying this version of LIVE right off the bat
 
 will have to dive in much deeper....but as a major inside drive fan for the past couple years
 
 im absolutley intrigued with what im seeing so far <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_biggrin.gif"> [ This message was edited by: Cincinnati_Kid on 17-10-2003 23:04 ]

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 9:32 am

Yup, I´m still loving Live as well. Found that some slider tweaking is desirable, but the sliders work and cover nearly all the bases. Turning game speed down to about 45 seems to be a good move. No doubt that franchise FA bug is going to be a bear when I finish my first franchise season, but hopefully it´s not a game-killer. I´ve played NBAxK since it came out and pretty much forgotten about Live, but I can say that right now it´s the best b-ball game I´ve played. If you´re used to the VC games like I was, it does take some adjustment, but a blast once you do. The separate dunk/layup and shoot buttons was a brilliant idea.
 
 Got to hand it to EA - they´ve done a spectacular job in rescuing the NHL and Live series, and improved on the already brilliant NCAA. Madden was a little disappointing, but nowhere near bad.
 
 Now if they can pull this off with FIFA I would be absolutely shocked. However, until they take development away from EA Canada and start over with new code, I seriously doubt that will happen.
 
 It´s becoming harder to slam them these days, although their lack of support for XBox Live is still pretty disgraceful.

RAMMZZ · Post by **RAMMZZ** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:28 pm

Too bad Im going to miss out.
 Maybe Ill give it a rental later....
 Im only buying one NBA game and since I cant stand playing online via my PS2 its going to be NBA2K4.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:59 pm

Blub:
 
 I agree that Team Canada needs to let Team UK do it. They did RTWC97.
 
 However about the code, Madden, Live and mostly almost every game uses the same code for years. I can still see glimpses of Live 2000 in 2004. Rebounding for starters.
 
 Anyway, If FIFA is as good as Live, I will be very happy.
 
 What sliders are you using??

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 3:24 pm

RAMMZZ:
 
 Did you play ID 2003 last year? Just wondering why you aren´t considering it for XBL play.

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 5:42 pm

Pete I am playing the X-Box version of NHL and GC version of Live.
 
 Peace.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 12:30 am

The next jump needs to be in graphics. Sega really jumped passed them with their ESPN games this fall. ESPN NFL Football looks a whole lot better than Madden/NCAA. I think that the sports gaming leader for pride alone would fix this next year.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 12:53 am

kevin I couldn´t disagree with you more.
 
 I don´t think ESPN graphics/textures are better than EA Sports. Where they excel is animations.
 
 To each their own...but for me Sega Sports looks washed out and trying to force good graphics on an engine not ready for it which just makes them look odd.
 
 My .0000000001 cents.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 5:57 am

Kevin
 
 I definitely disgree there.
 
 NFL 2k4´s graphics were off - the players looked unscaled (height to width looked odd), and some of the animations were very poor. The running in particular on a long gain looked very camp.
 
 One of the most overrated games of the season for me.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:24 am

Graphics are largely subjective, especially since they´re operating around the same resolution. If ESPN NFL had 720p support, its superiority would be clearly more evident.
 
 But I agree about some of the animations, the 45-degree turns, the way they run away from the camera on long runs where they seem to be taking short, bowlegged strides.
 
 NCAA has a much smaller development team than Madden but I like the NCAA cameras a lot better than Madden. Some of the intros look really sharp too.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:38 am

Sega´s graphics are victimized to a certain extent by the gameplay. By building a game engine where guys can cut 45 degrees at full speed, turning them into zig-zag demons, how does an animator animate that to make the unbelievable believable?
 
 On the other hand, there are just many areas where animations were needed but not supplied. The whole idea of using the exact same running animation for every runner, then just slowing the motion down for slower runners, just doesn´t look right. Look at the guys in motion, or the kicker running up to kick the ball off the Tee. What´s up with THAT?
 
 On the other hand, once an animation is in progress, it quite often looks stunning, but the gameplay and the graphics need to be steered a bit more towards realism.
 
 Randy