I think I was too quick to write off NBA Live. I went back and played more of both demos and in terms of just pure gameplay, they are both very even.
In fact, Live seems to show better all around team movement and seems to flow better. Players in 2K get a little stagnant on offense unless you run plays for them.
Live may win out in the end. I have to see how this DNA thing plays out, but it has me very intrigued. You can play along with your favorite team through their entire schedule and you'll be using the "DNA" from the game that just completed. Very cool stuff indeed!
On the visual side, Live definitely looks "sharper" and more vibrant color-wise. The player models appear more 3D-like. 2K's players appear like cardboard cutouts at times and I think it's due the the visible lines around the player's bodies. 2K has a slightly "hazy" look when you switch directly from Live to 2K.
The biggest hurdle I am trying to get by with Live is the lag on the jump button. If they can somehow fix that in a patch, the the decision would be a lot easier.
Presently, I'm passing on both games but I'm very much looking forward to checking out NCAA Basketball 2009. The reason I bring this up in this thread is because it sounds like the developers for the college game are really going to expand on everything that's in Live '09. Check out the following blog.
I rather liked Live single player, more than I thought I would considering I've pretty much adopted Zeppo's stance of hating all basketball games (see Bill Abner's blog today for some clips that show why), but Live is sort of a back to basics affair that does at least reward movement and spacing rather than cavalier passes into the interior that constantly connect (even if the ball has to go through someone's body to do so... again, see Abner). But I'm not long for single player sports right now, and Live's OTP is a big disappointment. The concept sort of breaks down without the real be-a-pro features of NHL, as there's a pre-game race to lock in to the team's star, and if you don't get him, have fun rebounding!
Both basketball games should consider skewing things in favor of the defense and see how hat works out. Not sexy, I know... but both online and offline suffer for it.
I bought Live and have 2k on rental and I can't believe that I'm enjoying Live much more. I really like the weight of the players and ball in Live where in 2k everything seems so light if that makes sense. I love the pick and roll in Live too. That's not to say that 2k is a bad game by any means. I think the combination of playing every iteration since the original 2k on the Dreamcast plus the fact that the sliders need major tweaking out of the box has made Live my go to game for hoops this year. How IGN gave NBA Live 09 and NBA 09 The Inside the same score (6.5) is beyond me.
I am a patient boy.
I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait.
My time is water down a drain.
Yeah...Live and "Inside" are not even in the same ballpark. Live is significantly better.
I guess I don't get why everyone thinks that 2k is a tweakfest. I lowered the blocking slider and the shooting sliders about 5-8 clicks and it's golden for me at 9 min. quarters All-Star.
I'm sure once the DNA starts working in November...Live will get another look from me...but for a pick up and play game, regardless of how STALE it is...2k it is (camera stuttering not withstanding). Luckily I dig the Showtime camera.
db, what's the Showtime camera like in relation to 2K, Drive, Baseline Low, Baseline High? I decided to stick with 2K8 because of the stutter which would bug the hell out of me.
Rodster wrote:db, what's the Showtime camera like in relation to 2K, Drive, Baseline Low, Baseline High? I decided to stick with 2K8 because of the stutter which would bug the hell out of me.
It's a sideline camera...it's a little higher up, so the view is pretty sweet. I was always a 2k camera guy, but after getting used to the Showtime camera, it's almost like a brand new game.
dbdynsty25 wrote:
Did you know that it's ONLY if you buy the game second hand and the code inside the game has already been used?
That's not what some reviewer I was reading said. He commented that the game new + the DNA will cost $80.
Sorry if this is "old news", but I guess I'm not on the cutting edge of gaming news like you Db.
Interesting clip about rebounding:
"When jumping for a rebound, or attempting a block, the momentum system also comes into play. Make sure that you understand your player must gather his momentum before jumping for the ball/block. Many people misinterpret this "gather" as some sort of lag/delay with the game -- this is not the case. When you are anticipating a rebound pay close attention to the player you are controlling, and how he reacts when jumping. Certain players will leap quicker (Kobe), and others will take some time to gather momentum (Ben Wallace). Good jumping technique is all about paying attention to the arc of the ball off the rim on a rebound, or the body position of an offensive player shooting the ball when going for a block. If you can nail the timing of the momentum-gather process on a player-by-player basis, you will be grabbing rebounds and blocking shots like a pro."
JackB1 wrote:That's not what some reviewer I was reading said. He commented that the game new + the DNA will cost $80.
That reviewer doesn't know what he's talking about. There's a code included with the game that you enter to 'activate' the DNA updates.
I'm interested to see how it works once the season gets started. I expect the Trailblazers to get better quickly in the game, I think they have the same overall rating as the Timberwolves.
I will be trading in some games in a few days to maybe get a hoops game (might wait til later in the month for some of those releases) and I am torn between 2K9 and Live. I have always liked 2K but it has been kind of stale to me the past 2 versions. I liked the Live demo and it would be a new experience but I don't know if I will like it for the long run. Someone convince me.
