nba-live-14
Latest
NBA Live 14 update expected this month, adds Shootaround mode
EA Sports has outlined a second content update for NBA Live 14, noting the presence of a Shootaround mode and visual and gameplay tweaks in the patch. EA Sports Marketer Ty Stover's tweet, spotted by Polygon, suggests the update may come "as early as Monday," but an exact date has not been shared. Shootaround will let players shoot hoops and get a handle on controls without having to outwit defenders or watch a shot clock. EA Sports describes Shootaround as the "first step" toward creating a "robust, comprehensive onboarding experience." The post states the team is looking forward to feedback for additional features desired for "next year's game," suggesting that additional, significant introductory features won't make it to NBA Live 14. For those requiring additional help with NBA Live 14, the post points to online video tutorials that break down styles of play. The update will also implement changes to ball physics, passing speeds, dribbling and first steps. The post also references lighting and color changes to address the "plastic" appearance of players in NBA Live 14. EA Sports writes that these changes are "transitional steps which not only help us right now, but as we continue to work on the franchise." A process of scanning the heads of NBA players to approach photorealism is also mentioned, with plans to utilize the work in next year's game. The planned update will follow a statement in November from NBA Live 14's executive producer, which admitted that the team had "a lot of work to do." Our review described the game as feeling "unfinished," and when compared to NBA 2K14, we felt NBA Live 14 was "nowhere near deserving of your time and money." [Image: EA]
GameStop post-Christmas sale hacks $10 off select next-gen games, more
That money grandma tucked into your card this year? GameStop wants it, and is holding a post-Christmas winter sale to get it. The retailer's deals end on December 29 and take $10 off the following Xbox One and PS4 games: Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4, Need For Speed: Rivals, Madden 25 and NBA Live 14. Each game is $10 cheaper on their respective current-gen platforms as well. Additionally, Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag and Battlefield 4 are discounted to $39.99 on their other respective platforms (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC), though the former isn't on sale for PS4 or Xbox One. GameStop's sale page features a number of items that aren't discounted at all, including listings for available Xbox One and Wii U consoles. Among the other games and accessories on sale are Tearaway ($19.99), Grand Theft Auto 5 ($39.99), NBA 2K14 for Xbox 360 and PS3 ($39.99), Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix ($24.99) and Gran Turismo 6 ($39.99).
NBA Live 14 review: Bricklayer
For years, EA has toiled away at revitalizing its basketball series. In 2010, this meant retiring the NBA Live brand and replacing it with NBA Elite, which would only get canceled later that same year after a demo introduced us all to The Pose – a glitch that saw a random player locked in a bizarre pose at half-court. Three years later, EA has finally gotten around to putting out another simulation basketball game. NBA Live 14, however, is hardly indicative that those years were spent rejuvenating the flagging series – or even deconstructing the competition's formula for success. I can't rightly say how that time was managed, but the result is clear: NBA Live 14 is a mess.
NBA Live 14 executive producer: 'We've got a lot of work to do'
NBA Live 14 hasn't scored points with all of its fans, but a recent post from Executive Producer Sean O'Brien suggests improvements will be made to the game over the coming months. In response to complaints that the game leaves players to figure out game mechanics through trial-and-error, O'Brien stated that the team is "working on improving the way the game teaches the controls and on-boards new users." In addition to in-game efforts, O'Brien noted an "ongoing series" of livestreams via Twitch. They've already posted "Controller Guide," "Perfecting Your Style" and "Levels of the Dribble" guides on the NBA Live website to help explain mechanics. O'Brien also acknowledged disappointment with NBA Live 14's animations and stated that the team is "committed to making drastic and immediate improvements." These improvements should show up "in the coming weeks and months." On a positive note, the post references a warm reception of the game's LIVE Season features and mentions plans to add more BIG Moments and NBA Rewind games as the basketball season progresses. While O'Brien admits the team has "a lot of work to do," he also points out that NBA Live 14 is "just the first chapter in the NBA LIVE comeback story."
PSN Tuesday: Need for Speed Rivals, NBA Live 14, Contrast
This week's PlayStation Network offerings are marked by NBA Live 14's arrival on PS4, the only game to launch on PS4 through PSN for the week. Additionally, the PS Vita's lone addition is The Amazing Spider Man. Need for Speed: Rivals headlines the list of new, digitally distributed PS3 games – though it already launched on PS4 – and it's joined by a number of other PS3 games: Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know, Air Conflicts: Vietnam, AquaPazza, Arcania The Complete Tale, Blood Knights, Contrast, Dynasty Warriors 6, Farming Simulator, SoulCalibur 2 HD Online, Stick It to the Man and Young Justice: Legacy. Like Need for Speed: Rivals, Contrast also previously launched on PS4 in addition to Xbox 360 and PC, the PS4 version being free for PlayStation Plus subscribers. As we noted yesterday, said PS Plus members can download Binary Domain and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD for free and Worms 2: Armageddon for $4.50 this week. Sony also opened up pre-orders on PSN for The Last of Us' single-player Left Behind DLC, which will launch in early 2014.
NBA Live 14 getting its own card-based Ultimate Team mode
EA recently announced that NBA Live 14 will receive an Ultimate Team mode of its own. Similar to the popular, money-making Ultimate Team modes found in other EA Sports series like Madden and FIFA, NBA Live 14 Ultimate Team has players collecting trading cards that constitute items like basketball players, jerseys and arenas by opening card packs. Card packs can be purchased with real money or coins earned by completing matches with your cobbled-together group of current and former basketball stars. The two avenues to compete with your team are online in games versus other players' teams as well as Fantasy Showdowns, or special offline challenges that will continually be added by EA Sports throughout the NBA season. Challenges include pitting your team against last season's stats leaders, the top players from NBA draft classes over the last two decades, real NBA line-ups and more. Fantasy Showdown challenges may also reward players with card packs instead of coins. NBA Live 14 is slated to launch November 19 on Xbox One and PS4.
NBA Live 14 PS4, Xbox One trailer is so smooth
Hot on the heels of NBA 2K14's next-gen trailer yesterday, EA Sports has dished out a new trailer for NBA Live 14 showcasing gameplay on PS4 and Xbox One. What sets NBA Live 14 apart? Baby-smooth b-ballers, baby!
NBA Live 14 gameplay footage gets off the bench
NBA Live 14 inches toward existence with this debut gameplay footage. The next-gen hoop-em-up launches for PS4 and Xbox One on November 19, EA promises.
NBA Live 14 hitting the court November 19
NBA Live 14 will launch November 19, EA Sports announced via Twitter. It will launch simultaneously on Xbox One and PS4, and will feature EA Sports' new Ignite Engine, specifically created to cater to the needs of the publishers' upcoming sports games. This will be the first time a game in the series has launched in four years, as NBA Live 13 was canceled in September 2012, two years after NBA Elite 11 was canceled as well. NBA Live 14 will feature Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving on the cover and the BounceTek physics dribbling system.
Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving is the cover athlete for NBA Live 14
Kyrie Irving has been named NBA Live 14's cover athlete, EA announced. Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and proceeded to become the rookie of the year for the 2012 season. Coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall, NBA Live 14 will be the first installment in EA's basketball series in four years, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. The last game that actually launched in the series was NBA Live 10, back in October 2009. As point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving is an interesting choice, given that former Cavaliers and current Miami Heat forward Lebron James was selected by 2K Sports as the cover star for NBA 2K14. James was also drafted by the Cavaliers as the first overall pick in 2003 and played for the team until 2010, when he infamously announced his departure to join the Heat in his TV special, "The Decision."
NBA Live 14 only on Xbox One, PS4
Sean O'Brien, executive producer on NBA Live 14, has published a missive stating that NBA Live 14 will be exclusive to next-generation consoles – no Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are planned. "The vision is a simple one: To create a great basketball game exclusively for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4," O'Brien wrote. "The great news for me is that EA SPORTS is 100% committed to rebuilding NBA LIVE," O'Brien also said. "There is an enormous financial commitment to the development of the product on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, including the size of the team and resources required to give us every opportunity to make a great basketball game that can compete with such a solid franchise like NBA 2K." Solid is an understatement – the NBA 2K series has enjoyed its time without competition. NBA 2K13, the latest entry, shipped 4.5 million copies this year and established a record for the franchise. "My first priority was to focus on core gameplay. We needed to capture the essence of half-court basketball, providing 1-on-1 isolation both in the perimeter and the post, the 2-on-2 chess match that is the pick and roll, while still offering the gamer the opportunity to push the basketball in transition and have the control required to get the ball into the lane to either take the ball to the rim or find an open teammate if the defense collapses," O'Brien wrote. "I'm also really proud of our partnership with Synergy Sports Technologies." Perhaps the most interesting part of O'Brien's post, this partnership provides EA with data the NBA uses for scouting teams and players. "I want to remove subjectivity from how we rate players and have that data provided by Synergy Sports to completely drive how the game plays. I'm really excited about being able to update our game within an hour of something happening in the NBA. We're going to be making an enormous investment into this connected experience. " NBA Live 14 is due later this year on the Xbox One and PS4.
NBA Live 14 includes BounceTek for dribbling, live roster updates
Adding to the list of jargon terms applied to the tech in EA Sports games, NBA Live 14 includes "BounceTek" physics for dribbling, which apparently improves ball physics, instead of merely expressing them as part of the player character's hand motions. More immediately understandable is the way the basketball game handles roster updates. In-game stats will be tweaked in near real time, "an hour after it happens" according to EA's E3 presentation. From indefinite delays to instant updates! That's a big promise for NBA Live.
EA expects to publish for current systems through 2017
Speaking at the Stifel 2013 Technology Conference in New York this week, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said that EA plans to publish games on the current generation of consoles through 2017 at least. According to Gamespot's report, Jorgenson also discussed EA's exclusive Star Wars deal and specifically referenced fan favorite Star Wars: Battlefront. "The opportunity to do a new Battlefront, for example," Jorgensen said, "is very exciting." He added that none of EA's planned Star Wars games are film adaptations "per se," though their releases may coincide with upcoming movies.
Ignite won't power FIFA 14 on PC; Xbox One trailer was pre-rendered
FIFA 14 on PC won't use Ignite, the new engine EA Sports announced at yesterday's Xbox One conference. Ignite will power FIFA 14 on Xbox One and PS4, EA Sports Global Communications Manager Steve Frost told Joystiq. "Ignite will be the engine that drives our sports games on PS4 and Xbox One," Frost said. "It will not be used for FIFA 14 on PC." Ignite also runs Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14, as EA Sports said on the Xbox One stage – right before it showed off pre-rendered footage of all of these games. "The video uses assets pulled directly from the in-game engines, and was rendered to create this first look multi-product trailer," Frost said. "It's representative of where we expect our games will be when they launch." EA Communications Specialist Brad Hilderbrand promised us a closer look at Ignite at E3. "Yes, given the timing and planning required for the Xbox One reveal event the EA Sports Ignite video was developed in a pre-rendered video format," Hilderbrand said. "We'll be showing off the game using in-game assets at E3."
EA Sports' next-gen Ignite Engine shown off in trailer form
EA Sports' next-generation Ignite Engine was on display at the Xbox One reveal event at Microsoft's Redmond campus today. We have four trailers that demonstrate the engine's capabilities, three of which can be found after the break. EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson told attendees of the Xbox One event that the Ignite Engine will perform "four times more calculations per second" than the publisher's current offerings. Wilson said the engine will allow for 3D crowds and dynamic sidelines. EA will launch four sports games for the console within 12 months, namely FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14. Each game will be powered by the Ignite Engine.
EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update]
Andrew Wilson, EA Sports boss, took to the stage at Microsoft's Xbox One event and confirmed that EA and Microsoft have entered into a "special relationship." This will see four EA Sports games on Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC. All four will launch within the next 12 months, Wilson said. EA Sports Ignite, a new engine created at EA, will power each game, attempting to emulate human intelligence and true player motion within each games. There are "four times more calculations per second" to achieve this. Special content for FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will "only be on Xbox," Wilson concluded before showing off an EA Sports sizzle reel. Update: EA has clarified via Twitter that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be available on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though there will be content exclusive to the Xbox One version. The text of this post has been updated to reflect that.
