EA Still Working on a Basketball Game, But Won’t Confirm NBA Live

[zello144]

I still believe in NBA Live I'm delusional. I think EA will release another NBA game but they'll rebrand it and go with another name kinda like what they tried to do with NBA Elite before that got cancelled. Hopefully the rebrand is successful and not terrible like what happened to NBA Elite.

[youvalss]

One problem is that EA's basketball games (and I'm talking about NBA basketball offline) usually don't show the potential out of the box. It takes so much editing to discover a solid product underneath.


I wrote here earlier that Live 18 can be great with editing. But most people will never get there. I watch YouTube videos and can't believe it's the same game I play. It's like EA just doesn't care, a "whatever" kind of an attitude. I don't know why they do it.

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by noshun

Did this guy just say it's the NBA's fault... The mindset of Live fans, blame everyone else but EA. This guy still can't refute any of the points I made. Adam Silvers fault.. Good grief Charlie Brown...

Mannnnnnn....

Quote: Originally Posted by BQ32

Honestly, the more I have thought about this I believe it is the primarily the NBA's fault that NBA Live has not returned. If you look at 2k's licensing deal with the NBA it is costing them around 1.1 billion over 7 years which would be a little less than 158 million per year. That means just for 2k to break even on the licensing costs they would need to sell over 2.6 million copies of the game at $60 a pop. That is not even considering paying people to actually make the game, then market the game, then distribute the game, then give the console makers and pc stores their cut. It is incredible to think about how much they actually have to sell to break even on the game. Now they make a killing in microtransactions so we know they will still make a ton of money, but what about Live. Or what about another company wanting to make an NBA game without an established market. Live didn't really push microtransactions either so there is just no possible way that they can put out a product that would be profitable. I really believe they were making the game and intended to release one but the NBA just priced them out and that is why now they are having discussions on what to do with their HD basketball product. I honestly wouldn't mind them just releasing a LIVE RUN game that is a LIVE service built upon THE ONE mode. They could try and replicate that feeling you get going to the courts or your local gym and playing some pickup basketball. They continue to update the game with new animations, move sets, features, apparel, etc. They could build competitive modes from it and then maybe have leagues to replicate and show off different skill levels. Myplayer online modes have become the most popular aspect of 2k and they have basically nothing to do with NBA so it might appeal to a lot of gamers if they can find the right way to market it. This way EA could invest in the actual game and release something with a lot lower risk level than paying the insane licensing fees. I am sure they have already completed a ton of work on the game already so a lot of what it would cost to make the game has already been spent.

Example 2,467,590,100 why this series is where it's at. It's the NBA's fault now? Sooooo the NBA should devalue their brand for EA (one of the 10 richest video game companies on the planet) to be able to properly make a game that they aren't entitled to have a license for? Make it make sense.

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by zello144

I still believe in NBA Live I'm delusional. I think EA will release another NBA game but they'll rebrand it and go with another name kinda like what they tried to do with NBA Elite before that got cancelled. Hopefully the rebrand is successful and not terrible like what happened to NBA Elite.

Even though Live's name has taken a hit over the years I still think the best course of action for EA if they're going to try to continue making NBA games is to keep that name. Live DOES still have a history behind it that connects with people's youth and when they were first getting into games and the fun memories associated with that.

Changing the name of the series doesn't make the internet forget what Live's recent history has been. People aren't stupid. They know that Live has become a joke and Live is EA Sports' basketball offering. If the idea is a new name getting people to give it a chance without pre judging it, all they have to do is look at the EA Sports logo slapped on the box to instantly nullify the whole point of changing name.

[Cam Fan]

Please let be EA College Basketball.

[stocksy]

At this point I’d rather it be

A - a college BBall game.

Or

B - an arcade Jam or street style game.

Or

Both…

Not sure EA can get back in the NBA sim game at this point…

I’d love a college game…. I’d like all three but I’d Put NBA sim at bottom as I believe it’s the one they’d make a mess of most with ultimate team and no effort to franchise mode and that’s all I want

[ILLSmak]

I don't think the NBA is that huge of a selling point anymore. I also think people are tired of sweaties on the other game. I mean, kid on that game are actually crying on the mic when they get frustrated. It's its own beast.



Just a basketball game would be fine, as long as it's not straight moon-physics like NBA Jam. I don't think we need that. A "Street" game branded with a modified Live engine and y'know rando players + maybe some NBA Legends they can buy up, maybe some street lengends, celebs lool, whatever. It would be ok.



WE WANT A GAME WHERE WE CAN COMPETE AND HAVE FUN. Expectations are not that high.



It's like, in mentioning college bball, I think it makes more sense to stick with a coach, even through bad times, if you are a legit program. If you keep firing your coach and starting over, you have no consistency and are stuck in the same rut.



Same with "Live", whatever they are doing is making them meme-ier, and the more they mess around, the more they become irrelevant. They should worry less about being a meme on Reddit w/ Bynum Elite pix and just put out a bball game. Brute force through it. It'll work out.



I'm not an economist, but I feel like just having a bball game, as long as they aren't taking a massive loss, is good for the EA sports brand and will probably pay off in the long run.


-Smak

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by ILLSmak

I don't think the NBA is that huge of a selling point anymore. I also think people are tired of sweaties on the other game. I mean, kid on that game are actually crying on the mic when they get frustrated. It's its own beast. Just a basketball game would be fine, as long as it's not straight moon-physics like NBA Jam. I don't think we need that. A "Street" game branded with a modified Live engine and y'know rando players + maybe some NBA Legends they can buy up, maybe some street lengends, celebs lool, whatever. It would be ok. WE WANT A GAME WHERE WE CAN COMPETE AND HAVE FUN. Expectations are not that high. It's like, in mentioning college bball, I think it makes more sense to stick with a coach, even through bad times, if you are a legit program. If you keep firing your coach and starting over, you have no consistency and are stuck in the same rut. Same with "Live", whatever they are doing is making them meme-ier, and the more they mess around, the more they become irrelevant. They should worry less about being a meme on Reddit w/ Bynum Elite pix and just put out a bball game. Brute force through it. It'll work out. I'm not an economist, but I feel like just having a bball game, as long as they aren't taking a massive loss, is good for the EA sports brand and will probably pay off in the long run. -Smak

I think you are severely underrating the value of a licensed product man. For people like the majority of us who just want a good basketball game to play, sure that would be fine and yes I’m sure a lot of us would buy your hypothetical game. But if it’s just a random *** basketball game with no NBA license, no licensed teams, no current players, nobody that moves the needle for game developers to continue supporting and making games like that are buying that product.

You basically just described All-Pro Football and we saw it’s fate without the NFL license. Money talks and sales matter. Whether we like it or not if the kids and casual fans aren’t buying the product the product either won’t get made or won’t be made for long. And that crew NEEDS their favorite teams and players represented.


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