Sonny Corinthos

The first indications that the NBA Live franchise was in the midst of going through a transformation of sorts began making their way out in early February. Talk of the series going in a different direction came from departing team members which EA Sports did little to deny. Now the first signs of big change are being to be discovered, and prior to E3 where it is likely that at least some of the vision for the game will be laid out.

The NBA Live name is no more. This year’s NBA title from EA Sports will be called NBA Elite 11. According to OXM (via drules2) the game will be heavy on analog controls with Skate and Fight Night the two titles garnering comparisons in that regard. I’m hoping to get some additional details soon.

Oftentimes a series name change can be attributed to a stigma having been built and the desire to have a fresh start. Maybe the best example of that is when EA went from Triple Play to MVP. We are probably seeing similar thinking implemented here with the company hoping to build a new brand that can either compete with NBA 2K or can find its own base of consumers who want something different. While NBA Live 10 showed great improvement over prior iterations it actually fell in sales from the previous year.

I’m not sure that going the analog direction would be the best idea as one of the most consistent things I’ve liked about NBA Live over the years has been the right stick for dribble moves and having other functions tied to the buttons. It is far too early to pass judgment on the idea until we know its implementation though. The new name sure sounds “arcade-like” or “street-like”. That may not end up being the case, but after posting this news on Twitter I’ve gotten a bunch of similar responses back in reacting to the news. What are your thoughts on NBA Live being renamed NBA Elite and a move towards heavier analog reliance?

Link to the story.

DeanoBKN

I'm never a fan of analog control games, especially in a fast paced game such as basketball. I'll give the demo a try, but i'll probably stick with NBA 2k again this year.

NiCK Crush

i like buttons

PopcornTreeCt

I never liked the analog controls in Fight Night or Skate. If some people do, then all the power to them.

Kedrix

Once I played the 2k series (I think that was like 2k2 for PS2) in basketball, I've stuck with it. There was just something about the controls and how they felt more fluid than anything Live was putting out at the time. It's a shame cause I played EA basketball games ever since the original crotechy Lakers vs Celtics up until the 98-99 time frame.

cruzness

I'm just not convinced that analog controls will work in a basketball game.

dx23

If what the OP posted is true, then I'm done with NBA Live after almost 20 years. Believe it or not, after all the stupid glitches early on in Live 10 were fixed, Live turned out to be a pretty good game. Analog controls don't work for basketball games. Period. The imbeciles at EA should understand that the only problem with the game was the gameplay itself, not the control scheme. What needs to be improved is how the game flows and the low post game that was taken out this year.

Drexl

What "analog controls" are people talking about? Haven't they used the left analog stick for movement for a long time now?

Or is it just in reference to the right analog stick?

fumanstan

I can see why they would try and do something different, since NBA Live wasn't going to ever catch up.

Drexl

Bring back Lakers vs. Celtics.

themaskedvirgin

no..bring back NBA street...best b game eva since nba jam...no?

PopcornTreeCt

Yeah, that was pretty fun especially when they got Jordan and all the legends in the game.

DeanoBKN

Whatever happened to Street and Ballers? Ballers was never good in my opinion, but every version of NBA Street has been amazing and a ton of fun.

Sonny Corinthos

First screenshots of the game.

Supermallet

They're not calling it NBA Live because they're worried about all the people who will ask for their money back when they discover they have to pay an extra $10 to play it online.

DJ_Longfellow

NHL 10 uses analog controls and is probably the best sports game around....now, not sure how it will translate to basketball

dx23

Again, that's been happening for the past 2 years for used games of Live. That is nothing new for this game.

PopcornTreeCt

Facial graphics are still not there yet. I think the UFC games have the best likenesses in any game. Why can't they adopt it for other sports games? Limited processing power or lazy devs?

chuckd21

I like that the two announcers ARE THE SAME PERSON.

Sonny Corinthos

EA Sports has released a a series of bullet points going deeper into describing the right analog stick usage dubbed “Hands-On Control” and the addition of real-time physics in NBA Elite 11. In doing so they have broken down many of the different ways in which the stick will be used from dribbling, to shooting, to defensively. I’ve also added the first three screenshots released for the game to the gallery.


The Game is in Your Hands—For the first time in a basketball video game, dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense are based on skill, fundamentally changing the entire NBA basketball experience. With complete hands-on control outcomes are no longer predetermined, and you become the deciding factor between game-winning shots and momentum-changing blocks.

Enhanced Dribbling System—The right analog stick controls your hand movements like never before, allowing you to dribble with one-to-one movement unique to NBA ELITE 11. Control the floor with all-new hesitations, spins, behind-the-back dribbles, and much more.

Call Your Shot—The days of predetermined outcomes based on a random push of the button are gone forever, as the result of every play is based on skill. Each player has a ‘sweet-spot’ and the ability to hit a shot is based on their skill set, defensive pressure, and proximity to the net. It’s up to you to put everything together and hit the shot.

The Drive to Win—The ability to drive to the net has never been so true to the game of basketball. Independent control of your hands and feet allows you to maneuver and dribble with precision, making the drive down the lane based on skill instead of a scripted defensive reaction.

Defense Matters—Independent hand controls also allow you to be more strategic on defense as you use the right analog stick to make steal attempts and game-changing blocks.

Feel the Game Like Never Before—Radically improved game physics rid the days of locked animated sequences leaving you in control of the player at all times. When you drive aggressively to the net and go up with authority, you can be sure that whoever is standing in your way is going to be knocked to the ground.

Still no mention of whether Freestyle Passing which was introduced last year will remain as a feature though. Despite some quirks that worked pretty well for making quick passes when on the run. Passing in general actually hasn’t been discussed at all which is an odd omission considering all the other things they have brought up in relation to the right stick. Frustrations with the various passing systems has probably been one of the most difficult things to deal with in both of the NBA games. Hopefully this has been addressed in some manner.

In addition to this info Gamespot has posted up an extensive interview with creative director David Littman which goes deeper into the philosophy behind the changes and the development team and how all of it will work. You can check that out in full here. As expected EA is not going to repeat the mistake made with Fight Night Round 4 and will be including standard control options.

Clearly the news of Michael Jordan being on the cover of NBA 2K11 and his inclusion in the game overshadowed what EA Sports was trying to do in launching the new take on the series. A serious shift has taken place with EA attempting to differentiate themselves from the competition through the controls and physics. It is a bold move, arguably born out of desperation, but one that seems justified due to the circumstances. Despite that I’d have to say I’m very tentative about buying into anything that is being said about it right now. There seem to be too many variables involved to have any idea how it is all going to come together.

Link to the story.

I might give it a try down the road since standard control options will be included. Still, NBA 2K11 will be my first choice.

Drexl

Yes, they can generally get better details when there are fewer guys to render.

redcat

That's a mystery to me as well. My character on Tiger Woods 2010 looks more like me than practically all of the other pros look like their counterparts in the game (except Tiger himself). I made my character with a couple of still photos and about 10 minutes of adjustments using their in-game tools.

fumanstan

Like was mentioned, I think the number of guys on the court (or field for Madden) plays a big part in it. Rendering 2 guys in high detail versus 10+ guys is a big difference. Not to mention there's probably more detail in the different arenas versus the smaller UFC ring.

NBA 2K10 seemed to have major frame rate issues on release, so there's probably a trade off there.

Sonny Corinthos

Along with real-time physics and a right stick focused control scheme NBA Elite 11 will be getting an all-new announce team. Gone are Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. In are ABC/ESPN’s Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. An AP story about the team today revealed that the trio will be taking over announce duties in NBA Elite 11.

dx23

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