[Editor’s Note: The information here may or may not be entirely accurate for the upcoming PS3 version.]
During EA’s Studio Showcase last Thursday, AMN was able to receive a genuine opportunity to check out the latest build of NBA Live 07, which will release in late September on PS2, Xbox, PSP, the PS3 [during launch], and the Xbox 360. Our hands-on time spent with the game was mostly with the graphically superior Xbox 360 version.
Now, we all know that last year’s NBA Live was often referred as a “dunk-fest.†Don’t believe me? According to the producers, who worked on last year’s game including this one, the freestyle superstar controls simply limited players from doing certain moves in extreme situations. Performing monster “jams†in front of the basket had been one of the emphasized fixes that EA Canada in Vancouver simply needed to resolve, and the latest version already seems to remedy that.
NBA Live 07 features a more complex series of traffic situations in the court’s post, down-low under the basket. This means that more collisions will occur whenever a player, most notably a superstar, is driving to the lane with a computer-controlled opponent having the “foot placement†advantage. Not only will this encourage tougher defense as a whole, but it will also allow for a much smarter computer AI to take place during the game, especially when near-impossible shots are attempted around several defenders at once. Speaking with one of the producers of the game at EA’s summer press event, we were told that plenty of variables were factored into the game, whenever an offensive player goes one-on-one against a defender towards the basket. Things such as player attribute scores; placement, height, and distance are just some of the things that will determine which player receives the advantage towards making the key play, whether it is a steal, block, or a reverse dunk in the defender’s face. These “scenarios,†happen regularly during games, and are those physical challenges that pit one player against the other during key match-ups. Let’s just say that Ron Artest will constantly stick to his defender every single time his man receives the ball.
Can somebody say offensive foul? (Xbox)
Now where do the new freestyle superstar controls come in? Different from the hold-L-button combination that rose form the previous game, this year’s Live allows hoopsters to switch freestyle superstar “modes†with the touch of a button (In 360’s case, by clicking the right analog stick). Using this, players will be able to scroll through different special abilities given to the different types of players. In NBA Live 07, there are superstars, stars, and regular NBA players (The 360 has one extra tier above that). Of course, the superstars are the captain(s) of their respective teams that are given the most freestyle superstar moves. The second type of players, the stars are the “X-Factor†players, a person who isn’t a full-time superstar yet, but can rise to the occasion at any given point. Think of Robert Horry, Steve Kerr, or for history’s sake, Rex Chapman as those special players that give that extra boost to a team during clutch moments. Bringing these type of X-Factor players can boost your team’s game, and can go on “hot streaks†to give that player a temporary “boost†for an entire game. Basically, you’ll want to make sure to sub in these players wisely and utilize them only when that hot hand is needed. And obviously, the regular players are those without any specific superstar moves, and are limited to their traditional style of play.
The refined and familiar freestyle superstar categories [which include playmaker, high-flyer, power, perimeter, post, block etc.] are changeable on the fly, so you’ll be able to use Tracy McGrady to do a quick, snap pass [a new passing feature] using the Playmaker mode, then immediately call for the ball back and slam it home under the High-Flyer mode. Not only does this allows for a much larger amount of moves per category (the original only had a maximum of four), it also allows new players to quickly pick up the game and be aware of the move they’re about to perform since each mode change is shown on the player’s cursor icon. By clicking the right analog stick for a quick change, and then using a trigger or face button, a multitude of hoopster actions can occur. Let’s not forget that dunks and layups are now assigned to different buttons on the controller: X being used for layup and Y for dunks on the Xbox controllers.
For the win… (Xbox)
One of the more innovative changes that EA decided to implement within the game is the once-ancient idea of momentum in sports games. As teams play a grueling game in NBA Live 07, a certain shift of intensity will be noticed during several key moments during a game. Basically, crowd noise, the pace of games, will be dictated by factors such as team rivalries, playoff matchups, and last-second game-winning potential scenarios. Even during blowouts, you might notice a specific change in the latter team’s performance. When this happens, your players might not be running back on defense, and you might have to call a time-out to potentially lessen the momentum of the other team – hence a useful tool for determining when to call time-out or not. Of course, we’re very familiar with EA’s gamebreaker meter, and although the premise is similar, the feature is fresh in its own sense. The momentum and intensity meters are placed within the game’s UI, and are updated every minute. Now, the highest levels of intensity occur when a controller rumble kicks in near-end-game to signify clutch shots in the most critical moments. Players will also dive for loose balls during the key moments. All in all, you can expect a plethora of new gameplay scenarios with these dramatic game-flow changes. With the interesting gameplay elements handled, let’s move on to the numerous changes in game mode for Live.
There are many differences in the Dynasty mode of Live 07. The first is the Assistant Coach additions that will do your team’s scheduling and actually go check out rumor reports around the league (via ESPN Rumor Central). For example, your star player suddenly wants to play for a playoff-contender team. When this happens, you can send your Assistant Coach to investigate if the rumor is indeed true, and he returns with a full report on the situation after a certain number of days. The assistant coach’s recommendations are sometime valid enough to follow, but they will not always provide accurate information. Hence, players will have to ultimately decide when it’s time to lean on their assistant coaches in these situations as the season progresses.
When drafting players during the beginning of a season, you’ll also have the ability to check out ESPN mock drafts before and after the actual draft. This information also contains ESPN Insider grades, which assigns your team grade(s) to emphasize if you’re the second coming of Isiah Thomas, or the sleeper-minded Mark Cuban. This includes analysis on future NBA stars as well as possible duds based on your picks.
Another addition is the ability to schedule certain things on the team’s calendar during non-game days such as team practices, workouts, and team events such as press outings. This can help bring in that sense of realism, especially since the game relies on the word “Dynasty†as being a consensus on creating a valid gameplay experience that you’ll want to play over and over again. In addition to all of this, you’ll also be able to read player meters based on things like their thoughts on playing time, team chemistry, winning, roster placement, and more. This can certainly come big when making a future decision on a trade, or uncertain on which player to let go of. This way, you’re able to get a full grasp of understanding of the player moods themselves, rather than the just the team’s performance.
Someone will get injured on this play. (Xbox)
For the PSP, NBA Live 07 will include the previously-absent Dynasty mode, in which players can also connect to their PS2s, and back to their PSPs to continue their seasons. The EA Media Center for the PSP version allows PSP owners to play their own music instead of the EA Trax, if you want to switch to a more relaxing version of punk-rock for instance.
NBA Live 07 brings back a cleaner menu system, with easier to distinguish sections. Also added are several refined camera angles, and the ever-familiar analog-stick free-throw shooting mechanism (with 15 free-throw animations including Jason Kidd’s “kissâ€). Even the new NBA regulation-basketballs have been added into the game. To make matters better, Marv Albert and Steve Kerr return once again for their commentary, as their voice work has been nothing but maintainable the last couple of years.
As for the much-hyped ESPN integration, the changes will amaze any sports fanatic. Although they’re limited only to the Xbox 360 [and maybe PS3], the possibilities are endless for this sort of sports realism and max utilization of the ESPN license. A live ESPN sports-ticker is shown at the very bottom of the menu screen and can be accessed during regular games as well. In addition, a live ESPN update is streamed to the game every 20-minutes or so and can give you an update of all of the happenings in the sports world at that one time. Did we also mention that you can listen to ESPN Radio live, and this feature can be turned on during regular games? Soon you’ll know when to make those accurate in-game trades.
NBA Live 07 also allows access for updated podcasts to famous ESPN radio shows such as The Dan Patrick Show and Mike and Mike in the Morning, and so on. If you’re interested in a specific story explained in any of these radio updates, you can read constantly updated sportsfeeds courtesy of ESPN and the Associated Press – text-based news reports that detail a specific sports transaction, score, or happening. Finally, and you guessed it, the game will feature periodic updates via ESPN Motion – ESPN.com’s very own stream video technology. This quickly-downloaded update will show clips of your favorite shows such as Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn, as well as interviews, reports on game summaries, and more.
Could this feature be coming to the PS3?
EA has yet to unveil a few more features, but we’ll keep you updated with more information in the coming weeks [we promise]. Just like its NBA superstar and coverstar Tracy McGrady has something to prove this coming fall, NBA Live 07 is poised to bring enough balance and polish to its game and re-establish itself as the premiere basketball title. Basketball video-games have never been better.