So, I've been an NBA Live player since Live '95 and have been sorely disappointed the last few years. EA seems to be coming back pretty strong with 08 for the PS3 based on the demo. Anybody else excited about it's release tomorrow? I was pretty torn between the 3 games this year but, after playing all 3 demos from the PS3 store, EA is going to get my dollars for this season.

I'll hopefully be picking it up today. The zip code search on ebgames.com says my stores have copies in!! I don't think Live had a hard and fast street date and can pretty much go on sale whenever it comes in. I'll be checking over my lunch break today.

i'm getting it. I wish I could get it today.

Sometime this week.

I will be renting all 3 games blockbuster already have all 3 in today 10/1/07

So, I've been an NBA Live player since Live '95 and have been sorely disappointed the last few years. EA seems to be coming back pretty strong with 08 for the PS3 based on the demo. Anybody else excited about it's release tomorrow? I was pretty torn between the 3 games this year but, after playing all 3 demos from the PS3 store, EA is going to get my dollars for this season.

I have been a 2K player for the last couple of years, and NBA live has finally balanced itself out and honestly is competition this year. I will be at Gamestop picking it up tommorow :cool:

So I picked this up yesterday with the intention of playing with my brother in Florida. Major issue is that he can't seem to get online. Every time he tries to log on he gets the "EA Servers are not available at this time" error. I, on the other hand, can get online, get my ESPN video feed and everything no problem. The online Lobby only had about 28 people in it, so I'm wondering if anyone else is having this issue.

I'd like to get him up and running (a call to EA yielded zero results, not surprisingly). Pretty sure my bro has the PS3 running in a DMZ, so ports shouldn't be an issue.

Anyone else having this issue?

^^ Working on a hands-on review for us (me), I hope?? :D

Ha! I haven't had the chance to spend too much time with it yet (too busy with work), but I'll be digging deep tonight and will post my thoughts. My initial impression is that it's fun, which to me is the most important thing. When I had NBA Live '99 on the original PS I played the crap out of it because it was fun, so that bodes well.

Let us know if there are any significant gameplay flaws. As much as I liked Madden this year, I think the gameplay is somewhat broken due to the number of unrealistic interceptions and fumbles. The IGN review for 2k8 indicated that the game is almost ruined by the lockon D feature and poor defensive AI. I'm hoping there are no game killers in Live.

Let us know if there are any significant gameplay flaws. As much as I liked Madden this year, I think the gameplay is somewhat broken due to the number of unrealistic interceptions and fumbles. The IGN review for 2k8 indicated that the game is almost ruined by the lockon D feature and poor defensive AI. I'm hoping there are no game killers in Live.

The biggest "flaw," which I actually think is just more of an annoyance at this point, is the number of offensive fouls. I think a big piece of it is just me getting used to not being able to hit the dunk button whenever I feel like it like I could in 2K7 last year. Live doesn't let you just fly through guys. There are appropriate times for the dunk/layup button and appropriate times for the shoot button. I'm still figuring out when those appropriate times are...LOL.

The nice thing about Live as opposed to Madden, to some degree, is that there does seem to be more tweakability in terms of sliders. You can turn down in-air collisions, turn down the offensive foul frequency and things of that nature. Bumping the difficulty up to Superstar doesn't hurt either.

The thing I love most about Live so far is that I've only won one game. There's a challenge and learning curve here that makes you run an appropriate game. Yes, Live can turn into a dunk-fest at times, but much of that is derived from how much of a run and gun offense you're running in the first place.

I'll have some more thoughts this evening.

IGN's review certainly isn't flattering: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/824/824860p3.html

Closing Comments
At the end of the day NBA Live 08 is most certainly improved over what we suffered through last season, but that still doesn’t put it on the same level as other offerings that are out there. The bulk of the basketball still doesn’t feel natural with canned animations taking the control out of the user’s hands a bit too often. The game does have its shining moments though, and we’ll definitely be expecting next year’s game to return the series to prominence

6.9 overall

Given the reviews and the demos, I'm not too impressed with ANY basketball offering this year. I don't put much, if any stock, into "professional" reviews, but there has to be some significant shortcomings for the game to score that low.

Well, Avarice, I've learned as of late to take anything that IGN says with a grain of salt. Ever since their bashing of Heavenly Sword (a game I thoroughly enjoyed) and their inexplicable obsession with WWE Raw vs. Smackdown, my trust in IGN has gone straight down the tubes. Perhaps they've had an agenda all along but just did a better job of hiding it before.

Now, on to the review!

I just got done playing through about 5 games (all on Superstar level). Two games against the computer (one against the Suns, one against the Celtics to get an idea of whether or not the point guard dominance was truly an issue). I was the Cavs. The other three were against a buddy of mine.

In my opinion, the point guard dominance is being blown a bit out of proportion. Yes, Nash was the high scorer for the Suns when I played them, but he's their star. I couldn't stop him as effectively as I should have so he took over. To truly test, I played the Celtics next and Rajon Rondo certainly was no Steve Nash. Rondo brought the ball up the court, passed it off and did little else so certainly no PG dominance there.

The pace of Live feels good to me. I actually prefer a run and gun game and it suits the Cavs (who I usually play with) style of ball. There's a definite up-tempo feel to everything but that doesn't stop you if you the Spurs and want to get scientific about it. The off the ball AI when you're on offense is so good that you don't really need to call plays if you don't want to. Guys will fight to get open, clear lanes for you if they think you want a clear shot to the hoop, or post up on the block. It's the same type of AI you can notice in the FIFA demo, but applied to Live. Very impressive, imo.

As for IGN's supposed canned animations, I have no idea what they are talking about. If any game this year traps you in canned animations, it's 2K8 (not bashing, just stating). Sometimes you do get stuck rolling out of bounds, but 90% of the time it's due to user error posting up and then putting a spin move on that will carry you out of bounds. No fault of the game there if you ask me. Even better is that if you catch your mistake fast enough, you can tap the X button and try and throw the ball of a defender's legs. If anything, Live puts all the control in the user's hands, you just have to know how to use it.

The other thing I like about Live is that you have to work for your baskets. My biggest complaint with 2K7 last year was you could find a sweet spot and just keep draining buckets (I would do it with Shannon Brown of the Cavs of all people). Not so in Live. No real shot exploits that I've found as of yet. At times the go-to moves can feel overly powerful, but I think that's kind of the point. If LeBron gets the ball at the top of the key and starts backing you down, you should call for help because he's gonna turn and fade it on you otherwise.

Same goes for the post up game. You can really do some damage by playing a good post game and if you're getting schooled down low, call for the double team and be ready to rotate when the rock gets kicked back out.

Live is sim if you want it to be. I think so many people are so used to Live traditionally being run and gun that they pick it up for a few minutes, make sure that you can still run and gun and then pass it off as it being only that. The fact of the matter is that if you want to slow the game down and run an offense, you can. If you don't want the other team running and gunning on you, run your offense well and eliminate the opportunities for fast breaks...just like in a real game.

All in all, I'm glad I chose Live this year. I just played for about 4 hours and want to fire it right back up again. Is it perfect? No. In the last game against my friend, the framerate seemed pretty suspect. Not sure what the deal was there because it was solid up until then. I still haven't been able to play my brother online because of the server error he gets (EA servers not available). Once I get a chance to do that, I'll venture online and see how that is, but early reports are that it is just as good as NHL is online, so that's a plus.

The bottom line is that Live is fun to play. It brings me back (and I know I've said it before) to the addiction I had with Live '99 on the PS1. Nice fluid gameplay that sucks you in and puts fun first.

Great review instantpop,
Now I'm really leaning toward this one. I gotta have solid online play (which I have yet to see from EA) and I'm back to Live! Can't wait...Thanks for the review!

Great review instantpop,
Now I'm really leaning toward this one. I gotta have solid online play (which I have yet to see from EA) and I'm back to Live! Can't wait...Thanks for the review!

My pleasure. I have yet to actually play a game online. My brother has been bitten by the "EA Servers are not available at this time" bug, which is strange because he can connect to Madden just fine. So we've been trying to sort that out. I also got sucked into my dynasty last night and after losing to the Knicks with my Cavs, I just wanted to go to bed...LOL!

Picked it up last night as well I like it. It's not perfect or anything but it's at least an 8 for me.

What camera angles do you guys like to use? I've always been a fan of baseline.
Also is there a way when after you make a basket with say LeBron, to still be him on defense? Or do you always have to start out being the point guard on D and switch to a different defender?
Also does the point guard always have to bring the ball up after a made basket? Sometimes I like to have Kobe bring it up or whatever but again it seems that only the PG does. I know these are minor issues and I'm having some fun on the demo. Tried 2k8 again last night...It really looks like Live is the one this year. Great to be back to Live as long as online is OK! Has anyone played some good online games yet? This will be the final decider!
Thanks guys...

Well, I bought the game Tuesday and have logged about 10-12 hours on it so far. I have been playing dynasty mode primarily with a custom player playing SG for the Orlando Magic. For the most part, the gameplay is solid. I played my first online game last night but found the gameplay to be a little uneven. Everything seemed to be stuttering a bit. I haven't tried another but, if last night is any indication, the online play isn't quite as smooth as I would like. Don't get me wrong, it's playable but, I'm also very tolerant. I'm running on a 12mb/512kb cable modem so I should be covered on my end. Before I pass judgement, I'll try a few more online sessions.

Well, Avarice, I've learned as of late to take anything that IGN says with a grain of salt. Ever since their bashing of Heavenly Sword (a game I thoroughly enjoyed) and their inexplicable obsession with WWE Raw vs. Smackdown, my trust in IGN has gone straight down the tubes.
lol, I've been trying to figure that out myself. Who the hell cares?!

Update on online:

I just played another game online tonight and it was at least as choppy as last night. So far, I love the game and it's still fun online but, the online play is not very smooth. Has anybody else played this game on-line yet? Major gripes:

Both games I've played online took at least 3 tosses before either side was able to get the tipoff. It seems like you just can't time it right when the ball is in the air.

Free throw shooting s EXTREMELY difficult due to the choppiness/lag

Staying in front of the defender is more challenging due to choppiness/lag

Post play is almost nonexistent when playing on-line because of the typical style of play (run and gun, triple team, etc..) but post play in 08 is one of my favorite features in dynasty mode.

All in all, I'm leaning heavily towards playing this game in dynasty mode or co-op instead of on-line. Like I said before, I'll give it a few more tries before passing judgement but, so far, no good.

I haven't tried to play online yet, but that is discouraging. Why is it so damn hard for companies like EA to create a smooth online experience? You've got games like Resistance that run like absolute butter and then **** like Madden that is completely unplayable. Supposedly NHL plays GREAT online so why don't the rest of your games play that well? Makes ZERO sense.

EDIT: Well, after reading magic-man's post I HAD to go online so I wasn't jumping to conclusions. I must say that my experience was COMPLETELY different than his. The game I played was a ranked matched accessed via the quick match menu. I immediately saw my opponent's connection status (lower right) as 3 green bars (the highest) so we went ahead and played. My Cavs against his Clippers. Must say that the game did feel a bit choppy in the beginning but a quick camera adjustment (zooming my broadcast camera out a couple of clicks) did the trick. After that, everything was smooth as glass. The camera thing came to me because of something I had to do with 2K7 last year to prevent choppiness. Seems if you zoom out just a bit it lessens the level of detail needed on screen and helps speed things up. Must say those 2 clicks of zoom were worth losing because the game ran like butter. Super smooth.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of cheesing either. At first my opponent really tried to pound it with Elton Brand and I was getting hammered because I couldn't stop him. A quick defensive adjustment remedied the issue and kept Brand quiet for the majority of the remaining game.

I ended up losing in the end (outscored 23-5 in the 4th), but all in all I thought the experience was very smooth. Certainly not what I was expecting after reading magic-man's experience. FWIW, I'm running 10 down/2 up cable.

instantpop,

That's great news! I'll try the zoom out trick to see if it smooths out the game. Did you find free-throw shooting any more challenging on-line than normally? I don't thikn there is anything you can do about the camera angles in that case, is there? Anyhow, I'll try to zoom out tonight and post another update.

Also, I ran ranked quick matches as well. The first night it was my Suns vs. their Cavs (Lebron destroyed me). The second night it was my Warriors vs. their Magic and I lost by 1 on a buzzer beater by Jameer Nelson. For what it's worth, both times I played it was around 12AM Eastern time and it was against two different opponents who both had 3 green bars.

instantpop,

That's great news! I'll try the zoom out trick to see if it smooths out the game. Did you find free-throw shooting any more challenging on-line than normally? I don't thikn there is anything you can do about the camera angles in that case, is there? Anyhow, I'll try to zoom out tonight and post another update.

Also, I ran ranked quick matches as well. The first night it was my Suns vs. their Cavs (Lebron destroyed me). The second night it was my Warriors vs. their Magic and I lost by 1 on a buzzer beater by Jameer Nelson. For what it's worth, both times I played it was around 12AM Eastern time and it was against two different opponents who both had 3 green bars.

I personally didn't notice any difference in free throw shooting. Felt the same to me as an offline game. Probably the smoothest online experience I've had other than Resistance. Now if I could just get my brother's online to work!!

instantpop,

I played another game tonight online (suns vs. lakers) and ended up zooming my baseline low view out to one step away from all the way left. It smoothed the game out enough to be far more enjoyable than it had been. Thanks for the info and I look forward to a better online experience! It's still not smooth for me but, it's acceptable now.

FYI, free throw shooting is still really unpredictable for me online. It isn't smooth at all. I pretty much just give away points when it comes to those since it seems to be pure luck when I time the release right.

magic i just go with the auto freethrow due to the lag it's the circle button when your at the line(it goes by their free throw %)also:anybody wanna play?

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15315/EA-Unlocks-Online-Team-Play-Feature-for-NBA-Live-08/

Anyone tried this yet? Any impressions?

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15315/EA-Unlocks-Online-Team-Play-Feature-for-NBA-Live-08/

Anyone tried this yet? Any impressions?

Nice to know that this patch is now available. Sick and tired of being beat by my brother so I might as well join him...LOL.

instantpop,

I played another game tonight online (suns vs. lakers) and ended up zooming my baseline low view out to one step away from all the way left. It smoothed the game out enough to be far more enjoyable than it had been. Thanks for the info and I look forward to a better online experience! It's still not smooth for me but, it's acceptable now.

FYI, free throw shooting is still really unpredictable for me online. It isn't smooth at all. I pretty much just give away points when it comes to those since it seems to be pure luck when I time the release right.

magic i just go with the auto freethrow due to the lag it's the circle button when your at the line(it goes by their free throw %)also:anybody wanna play?
This is very strange. 2K8 had the exact same issue. During regular gameplay it was smooth as silk online but when you went to the line the framerate was noticeably lower. And the timing online for freethrows were nowhere near the same as offline. I don't get why both games were plagued with the same problem. Fortunately 2K recently released a patch and now freethrows are like night and day. It's smooth online just as it is offline.