Just as videogame football is dominated by the Madden franchise, videogame basketball is similarly controlled by the NBA 2K series; however, Electronic Arts is trying to change that by reviving the NBA Live franchise. Since EA benched NBA Live, sales for NBA 2K skyrocketed. So Tiburon has its work cut out for them. To make a good first impression on wary fans, the studio plans to focus on three core pillars: fluid gameplay, broadcast quality presentation, and connected experiences.
NBA Live 13 looks at an average game level. It’s clear that the character movements and the visuals have been worked on from the bottom up. EA has made an effort to improve the low post control for both offense and defense. Another improvement is that you aren’t locked into a specific animation sequence when your back is to the basket. As well as you have the ability to counter any move an offensive player tries to make. EA is also paying attention to how the AI-controlled players move and react around the court.
EA Tiburon seems to hopefully provide the full gaming experience with NBA Live 13. Could it compete with NBA 2K13? I wouldn’t bet on it, but yet again NBA Live is making its return and coming in with new features.
