What happened to NBA Live the video game?

By Edcel Panganiban March 09, 2024 19:00

The NBA Live video game series by Electronic Arts (EA) first started in 1994. Becoming known as more of an arcade game simulating basketball, with box art showing off various NBA players. After an initial strong start, the series run into challenges on its way to eventual collapse.

Initial Dominance

NBA Live did not have a lot of competition in its early years and quickly became one of the most popular video games. But by 1999, Visual Concepts' NBA2K for the Dreamcast was a legitimate contender. This was the start of a historical rivalry for both franchises.

Attempted Revival

The series had faced an uphill battle as the 2000s rolled on, with cancellations of both NBA Live and false starts for revivals. Yet the franchise tried to reboot itself with releases like NBA Live 09, NBA Live 10, and NBA Live 14. But the series failed to remain dominant in basketball gaming after NBA 2K started getting rolling.

NBA Live's Fatal Mistakes

The series has seen critical error after critical error in the hands of EA down through its downfall. After NBA Live 09, the series became a title that faced numerous delays as well as one titled in development hell, thanks to an inability by EA Canada and Tiburon to create a next-gen installment of their basketball sim which ruined both the critical acclaim & commercial success also scrutiny released after NBA Live 10 from changes in control with getting on giving controls much kinder for newcomer users then we got gameplay mechanics designed almost like they were subpar.

NBA Live's Microtransactions

The first major blow to NBA Live's popularity came when the game tried falling into line with practices of including loot boxes as microtransactions, following 2K. NBA Live 19 received similar criticisms, with an emphasis on the microtransactions littered throughout the game that slowed down progress at every turn. These behaviors pushed players away and led to a fractured fan base.

Lack of Innovation

While both shuffled around their covers, NBA Live floundered in the face of growing challenges and failed to deliver an engaging basketball video game that could hold a candle to its competition long after 2K sports started seizing and layering onto fans' attention. Utilizing revolutionary gameplay modes like "MyPlayer" and introducing features including “The Park” cemented NBA 2K's spot as one of the most popular basketball games on the planet while pushing it further past what EA could provide with Live.

NBA Live's Decline

NBA Live's fall played a role deeper than that. Not only did that portend the end of its impact in gaming circles, but it also marked NBA 2K as THE basketball game to beat. NBA 2K became complacent with the lack of competition from NBA Live leading to stagnant releases that rarely offered significant progress.

The Future of NBA Live

While NBA Live has a rocky past, the future is still unclear for it. Its recent lack of gaming presence, combined with NBA 2K's perpetual strong sales means it might be easy to forget about the chances of a comeback from EA Sports' series. But the world of gaming is a fast-moving place, and EA may find new ways to innovate on old ideas and reignite NBA Live as the best option for fans who just want to play some basketball.