NBA Live 10: Changing the Game

"The goal is to have all player ratings driven by actual Synergy data," game producer Sean O'Brien told me. "We're moving away from spreadsheet ratings… that's 'videogame speak.' All the stuff we've done [with NBA Live 10], that's what I want to see driving player ratings."

While the focus for DNA is on offense this year, already the team is planning for next year: they're working with Synergy to develop and import a host of new defensive stats into next year's game, making the ratings of players in next year's NBA Live 11 that much more complete.

While the idea of having player ratings driven by hard numbers is an enticing one, it's obvious that this kind of extensive data has a value all its own. EA has already trumpeted the Dynamic DNA service as a scouting service for NBA teams--and if the feature expands as it looks like it will, it's practically inevitable that EA will find a way to monetize it as a premium service. They've already done something very similar, in fact, with last year's FIFA 09; the Adidas Live Season featured on-the-fly roster updates that were free for one league of the player's choice, if you wanted data from additional leagues, you had to pay for it.

It seems just a matter of time before players are paying for the privilege of keeping up with the NBA via Dynamic DNA.

NBA… Courtside

While Dynamic DNA is driving so much under NBA Live 10's hood, it isn't the whole story. The team behind the Live's gameplay are quick to own up to the mistakes of previous Live games, yet quick to focus on what's been improved for NBA Live 10. Controls are first and foremost--in addition to tweaks made to well-received features like last year's pick and roll controls, there's some new additions to gameplay specifically designed to let advanced Live players get more out of their team. The goal, producers told me, is to get the player thinking about playing all over the court--not just looking for the dunk or the three-pointer.

First up are "solution layups", which gives you more control when driving towards the basket to drop one in. When you get close to the hoop, you can go either to the left or the right of the basket by pressing the left stick in the correct direction and pressing the shoot button. These solution layups are great for advanced Live players who are looking to beat defenders on either side of the basket. For certain skilled players in the game--such as nimble guards like Steve Nash or Manu Ginobli--you'll have access to specific moves designed to help you get around that first defender--by holding down the right trigger and moving the left stick you'll be able to beat your defender with specialized moves like the pro step layup, Euro step layup, and the spin layup.

You've got several options for passing in NBA Live 10--in addition to icon passing, which is pulled off by holding the left trigger and then choosing the corresponding icon of the player you wish to pass to, you've also got options like freestyle passing. Freestyle passes are controlled by holding down the left stick and moving the right stick in any direction. The direction you move the right stick will determine which direction you pass the ball.

The new direct pass receiver control is a big help for players looking to get their CPU teammates into position on the floor, without having to always call a set play. To do so, you hold the left trigger and the button of the player you wish to pass to. With that button held down, you now have complete control over where that player moves on the court--and releasing the player button will cause your original player to pass the ball. In theory it sounds tough but, in practice based on my time with the game, it's a pretty easy way to create some space, or get a player driving to the basket where they otherwise might not. A similar control feature allows you to control an off-ball player without throwing a pass, in essence creating a temporary player lock. To do so, you once again hold down the left trigger and press the button of the player you wish to control. Once you've switched player, you let go of the left trigger while still holding your teammate's button. Once you let go of the button, you'll be locked into an offball player and can do things like call off ball screens to help get that player free in order to set up an easy play.

The one-on-one battles between NBA stars is why so many of the leagues fans love it and, knowing this, the developers are looking to make those battles more prevalent in the game as well. To that end, size-up moves (a series of fancy dribbles that is executed with the right trigger/R2 during a stationary dribble) can help you break down an opposing defender. The longer you hold it, the better chance you have of breaking his ankles once you decide to move--and there are also attacking size up moves you can do by mixing in the right stick with the right trigger held. In an attempt at balance, using size-up dribbles for too long and your defender will have window in which he can snatch the ball out of your hands.

NBA Live 10 is also utilizing some of the ideas from last year's NCAA Basketball 09, including the post moves down low as well as that game's "team tempo" feature. While the team tempo variables aren't brought to the surface via the HUD as they were in NCAA 09, it sounds like they will work in a similar way, in that you'll need to play your team the correct way or else your team's abilities will suffer. Coupling team tendencies with the advanced player statistics available to players via the Dynamic DNA, as well as a ton of team-specific sets available in the game, and it seems like knowing your team and its players will pay off bigger dividends than ever before NBA Live 10.

Most of my demo focused on the full version NBA Live 10, including details a big feature that I can't talk about just yet, but EA also left code of the Live 10 demo that will be released in the coming weeks. The demo features a two-quarter match-up (four minutes apiece) between last year's NBA Finalists, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Things that are immediately noticeable in the demo, beyond some of the new gameplay mechanics described above include better body-to-body contact between players, ball physics that make sense more often than not (something I could rarely claim in previous versions of Live) and busier CPU teammates on the floor. Of course, it all remains to be seen for the full version of NBA Live 10 but, at least from the demo, things seem to be looking up.

Baseline

In the short-term, I think NBA Live 10 holds a good deal of promise--the game looks better and the developers seem dead-set on making the gameplay is improved as well. However, it's the long-term impact of NBA Live's approach to game development and player progression that intrigues me the most. Player ratings based on a constant stream of hard data rather than subjective judgment have been a long time coming and it's clear that--should the Live team figure out a way to integrate Synergy's exhaustive NBA data into the game's ever-improving AI--the future of sports gaming will take another leap forward.
Look for much more on NBA Live 10 in the coming weeks ahead of the game's October 6 release.