Sign on Options
Theme:
To Dark

NBA Live 10 Dynamic Season Hands-On

  • By Giancarlo, GameSpot
  • Posted Sep 17, 2009 3:02 pm PT

One of the standout features in NBA Live 09 is its Dynamic DNA system, which takes data based on the real-world performance of individual NBA players and integrates it into the game. This means that in-game players benefit (or suffer, in some cases) from the performance of their real-life...

One of the standout features in NBA Live 09 is its Dynamic DNA system, which takes data based on the real-world performance of individual NBA players and integrates it into the game. This means that in-game players benefit (or suffer, in some cases) from the performance of their real-life counterparts over the course of the actual NBA season, so if Kobe Bryant changes up his game and posts up more, taking fewer outside jumpers, then the in-game Kobe reflects that change. It's an interesting feature and one that's begging for greater integration in the NBA Live series, which is exactly what EA Sports is doing with NBA Live 10 and the new Dynamic Season mode. But the impetus for creating Dynamic Season also stems from watching how people play NBA Live. "Dynasty modes have been a part of sports games for a long time. We've found there's a percentage of people who play Dynasty mode and focus on year one, or focus on keeping their team up with real life," says Garreth Reeder, producer on NBA Live 10. "Our goal was to create a connected, solo mode that used the daily DNA feature and would allow you to play along with the real NBA season with an up-to-date, daily roster."

"There are people who really like to be the GM, do drafts, sim ahead, and do all of these things," he adds. "But there's a huge part of our consumer base that are solely focused on the real NBA season. They're either following their team or just the NBA in general. That's who we're targeting with this mode."

When you enter the Dynamic Season area, there are four main options to choose from: Today's Games, Rewind Calendar, My Playoffs, and Dynamic Season Menu. If you select Today's Games, you're presented with all of the games scheduled to take place on that day, allowing you to jump right in and start playing. And while Dynamic Season mode tracks what your favorite team is (which is based on the number of times you play with a team), you're not restricted to a single team's schedule. "We thought, let's open this up and make it more of a sandbox mode," Reeder explains. "I'm a fan of certain teams, but I don't want to be constrained to that team. I really want to get that feeling of, it's Friday night, and there are some great games on ESPN tonight--maybe it's Lakers versus Celtics or LeBron versus Kobe. We really wanted people to say, 'I can follow my team, but there's a great match-up tonight. I want to play that game.'" Today's Games features all of the current rosters (including injuries and trades), DNA, and actual stats from the NBA, so you're getting an authentic setup, and while the outcome of your game may be wildly different from what happens in the real game, those results (both real world and in-game) still get calculated and merged, carrying on to the next game in the season.

Whereas Today's Games lets you play current NBA match-ups, Rewind Calendar lets you go back to any point in the season to play a game. "Because of our partnership with Synergy Sports, we have Rewind Games in NBA Live 09, so we've created an entire calendar [for NBA Live 10] that gives you every game from every NBA team through the whole year," says Reeder. "There are over 1,200 games in an NBA season, so at the end of the year, you can play any one of those games and you'll have the roster, the DNA, the box score, everything from every game. It's completely authentic to everything happening on that day." So, if you have a player who was injured in real life and couldn't play in a game that you want to play in NBA Live 10, he won't be available to you. Likewise, let's say you play a game where you know a particular player was injured late in the 4th quarter and had to sit out for a couple of games, but in your game he doesn't get injured--he still won't be available to you in those games he had to sit out, even if he wasn't injured in your game. In other words, Rewind Calendar games always reflect what's happening in real life, but your stats and results will still merge into the mode. "The games that you're playing are your own," Reeder explains. "Something we've been throwing around the office is that real life is kind of your sim engine this year. We keep all of your player stats and your record, if you've won or lost. And then, when we're merging the real results back in, you're really getting that effect of taking your games and combining it with real life. The more you play, the more you change the alternate reality of the NBA season."

An alternate reality is probably the best way to describe much of Dynamic Season mode, particularly the playoffs, which--not unlike Dynasty mode--use the team records from your Dynamic Season to generate brackets. "When the real playoffs start, we open up an option in the game called My Playoffs. When you select that option, we calculate your current standings and we make a playoff bracket based on your season," says Reeder. "So if you make Golden State the number four seed in the West, when you go into My Playoffs, we'll create a bracket based on your season and allow you to play through the playoffs and get an eventual championship." Also like Dynasty mode, Dynamic Season takes into account different stats for the purposes of awarding players with MVP, rookie of the year, and other honors. And if you still want to play with the real-life NBA playoff setup, you can do that by going back into the Today's Games option, but those games won't have any impact on the rest of your season.

Though Dynamic Season is a stand-alone, single-player mode, it does have some online functionality outside of downloading data for rosters, stats, and DNA. "We keep track of things like the community stat leaders and which players people are using, so [we can find out] who's going to be the leading scorer in everyone's Dynamic Season, collectively," says Reeder. "Maybe it's going to LeBron James averaging 40 points a game, but we don't really know. It's going to be interesting to see. We also keep track of all the games people are winning and losing. We have a screen that shows something that's almost like season standings--how many wins and losses do all of these teams have. Then we rate the NBA teams by how many wins they have collectively. We also have a record book screen where we keep track of your personal team and player records, but we also compare your record with whoever out there in the world has the highest record." You can also view other leaderboard-style statistics, including people who have played the most games total or the people who have played the most Rewind Calendar games.

All of this should help reinforce the notion that while you're playing through the NBA schedule with realistic scenarios provided by DNA, stats, and rosters from actual games, you're still free to create your own version of the NBA season. "I'm interested and excited to see how into it people get," says Reeder. "It'll be neat to go to that leaderboard screen and check out who's playing every day." Look for more on NBA Live 10 before its release on October 6.

69 Comments

  • rafaelp11

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 6:03 pm GMT

    why the pictures/screenshots here are not that shiny as in the gameplay? how to adjust to this kind of graphic settings?

  • SyStem-code

    Posted Sep 23, 2009 7:18 am GMT

    This game is hot !!! man

  • skyraid2

    Posted Sep 23, 2009 6:28 am GMT

    why is nba live not as popular as 2k, whats better, whats worse

  • Ronin893

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 7:01 pm GMT

    It seems like a great feature from last year and I am glad that they have improved on it.

  • strongarming

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 6:07 pm GMT

    seriously i tried playing 2k and i hate it.i just played live 10 demo and NBA live 10 its nothing like live 09... no way..live 10 game play is much more better..the handle and dribbling in live is much more better than 2k..the only thing that 2k has better is the dunking in the game..other than that its horrible.. the moves in 2k are really simple. i broke the analog of my controller trying to do spin moves on 2k because that's the only move that allow u to get pass a player while sizing them up..

  • Xtatic324

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 5:06 pm GMT

    Players look like paper. They show hardly any facial emotions.. You know Dwight wouldnt have a straight face while dunking hard like that. Everytime i try to play live i get dissapointed. I used to be a huge live fan back in the day on the original playstation, but ever since ive played 2K... theres nothing like it. EA needs to improve more than what they have now to compete

  • EvanChelio

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 10:27 am GMT

    bigtigga48
    you said that u played both demos, right? When was this because 2k hasn't put out a demo yet. So stop lying. Plus if you are basing a game off of graphics and not gameplay than you are probably a garbage cheesing casual fan/player anyway. Live 10 is like Live 09 except 10 you can face up and has a better crowd. 2k has everything live has but better. if you want live controls than use alternate b in 2k so you wont have to use the shot stick. Until live gets rid of those clunky animations so the game can look like b-ball then 2k all the way. Play the Live 09 demo and the Live 10 demo. Its the same game with better graphics. You can't put syrup on dog crap and tell me its pancakes!!!

  • bigtigga48

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 3:29 pm GMT

    I don't understand how people can say that 2k looks better than live, it never did. Having played both 2010 demos I have to say that NBA live 2010 is the superior in every aspect of the game including most importantly being leaps and bounds more fun and immersive than 2K10. everything just feels better, tighter, smoother and more natural even the sound of the crowds are believable, its just amazing. This is definitely a must buy for me and I know some people argued that for the past 3 years or so 2k was the better game, All I have to say is Not This Year!

  • NuKkU

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 6:58 am GMT

    dude that dynamic season sounds awesome!!!

  • spy2828

    Posted Sep 20, 2009 5:54 am GMT

    Finally EA decided to improve the graphics...
    For three years (06-09) there was no improvement

  • TC119

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:14 am GMT

    love it nice over view http://linktrack.info/timsc119

  • Dommymoon

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 11:07 am GMT

    Too bad 2k makes live look like crap

  • strongarming

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 10:02 am GMT

    i also think that 2k was so thirsty to become better than live and threw a lot of its best stuff out there to be better than live..its kinda hard to top what they already have out and be differ than live.

  • strongarming

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 9:58 am GMT

    I personally like Live...they made tremendous improvements from live 09..One thing that i say is that live is behind though and trying to catch up..the improvements that live has made 2k been has..but i just think that in 2k players are all over the place and the court is small..I can control players better on live..which i like..I also cross the ish out of people and make them fall.. i couldn't do that in 2k

  • Dakota_West

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:38 am GMT

    This is how I know 2K9 and 2K10 are the same game....Okay, you played Draft Combine right??? Your player is being formatted onto the 2k10 engine. You have the same player model, the same moves and skills...why would combine differ from 2k10 the game? The only things that have changed is the presentation and the a couple more moves for players.

  • ej1041

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:06 am GMT

    2K doesnt really change much....

  • Dakota_West

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 7:02 am GMT

    *YAWN* EA was "KING OF SIM BASKETBALL GAMES" from 1989-2004...In 2005, 2K officially took the throne and what's 5 years to EA's 15 years? With that said, you can always play catchup in any genre whether it's sports, strategy, shooters, fighting games and etc. I would be scared if I was 2K sports because EA is finally catching up. I would be scared if I was a 2K fan boy as well. If anything, 2K caught Live and found it's stability. Live wants to get serious and with that said....it's gonna be hell for 2K to keep producing now.

    Through these last 2 years I see 2K being limited on things to improve on for that gameplay engine. With Live's new engine, you can expect more things to improve tremendously. The gap is actually closing between the two games. I'm a live fan, but 2K still has the throne....but for how long though?

  • BiggEdd32

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 12:08 am GMT

    ahahaha, i laugh at all those who say live is better than 2k, ahahahaha, u may like live for ur reason, but no matter where u look, everyone has 2k rated better than live. Every year i hope that live puts out a descent game because im a hardcore nba fan and i would love 2 have 2 diff games that are quality and every year live disappoints me. if ur only gonna buy one game get 2k and ull have no regrets thats a guarantee.

  • baltimoreravens

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 8:23 pm GMT

    Downloaded the demo, it was ok, better than 09, but definitely not better than 2k, not even close. The animations are still too unrealistic, and the players didn't look too good.

  • buttpuke

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:35 pm GMT

    I'm done with Live for good. "This Dynamic Season" seems like a good idea in theory but I don't think it will translate well. And the idea of a player on my team having to sit out games in my season, even if he's not injured, because a real-life player gets injured doesn't fancy me. Will the make guys miss games in the Dynamic Season for DUIs too?
    2K for me this year and every year.

  • Mike_Labeckio

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:27 pm GMT

    I thought 2K did this last year, maybe not as robust but they did it last year anyway.

  • FPS1337

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:38 pm GMT

    i prefer live over 2k. Live the controls feel much better in my opinion although sometimes to unrealistic gameplay. I'll get live for 360 and 2k for wii just to play the career mode in 2k.

  • winrehs_007

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 4:09 pm GMT

    Got to admit that Live really improve a lot this year, but, compared to 2K10, it's still arcadish to me. 2K10 has better graphics, animations, presentation and features. In short, 2K10 is a lot better than Live 10.

  • gammer_spot

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 3:35 pm GMT

    im geting live this year

  • JJMIZZY

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 11:58 am GMT

    Dynamic Season is exactly what I've been waiting for. If a player is injured in real life, they are in my season too. Dynamic DNA is where 2K gets beat down. All the Live haters claim that 2K is the most realistic b-ball experience, but until they start offering something similar to Dynamic DNA, they don't deserve that title. Gameplay wise, I'll give the realism edge to 2K, but they need to be updating player stats nightly, not this once every 10 days junk. Also, I agree with Virgin Islander (the most eloquent comment on here) as far as people making noise about how great 2K10 is when it HASN'T EVEN COME OUT YET! C'mon, give Live a chance.

  • jamesb215

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:54 am GMT

    Nba live 10 is a good game don't knock it before u try it

  • knighthawksfan

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:31 am GMT

    This game looks pretty good I can't wait too get this game because I have always loved nba live no matter how ass it is. I love the realistic way the players play sim style basketball on this game. Go nuggets win that championship this year.

  • Cleazy24

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:16 am GMT

    I think that Live 10 is improved over last year, but it still feels more like an arcade style basketball game compared to 2K. The people only make realistic movements when dunking, laying the ball up and dribbling animations, other than that Live does not feel like a real basketball game to me.

  • mezgamer585

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:16 am GMT

    @ squaredude44

    nice icon man lol

  • mezgamer585

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:15 am GMT

    i see dey still take dem ugly looking shots from point blank range lol..but i do see improvements..i do plan on gettin nba live sometime in october but i will also buy nba 2k10 but later in da year maybe ah good christmas present

  • thekey

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 8:29 am GMT

    I'm sorry but this game still looks like crap. I just can't see this game beating NBA 2K. EA still doesn't have it.

  • sorAxFight

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 8:24 am GMT

    2k is better

  • Gooshnads

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 8:18 am GMT

    @wwinrehs_007
    well said.

  • winrehs_007

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:51 am GMT

    NBA 2K10 = Simulation Basketball
    NBA LIVE 10 = Arcade Basketball

    Period.

  • maaly81

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:39 am GMT

    only thing I really liked about live10 demo was the inside bigmen dunk animations where they bend the rim all the way down , like real life. I still got 2k10 on preorder for anniversary edition

  • VIRGIN_ISLANDER

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:31 am GMT

    i got to laugh at alot of you people. as i read these comments all i see are people that are trying thier hardest to hate this game. personally the best live game was 1999, i loved that game. everything after that sucked. i really liked 2k5 that stood as the best 2k for me. now in realation to 09, they both sucked ass. end of story. i bought live 09 over 2k because it felt like to much drama to do cross over moves in 2k9 also the court seemed like it was to small...ya know what imma stop...the game was crap. they both were end of story...lol..but at the time i prefered live. now its 2010 and i havent seen anything from 2k so with that said why are people so quick to say that live 10 is inferior to a game that has not even come out yet, a game in which there hasnt even been any gamepley footage yet.live has stepped up thier game big time and the demo is factuall evidence of that. and until i play 2k10 i'm goin to have to say that live 10 is the better game....and for all you animation junkies, at this point in time its imposible to fully capture every single aspect of movement in basketball and chain them together seemlessly without any kind of stutter in between, after all i'm sure you dont want have to sit and watch long animations play out without being able to cancel out of them....i dont know, maybe i dont even know what i'm talkin about....and to tell you the truth i dont. i'm just sayin'.

  • bangd_by-nardo

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:24 am GMT

    omg this demo go hard no homo imma cop this game. i like both 2k, live but i like a little better 2k looks better graphics wise but live is fun to play.

  • Hakud0ushi

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 7:09 am GMT

    Not bad, not bad. Let's see how it goes.

  • inextremo88

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:57 am GMT

    I don't think there's any good bb game out there.. Maybe 2k is better than Live.. But they both don't feel like basketball.. basketball is all about moves, tactic, defence.. and fluent gameplay.. they both just mess the last part totally..

  • jaijames

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:45 am GMT

    do you all see what ea is doing. they advertise basketball in compartments just like madden. The players still move like robots. they look like bobbleheads. the last good nba live they made was live 2004. 2k10 will be better. they bring real basketball.

  • risbo_23

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:37 am GMT

    Well sorry to disappoint you guys, but I'm still playing 2K9, and it has way better player animations than this. This game just doesn't feel right.

  • Silvinho-10

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 6:03 am GMT

    I agree you people are I do not know, you are PES 2010 and we are FIFA 10 karanlo10 is right.

  • karanlol10

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:59 am GMT

    u people can go screw youselfs

  • karanlol10

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:58 am GMT

    people who think 2k is better than nba live 10, in the immortal words of Sir William da Silva, SCREW YOU!

  • karanlol10

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:54 am GMT

    nba 10 is going to be an awome game and ianmarvinchua i think ur dyslexic

  • GaMa__GaMer

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:53 am GMT

    I don't like basketball game....But i can make some exception....Cause this looks so good, way better than NBA live 2010

  • squaredude44

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:49 am GMT

    2K is still WAY better

  • marthead

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:47 am GMT

    2K fan, no doubt, but I do admit if I got the spare cash I always shell out for the NBA Live game down the line. NBA Live has this arcade-sh charm to it, and sometimes it's nice to get a break from 1 game and play another. I don't doubt 2k10 will be the better game, but I always enjoy both games on different levels. Live seems to have a bit more edge on the presentation (not graphics, just flare). I do wish they would redo the commentary every year. It gets old really fast.

  • pleezebeleevit

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:39 am GMT

    2k all day, dis look like str8 gau-bijj.

  • ianmarvinchua

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 5:01 am GMT

    2k10 looks a bit more realistic than this one . last year nba live 09 was not even close of beating 2k9nba .. but now i see the changes the made and now live 10 will be a challenge for 2k10nba .

Subscribe to GameSpot's YouTube Channel

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!

Related Game

NBA Live 10

NBA Live 10 Boxshot
Follow:
  1. Not Following
    Xbox 360: Follow
  2. Not Following
    PlayStation 3: Follow
  3. Not Following
    PSP: Follow
Add to List
  1. Xbox 360
  2. PlayStation 3
  3. PSP

Follow for the latest news, videos, & tips from experts & insiders

GameSpot Fuse
    Platforms:

    Site Blogs