NBA Live goes global for cover stars

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jun 25, 2008 11:05 am PT

Frenchman Tony Parker of the Spurs lands global cover slot, with Gasol, Deng, and Bargnani taking the honors in their respective homelands.

NBA commissioner David Stern has been vocal about turning the North American pro hoops league into a global institution, starting with a team playing out of Europe within the next 10 years. That international approach appears to have dribbled down to the league's gaming adaptations, as Electronic Arts today announced a starting lineup of four cover stars for NBA Live 09, none of them Americans.

Parker has also been featured in Subway ads.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker will take the main honors, fronting the game around the world, including in his native France. However, gamers in some regions will instead see their fellow countrymen on the boxes. Los Angeles Lakers power forward (and NBA Finals runner-up) Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng, and Toronto Raptors power forward Andrea Bargnani will grace covers in Spain, the UK, and Italy, respectively.

The international emphasis in NBA Live 09 goes deeper than the cover. Electronic Arts is tripling the number of teams from international hoops federation FIBA in the game, allowing gamers to play for the pride of one of 24 countries. The game also features a FIBA World Championship mode using the leagues rules and tournament organization.

North American gamers upset at their countries having to share the spotlight with the rest of the world can take solace in the fact that they'll at least be able to get their hands on NBA Live 09 a little bit sooner. The game is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable in North America on October 7, with the rest of the world receiving it October 14.

For more on NBA Live 09, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview.

58 Comments

  • westlyside

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 1:11 pm PT

    EA rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • strawberry9

    Posted Aug 6, 2008 12:21 pm PT

    live always has the worst cover athletes ever... I mean you guys remember tracy mcgrady, how he was injured all that year... and then now this loser is on the cover... KG is an amazing choice by 2k9, and tony parker is just the first step to failure for this game....

  • tcrslapshot1447

    Posted Aug 2, 2008 7:31 am PT

    Probably the worst cover athlete of any game...

  • MagicMatt777

    Posted Jul 6, 2008 1:07 pm PT

    C00l, Ill try it. Pretty stoked.

  • _FORCE_96

    Posted Jun 30, 2008 10:15 am PT

    im i like the only person who wants a sacramento player like artest on the cover-im english so i dont know much but why did Bibby go to the Hawks!?!?

  • kylemesina

    Posted Jun 28, 2008 5:15 pm PT

    either of this players should be the cover of nba live 09

    1.KG
    2.D HOWARD
    3.RAY ALLEN
    4.PAUL PIERCE
    5.STEVE NASH
    6.LEBRON JAMES
    7.ALLEN IVERSON
    8.CHRIS PAUL
    9.DERON WILLIAMS
    10.TIM DUNCAN
    11.CHAUNCEY BILLUPS

    i hope that these players will be the cover of nba live 09

  • geomyr

    Posted Jun 28, 2008 5:06 am PT

    yeah nba 09 cant' wait im hoping that kg is the front cover cause the celtics won the nba title.

  • HanSolo10

    Posted Jun 27, 2008 4:51 pm PT

    Kobe should be on the cover, he's the best player in the world. Especially one on one everybody knows this. I think EA should go back to their 2005 game or even a couple years earlier and get pointers from what they did in the past. They're better off just recreating the games that made "Live" good and just update the rosters at this pointe. Live was such a good game and had great dunks, plays, animations, music and even creating custom players. I just want a basketball game that has the same things and is fun to play and looks good. I don't know why they have done such a poor job on recent years. They were on the right track before, go back to what worked before.

  • its_mmd

    Posted Jun 27, 2008 4:02 pm PT

    K.GARNETT and his adidas TS shoes.

  • CRONALDOisGOD

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 8:10 pm PT

    whe nwill david stern get his chance to be the cover?

  • cheerios3d

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 2:31 pm PT

    Great news EA but I still think the US should 've its own cover star after all the sprort was created here.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 7:39 am PT

    There should be only one. Ea forgot the title it's NBA. If you want to include FIBA than maybe it should be called FIBA Live. It would definitely be the number one FIBA game. EA wake up, your dropping the ball again.

  • Superdude475

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 7:34 am PT

    Oden should have been on the cover. I'm sure he would've had a great season.

  • is0lati0n

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 1:31 am PT

    2K is still king of NBA sim no matter who's on the cover.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 12:14 am PT

    wow, that's about all I can say to that

  • RRiLLA

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 11:35 pm PT

    final cross... i really dont have to say anything more then croatia is better

    just kidding.. as long as you or your parents werent envolved in the war no beef to you

  • Jalannom

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 11:15 pm PT

    Put a rookie on the cover.. actually, how about the Laker girls?

  • tbolt_88

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 10:46 pm PT

    Kobe belongs on the cover. But when I think about it no, I wouldnt want the best player in the NBA on the cover of this crappy game. Seriously, Id expect these games to be starting to get good by now but no..Live has been terrible since 2006.

  • ThisIsntLeonard

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 10:24 pm PT

    KG > Parker
    2K9 > Live 09

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 8:05 pm PT

    Who cares about the cover. Its all about the game that should matter. People dont buy a game for the person on the cover. They buy it for the game. Whats up again pin head. Great icon.

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