Faces of the NBA
We match up the year's three major basketball games to see which one does the best job of bringing the NBA's best and brightest to life. Take a look at the faces of the NBA in NBA Live 08, NBA 2K8, and NBA 08...and you make the call.
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del.icio.us Because basketball is the one major North American sport for which players don't wear any sort of headgear, the NBA has always featured some of the world's most recognizable athletes. As a result, NBA video games have often led the way when it comes to re-creating players' likenesses. Thanks to the power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, video game characters are closer to the real thing than ever. But just how good are they? We've taken screenshots of 11 NBA All-Stars (and the unfortunate-looking Chris Kaman) from NBA Live, NBA 2K8, and NBA 08 to see how they compare to the real deal. The results may vary, but one thing's for sure--basketball video games have come a long way since the Atari 2600.
If you're going to judge a game by its screenshots, as we are here, NBA Live 08 is the clear winner; players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James look amazing. Obviously the basic models in Live are extremely accurate, but it's how the game makes effective use of lighting and sweat that really takes the players' appearance to the next level. NBA 2K8 is no slouch, but the players almost look as if they're wearing makeup, and there's very little variety to players' eyes--they all seem like the same pair. NBA 08's players lag far behind those in Live and 2K8. Many of the faces seem flat-out wrong, while others have exaggerated features, skin that's too light, or wrinkled foreheads that make them look 10 years older than they really are.
All screens were taken in 720p from the PlayStation 3 version of each game, using the best possible angle from a first-quarter instant replay. Player photos are from NBA 2K8. Note that some of the images have players looking in different directions. This is due to in-game ball tracking.
What do you think? We've included a poll for each player, so you can vote for the game that nails each player's likeness the best!
To compare images, move your mouse over the player's name. For example, Kobe Bryant's in-game photo can be seen by moving your mouse cursor over "Kobe Bryant 1." His NBA Live 08 version can be seen by moving your mouse cursor over "Kobe Bryant 2."
Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on how NBA players appear in video games today.
Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on how NBA players appear in video games today.
Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on how NBA players appear in video games today.
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