NBA Live 15, the latest entry in EA Sports' longrunning professional basketball series, will launch for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on October 7. Notably, that's the same release date as 2K Sports' NBA 2K15, which is coming to Xbox One and PS4, as well as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Writing on the EA Sports blog, NBA Live 15 executive producer Sean O'Brien said the game aims to improve upon two major areas, the first of which is gameplay itself. "As I've said previously, we know we fell short in two major areas with NBA Live 14. 5-on-5 gameplay didn't have the depth and polish of an EA Sports game and our visuals just weren't up to expectations for a next-gen title. We've been laser-focused on making sure that this isn't the case with NBA Live 15 and I'm really excited with our progress in those two areas."
O'Brien said NBA Live 15's character models should look true-to-life because EA Sports scanned the "majority" of NBA players' faces, made refinements to player models, and updated the game's lighting system. All of this, together, should make NBA Live 15's characters "look really amazing," O'Brien said.
In terms of gameplay, O'Brien said EA Sports has already made "great progress" in making the overall experience "more realistic" and fun. "We want teams to play just like their real-world counterparts," he said. "A nd to that end, we've spent a lot of time this season talking with NBA coaches to better understand their schemes and philosophies, which we can then implement in-game."
O'Brien said EA Sports has also gone to great lengths to improve "flow and responsiveness in every area where you touch the ball." As such, he said EA Sports feels that shooting, passing, and dribbling in NBA Live 15 should "feel much better this year."
EA Sports will begin sharing specific gameplay details in July, with further information scheduled to be released in August and September, O'Brien said. Last year's NBA Live 14 was the first entry in the series EA Sports managed to ship since NBA Live 10. NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13 were both canceled in the 11th hour.
"We know we've got a lot to prove this year, and we've got a solid plan in place to provide you to make really big strides this year," O'Brien said.
| Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch |
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