Chris' Blog: Playing the blame game with NBA Elite 11

[MMChrisS]

If you didn't read my thoughts on NBA Elite 11's demo, be sure to check those out now. No need to re-hash what I said there.

What I'd like to do instead is to play some blame game as to who is to blame for what might be one of the biggest disaster releases from a major gaming company in quite some time.

Because somehow, somewhere, someone is to blame for what accounts to the worst basketball title on the market in this generation of consoles. Sony's NBA game outclasses Elite 11, and I'm sure I can name several games over the past decade on far inferior hardware that outclass Elite's gameplay, some completely and laughably dominate Elite.

I wrote about Elite earlier this year, I thought the name change signaled that EA had hit the panic button. Now that we've played Elite and saw the entire Live series was blown up, I think it's safe to say EA definitely panicked.

Read More - Chris' Blog: Playing the blame game with NBA Elite 11

[gameova24]

this guy is crazy.....its not the worst.....and its not bad

[cbass1]

Its start's with the president of the label on down to the Executive Producer of the project. In my opinion you can not blame Littman because he is a hockey guy that was just porting over what made NHL a success or the other producers/developers because they where just doing what they were told. I hope that people in the video game industry do not look at these developers in a bad light because there are some really talent people at that studio. Right now they are the Knicks run by Isiah :-(

[MMChrisS]

Quote: Originally Posted by cbass1

Its start's with the president of the label on down to the Executive Producer of the project. In my opinion you can not blame Littman because he is a hockey guy that was just porting over what made NHL a success or the other producers/developers because they where just doing what they were told. I hope that people in the video game industry do not look at these developers in a bad light because there are some really talent people at that studio. Right now they are the Knicks run by Isiah :-(

That's another good analogy. If Elite gets a few more years, I think they're thinking outside of the box enough to deliver something really awesome. But Elite 11 set EA basketball back 4 years....not a good place to start when you were already playing from behind.

[Self313]

I agree for the most part

the developers are not to blame.... its whoever calls the shots... the ones that ran Mike Wang out of there... the Hockey dudes that dont know basketball

[bdiggs25]

I like the new elite more than the 2k cause 2k's getting boring and elites something new. The controls are easy to get used 2

[32]

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ot-hockey.html

We've been going back and forth on this topic. Totally agree with you chris. Good write up.

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by gameova24

this guy is crazy.....its not the worst.....and its not bad

You'd be shock at how many people might agree with him in terms of what the expectations for Elite 11 should've been

Most of us sure as hell didn't expect this type of drop off from NBA Live 10

So based on that approach i'd say he's 50/50 correct this title is a major let down this year.

It may not be the worse but you fully expected it to be one of the best and didn't even come close IMO to being one of the best.

It's only Elite in name only

[JWiLL02]

The blame goes to whoever silenced Mike Wang's creative voice. Say what you want about giving one guy too much credit, but what he values in a basketball game (whether it's from his Inside Drive days, or 2k7-2k8) shined through in many areas of Live 10, and more often than not were done better than ever before (player movement, shooting).

There had to be some meeting, conversation, altercation or some kind where he was alienated and felt the need to get out.

Why would you bring a guy in as Lead Designer on your basketball game, then after your best reception in years from a critical standpoint, completely abandon his vision? Did they expect to just outsell 2K immediately after destroying consumer trust in previous years?

The Live 10 team just seemed like a bunch of guys who loved basketball making the best game they could. That's the feeling I had when I would watch the frequently released development videos they put out last year, another area they all but abandoned with this cycle (I know there's a couple minute long things out there, they don't count).

Revamping the control scheme of your great controlling basketball game simply because it worked for your hockey franchise is downright arrogant. I guess this should come as no surprise from EA.

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by bdiggs25

I like the new elite more than the 2k cause 2k's getting boring and elites something new. The controls are easy to get used 2

is controlls all that matter in a basketball game?

tell me something beyond controlls that made you think it was playing basketball?

Do you enjoy the the things you see out of the AI?

Are you happy with the way the game moves once you leave the practice gym?

Do you even care that the AI still attempts the weirdest looking shots even within 5 feet from the basket?

Is this game just all about what you can do with the control of your players or does anything else even matter to you guys