Why EA needs to give up on NBA Live

Why EA needs to give up on NBA Live

The basketball video game market is pretty lucrative so it is hardly surprising that two of the biggest game developers – EA Sports and 2K Games – contest in it. With most sports it is EA who have near hegemony, their FIFA and Madden games are incredibly successful. However, when it comes to basketball they are yet to concoct a winning formula. Although they are still making some money, it is not the vast sum that originally enticed them into the market. With 2K’s NBA games gaining more positive reviews than EA’s version, it is time that EA give up on basketball.

The biggest problem that EA face is endorsements. Although they have plenty of money to chuck at players to become their cover athlete, many simply don’t as they are not keen on the product. Henceforth, this season, 2K have Kevin Durant – last year’s MVP and favourite to be named it again this year in the sports betting before breaking his foot. Meanwhile, EA have Damian Lillard, a rookie. Famous faces sell games and with 2K getting the hottest basketball player in the US it is of course going to drive sale figures up.

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2K have been commended for their career mode. This time not only have they incorporated real players’ voices, but they have also included a mentoring system using LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers. The gameplay is smooth, the graphics are crisp, the engine that is used is fast; the only thing that was problematic was that the online servers could be error prone. Bar the online servers, which would be better with EA, 2K garners praise that EA is still yet to achieve in this realm.

In conclusion, EA just can’t get it right when it comes to basketball. With all the ground they have already lost, it seems ever more unlikely that they will ever be able to take the lead.

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