NBA Live 10: Hands-On Preview

Nothing but Net.

Our time with this year's version reveals new direction and complete overhaul.

Ronnie Hobbs |

August 21, 2009

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It only took a few moments for the latest build of NBA Live 10 to impress. Maybe it was the fact that around eight of the league’s brightest stars were available upon startup for an endless practice session, or it could be that each of these players not only moved and reacted differently from each other, but also appeared more realistic than ever. For the first time in the series, it seems a greater emphasis has been placed on portraying these stars correctly, complete with specific shot types, individual momentums, and custom animations. Never before have I seen Lebron James, Dwight Howard, or Kobe Bryant replicated so sincerely, and this is coming from a primarily NBA 2K player over the past decade. Of course, all the visual upgrades in the world can only carry the experience so far, and it’s the on-court action that seriously defines any basketball experience. Thankfully, NBA Live 10 was about to deliver in spades in that department as well.

Although our preview build of the game is essentially a small demo, which consists of four minute quarters between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, we did commit to repeated playthroughs in order to honestly judge the series’ apparent new direction. Year after year we hear developers make “game-changing” claims, one’s that will finally shape and craft last year’s title into the actual version that fans have been waiting and clamoring for. In all honesty, this may be the year that this all comes to fruition. It’s difficult to truly say at this point, but judging by the 10 or so hours spent playing, this could actually be the year that NBA Live reclaims its crown that was lost so very long ago.

For starters, small tweaks to the gameplay engine have done wonders to the overall experience. The more complicated animations now take additional time to execute, meaning everything from rebound attempts to crossovers to fadeaways are more realistic, and much more impressive to watch in motion now. Stiff-arms and jostling occur frequently in the low-post, while speedier guards and forwards do their best to fight off imposing defenders on the way to the rim. Expect to see more bumping and interaction all around; the first time I witnessed Ron Artest and Dwight Howard battle for position on the block, or the time Jameer Nelson got tripped on his way to the basket by Pau Gasol and still made the basket was sublime. Better yet, when you see LeBron James take that extra second or two to gather the ball before shooting, or the way Kobe Bryant performs his off-balance fadeaway three, you’ll understand this isn’t NBA Live 09 with artificial wrapping. It’s an entirely different game with a whole new direction and purpose.



It’s hard to truly know how many or which superstars will receive this makeover, but judging by the demo and EA themselves, you can expect to see a majority of players with authentic faces and tattoos. There’s also a host of new NBA-specific dribbling and low post animations, along with new shot types such as leaners, floaters, stepback and hop jumpers. And depending on the player’s arsenal of moves, you may even catch a glimpse of the euro step or spin layup if the situation calls for it. It also doesn’t hurt that Dynamic DNA is responsible for shooting this year instead of individual ratings, which means each player will only be as deadly or as accurate as his real-life counterpart.

On top of all this, I’ve seen a significant increase in overall A.I.; floor spacing is much more accurate now, screens and cuts are smoother and have more impact despite occurring at a slower pace, and no longer must you worry about loose balls or your teammates not hustling for them. They now dive on the floor, make leaping saves, and even tip-toe the out of bounds line while trying to gain control of the ball. Countless scenarios like these not only add an immense amount of variety to each game, but also make each player appear to have intelligence driving them to a common goal.

The atmosphere has been given a major facelift, too, but due to the lack of venues available in the demo, it’s hard to tell exactly to what degree. Our experience was limited to the Staples Center during the NBA Finals, but for the most part everything about the environment appeared to be customized. The Larry O’Brien trophy was overlaid at center court, along with matching jersey patches for both teams competing. Thousands of screaming Laker fans whirled their white towels in tandem, and seemed to be energetic from start to finish, especially during the Laker’s multiple runs. Bench players held each other back after huge plays, and threw their arms up in disarray after turnovers or missed shots. The commentary team did a suitable job as well, constantly chiming in with what appeared to be finals-specific banter, though we won’t know until the full version of the game arrives how truly unique it is. There’s even dynamic storylines that can pop up throughout the season, which will highlight certain players who may be excelling at the moment. In our case, the broadcast singled out Pau Gasol specifically, and his overall ability in multiple aspects of the game. The team then followed up throughout the game on his individual progress which painted the story nicely.



There are a few more advances in presentation that EA is promising to deliver on, one of which is packing over 200 signature sounds into the game. Don’t be surprised if you hear a CB4 chant when Chris Bosh touches the ball, or if the PA announcer follows up with CP3 after Chris Paul nails a three pointer. And likewise, you can expect team-specific organ sounds (we can confirm the Lakers), crowd heckling (Vince Carter will be booed in Toronto), and league superstars like Kobe Bryant might even coerce the crowd into an MVP chant if he’s playing well. No longer will pre-scripted scenarios drive the presentation and storylines that occur around the league and during individual games. If your team’s arena is empty, it’s because you aren’t playing well. If your team’s superstar isn’t in the MVP discussion, it’s because he doesn’t deserve it. Even in-game cutscenes have been removed and replaced with actual footage that’s relevant to what’s currently happening. It’s all about the user this year, and these are just a few examples of the new technology driving this change in direction.

In the end, it’s apparent that the new production team behind NBA Live 10 is committed to bringing this series back to life. It seems I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of all available upgrades this year, and there are numerous other additions that have yet to be mentioned in this article. The real key will be the remaining modes, and how well they stack up against the competition. If NBA Live 10 can make serious strides in its Franchise mode and offer something unique for its online players, it will be the complete package, and could once again lay claim to the year’s best basketball title.