NBA LIVE 08 vs. NBA 2K8?

[jdub1660]

I've played both. In the past, I've enjoyed the Live series more, but after playing both, I'm convinced that the 2k series has taken over. Not only does it play better overall, the Live really turned me off in too many ways. Here's my  break down of the overall Pros and Cons for each...there might be an update later if i forget something........

NBA Live 08
Pros - 1. The option to adjust how clutch a player is, or good in crunch time to hit the big shot.
       2. Hot spots. The hot spots weren't always accurate per play IMO, but it was nice to have for the 4th qtr.
       3. Interrupting Simulation. The option to simulate a game and interrupt if you feel the need.
Cons - 1. WAY OVERRATED ROOKIES! I hated being outplayed by a no name rookie that was rated almost as high as Kobe
       2. All-star Point Ratio. Whichever player had the highest overall rating, was guaranteed to score 70+ points,     
                never miss a free throw or shot, and avoided fouling every time.
       3. Intentional Foul never works - Select that call all you want, but the Computer will run between your arms.
       4. Updated Rosters could NOT be taken into Dynasty mode, which sucked if you wanted the new celtics roster.
       5. Ridiculous charge calls. If you want to win easy, just run up against the PG and cause a charge. too easy.
       6. I promise there's more, so an update is due later on when I find my list I made for this thread...

NBA 2K8
Pros - 1. Shooting mechanic. Its a little hard to understand, as it is per player, but its more realistic.
       2. Dribbling and motion. Also more realistic as you can backspin/crossover, disappear and reappear elsewhere.
       3. The rookies are rated as rookies. ex. Morris Almond isn't rated 85 as he is in Live 08.
       4. Block shots/steals - Awesome setup. The steals are realistic, and the blocks when timed right are nasty!
       5. Updated rosters can be taken into the Association, which is cool if you want real rosters or fantasy.

Cons - 1. Player Edit. It gets to tricky/sensitive to certain players/situations. ex. I turned Ray Allen's Dunk down           
             since he isn't likely now as often to run up and throw down a reverse 360 over Yao. When I did turn it
             he would run in on a fast break and instead of laying it up, he would pull back for a fade away.
       2. Layups just don't work. I had to let Rondo dunk every time b/c otherwise layups won't go in even at 99
             rating. Its like they go for the layup but always hit the bottom of the rim or backboard.
       3. Rebound Ratio is WAAAAY off. Somehow the Computer doubles my rebounds every time like 60 to 30.
       4. Shooting % is ridiculous! Its like the computer will not miss. Their only missed shots are blocked shots.
               A team should never lose a game with a 55 or 65% shooting average.
       5. EVERYTHING is a foul. The block shot timing is way too sensitive. Its like, you either get a monster block
           that sends the ball down the court or straight into the ground, or you end the game with 70 fouls.
       6. Lack of real change. I love to see a great game, but seeing 2k8 now, I don't see much graphic or style
              change from 2k6 to 2k7. Same game with a few edits and semi-updated rosters.
       7. Too Ridiculous Dunks. Some of the dunks are too unreal in certain situations. Fast breaks are
              understandable, but not on most of them. ex. I had Tony Allen at about free throw line, backing down
              his defender, and I tried to shoot a jumper, but instead he automatically flew up and yammed down a
              2-handed reverse dunk. It made the game really show as a video game. Lack of realism.

I'm sure I left something out, which I'll get too later when I'm not falling asleep, but what does everyone else think. Live 08 versus 2k8...which do you prefer and why???

[kw10]

I prefer NBA Live, that's because that is what got me into basketball in the first place and I'm thanking EA Sports for bringing me to such a wonderful game known as basketball by being a fan of NBA Live.

[zerophase]

nba 2k9 actually looks amazing... i would hold off and get that. plus garnett is on the cover and the graphics look better than the live counterpart.

[BUTerrier]

Well, I know that I own both, but I haven't really played NBA 2K8 a lot, so I'm not really qualified to enter judgment on it. However, I play NBA Live 08 a lot, and I feel that some of your NBA Live 08 points need to be refuted:

WAY OVERRATED ROOKIES! I hated being outplayed by a no name rookie that was rated almost as high as Kobe

You used Morris Almond being ranked 85 as an example of this. Well, in my game, from the first day I got it (and I got mine on the first day it came out), Almond was rated a 65. I even turned on my game and checked it just now. The highest ranked rookies in the game are Durant, Oden, and Horford, and I think only Durant is ranked above 75 (which, while maybe a little unrealistic, isn't so far off that it's ridiculous.)

2. All-star Point Ratio. Whichever player had the highest overall rating, was guaranteed to score 70+ points, never miss a free throw or shot, and avoided fouling every time.

Really? Because I've won many an online game by getting Kobe to commit fouls on me, and I've lost a lot of games when my top players have all fouled out.

4. Updated Rosters could NOT be taken into Dynasty mode, which sucked if you wanted the new celtics roster.

That's not true. I created two uber-players, put them on the Celtics, and brought that updated roster into Dynasty Mode. True, you need to load the updated roster BEFORE starting Dynasty, but that's not unreasonable; if you make trades in Dynasty, what happens if it automatically updated rosters?

5. Ridiculous charge calls. If you want to win easy, just run up against the PG and cause a charge. too easy.

Well, it's never worked for me :-) More often than not, I get a blocking foul trying to do that.

----

If you want to list glitches on NBA Live 08, here are a couple that come to mind:

1.) The Lakers players all seem to get every roll and bounce. I mean, to a ridiculous degree. I've seen players take turn-around fadeaway shots with Vujacic from behind the 3 point line, and they make them easily.

2.) In general, the "turnaround fadeaway 3 point shot from 25 feet out" goes in far too often. Ray Allen is one of the purest shooters in the game, but I KNOW he can't do that with any regularity.

3.) The rebound trick is a bit cheap. I admit that I've used it myself when another player has been taunting me on mic or something, but all you have to do is quickly jerk the right stick down and then up and right, press A to switch the player as soon as the view changes, then jump and get the rebound. 75% of the time, you get the board, go for the dunk, and get fouled again. I once got 4 fouls on David West with only 8 seconds elapsing off the clock just by doing that.

4.) Balls for rebounds often bounce on the floor before they're picked up

5.) When the ball's knocked away, a lot of times there'll be a crowd of people around the ball and NO ONE will pick it up.

6.) The AI teammate defense is terrible. So you'll stay with Ben Wallace 15 feet out, but you'll sag off Nowitzki? Really? Is it THAT hard to write AI that takes into account the player's skills? It's not like the skills aren't broken down in there already.

[Chief]

If you want this best simulation game, go with the 2k series.

[bostonfan23]

2k is far and away the best for serious basketball fans out there. I pray that EA never buys them out.

[jdub1660]

Well, I know that I own both, but I haven't really played NBA 2K8 a lot, so I'm not really qualified to enter judgment on it. However, I play NBA Live 08 a lot, and I feel that some of your NBA Live 08 points need to be refuted:

WAY OVERRATED ROOKIES! I hated being outplayed by a no name rookie that was rated almost as high as Kobe

You used Morris Almond being ranked 85 as an example of this. Well, in my game, from the first day I got it (and I got mine on the first day it came out), Almond was rated a 65. I even turned on my game and checked it just now. The highest ranked rookies in the game are Durant, Oden, and Horford, and I think only Durant is ranked above 75 (which, while maybe a little unrealistic, isn't so far off that it's ridiculous.)

2. All-star Point Ratio. Whichever player had the highest overall rating, was guaranteed to score 70+ points, never miss a free throw or shot, and avoided fouling every time.

Really? Because I've won many an online game by getting Kobe to commit fouls on me, and I've lost a lot of games when my top players have all fouled out.

4. Updated Rosters could NOT be taken into Dynasty mode, which sucked if you wanted the new celtics roster.

That's not true. I created two uber-players, put them on the Celtics, and brought that updated roster into Dynasty Mode. True, you need to load the updated roster BEFORE starting Dynasty, but that's not unreasonable; if you make trades in Dynasty, what happens if it automatically updated rosters?

5. Ridiculous charge calls. If you want to win easy, just run up against the PG and cause a charge. too easy.

Well, it's never worked for me :-) More often than not, I get a blocking foul trying to do that.

----

If you want to list glitches on NBA Live 08, here are a couple that come to mind:

1.) The Lakers players all seem to get every roll and bounce. I mean, to a ridiculous degree. I've seen players take turn-around fadeaway shots with Vujacic from behind the 3 point line, and they make them easily.

2.) In general, the "turnaround fadeaway 3 point shot from 25 feet out" goes in far too often. Ray Allen is one of the purest shooters in the game, but I KNOW he can't do that with any regularity.

3.) The rebound trick is a bit cheap. I admit that I've used it myself when another player has been taunting me on mic or something, but all you have to do is quickly jerk the right stick down and then up and right, press A to switch the player as soon as the view changes, then jump and get the rebound. 75% of the time, you get the board, go for the dunk, and get fouled again. I once got 4 fouls on David West with only 8 seconds elapsing off the clock just by doing that.

4.) Balls for rebounds often bounce on the floor before they're picked up

5.) When the ball's knocked away, a lot of times there'll be a crowd of people around the ball and NO ONE will pick it up.

6.) The AI teammate defense is terrible. So you'll stay with Ben Wallace 15 feet out, but you'll sag off Nowitzki? Really? Is it THAT hard to write AI that takes into account the player's skills? It's not like the skills aren't broken down in there already.

I guess I'll have to pull my live 08 copy out as well. I might have over-exaggerated a bit due to lack of sleep, but I know the ratings were way off. Look at where Morris Almond, Jarvous Crintenton, etc are. They've been in Europe and the NBDL. Some other players come to mind like Walter Hermmann. I just take personal offense to seeing Dirk score 70. It got me fired up everytime to the point that I'd purposely foul him out back using the charge secret I posted about earlier. It takes time to master, but it works MOST of the time. As the player is coming up the court, run into him and push 0 I think to take a charge. If timed correctly, the AI will drive to drive through you and end up  pushing off of you causing the Charge!

[CelticBalla32]

2k over Live 8 days a week, and it's not even close.

I'll put it this way: If you want to play a real game of basketball, play 2k. If you want to play a cartoon with laughable player movements, play Live.

[RedsCeltics34]

I prefer live because I have been playing it since the Nintendo 64 days.

EA Sports isnt messing around this year.

[Chief]

I prefer live because I have been playing it since the Nintendo 64 days.

EA Sports isnt messing around this year.

Change is good, especially when talking about changing to a superior basketball game series.

[RedsCeltics34]

I prefer live because I have been playing it since the Nintendo 64 days.

EA Sports isnt messing around this year.

Change is good, especially when talking about changing to a superior basketball game series.

I dont know, I just find Live to be the better game, Although there is some unrealism I find it more enjoyable I dont like the courts in 2k or how they run or dribble.

[incoherent]

The 2k series has been king since 05 and I played the Live series since it started.

It took me a while to say it because my heart was with the Live series, but after playing 2k I just could not go back.


The main reason for me is this: In 2 player mode the games are far, far, far more strategic.

[celticpride07]

nba 2k is so realistic and fun...live just p---es me off..i have them both but live just never gets played.

[indeedproceed]

NBA 2k8 was incredibly superior...NBA live is gonna close the gap this season tho...automatically adapting and updating AI, players "dna" thing I don't understand...it'll be good.

[bostonfan23]

On a semi-unrelated note, NFL 2k5 was the best football game ever.