Reaction to NBA 2K9's Feature List - Operation Sports
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`http://www.operationsports.com/feature.php?id=606
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`End-of-quarter highlights displaying the quarter’s best plays have been added as well. This feature adds more of a
`TV-presentation style to the fold, similar to what you would see during an ESPN or TNT broadcast. The
`championship celebration is said to be better as well. Do we get cut—scenes of the guys standing on the podium
`accepting the trophy from the commissioner? How about the presentation of the MVP trophy? And is Cheryl
`Miller going to have cut—scenes showing her interviewing the top performer of the half‘?
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`Online Features
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`Here is where things get a little hairy. As most of you already know, NBA Live 09 announced that it will have a
`featured called “365” that will update player tendencies and ratings daily based on current peribrmance. There will
`also be player-specific DNA that takes into account the different styles of NBA players and that will be reflected
`in the 365 updates as well.
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`The community is starting to wonder if the NBA 2K9 development team copied the
`idea from the NBA Live folks or if it was the other way around.
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`Now we get a chance to look at the features list for NBA 2K9 and we see that it too has a feature with
`player-specific DNA. The community is starting to wonder if the NBA 2K9 development team copied the idea
`from the NBA Live folks or if it was the other way around. Some skeptics think that EA Sports decided to
`capitalize on the well-known fact that 2K Sports does not release many early details about the upcoming NBA 2K
`game. So by holding an event and press conference before 2K Sports at E3, NBA Live 09 could announce the
`feature first and make it appear that NBA 2K9 is copying the idea.
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`The common theme seems to be that the die-hard NBA 2K fans know the series is light-years ahead of NBA Live
`so the thinking is that Live is piggy backing off of NBA 2K. The sentiment is that NBA 2K is always the best
`basketball game on the market so naturally the player-specific DNA was 2K Sports’ idea in the beginning. Some
`are optimistic and truly feel that NBA 2K9 development team listened to the cries and provided a way to update
`things daily. In actuality we may never know who came up with the concept first. The only thing that's clear is that
`NBA Live's DNA feature has a real-life license that feeds the game the real NBA data, whereas 2K's feature
`probably works via its own engine and doesn't take into account real-life happenings.
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`There are still users sounding off about what changes they hope to see in the upcoming game. The banter back and
`forth becomes mundane because 2K Sports has usually done a good job at making the NBA 2K series a thing of
`beauty. You will always see users complaining about the accuracy of the passes through the lane to cutters or the
`effectiveness of the pick-and-roll, but for the most part there really isn’t anything gameplay-related that should
`make you raise a stink
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`I too hoped for NBA Live to overthrow the ruler but I have now come to my senses.
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`The humorous thing about the previous lack of information is found when perusing the message boards at
`Operation Sports and the forums over at the 2K Sports site. There are always people claiming to love the previous
`installment of NBA 2K, but those same people are always saying that they heard NBA Live was working to close
`the gap. I have to laugh when I read those posts because they are reminiscent of my glory days long ago. I too
`hoped for NBA Live to overthrow the ruler (if you don’t believe me then check my open letter to 2K Sports) but I
`have now come to my senses.
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`Everyone has heard the saying that there are no sure things. Most people believe that there are no absolutes in life;
`and those of us that do, know that when the dust settles and the smoke clears NBA 2K9 will absolutely be the last
`one standing. I know that regardless of the amount of information that is presented beforehand, there is no need to
`lose patience and start resigning yourself to only purchasing NBA Live when the season rolls around. I know
`which game reigns supreme, so stand firm and know that 2K Sports will not leteveryone down.
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`WK2222 ' 01
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`8/1/2008 2:22 PM
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`WK2222 - 01