Before the launch of this current generation, the king of basketball was arguably EA SPORTS. Their popular series NBA Live seemed to find the perfect blend of simulation with a small dash of arcade atmosphere.
The first two NBA Live titles that EA SPORTS released on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 were far from desireable, and ultimately allowed the NBA 2K series to shine. While NBA Live 09 & NBA Live 10 found the magic again and began to make strides, NBA Elite 11 became the company’s first cancelled sports title.
Today, we’re very sad to bring you news that NBA Live 13 will be joining NBA Elite 11 as the only cancelled sports titles in the history of EA SPORTS. An announcement made today by Andrew Wilson of EA SPORTS confirmed the cancellation of the game.
We also made a commitment to deliver a high quality experience — this is what our fans expect and what we demand of ourselves at EA SPORTS. But making great games is not easy, and we’re just not there yet on NBA LIVE 13. Having continued to look at the game over the past few days, it’s clear that we won’t be ready in October. And rather than launch midway through the season, we’re going to sit out the full year and stay focused on making next year’s game great. This decision puts us on the right track for success well into the future in a rapidly changing industry.
While this year’s game is cancelled after fans didn’t seem too happy with the first official gameplay, this does not mean that the series is dead. Andrew Wilson went on to say that, “I’m disappointed that we have not yet met our high expectations with NBA LIVE, but I remain motivated about where we’re going. We’re committed to delivering new innovation in online, and our progress in the visual presentation of the game continues to take big strides. We also know that a great game starts with great gameplay, and this remains a huge priority for us.”
How do you feel about the cancellation of NBA Live 13? Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or discuss NBA Live in our forums.