The thing that sports video gamers constantly desire is authenticity. They want their games—whether soccer, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc—to correctly portray the professionals and leagues they see every day on TV.
Therefore, as a gamer, it was refreshing to see “NBA Live 14” team member Ryan Ferwerda, discuss the “NBA Live” crew’s commitment to providing that life like feeling in their next-gen game.
“I think one of the things you see with today specifically and really what’s kind of been a driving mantra for the entirety of the game is authenticity,” Ferwerda said in an interview with Dime magazine. “Everything you see about our game is all about being the most authentic, real basketball video game brand and game that there is out there.
“Every single thing we do kind of backs that up from animation, music, shoes- everything in our game. The goal is to make it exactly like the real NBA everyday and keep that updated and refreshed throughout the season. So every day you turn the game on, you’re going to get the most authentic, up-to-date experience.”
Developer Scott O’ Gallagher said the next-gen systems allow the games to be much more real, especially where specific player moves are concerned.
“Obviously these new consoles have so much more space,” O’Gallagher pointed out. He said this provides more room to capture certain from much more players than before.
O’Gallagher adds that the motion capture technology is a huge help in making each player unique. He said the team wants gamers to “feel the difference between Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich. Steve Blake and Steve Nash. Nash’s [hesitation] between Kyrie’s.”
It’s good when a sports video game developer understands, and more importantly focuses, on the consumer’s ever-growing desire for authenticity. Hopefully for EA Sports, who is trying to make a name for itself in the basketball video game world following three straight duds—their plan for authenticity is a success.
“NBA Live 14” will be available with the launch of the PlayStation 4 on November 15 and later this year for the Xbox One.
