NBA Live 14 limited to next-gen consoles

NBA fans across the globe could be in for some bad news as EA Sports has confirmed that its Basketball game, NBA Live 14, which will be making a come back after three years, will be limited to the next-gen consoles. The developer said in a press announcement: “NBA LIVE 14 is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall and will usher in a new era of basketball on next-generation consoles.”

The game was revealed during EA Sports’s pre-E3 conference held in US. Dubbed NBA Live 14, the game was introduced by Sean O’Brien, Executive Producer, NBA Live, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers prodigy Kyrie Irving, who will be featuring on the cover of the game.

The trailer showcased improved graphics, giving the players a photo-realistic look, while new features like the “BounceTek” and the “True Player Motion” suggested a better gameplay. Talking about the features, O’Brien said, “The latest edition of the game could see more of physical battle than just the pass and score game.”

The game, running on the new ignite engine, could deliver a superior on-the-court performance and bring more realism in the playing style, something that can be accessed only once gameplay videos are released. But the trailer gives a good account of how the game would benefit from the new features. The “BounceTek” feature allows the basketball to be separated from the hand every time a player dribbles it, giving rise to more snatching opportunities, whereas the “True Player Motion” helps players make 360° turns, crossovers and many such moves at a very quick pace.

Though EA Sports believe that the latest addition to the NBA Live franchise could help in challenging its market competitor NBA 2K, a franchise by 2K Sport, the reality would be accessed only once both the games hit the stores. But for now, it can be said that limiting the game to the next-gen consoles could hamper the prospects of the game, which is making a comeback after a gap of three years.