14 DAY TRIAL // A representative of the NBA says that the organization still has long term trust in the NBA Live series from publisher Electronic Arts, despite the fact that it has failed to deliver a solid simulation experience with this years installment.
Vicky Picca, a merchandising executive at the basketball association, says that the video game company has been a solid long term partner.
She explains to GamesIndustry that, "They are – notwithstanding setbacks with their NBA game – an industry leader in sports gaming. We’ve always liked the concept of giving our fans a choice with NBA games. It drives competition and innovation."
NBA Live 14 was the game that was supposed to revive the basketball sim genre at Electronic Arts after an absence of a few years, using the new Ignite engine, but the title was poor in terms of mechanics and failed to generate solid sales.
The rival NBA 2K14 title from 2K Sports has managed to go from strength to strength and is constantly finding new ways to deliver the basketball experience to its fans.
Picca adds, "2K has figured out how to crack the code with savvy marketing and putting finger on the pulse of pop culture working with Michael Jordan in the past and LeBron James this year. From a technical standpoint, 2K spent a lot of time making the game look good. They did head scans for each player on each team for the next gen games, as an example."
The NBA also says that it is regularly contacted by other companies that have ideas for official video games and the organization says it is ready to work with all those who have compelling concepts.
Video games have the potential to expand the reach of the sport and allow true fans to create their own virtual campaign and special moments that create a better connection with the real world teams and athletes.