Here we go again with EA and their latest attempt to bring their Basketball title, NBA Live, into the limelight. Only they’ve hit a snag and now the title is being delayed until much later in 2019.
This was confirmed during EA’s new financial report, per Polygon. Previously set to release alongside of EA’s other sports titles, Madden NFL 20 and FIFA 20. As to why the title is being delayed, it would seem the company is either unhappy with the progress of the game. Or they want to switch it up for the upcoming season.
According to an EA Sports rep, the company is planning a different approach to NBA LIVE and they’ll have more to share later on.
What’s odd is even though the game was originally supposed to be released, there hasn’t been any marketing for the game whatsoever. No commercials, no ads, nothing. Which is odd as this is exactly when you’d want to advertise the game. With the NBA Summer league already underway and with the season starting this October 2019, you would think they’d be all over this.
Hopefully, this delay means that EA is actually trying to put some effect into this year’s release. Not that I’m dogging EA, but I remember when NBA Live was actually a good game. Now it’s a mockery of its former self. Don’t even get me started about NBA Elite 11, which not only was canceled but started this cascade of NBA Live failures.
EA needs to get this sorted and needs to come out swinging. Now that Visual Concepts NBA 2K series is the only NBA game on the market, they’ve been on the decay as well. Just ask anyone about the last few games and their virtual currency mess.
Or, you know, EA could just give us another NBA Street and I’d be happy with that. Either way, maybe I’m overreacting but this doesn’t look good for NBA Live this year. I really hope I’m wrong because I used to love this series. I grew up on this series and I loved when NBA Live and NBA 2K would dominate the market and force each studio to one-up the other. This needs to happen again.
