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EA Sports Cancels NBA Live 13
Another hoisted shot, another clank off the rim for the embattled NBA franchise from EA Sports.
Today Game Informer learned from multiple sources that EA has canceled NBA Live 13.
This marks yet another blow to EA's efforts to make a competitive NBA basketball game. In 2010, EA cancelled NBA Elite 11 over quality concerns, and moved the project from EA Canada down to EA Tiburon. Instead of diving into the project immediately, the studio took until November of last year to ramp up its development staff. That late start undoubtedly hindered the development, as the showing at this past E3 was panned by many for its poor animations and AI. Since that time, EA has kept the game under wraps.
Though EA is throwing in the towel this year, it is not ceasing development on the license altogether. In a post on the NBA Live website, EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson wrote:
"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."
While many applauded EA for not releasing a game that didn't meet its standards the first go around, this second gaffe could drastically drain consumer confidence in an already diminshed brand.
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