NBA Live 14: Game's Success Depends Entirely on Realistic Gameplay

The first trailer for NBA Live 14 didn't exactly generate the most positive vibes, but the final verdict on the game won't be cast until gamers have an opportunity to test the gameplay.

From a visual standpoint, the graphics in the trailer looked somewhere between current-generation systems and what one would expect from the Xbox One and Playstation 4. There were elements of the trailer that shined, but overall, it didn't blow most fans' socks off the way the NBA 2K14 trailer did.

At the time this article was posted, the NBA 2K14 OMG trailer had 1,011,045 views, while the NBA Live 14 official gameplay trailer had just 451,063 views. The Live trailer can be seen below if you missed it.

The two videos were only released one day apart. More telling is the like count for both videos. NBA 2K14's trailer has 10,564 likes to only 227 dislikes. In contrast, Live 14's snippet has just 1,876 likes to 6,310 dislikes. 

Needless to say, that is a significant disparity in some very important areas. That said, this doesn't completely close the book on Live 14's relevance this virtual basketball season. 

Curb appeal is great and it is a major part of the enjoyment level for gamers, but fans will make visual concessions if the gameplay is on point. The game's official Twitter account acknowledges the need to accentuate the pre-release discussion on gameplay in this tweet. Fans of the series know how important this is in the bottom line.

After all, it isn't as if NBA Live 14 looks like its from the days of an 8-bit console. On a scale 1-10, it would probably be fair to rate the visuals a seven based on what we've seen from other next-gen titles.

That said, if the gameplay can deliver the most realistic brand of video game basketball available, hardcore gamers will accept the second-tier graphics to play the more authentic hoops experience. That may be the big difference in sports gamers and fans of other genres.

Because real-life sports gives fans a frame of reference, realism is almost as important as the graphics. Fans of the NBA Live series are hoping the game comes through in that area.

Without providing an excellent gameplay experience, the game runs the high risk of failing in its return to the virtual hoops scene.

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