NBA Live 16: Breaking Down New Live Pro-Am Mode

On September 15, EA Sports will release one of the most extensive demos in the history of sports video games. The demo of NBA Live 16 will include the ability to play exhibition mode with six teams (the Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards).

In addition to that, the demo will also give gamers their first look at Live Pro-Am. It's a new mode the series is introducing, and quite honestly, the mode's success will determine if NBA Live 16 is good or bad.

I had an opportunity to discuss this mode with executive producers Sean O'Brien and Ryan Santos. Here's that interview in its entirety.

Live Pro Am works with the long-time staple of the series called Rising Stars. For those who aren't familiar with the mode, it allows gamers to create a player who begins his career as a rookie and seeks to accomplish specific measurables throughout his career.

Ultimately, the idea is to become the greatest player of all time. It's very similar to NBA 2K's MyPlayer/MyCareer modes.

In Live Pro-Am, you'll take the player you created into one of two environments: Live Run or the Summer Circuit. Live Run is set up to allow you to team up with other Rising Stars creations to take on another team of human-controlled players in up to five-on-five action online.

There are various venues to play in, and the rewards for success vary. Winning and performing well helps to allow you to upgrade your player. Those upgrades can be used in Live Pro-Am or in the Rising Stars mode.

The Summer Circuit is a horde-style mode that sees you and friends team up online to take on CPU-controlled All-Star teams. Like Live Run, there are rewards and upgrades available with success in this mode.

Another main component is customization. Live Pro-Am allows gamers to not only show off their stuff, but also to wear the badges that prove their success in future competitions. Upgrades to certain skill sets and abilities will make shot motions and dribble moves available.

For example, if you see a player with Stephen Curry's jump-shot motion, you know he's upgraded his long-range ratings because the Chef's signature moves aren't available until your Rising Star reaches certain levels.

There's also a wealth of cosmetic customization. NBA Live 16 introduces GameFace HD to the mix. NBA 2K15 brought fans Face Scan technology to the series. It allowed gamers to create photo-realistic versions of themselves (when it worked) and further pushed the immersion of the MyCareer mode.

EA Sports is looking to take the next step with this concept. GameFace HD is a mobile-based application that will let gamers scan themselves with a phone or tablet. The process was demonstrated during EA Sports' E3 presentation.

Because Live Pro-Am is going to be available on September 15, it only makes sense that the GameFace HD app will go live on September 8, per the interview with O'Brien and Santos.

With almost every piece in place, there will be more than enough options available for virtual ballers to give NBA Live 16 a spin. Because NBA 2K16 doesn't release until September 25 to pre-order customers and September 29 with its retail version, NBA Live 16 will have the court to itself for 10 days.

Let the games begin.