Electronic Arts is really trying to outdo itself with NBA Live 08. The developers are taking realism up a notch in the game, making it feel even more like a live broadcast of an NBA game with over 20,000 lines of speech from commenters Marv Albert and Steve Kerr.

To really capture the feel of a live NBA game, the developers had Albert and Kerr record their lines without scripts, ad-libbing their comments just as they would do in a live game. This preserves the spontaneity - not to mention flaws: the commenters will also be stumbling in their speech sometimes - of a live commentary.

To preserve authenticity, Albert and Kerr have also recorded 800 lines of player-specific comments for 130 players in the game. The lines will be played in the game when a specific player does a specific move (even their own signature shots) so players won't be hearing ambiguous lines referring to players who could be anybody. The commenters will really be specifying who is who in the game.

Another move for authenticity is the game's new default camera is no longer the baseline camera but rather a sideline camera, like the ones you see on a live broadcast. The change of default angles is to immerse players more into the game, but the baseline angle is still available.

Watch out for NBA Live 08 as it is released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and PC on October 2.

As if we need more reasons to look forward to EA Sports' NBA Live 08 (PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii), the folks behind the long-running NBA franchise just revealed this year's soundtrack to tease us. With 19 songs to choose from, something is sure to satisfy your need for a music fix.

There's a good selection, from Kid Beyond's Mothership to Stephen Marley's Hey Baby. Electronic Arts is quite proud with what it was able to cook up, with worldwide executive of music and marketing Steve Schnur saying that "the NBA Live soundtrack is the music industry's top playmaker."

We're inclined to agree, what with all the popular artists in the roster. "The NBA Live soundtrack is now officially a dynasty," Schnur added. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion though, so don't be shy to give your piece after checking out what's in store. Here's the list:

• Aasim - Customer
• Cool Kids - 88
• Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa
• The Dey - Get the Feeling
• DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. CL Smooth - All I Know
• DJ Vadim ft. Emo and Syrus - Fear Feats
• Dub Pistols ft. Terry Hall - Running From the Thoughts
• Eve - Tambourine
• The Hives - Well Alright
• Kid Beyond - Mothership
• KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives
• LCD Soundsystem - Us v Them
• Stephen Marley - Hey Baby
• Kevin Michael ft. Wyclef Jean - It Don't Make Any Difference
• Mr. J. Medeiros - Silent Earth (Ohmega Watts Remix)
• Mark Ronson ft. Tiggers - Toxic
• Joss Stone - Tell Me 'Bout It
• Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson - The Way I Are
• UnkleJam - Love Ya

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What we have here is a gameplay video titled "Throwing It Down" for the Wii version of NBA Live 08. A lot of gamers, even non-Wii owners, are quite curious how this will differ from the other builds (PS3, 360, PC, PSP, and PS2). As you all know, this is the first time the franchise will be making an outing on a motion-sensing console.

If we may add, NBA Live 08 is also the first true basketball game title for Wii, apart from the sports compilation games from various developers. EA Sports has elaborated in the past how its developers have spoken with professional NBA players to improve the game and Nintendo to fully implement Wii's unique control schemes.

Also, it was mentioned before that NBA Live 08 Wii will not be using the Friends Code system for its online play. Instead, EA Sports shared that it has implemented its own matching system known as EA Nation. All versions of NBA Live 08 is expected to ship to retail stores on October 2.

It takes a certain amount of class for a big development team to admit that they came up short for a game. In this trailer, EA Canada didn't hold back anything and admitted that NBA Live 07 didn't live up to expectations. The good thing about their acknowledgement is that they've set out on a motivated effort to make up for it by revolutionizing the franchise with EA Sports' NBA Live 08.

To prove this, they even sat down with the best NBA Live players online and got their feedback on last year's and this year's offerings. You'll see what happened to the chat in the video below.

As you will see, the new features and the older, but improved ones will be discussed. The graphics were also tackled and the commentary got some....well, comments. In any case, check this clip out and tell us what you think. NBA Live 08 is set for the Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, PS2, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and decent Windows gaming PCs.

 

If you've been waiting for some slam-dunking screens for NBA Live 08 for the Wii, then look no further. Electronic Arts looks to have done a great job with the game.

One of the awesome features of this game is the developer's use of waggle in various game situations. Judging from the screenshots depicting the controls, the game is very intuitive and the motions should come as second nature to those who really take to the courts to play some hoops.

If you're looking to pick this game up, know that it will be out this October 2. This game will also be available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC, and PlayStation Portable.

   

More screenshots after the jump!

We're all familiar with what Electronic Arts has to offer in terms of sports titles especially with the NBA Live franchise. For next season's version, NBA Live 08 will be coming out on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and - the most intriguing one - Nintendo Wii.

We say intriguing because it's going to be the first time the game will be released on a motion-sensing console and Wii owners are excited to know what difference it'll have compared to other versions. It's a good thing that French online site Art Du Jue had an interview with EA Sports Online Producer Julien Carron.

In terms of online functions, Carron noted that Wii fans will not be using Nintendo's Friend Codes system because their company's own matching system has been implemented in NBA Live 08. The online producer elaborated:

We have all of that standard leaderboards for online play. Our big win is 4vs4 online play - up to 4 players on one console can matchup against up to four users on a second console. We also use our own "EA Nation" matching system, so users don't need to go through matching up using Nintendo's "friend codes" system.

Speaking about controls, Julien Carron said that the Give-and-go passing system will not be activated with the Nintendo Wii version because they wanted to utilize the motion-sensing capabilities of the console. This is what Carron had to say,

Our new directional passing system gives Wii users a unique edge. A simple tap of a Control pad direction will pass the ball in that direction - it's never been easier to drive the lane and hit the open man in the corner for a three, or rapidly move the ball around the perimeter then dish the ball to the cutter going to the hoop.

If you've ever wanted to play international hoops in a video game but couldn't find one that will offer such a thing, then worry no more. NBA Live 08 (also coming to the Xbox 360, Wii and PC) just sealed a licensing deal with world basketball governing body FIBA and international teams will be included in the mix.

The Play Now mode allows you to pit the world's best teams against any ballclub in the NBA, while the FIBA mode will have you battling it out in an 8-team tournament to determine which national squad has the right to be called world champions. This means you can take it to the rack using Manu Ginobili while Spurs teammate Tim Duncan tries to stop you. Can T-Mac shoot fadeaways over Yao Ming? We'll find out soon.

2006 World Championship winners Spain led by Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasal will be there as well as runners up Greece and USA, as well as France, Germany, Italy, Argentina and China.

The announcement adds to the already stellar list of new features such as the Go-To basketball gameplay, deep customization and management. Combine that with the trademark quality graphics and sound and the NBA Live dynasty just might go on well into the new age of digital sports.

  

We saw NBA Live 08's (also coming to the Xbox 360, Wii and PC) E3 trailer screaming dunk-fests and new features a few days back, but that's not all EA Sports have to keep the ball rolling - we've found another which should please the crowd more than a buzzer beater would, and it's all about the new "Hot Spots" feature.

In this installment of the famous NBA franchise, players will now have the ability to see a NBA star's hotspots or where he has a higher percentage of draining shots down the ring. Looking at the video, it's not just your man's shooting ability that determines hot spots. Hot spots are more of preferences of where certain players want to make their shot, which vary a lot.

Watch the video yourself and you'll see that there's no discrimination with this feature which should deliver a much more dynamic game without creating too much balance issues.

 

For the new generation of EA Sports titles, Electronic Arts is introducing a family-friendly control scheme that will continue Nintendo's momentum in bridging the gap of hardcore play to formerly non-gamers. And the publishing giant recently revealed Wii Family Play, an optional gameplay mode for beginner players to get them hooked into the game easily without turning off the already hardcore virtual sports fans.

Instead of occupying two hands with a Wiimote and Nunchuck setup, Wii Family Play only requires the use of the Nintendo Wii's remote. Using the wireless remote, non-proficient gamers can learn an intuitive gesture control scheme to control in-game characters and coordinate plays, all seamlessly integrated into Madden NFL 08, FIFA Soccer 08 and NBA Live 08.

How seamless, you ask? Well, it doesn't even require a change of options. If you want Wii Family Play to kick in, just unplug the Nunchuck from the Wiimote and you're officially running in the gesture mode. It even occurs on a per controller basis. So the more proficient EA Sports Wii gamer can remain comfortable with the custom advanced setup while giving first-timers a chance to join in on the fun without fumbling with the controls.

Click on Full Article for screenshots covering Wii Family Play on all three titles, plus some additional screenshots for each game.

More than a decade after its rookie season, NBA Live is still the most internationally recognizable franchise when you talk about digital hoops. It may have taken a seat on the bench with its last few iterations but EA Sports is hoping to transform the next-gen era into another dynasty for the series.

The developers have given the game its new and improved look but more than aesthetics, they're placing the premium on gameplay factors. In the thick of things is NBA Live 08's Go-To Basketball system which allows players to play as realistically as possible by knowing the strengths of their particular ballers. If you love shakin' and bakin' as you drive to the lane, you'll be interested in one of the four elements of Go-To: The Quick-Strike ball handling system.

Quick-Strike takes a page out of the NBA Street brand and incorporates it with the freestyle dribbling game of past NBA Live incarnations. Where the freestyle controls allowed you to break ankles by chaining insane maneuvers with the right analog stick, Quick-Strike makes it all intuitive by toning down the more unrealistic stuff and giving players the moves that you'll see them do in the actual game. That means you'll still get the Nash first step but you'll hardly see a Yao Ming cross-over to keep it all real.

Perhaps the best thing about Quick-Strike is the emphasis on hesitation which makes it easy for you to break out of dribble moves like a pro. This means passing can easily be incorporated into your dribbling repertoire without fumbling a lot. With this system, you can distract your defender with a flashy move while waiting for a forward to set a pick. After that, you can choose to either shoot, drive or pass. Textbook execution.

   

Those of you who love to gut it out on the defensive end need not worry. Offensive players may have all the playground moves, but you'll have a risk and reward system that pays off if you're good at anticipating plays. Like in real basketball, you may either play a man loose or aggressive depending on the degree of necessity. Be careful, however, as the decisions you make can either set your man loose or send him to the line.

Overall, the Quick-Strike system looks very promising as it brings you closer to an age in the league where point guards are dominating the sport. Sneaker-squeaking action is right around the corner.