Well, let's just say, NBA Live 15 wasn't a train wreck. But it also wasn't a gold mine. Graphics were stagnant in comparison to the other aesthetic visuals that ea had to offer for 2014. One game in particular, which the nba live franchise should build off, is ea sports ufc.
SCANNING:
A. Faces
UFC developers took athletes into a white tent where they had a 360 degree camera layout for scanning. By brining in nba athletes and scanning them in this "white tent" rather than nba live 15 tactics of a bare room with little to no lighting in it. By scanning 360 degrees rather than the traditional 240 from live 15. The 360 method catches the lacking 120 from live 15. By in a sense, "borrowing" or building off of the technology by the UFC campaign, the facial visuals will be intense in live 16.
* making facial hair more free moving rather than clumpy, helps lessen the cartoonish look.
B. Facial Movement
Using the COMPLETE ignite engine, facial expressions can be captured fully to ensure fluidity when switching facial gestures. Players like kevin durant, who shakes his head in discontent with a mean mug on his face after a missed free throw, or tim Duncan who gets big eyed after a bad foul call. By scanning different reactions the live team can pinpoint exact times to show reactions during camera cuts.
C. Accessories
Ea really messed up the past 2 years on Carmelo Anthony. The lining of his hairline and headband are crooked. By scanning melo in his headband you can get the exact face, as well as the cotton in the headband itself. Another aspect is the mouth piece players wear. Scanning players with their piece in, as well as guys like durant and curry who shift it around outside of their mouth. Guys like Ray Allen who chew gum, or even the different chewing motions of other players. As far as shoes and shooting sleeves, a new layer of color, more dark and lifelike. Leggings that most players like to wear need to be incorporated into the game. As well as compression shorts. Socks, yes socks, aren't always dry fit like nike. Making them loose and able to fall down adds to the realism.
D. Body Types
By scanning players in the white tent in essentially their compression shorts (no homo intended) but getting exact body length and height. As well as exact tattoos on the arms and bodies. Players doing simple movements to get exact likeness, including calf muscles which were cartoonish the past 2 installments. Scanning elbows and hands allows for more detail, including fingernails and skin textures.
E. Multiple Face Scans
Players tend to grow facial hair throughout the playoffs or even a long 82. Chris "birdman" Andersen sometimes has a Mohawk or sometimes has a beard. Sometimes durant has naps or sometimes his head is shaved. For guys like joakim Noah and steph curry, they have gaps in their teeth. So when they yell or smile, you see their dental abnormality.
F. Rim, net, stanchion
Fixing the rim to where it reminisces an actual nba rim is key. By scanning an official nba rim without a net, in the 360 tent, you can get it's exact shape, diameter and color. Then you scan it again with the net set. Not all nets are the same in the nba. By working on a new physics based system strictly for net movement, you can get all net swishes that flip over the rim. The padding on the stanchion should reflect the team playing. If you're OKC, McDonald golden arch is in the middle of the padding.
CUT SCENES/CAMERA CUTS
G. Making the game more realistic involves adding more camera cuts. Live 15 tried, but still came up short in that department. Adding more looks at players faces, especially with the updated visuals, could give the game that next gen feel it's been missing.
NEW RIVALS MODE
- much like nascar thunder 2004, where you have to be cautious or else you could make enemies on the track that would wreck you at any time, nba live 16 could include real player/team rivalries that could get heated at any moment. For instance kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony. After the constant trash talking one night in Madison square garden, Anthony and Garnett went at it all game. With the new rivals mode, the CPU or even you, can add more aggression towards othe players on the court. Which in turn leads to retaliation by that player. Cut scenes including fights, could be documented by Breen, van gundy, and Jackson. As well as technical fouls and player ejections being assessed.
* cut out the arcade style. Keep it purely simulation without any cheese.
INSTANT REPLAY/ TV SPOTS
- Having instant replay during a game after crucial moment in a game, showing replay after replay from different angles as the commentators talk about it.
- Tv spots, like mini commercials for Kia, sprint, etc during quarters gives more realism.
COMMENTARY/ ESPN
- By channeling the excitement of mike Breen as we've all seen before as well as the irritation of Jeff van gundy over a flopping play, and not to mention the catchy phrases by Mark Jackson, The game could add a lot to the franchise considering it's reputation for dry commentary.
- By re creating the espn nba pre game show and halftime show, hosted by Doug Collins, jalen rose, bill Simmons, and sage Steele, ea could milk the espn liscense in ways they never thought before.
- During the game, having espn bottom line, as well as in game updated from around the nba or even fictional games for playing during the summer.
- getting Craig sager or someone else at espn to interview players at halftime as well as the start of the 3rd and after the game. Adding photo bombing by teammates, and other cool things adds to the realism.
CREATE-A-FAN
- a concept stolen from madden 11 for ps2, but with more customization features.
MASCOT GAME
- another concept taken from other ea sports franchises. NCAA football 2003, where you could play games entirely as the teams mascot.
CHEAT CODES
- for unlocking the aba ball, special ea teams, etc.
RATINGS
- by overhauling the ratings and running rosters based off of statistics by synergy sports, the top players per team would be ranked accordingly.
ANIMATIONS
- exact free throw rituals. Rather than rushing the time at the line, slow it down. Most espn games allow them to show the big game billboard. Amare likes to push his glasses up and shoot blindly. Allowing players to pull on shooting sleeves that may be falling down, or adjust socks or even tying their shoes.
- players like Lebron who lost his headband for a whole quarter and still dominated with no regard for it.
- players adjusting specific accessories.
JERSEYS
- by using the cloth physics and scanning from nhl 15, jerseys can be designed to move with fluidity rather than a swaying motion in live 15. Players like Kobe, wear jerseys a few sizes too big. Try and incorporate all the little details.
OTHER NOTABLES
- Hair movement should be on point. Guys like Kelly olynyk and Luis scola have long enough hair for it to move to and fro.
- getting exact celebrations as well as pre game rituals. Ie, Lebron chalk toss, shumpert hold my phone, etc.
* for rising star, allowing fans on twitter, Facebook, etc to get their full names in the game so that their likeness will be more accurate rather than a cheesy nickname or just #12.
* edit players
CREATE-A-SHOE
- give gamers the ability to create a signature shoe that can be used in rising star or other game modes.
Now I know I could go on, but I feel as though I covered the basics. Maybe EA likes the ideas, maybe they follow another direction, who knows. All I know, is that NBA Live 16 is just 11 months away.
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INJURIES
- by copying the laseration techniques in ea sports UFC, things like a broken nose or an elbow to the face, results in blood galore. Such as nick collison, who averages more stitches than minutes.
- not sure if it will work and I don't think any mocap guys would break their own leg for a videogame, so attempting to recreate let's say a paul george broken leg, or etc, with CGI technology.
- Lance Stephenson blowing in lebron or someone else's ear? Only in NBA Live 16.
NBA ALL STAR WEEKEND
-3 point contest
* just like live 08
- slam dunk contest
* allow players to call out celebs from the audience to help them with a dunk. Allow objects for them to dunk over, as well as dunks from past contests. Allow players to hit the nae nae or other popular dance moves with other competitors or even their team mascot.
- Taco Bell special skills challenge
* based entirely off of skill
-Sears shooting stars
* use any 3 player combo, from current, former, or even wnba.
ADIDAS LIVE RUN
- make it just like live 10, but with the option to carry over to your rising star.
FIBA WORLD CUP
- let us return as team USA and battle it out just like real life. Make sure 3 point line is global regulation as well as shorter nets.
ANIMATIONS
- if a players shoe comes off, giving the gamer the option to put it back on or just mike miller it.
- players tend to have un tucked jerseys by the end of a game, so adding this aspect is crucial.
ANIMATIONS
- players talking it out to the ref, via hand gestures, etc.
- adding faces players make after a posterization. Ie, deandre Jordan dunk face.
- the ball getting stuck in different ways.