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NBA Live 09 - NBA Live 365 only free for new purchases

Queasy

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
Link - Another dev/publisher coming up with enticements to buy new.

EA has been hyping up NBA Live 09 because of a potentially game-changing new feature, known as NBA Live 365. The data for the feature, licensed by EA from Synergy Sports Technology, is the same stuff that real NBA teams use to analyze their play and prepare for games. It provides the backbone for Dynamic DNA and NBA Live Rewind, two core gameplay features that are new to the NBA Live series this year (on PS3 and 360).

It probably cost EA a pretty penny to obtain this tech from Synergy, but they?re nonetheless including it in the sixty-dollar retail cost of NBA Live 09. There?s a catch, though: you only get it for free if you buy a brand-new, shrink-wrapped copy of the game. Retail copies will come with a single-use code redeemable on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network to download the NBA Live 365 add-on.

I?m a bit relieved to hear this, because I went into the PlayStation Store yesterday and was bemused to find NBA Live 365 available in the Store for $19.99 -- even though the game doesn?t come out until next Tuesday, October 7th. My main problem with this is that people who buy the game next week might unknowingly re-purchase the NBA Live 365 functionality if they just see it on XBL or the PSN.

Of course, there?s a more nefarious side to these proceedings -- follow me to the jump for an explanation.

This is part of a recent rash of measures from companies like EA and Epic Games to try and cull some revenue from the used games market, from which they (until now) make no money. EA has put up the for-pay NBA Live 365 add-on for people who don?t buy the game new, so if you pick up NBA Live 09 used from GameStop in January for $40, you?ll still have to pay the extra $19.99 if you want to unlock the full potential (and the principal feature) of the game.

Similarly, Epic Games is including a one-time-use code for five Gears of War multiplayer maps in the Gears of War 2 case, but again, if you don?t buy the game new, you?ll miss out on those levels. The 20 extra songs that come ?free? with a purchased copy of Rock Band 2 also count as taking something away from would-be used game buyers. And according to Shacknews, the recently-announced AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack will come with its own redeemable code to allow you to export the 18 songs to your hard drive for use in Rock Band and/or Rock Band 2.

Frankly, I don?t have a problem with this; here?s the explanation from Marcus Stephenson, EA Canada?s Content & Community Manager:

This information and data is very valuable and it wasn't free for us.

T-Mobile is paying for it this year for all users who buy the game new.

This is a very expensive tool to use, and if you don't buy it new, then you'll have to pay for this. It isn't greed at all my man.
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AHAHAHA f'n EA.....trying to make every buck possible. They are damn good at doing it cus people buy the hell out of their games.
 
I'm all for this. There's always the possibilty that some people won't care about the update functionality.
 
I also have no problem with this. Seems like a good and perfectly legit move on EA's part. Glad to hear, though, that it's not an extra $20 like we all thought in the PSN store thread from a few days ago.
 
Originally posted by: Fanboy
I wouldn't play NBA LIVE if you paid me...horrible horrible.
2K9 is (again) flawless.
Click to expand...

Pretty strong words about a couple of basketball games that aren't even on the market yet, no?
 
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Fanboy
I wouldn't play NBA LIVE if you paid me...horrible horrible.
2K9 is (again) flawless.
Click to expand...

Pretty strong words about a couple of basketball games that aren't even on the market yet, no?
Click to expand...

The LIVE series has been pure rubbish for YEARS. Read any post on any basketball gaming forum. LIVE has been horrible arcadey (sorry they lost me when Nash started dunking) compared to 2k series which tends to be more "realistic" in its game play every single year. I have no reason to think the trend will change with the 2009 versions.

 
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Fanboy
I wouldn't play NBA LIVE if you paid me...horrible horrible.
2K9 is (again) flawless.
Click to expand...

Pretty strong words about a couple of basketball games that aren't even on the market yet, no?
Click to expand...

The LIVE series has been pure rubbish for YEARS. Read any post on any basketball gaming forum. LIVE has been horrible arcadey (sorry they lost me when Nash started dunking) compared to 2k series which tends to be more "realistic" in its game play every single year. I have no reason to think the trend will change with the 2009 versions.
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's not a good excuse to call one game "horrible horrible" and another "flawless". Had you said that Live will probably be bad and 2K9 will most likely take the crown again, then I would agree. But to use the complete ends of the spectrum to judge two games that aren't released yet is a bit much.

Just thought I'd call you on it, that's all.
 
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Fanboy
I wouldn't play NBA LIVE if you paid me...horrible horrible.
2K9 is (again) flawless.
Click to expand...

Pretty strong words about a couple of basketball games that aren't even on the market yet, no?
Click to expand...

The LIVE series has been pure rubbish for YEARS. Read any post on any basketball gaming forum. LIVE has been horrible arcadey (sorry they lost me when Nash started dunking) compared to 2k series which tends to be more "realistic" in its game play every single year. I have no reason to think the trend will change with the 2009 versions.
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's not a good excuse to call one game "horrible horrible" and another "flawless". Had you said that Live will probably be bad and 2K9 will most likely take the crown again, then I would agree. But to use the complete ends of the spectrum to judge two games that aren't released yet is a bit much.

Just thought I'd call you on it, that's all.
Click to expand...
And now that they are out..

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/917/917177p1.html

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/916/916742p1.html

http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=440
 
Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: Fanboy
I wouldn't play NBA LIVE if you paid me...horrible horrible.
2K9 is (again) flawless.
Click to expand...

Pretty strong words about a couple of basketball games that aren't even on the market yet, no?
Click to expand...

The LIVE series has been pure rubbish for YEARS. Read any post on any basketball gaming forum. LIVE has been horrible arcadey (sorry they lost me when Nash started dunking) compared to 2k series which tends to be more "realistic" in its game play every single year. I have no reason to think the trend will change with the 2009 versions.
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's not a good excuse to call one game "horrible horrible" and another "flawless". Had you said that Live will probably be bad and 2K9 will most likely take the crown again, then I would agree. But to use the complete ends of the spectrum to judge two games that aren't released yet is a bit much.

Just thought I'd call you on it, that's all.
Click to expand...
And now that they are out..

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/917/917177p1.html

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/916/916742p1.html

http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=440
Click to expand...

There was never any doubt. I would have bet ANYTHING on it. EA lost the "best sports franchises" long ago... they still ride the brand name recognition and nothing more. Madden? Its a joke. (I will grant them NCAA games and Tiger... but there's no competition there).
 
Originally posted by: Homerboy
There was never any doubt. I would have bet ANYTHING on it. EA lost the "best sports franchises" long ago... they still ride the brand name recognition and nothing more. Madden? Its a joke. (I will grant them NCAA games and Tiger... but there's no competition there).
Click to expand...

Don't forget about NHL 09.
 
Originally posted by: R Nilla
Originally posted by: Homerboy
There was never any doubt. I would have bet ANYTHING on it. EA lost the "best sports franchises" long ago... they still ride the brand name recognition and nothing more. Madden? Its a joke. (I will grant them NCAA games and Tiger... but there's no competition there).
Click to expand...

Don't forget about NHL 09.
Click to expand...

I said "sports franchises" 😛 I KID! I KID!!! I like/respect the hockey moms!
 
I don't think this is a terribly bad idea. It's an obvious cash grab on EA's part (given that there's still only one copy of the game that EA is sending updates to, and the original buyer already paid for said updates), but not the most heinous one they've ever tried to perpetrate.

That said, it does set something of a nasty precedent - what if manufacturers decided to include one-time-use DLC codes that activated a game on a console, and then forced subsequent buyers to pony up $30 for their own copy? IMHO, there is a lawsuit waiting to happen here with regards to right of first sale - if the box advertises a feature, that feature should be available (for free) to any subsequent buyer of the product.
 
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
live has been garbage for a while but they still manage to sell more than 2k which is a crying shame.
Click to expand...

Now think about the travesty that is Madden
 
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
live has been garbage for a while but they still manage to sell more than 2k which is a crying shame.
Click to expand...

Now think about the travesty that is Madden
Click to expand...

you must not have played madden this year if you think it's utter garbage. it's the best madden in years.

*face palm*
 
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
live has been garbage for a while but they still manage to sell more than 2k which is a crying shame.
Click to expand...

Now think about the travesty that is Madden
Click to expand...

you must not have played madden this year if you think it's utter garbage. it's the best madden in years.

*face palm*
Click to expand...

I did play it quite a bit. In several leagues in fact. Saying "the best Madden" in years isn't that much of statement though 🙂

Madden is fine. I guess I was over exaggerating with that. NFL2K series was way better though.
 
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
live has been garbage for a while but they still manage to sell more than 2k which is a crying shame.
Click to expand...

Now think about the travesty that is Madden
Click to expand...

you must not have played madden this year if you think it's utter garbage. it's the best madden in years.

*face palm*
Click to expand...

I did play it quite a bit. In several leagues in fact. Saying "the best Madden" in years isn't that much of statement though 🙂

Madden is fine. I guess I was over exaggerating with that. NFL2K series was way better though.
Click to expand...

I've always bought the 2K series of games over EA. Sucks about NFL.
 
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