Two 'hardcore' b-ball franchises on the outs
by Jason Dobson 
{ Oct 23rd 2008 at 1:55PM }
Regarding NBA Street, EA Sports boss Peter Moore explains to ESPN that the division is reevaluating its mixture of licensed and original IP, adding that "we need to develop some new things." But don't go expecting anything particularly edgy to come out of this moment of clarity. "If Wii Sports has taught us anything," adds Moore, "it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long. We need to be able to tap into that audience."
As for Midway, the company likely counts Ballers among the underperforming projects Interim CEO Matt Booty recently vowed to keep at arm's length. According to ESPN, the financially strapped publisher is currently digging under cushions in the office couch in order to "buy its way out of the licensing deal" it has with the NBA.
[Thanks, Sean]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
captainprotonx @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:58PM
And boom goes the dynamite.
MuToiD_MaN @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:58PM
I just watched that episode
Kspraydad @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:59PM
Great...more 'big head' games coming in.
Funny, I though big heads and the NBA franchises would be a fine combo.
Duke @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:01PM
"If Wii Sports has taught us anything, it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long.."
I love that statement.
Vidikron @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:26PM
Well, it worked for NBA Jam.
But, seriously, does this mean we're going to see the "extreme" sports franchises traded in for lame "big head" versions? I don't care much about these two, but I'm still hoping for real SSX sequel (i.e. not that Wii crap).
jorojoserojas @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:32PM
Hey Vidi, not to start an argument or anything, but I wouldn't call SSX Blur on the Wii crap. It was fast, fun, and it was difficult to pull off a lot of tricks until you really practiced.
It wasn't the best game ever or anything, but it stood out well on it's own merit.
Victus @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:59PM
NBA JAM > all of these pretend "hardcore" games.
cjaggers @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:21PM
I thought the same thing, when he commented about "it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long." I thought, about NBA Jam taking all of my quarters growing up and missed it. Midway should have kept that franchise.
nonpareil @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:00PM
Good idea. Both sucked.
Chin-Poh @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:15PM
Aw, I liked NBA Street. : (
Odog4ever @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:09PM
"If Wii Sports has taught us anything, it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long.."
I want to meet these "tennis" players. The people that I know with a Wii played the shit out of Wii Sports for a couple of weeks and then promptly let the console collect a thick coat of dust. And they MAYBE bought one or two games for it which they also don't play anymore.
T @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:41PM
Funny, your anecdotal evidence sounds like the cliched Wii owner that people make up.
All the people who I know that have a Wii still play Wii Sports at parties (great drinking game), and have things such as Guitar Hero, Force Unleashed, Metroid, Mario, and Mario Kart.
So I guess my ancedotal evidence cancels yours out.
Kspraydad @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:42PM
@T
Yet polling has shown that the dusty Wii is a reality.
Odog4ever @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:43PM
The sales figures (which you can't argue are made up) show that over the ENTIRE Wii install bases people don't buy additional games and if they do it's usually first party titles, so unless EA gets their game developed and published by Nintendo and calls it Wii Basketball they've got an up hill battle.
Deeznuts420 @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:44PM
anything can be a great drinking game, ever played donkey punch?
AoE @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:41PM
Donkey punch is a pretty fun game!
deaftly @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:27PM
NBA Street was awesome. Weak.
GohanGVO @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:32PM
This is the truth right here. A shame that the series will likely be retooled into some mini-game laced product under a different name.
McWeen @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:37PM
I don't follow sports at all yet I own all the NBA Street games. They are no NBA Jam but they are still fun pick and play games with friends.
MC Double Def DP @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:46PM
the last NBA Street was beast. Nothing better than Shaq slamming the basket, then doing a back flip and slamming it again! boomshakalaka!
ill trooper @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:24PM
"If Wii Sports has taught us anything, it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long.."
I know he's smarter than to mistake the 'big heads' as the reason people play Wii Sports... People play/played Wii Sports because of the controller, not the heads. Wii Sports is a unique case that had unique timing, and was the defacto demo for what the Wii could do. "Tapping into that crowd" again is proving hard to do even for Nintendo, who did the first "tapping."
AoE @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:43PM
I think when he said that he was just trying to be dismissive and insulting :)
Duke @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:39PM
Bullshit! I LOVE NBA Street! I prefer that over any other basketball game. Homecourt was the best basketball game I've ever played. Thst shit was sick!!!
Deeznuts420 @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:43PM
the nba street franchise was good wtf, of course homecoming couldve been better but the street vibe it had was dope as hell.
PSN: HinchyFC @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:57PM
...says Deeznuts420.
Deeznuts420 @ Oct 24th 2008 8:56AM
yes, you can read a username. want a cookie?
M @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:54PM
Street Hoops!
(I liked it)
Brazell @ Oct 23rd 2008 10:20PM
NBA Street was one of the best EA products to come out in years and years, but it ran it's course. There was nothing that they could really do with the game after Volume 3, which was the best of all of them. Perfect balance in gameplay, still exciting, still enough new stuff.
After that, they ran out of ideas.