#stickjockey
Coming back from E3 in June, I decided I'd seen my excuse to go get a Wii. NBA Jam, which we'd given a best-of nomination, and which was absolutely thronged inside Electronic Arts' booth, open to close. More »
In a recent investor communique, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter noted his belief that Electronic Arts would lose 1.1 million sales due to NBA Elite 11's delay and reduced the company's holiday quarter earnings estimate by $60 million. Also, because the sports sim will miss the beginning of basketball season with its 2011 release, he predicts that by the end of the company's fiscal year next March, Elite 11 will have only sold around 500,000 units -- if it doesn't succumb to the "possibility of being canceled."
Pachter's note briefly mentions the standalone versions of NBA Jam as "not a true substitute," so we followed up with the analyst extraordinaire to find out why he believes EA's other NBA game can't make up the difference.
"The standalone versions on PS3 and 360 might sell well, but I question whether they will be priced as $60 games, when the company had previously said it was giving them away with NBA Elite." He continued, "More likely, they'll be discounted to $50 or lower, and gamers will still balk at the price, given that it was going to be bundled with NBA Elite -- and likely will be, if the latter game ever comes out. So I'd say another 200,000 units, maybe."
As for the Wii version, he explained that the game was coming out anyway for the console, so the lack of NBA Elite may give it a "very small" bump of 100,000 units.
Well, it seems like the details regarding the release of the NBA Jam reboot on the 360 and PS3 have changed yet again. EA Sports just announced that its upcoming basketball title, NBA Elite 11, has been delayed beyond its release next month to an undisclosed launch window. You know, NBA Elite 11 -- that game that would come with a download voucher for NBA Jam, serving as "the ONLY way" players could grab Jam on Microsoft or Sony's home consoles? Seems that line's changed too.
The delay announcement also revealed that "we're going to ship NBA Jam as a standalone product on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in time for the holidays. Watch for more news soon on the exact timing of that release." We're going to hound EA to find out more about these plans -- will it be a retail release (the use of the word "ship" certainly seems to indicate as much). If so, will it carry a $60 price tag? Will NBA Elite 11 still come with a free copy of Jam, or has that offer been summarily revoked? Is this a test? Are you testing us?
#cheevos
The list of achievements is out for NBA Jam's Xbox 360 version, which is free for download with a one-use code included in NBA Elite 11 (also for the PS3). Three of them deal with buzzer beaters. More »
#potus
Fresh from greeting the Super Bowl winners in Madden NFL 11, President Obama will make an appearance in NBA 2K11, hosting a White House reception for the NBA champs in a special cinematic included in the game's Association mode. More »
Dallas Mavericks
Players: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Caron Butler
Mascot: Mavs Man
Denver Nuggets
Players: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin
Mascot: Rocky The Mountain Lion
Golden State Warriors
Players: Monta Ellis, David Lee, Stephen Curry and Andris Biedrins
Legends: Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin
Houston Rockets
Players: Kevin Martin, Yao Ming and Trevor Ariza
Legends: Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith
Los Angeles Clippers
Players: Baron [...]
- each team (with the exception of the New York Knicks) has no more than two legends
- due to contractural issues, certain legends aren’t in the game
- some players are on the wrong teams due to decisions needing to be made before roster changes were in effect
- this issue will be fixed on 360/PS3, but [...]
"Mr. NBA 2K11" is still noticeably absent from NBA Jam's Eastern Conference roster, which does boast the likes of Bird, Dr. J and Jordan sidekick Scottie Pippen. Even Drazen Petrovic, who is said to haunt the original arcade game and was removed from console versions following his death in a car accident, has been resurrected as a Nets legend. Of course, the new NBA Jam will feature plenty of current players, including the Miami Thrice, when it's released next month for Wii and as a downloadable bonus with new copies of NBA Elite 11 for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Each team has 3-4 active players, as determined by fan voting (with the exception of Gilbert Arenas, who made the cut but was left out of the voting after that handgun fiasco), explains ESPN, which obtained the complete game roster -- the West's stars to be posted next week. Additionally, most teams have a "legend" or two -- or three for the Knicks: Ewing, LJ and Starks (hey, they need help!) -- on hand, with a preference for the original arcade's stars (sorry Zo!). Some teams don't have a long or storied enough history to feature a legend, in which case EA has added the team's mascot to the bench -- or in the Pacers' case (a contractual hiccup with Reggie Miller), there's simply ... Schrempf.
Some late summer trades also contribute to a few oddities in the final rosters, with Courtney Lee (now a Houston Rocket) still on the Nets and Al Harrington (now in Denver) still a Knick. It's unlikely the Wii version will be patched after release, and EA Sports community manager Alain Quinto recently confirmed (in response to the question) that it wouldn't feature online multiplayer either.
Head past the break for the full Eastern Conference breakdown.
#sports
Not shocking news, but apparently it hadn't been put on the record yet, and some folks were wondering if NBA Jam for the Wii would have online multiplayer support over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Answer: No. More »
The NBA Jam developer diary posted below shows the considerations that went into solving the game's many artistic dilemmas. Like, how to make the game look new, but old? Rich, yet simple? Fun, yet serious? Modern, yet timeless? Basketball, yet golf? No, wait. Everything but that last one.
#clips
Wonder where they got the crazy faces for the superstars of the upcoming NBA Jam? EA Sports didn't bring everyone in to mug for the camera; they used a vast library of NBA photos to add emotion to the game's zaniness. More »
#clips
Sweet Aunt Nancy's pajamas - what? Tim Kitzrow, who probably gets introduced as "the Boomshakalaka guy" at parties, brings the bonkers in this tease for NBA Jam's high-def version on Xbox 360 and PS3, included free with NBA Elite 11. More »
#clips
When Mark Turmell - the lead designer and programmer on the original NBA Jam - came to EA Sports' reboot, he brought a list of 60 things the team needed to get right to make a true Jam. More »
It's easy to take jamming for granted. In NBA Jam, lighting one's self on fire and pulling off "the mad crazy dunks" looks so simple. It seems like all you need are some colorful shoes and a deep determination to dish rocks but, as creative director Trey Smith informs us in the video past the break, it takes more than that -- specifically, it takes knowledge.
And that's the inspiration behind bringing back Mark Turmell, the lead designer and programmer on the original game. It's allowed EA Canada to identify what has been internally referred to as "The Turmell Hit List," a list of initially overlooked issues Turmell brought to the table.
More NBA Jam News & Previews
More NBA Jam Info
NBA Jam at IGN.com
- new Remix Mode called Domination
- Dr. J confirmed
- Remix Mode features 91 challenges that are divided into different tiers (gold, silver, bronze) of difficulty
- Domination features a hot-spot style of gameplay (viewed in the footage above)
- objective is to turn every spot on [...]
#rumor
A preorder premium for NBA Elite 11 offered by GameStop tips off a new mode in NBA Elite 11, something called "Become Legendary." The smart money's on this being a singleplayer career along the lines of FIFA's "Be a Pro." More »
EA announced this morning that customers will receive a download code for NBA Jam on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 with every new copy of its upcoming (and far more serious) basketball game, NBA Elite 11. To some of you, it may be best to think of it as a free NBA Elite 11 with every NBA Jam. The way EA explains it: if you drop $60 on NBA Elite 11, due on October 5, the game will include a "one-time download code" for three modes of NBA Jam, including Play Now, Classic Campaign and Online.
By now, brilliant reader, you've likely caught on that there seems to be something missing here, like an individual release date or price for a standalone NBA Jam. We're following up with EA on that, but this deal already serves as an explanation for NBA Jam's appearance on several ratings boards -- sans official confirmation that the game would launch on anything else but the Nintendo Wii. (Also, would this be the wrong time to bring up that a large portion of a Wii game just got Project Ten Dollar'd?)
Update: On the PlayStation Blog, NBA EA Canada community manager Yaw Obiri-Yeboah emphasizes: "Another important note to share with all of you - the ONLY way you will be able to play NBA JAM for the PS3 is to buy NBA ELITE 11." ESPN reports the same goes for Xbox 360.
EA announced this morning that customers will receive a download code for NBA Jam on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 with every new copy of its upcoming (and far more serious) basketball game, NBA Elite 11. To some of you, it may be best to think of it as a free NBA Elite 11 with every NBA Jam. The way EA explains it: if you drop $60 on NBA Elite 11, due on October 5, the game will include a "one-time download code" for three modes of NBA Jam, including Play Now, Classic Campaign and Online.
By now, brilliant reader, you've likely caught on that there seems to be something missing here, like an individual release date or price for a standalone NBA Jam. We're following up with EA on that, but this deal already serves as an explanation for NBA Jam's appearance on several ratings boards -- sans official confirmation that the game would launch on anything else but the Nintendo Wii. (Also, would this be the wrong time to bring up that a large portion of a Wii game just got Project Ten Dollar'd?)
#sports
After months of rumours, EA Sports confirmed today that NBA Jam won't just be released on the Wii, with high definition versions also on the way for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Warning: some bad news follows. More »
NBA Jam is itself an NBA classic, so it's only fitting that the revamped Wii version brings back some classic players. A new trailer posted by MTV Multiplayer unveils six NBA stars who will return in big-headed glory: Clyde Drexler, Kevin MacHale, Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwan, Detlef Schrempf, and James Worthy. They'll join the previously confirmed Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. See the trailer after the break.
An ESPN interview with creative director Trey Smith provides some additional info about the nature of the game's "boss fights" -- one-on-one matches with these legendary players. For example, Magic Johnson can now perform, well, magic, teleporting around the court. "You think he's cheating, but that's a boss battle," Smith said. Players will have to watch for patterns, "And then, it's all about executing."
#clips
NBA 2K11 hasn't cornered the market on 1990s Showtime nostalgia. Yesterday we learned that household names like Detlef Schrempf and Clyde Drexler will return to the 2-on-2 Wii arcade title. Here's a video showing them in action. More »
