Monday Tip-Off: The Door Finally Closes on NBA Live…Maybe
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how the door has seemingly closed on NBA Live.
Although NBA Live has remained dormant since 2019, I’ve still had plenty of reasons to write about it. Older releases have re-entered my rotation, and I’ve developed more of an appreciation for them. There are some that I’d like to dust off more often, and even mod. I’ve talked about the opportunities the series has had, and some of the ones that it’s squandered. I’ve lamented how both the series and its long-time fans deserved better. Above all, I’ve continued to champion the need for alternatives, and noted how despite numerous setbacks, somehow the door has remained open for NBA Live.
However, with the shutdown of NBA Live 19’s servers and no new release on the horizon, it feels as though the door has finally closed. I could be wrong here, and it’s certainly not the outcome that I wanted. I still believe in the importance of having at least two viable sim options on the market, and I’ll continue to advocate for that. Even if a return for NBA Live is as highly unlikely as it seems, there’s arguably still a better chance of that happening than another developer stepping up to try to compete with NBA 2K. For now though, with online support for NBA Live 19 ending and NBA Live Mobile being the last vestige of the series, the door has seemingly slammed shut.
You could reasonably argue that the door was closed on NBA Live long before now. Indeed, the moment that internal discussions at EA Tiburon led to the decision to can whatever they were working on when they announced they were skipping NBA Live 20, its fate was likely sealed. My optimism for a return has undoubtedly waned the more time that’s passed since that 2019 post. Still, being unaware of those discussions and with a vague pledge to hold onto, from our perspective there was still a semblance of hope. Even as EA were getting ready to flip the switch on the NBA Live 19 servers last week, the LIVE Events still displayed an expiry date over a year into the future.
Obviously, that didn’t mean anything, especially after the official announcement last year that by the end of January 2026, online support would end for NBA Live 19. For a few years though, it was something to cling to. It wasn’t unthinkable that with the series in limbo but a return still possible, the expiry dates for the LIVE Events were set far into the future to extend support while EA geared up to bring out a new release. It wasn’t an explicit promise of course, but it was a feasible scenario; enough to keep hopes alive and the door seemingly open for NBA Live. EA’s silence spoke volumes however, stifling the notion that those expiry dates were a countdown to a new game.
And so, here we are. The last NBA Live game – to date and quite possibly for good – has had its online support discontinued. Much of the online functionality had already started to wind down, but what was still up and running has now also been shut off permanently. The final roster update will no longer come through if you don’t have it. Ultimate Team is gone, along with a majority of the Legends. I believe most of the matchmaking functionality was shut off a while back, but it’s definitely unavailable now! Offline modes are still playable, but the digital version is no longer available. So, yes, the door has been closed on NBA Live 19…and maybe the series as a whole.
There were strong reactions when I covered the announcement of the NBA Live 19 server shutdown, and posted some further reminders on our social media. I found it heartening – albeit in a bittersweet way – to see that a decent number of people were dismayed by the news. They shared the posts to their feeds or tagged friends in their comments, suggesting they get in some last runs with the game while they still could. Others simply lamented the news and wasted potential of the series, or recalled having a good time with NBA Live 19 and previous releases. In short, it was clear that many people still care about NBA Live, have enjoyed the series, and are sorry to see it go.
It’s what makes the “who cares” and “who actually plays this” comments even more obnoxious than usual. I can understand the sentiment, because a lot of people have felt burned by EA Sports in general and NBA Live in particular. Still, when you can see other people talking about how they’re playing NBA Live 19 and enjoying it, and that they wish the series would continue, it should be clear that even if you don’t care, you don’t speak for everyone. Of course, considering that there are assertions that “no one” plays MyTEAM or MyCAREER – NBA 2K’s two most popular modes – far too many people lack the self-awareness to realise that gaming isn’t just about what they like!
That certainly applies to the people who have delighted in the downfall of the NBA Live series, and insist that the door should be slammed shut on it. Again, I understand feeling that way, and personally shutting the door or turning your back on NBA Live. Its shortcomings have broken trust in the brand, and in turn lost some loyal customers. I don’t blame anyone for choosing not to buy or support NBA Live. What I do object to though is when those people argue that NBA Live shouldn’t be made, as that denies everyone else a choice. It’s a selfish stance, as an entertainment product that you’re not interested in, and can easily refuse to buy or consume, doesn’t impact you whatsoever.
It speaks to how we can make our passions, interests, and preferences too much of our personality, to the point where everything becomes a zero-sum game to be won. If we still had NBA Live, it wouldn’t prevent anyone from choosing to only play NBA 2K. However, it would mean that fanboys couldn’t gloat about “their” game being the only choice, or act like they’re part of the winning team. I’m sure that Take-Two genuinely appreciates such loyalty! In any case, the irony here is that a not insignificant number of people who have grown unhappy with the greed or overall quality of NBA 2K are nevertheless against having any competition and alternatives in the space. Go figure.
Of course, while those attitudes are myopic and selfish, those people can hardly be blamed for NBA Live’s lack of success. The failure to achieve the level of quality NBA Live needed in order to win over sceptical gamers, as well as truly satisfy its loyal fanbase, is ultimately why the door has seemingly been closed on the series. It wasn’t the responsibility of all basketball gamers to make NBA Live successful by buying and supporting it uncritically and unconditionally. Obviously there has been a contingent of gamers who were eager to give the series a chance and did enjoy the eighth gen releases, but bottom line, the efforts to rebuild the series came up short.
What’s frustrating for those of us who wanted to see NBA Live succeed is that while it may have seemed miraculous that the door remained even slightly ajar, it wasn’t just a matter of not being entirely satisfied with NBA 2K. We did see some good ideas in NBA Live, even in the rougher seventh and eighth gen titles. We saw some progress, and a handful of releases that were at the very least playable, with a couple of them being respectably solid to good. Unfortunately, progress stalled, in no small part due to constant changes in direction. NBA Elite 11 was undoubtedly a prime example of that, as it threw away all of the momentum the series had gained with NBA Live 10.
After a false start with the cancelled NBA Live 13 and lacklustre comeback with NBA Live 14, the series once again made some progress with NBA Live 15 and NBA Live 16. Of course, then came another year off, before the series changed course once again with NBA Live 18 as control was handed to a former executive producer for the Madden series. Not only was this a similar mistake to entrusting the NBA Elite 11 revamp to someone with a background in hockey, but new leadership didn’t seem very interested in fostering a relationship with veteran basketball gamers. Talk of chasing a “new, younger demographic” was an immediate red flag, as it felt rather alienating.
The new community manager – a Ronnie 2K wannabe – took part in that alienation as well. He gave the cold shoulder to many content creators who had supported NBA Live for decades – including me – in favour of handpicking “his people”. No shade to them, but that spat on many of us who cared about NBA Live and knew our stuff. I’ve come to enjoy NBA Live 18 and 19, but by choosing to ignore us because they didn’t like that our feedback didn’t line up with their new “vision” for the series, EA failed to make changes and improvements that might draw gamers away from NBA 2K, and impress lapsed NBA Live fans. To be blunt, the lack of commercial success says it all.
As a result, the series that somehow survived NBA Live 07, NBA Elite 11, and NBA Live 14, appears to have come to an unceremonious end with NBA Live 19; a better game than the aforementioned three titles, but one that threw away goodwill and trust after so many chances. Some people may say good riddance, and look, I get it. Like an NBA player who fails to impress or even perform adequately when given ample court time, NBA Live found itself on the bench and subsequently out of the league. Still, that doesn’t mean that we can’t lament what could’ve and arguably should’ve been. Basketball gaming is in worse shape as a result of not having any competition.
If nothing else, it doesn’t feel right to see things go out with whimper rather than a bang, even if we didn’t want them to end in the first place. Sure, there’s a sense of finality with the NBA Live 19 servers being shut down – an event that we can point to as the door being closed on the series – but it’s still anticlimactic. It didn’t end with a disastrous release like NBA Live 07, or an embarrassing last-minute cancellation like NBA Elite 11. NBA Live 19 wasn’t everything we wanted, but it wasn’t spectacularly bad. There was no big announcement to bring closure, disappointing as it would’ve been. The promise to return after putting in extra work just went quietly unfulfilled.
To that end, in a strange way, it would’ve been easier to see NBA Live completely crash and burn rather than peter out. The fact that it did have some good ideas and the potential to really turn things around leaves us with some tantalising What Ifs. If only they’d second-guessed the decision to revamp with NBA Elite 11. If only they hadn’t constantly changed directions, causing them to lose further ground to NBA 2K. If only they’d listened to long-time fans instead of having their community manager act like a bouncer disdainfully turning away loyal patrons in an attempt to make a club cooler and more exclusive, when they could ill-afford to be so snootily choosey.
I’m not suggesting that the biggest reason NBA Live faltered is because older fans and content creators were shut out of community events and feedback programs. Even if they were still listening to us, it’s all just ideas and suggestions until the programmers writing the code can actually make them a reality. However, it demonstrated that they didn’t understand what gamers wanted, and preferred to curate feedback and criticism rather than address the issues that were holding the series back. Instead of polishing up and building on what they had, they changed direction unnecessarily. Not only did that result in stagnation and regression, but long-time NBA Live fans were alienated.
With that being said, an enthusiastic contingent of basketball gamers continued to play eighth gen NBA Live games throughout their extended online support. NBA Live 19 ended up cultivating a dedicated fanbase that stuck around long past the end of the 2019 season and the release of several new NBA 2K games. Even as of last week, there were people wrapping up their business with NBA Live 19, or jumping back on for one last session. This illustrates that as long as EA Sports were willing to keep the door open for NBA Live, gamers would at least peek in from time to time. Even with all the shortcomings, there was still interest in having it as an alternative.
Needless to say, it’s not just about our enthusiasm, or the willingness of developers to work on the game. The suits call the shots, and if a game isn’t profitable or otherwise seems like a risk, it’s probably going to end up on the chopping block. Considering the way that EA Sports backed out of making a college basketball game when they didn’t secure an exclusive license and Take-Two began signing deals with schools, it doesn’t bode well for NBA Live’s return. Frustratingly, they’re also sitting on a couple of IPs that might be a safer bet in NBA Jam and NBA Street. Not only would it be great to see new Jam and Street titles, but they could open the door for NBA Live once more.
Unfortunately, it seems that EA Sports are willing to let NBA 2K be the “undisputed home of basketball gaming” for the foreseeable future. While 2K has indeed done some fantastic things with the virtual hardwood, the NBA 2K series has begun to feel inhospitable with its focus on the online scene, so it wouldn’t hurt to have somewhere else to go for video game hoops. Thankfully there are other developers throwing their hat into the ring, from Play by Play Studios bringing us NBA The Run to some very promising indie basketball games. It’d still be nice to have a familiar Triple-A option in NBA Live though, but sadly, it doesn’t look like we should hold out much hope.
I’d love to be wrong, of course. The NBA Live series has meant a lot to me, as it’s produced some of my all-time favourite basketball games. It’s the reason this site was founded, back when it was the premiere name in sim basketball titles. Obviously it’s been dormant since 2019, but once again, with NBA Live 19’s servers shutting down and no announcement of a new game, it feels like the door that remained open despite everything has finally been closed. Some may smirk and revel in that, and others may be beyond caring at this point. For me and many basketball gamers I’m sure though, it’s sad to see. If that door opens again…well, I’ll want to see what’s on the other side.
The post Monday Tip-Off: The Door Finally Closes on NBA Live…Maybe appeared first on NLSC.