Digital revenues have skyrocketed in recent years for publisher Electronic Arts due in large part to the Ultimate Team modes in console sports games and free-to-play model utilized for their mobile sports games.
While the NBA Live series has struggled on consoles, with the brand possibly damaged beyond repair, what would happen if the game had no entry cost and could reach the hands of more people?
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To an extent that can now be assessed with the first-ever mobile edition of NBA Live, which is out on Canadian stores and will be expanding to the U.S. and other regions in the near future. The game is free-to-play but of course supported by the purchase of in-game currency. This is the route that has proven so successful on mobile for the company with their Madden and FIFA flagships.
Surprisingly, not only is NBA Live Mobile a fun game with a compelling concept behind it, but there are even some elements executed better with it than the series does on consoles. The simplification that comes with the Ultimate Team model, generally effective controls, and a free-flowing gameplay design, makes it one of the best team-based sports games to be found on mobile devices.
NBA Live Mobile is all about building up your personal team's roster. There's no playing with "real" NBA team rosters. Instead, the user starts with a base roster of low-rated players, and then through the purchase of card packs, acquisitions from the Auction House, and items received through rewards and completing collections, build the team into a powerhouse.
The game starts out with a tutorial that goes over the basics of playing fairly effectively. The controls include an on-screen virtual stick for movement and three "buttons" that have different functions when on offense and defense. There are no optional control schemes. The only thing that can be changed is reversing which side has the stick and which the buttons.
NBA Live Mobile features three primary modes of play. The first is a "Season" which consists of 14 games against A.I.-controlled teams. Win enough of them and make the three-game "Playoffs" and getting through those leads to the one-game Finals. Taking home the championship will bring lots of rewards with it, and then the season starts over against marginally better competition.
There are also Live Events. These are more along the lines of mini-games or brief stretches of gameplay that have an objective to achieve. The completion of them earns more coins and/or rewards in the form of cards, trophies, and collectibles. New Live Events are added daily.
Then there are Head-to-Head games. These are turn-based, with the user that initiates the game playing the first and third quarters against the other team's AI controlled players, and the other playing the second and fourth quarters. There are "fans" earned through the games which contribute to leaderboard progression, and advancement on the leaderboards is rewarded with special item packs.
The method of playing "head-to-head" makes some sense but in practice really doesn't work out. I've yet to have a single game go beyond my playing of the first quarter. Either the opponents I've challenged simply have no interest in playing the games or they are seeing a score that I've built up from the first quarter and deciding against continuing.
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The economy in NBA Live Mobile is made up of Coins and NBA Cash. The coins are earned through playing the game and selling items. They are used to buy card packs and obtain players from auction. The cash is what is purchased with real money and can only be spent on card packs.
The concern, as always, with the Ultimate Team model is that real money has to be purchased to keep up and compete with others, that it becomes a grind if not spending money which results in the degradation of the fun factor. That hasn't been the case with NBA Live Mobile. I was able to build up a pretty good team without spending money. That hasn't included the top rated players in the game but over time they seem achievable as well. It'll just take a lot longer to complete sets to get them or build up enough in coins to grab individuals at auction.
There is a "Stamina" element built into NBA Live Mobile, which is commonly found in free-to-play games. Each event played uses stamina, and if depleted, you have to wait for it to replenish before playing again, or pay to replenish it immediately.
Thankfully this artificial barrier to playing has only stopped me a few times in the many hours I've been active with the game. Max stamina increases along with hitting some new levels of XP, and it is replenished often enough as a reward that it hasn't proven frustrating yet.
While the building up of the roster is the driving force behind the Ultimate Team concept, the actual gameplay of course matters as well. Quarters are two minutes long and that is sufficient for this type of game. That I found the controls to function well is significant, as I've never believed on-screen controls for traditional team sports games on mobile devices to be a smart design decision. And most developers would agree given the shift to card battles and team building models.
On offense the stick controls movement while the buttons are Pass, Shoot, and "Drive" (holding it down sprints, tapping executes moves like crossovers, spins and hesitations). Holding down the Drive button and swiping over to the Pass and Shoot buttons proved especially effective for taking responsive actions when slashing to the basket or for getting the ball to an open teammate. On defense the buttons are for switching players, blocking shots, and defending (hold down to pressure the ball-handler or tap to try and steal).
There are some really impressive animations in the gameplay and smart movement from the players. When standing around on offense you'll find teammates setting up screens and working to get open. Like every basketball video game there are some issues with the directional-based passing, but here it's not near as frustrating as on consoles. The gameplay slows down on shots in the final 10 seconds of each quarter to add drama, but those scenes play out for too long and become a drag. The shooting meter is great and the rebounding is somehow better in the mobile game than in the console one.
The graphics are excellent for a mobile game. The courts in particular look phenomenal. While there won't be closeups of player faces they are still very recognizable, based on the accurate-looking player models and accessories.
NBA Live Mobile looks like a simulation game but it falls closer to the arcade-side of things. I've only seen a total of seven fouls committed in well over 50 games. There are no eight second or back court violations. Three-point shots and driving to the hoop for scores are money. The A.I. opponents have little clue of how to execute on offense and don't understand late-game situations.
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That all leads into the biggest problem with the NBA Live Mobile: it's far too easy. I haven't lost a single game and the vast majority have been blowouts. What good is it investing time towards improving your team when you don't actually feel it's necessary to do so?
All of the players, even those rated around 60, are good enough to get wins with against the A.I. Even in Season Mode, with the A.I. teams getting slightly better each season, user teams just advance at a much faster rate so they'll never be competitive. The game shouldn't be hard but without an actual challenge interest can quickly begin to wane.
What works for NBA Live mobile, as far as a long-term goal, are the collections called "Sets". Putting cards, trophies and other items that have been earned towards these sets will eventually unlock highly-coveted items that even include legends.
The simplicity of the team-building model and enjoyable accessible gameplay puts NBA Live Mobile in the company of the best sports games on mobile. If it doesn't become more challenging however it will remain as simply a lengthy campaign to collect the most desirable players, with little need for them on the actual court.
NBA Live Mobile was reviewed on iOS and is also available for Android devices.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the new site HitThePass.com, hosts the Press Row Podcast, and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.