With the release of basketball’s two greatest and brand new video games, NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K10 (released on Oct. 6^th), lines are being drawn, opinions are being formed, and arguments are commencing.

Which of these two great basketball games is the best?

The time has come to attack this question, otherwise known as The Great Debate, systematically and with facts, proof, and evidence.

I would like to present to you the war between EA Sports and 2K Sports: NBA Live 10 vs NBA 2K10.

NBA 2K10 Analysis and Ratings

Every gamer knows very well that during the transition from PS2 to PS3 and Xbox to Xbox 360, was the point when we would really see who the true game developers would be. They would showcase their amazing graphics, game fluidity, and overall computer designing skills.

Well, I can bravely say that 2K came close to destroying EA sports in the NBA category during that period, with the release of NBA 2K7 beating Live 07 in nearly every aspect, and pretty much the same with 2K8, and 2K9.

And then there was 2K10…

Let’s look at the specifics:

NBA 2K10 Gameplay Rating: 8.9

This is 2K’s known area of dominance.

While playing this game, I felt that the pick and rolls were incredibly natural (Especially with CP3!). The dunks look simply amazing and are much better, surprisingly, with the bigger guys (Shaq, Dwight, Amare .etc). 

The three point shots are fluid and look balanced. Like always, for the most accurate shot, you must release the ball at the highest point (Ray Allen is incredibly WET!).

Although everyone loves offense, the defensive side of the ball will be a bit more crucial to game players, unlike 2K9. The CPU seems to be a bit more up to the task on defense to make you feel like a rookie, so in response the “human” has the ability to call more defensive plays than in any other 2K game.

Let’s also not forget the classic “energy meter”. There is an energy meter next to the name of every player on the court, basically representing the stamina/energy left.

So overall, you should be able to appreciate the smooth and modern gameplay of 2K10.

NBA 2K10 Features Rating: 9.0

Complementing the smooth and free flowing gameplay, 2K10 also adds a mix of classic and modern features.

One of these features, like in previous versions of the 2K series, is the Living Rosters update, which allows the game to update itself with every real-life trade acquisition, injury, signing, and release. It also even updates things like changing jersey numbers as well.

Another feature is the NBA Today mode, which allows you to actually play games that will be played in the real world on that same day with updated rosters, hot streaks, and rotations.

Then there is my favorite game mode (out of both games): My Player mode.

My Player mode allows you to create a fresh new player or you can choose a default one from the Xbox Live/Playstation Network. In this mode you will be able to run your player through various drills, practices, and scrimmages as his ratings continue to increase, and eventually you will be able to have your player enter the NBA.

But, if you are not as skilled, you just might be sent down to the D-League and have to work your way up to play with the big boys. No doubt in my mind that this game mode puts the cherry on top.

NBA 2K10 The “Other” Rating: 8.0

The one thing that 2K always has me smiling about is their track selection. This game has one of the sickest soundtracks I’ve ever listened to on a sports game.

Here are a few of the songs featured on the NBA 2K10 soundtrack:

• Kenan Bell – Like This (favorite)
• The Game – Champion
• Kanye West – Amazing
• Akala – The Edge

And there are plenty others..

In conclusion, NBA 2K10 is a great game for those of you who want to do more than just play a single game over and over again, as you can explore the various game modes, which are complemented by the smooth game play.

NBA 2K10 Overall Rating: 8.6

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NBA Live 10 Analysis and Ratings

Here we go EA!

You’ve shown us you can basically kill in almost every sporting category (except for MLB…Playstation bought it out). You’ve shown us that Madden’s voice on a video game can keep us entertained for over 10 years. You’ve shown us that Mike Tyson and Ali can actually fight eachother, and you’ve shown us that hockey fights can be better than actually playing a hockey game.

You’ve also shown us that FIFA..well, it’s probably your most bought game worldwide. Self-explanatory.

Yes EA, you’ve dominated in all of the previous categories. But, there is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball side of the gaming industry. Can you eventually take over this industry segment?

Maybe, maybe not.

But are you getting closer? Why, yes EA. Yes you are.

NBA Live 10 Gameplay Rating: 8.8

Those of you who are used to playing Live 09, good luck. The new installment of the Live series will take some time to get used to, and I mean that in the most positive way. Live 10’s gameplay is a bit more optional, meaning that it is much less predictable than Live 09.

For example, in Live 09, you would be in the middle of the air going for a layup and around 80% of the time the defender would be able to forecast how you would finish. In Live 10, there is a new feature which allows the player to change the direction or style of his/her layup, jump shot, or dunk.

So, imagine LeBron taking it to the rack and Dwight Howard is coming from the right; well, with the left analog stick you can switch the ball from the right hand side to the left..then you can finish it with a jam or a pretty layup (YOU DECIDE!)

As for the dribbling, it is extremely improved.

With Live 09 you could break down the defender by holding down the R2 Button and with right analog stick movement (right trigger for 360). But, with Live 10, you can simply hold the R2 Button down, and the dribbler will begin to dazzle you with his dribbling skills, then top it off with a sick crossover or step back with the right stick.

The offense in general has slown down a bit more, which allows the user to have more control of what he/she can do.

The defense is pretty much the same, except the game causes more turnovers than usual.

 Oh yeah, there is a also a new feature which offers off-ball control as well. Love it! 

NBA Live 10 Features Rating: 8.7

All of you who loved the NBALive365 and Dynamic DNA, prepare to fall in love again. Very similar to 2K’s Living Roster, NBA Live has a new feature called Dynamic Season.

Dynamic Season is a whole new breed of its own. Instead of being a free-for-all multiplayer affair, Dynamic Season is a single-player mode that allows you to play through a real NBA season as it happens. So if LA is playing BOS tonight, you could actually play that game, and then later that night compare your stats, to the actual games!

My personal favorite mode in Live 10 would have to be the Adidas Live Run. This is a refurbished and upgraded version of Live 09’s 5-on-5 online mode.

Live Run is a bit different though. Instead of choosing two teams and having to play a whole NBA game, you can actually have two teams of five online players. And guess what, now you can choose any NBA player you want!

Imagine having CP3, Kobe and Wade on the same team..can you say devastation?

EA may not have added as much as 2K, but they did improve nicely in each of their previously added Modes/Features.

NBA Live 10 The “Other” Rating: 9.3

Okay, this is the category that made up my mind.

EA has always been about authenticity and originality. They have always been about making you feel like, “Hey, maybe this is digital guy really is Chauncey Billups”.

Well this year, EA did it again.

I might as well begin with “The Hangar”, which is where you first play ball as soon as you start the game. It is basically a humungous basketball court with all of the NBA greats balling inside, and the best part is, you can listen to ESPN Radio as you work on your jumpshot. Amazing!

Then there is the gear. NBA Live 10 is adding all new (or old) retro jerseys to every team, along with new style jerseys such as the Miami Heat’s “El Heat” jerseys. Sick!

Then they have added over 500 shoes to the game, with guys like Bron and Kobe rocking their new kicks throughout the year.

Then last but not least is….the CROWD!

Yes, the crowd.

EA has really outdone themselves in one of the minor categories, which in the long run will definitely pay off. By listening to real crowds from NBA games, EA has added MVP chants when D-Wade takes the court in Miami, they have added boos whenever Vince Carter gets the ball in Toronto, and so many other life-like sounds that will make the gamer believe he is actually playing a fresh game every day!

Big Props to EA!

NBA Live 10 Overall Rating: 8.9

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I appreciate your patience for reading this, and don’t let this make up your mind, but only help you on choosing which game to buy (both rock!)

But…

In the end, I can happily say that EA has brought themselves back into the game!

Respectable links to watch vids:

NBA Live 10:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0HbSG–jI
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDhbHtY7AhM

NBA 2K10

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj4omrp0V1Y
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4EBuWJe3k

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You contact the author of this post at: devonnba4193@aol.com

1. I am not a “gamer”, per se. And by that I mean that while I enjoy video games, and have at times been quite into EA Sports games like NCAA Football and Madden, as well as 2KSports titles like College Hoops and the MLB 2K series, I’ve also gone entire calendar years without picking up a video game controller.
2. I’ve never owned a copy of any previous Tiger Woods game for any system, though I’ve played it from time to time.
3. I’m not into PS3s or XBOXs. I play the Wii exclusively when I play video games because I love the physical activity required.

And now with that said, you can take my next statement for whatever you feel it is worth: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii is the best sports video game experience ever. It has to be. I simply do not see how any other sports video game experience could compare.

I realize that, scientifically speaking, you cannot prove a hypothesis simply by saying that you cannot imagine an alternative; but I’m not trying to be scientific here. I am offering my visceral reaction to my first week of playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, based on my relatively limited knowledge of the overall video game landscape.

Allow me to now list of some of the reasons why I am so fond of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii, as well as offer you a pretty good deal on the game bundled with the Wii Motion Plus extension that I’m about to discuss:

• Click here: Buy.com Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 10 Bundle (includes Wii MotionPlus) for $58.99 + FREE SHIPPING! Exp 9/30/09

[Editor's Note: A reader updated me in the comments section that Buy.com may currently be out of stock if you use the link above. I'd still try there first, but if they are out you can always try Amazon at the following link: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii Motion Plus Bundle]

(And for whatever it’s worth, I did not initially write this review with the intention of dropping the above affiliate link. I wrote it because I am madly in love with this game. But once I realized there were affiliate links available, I figured why not. Gotta start adding a few bucks to the coffers here and there to save up for next year’s version!)

The Wii Motion Plus controller extension is like magic

I have played Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with the regular Wii remote, with the Nerf extension for Wii Sports that turns the Wii remote into an actual physical golf club, and with the Wii Motion Plus extension attached. There is absolutely no comparison. You get a completely different, and absolutely more realistic experience playing with the Wii Motion Plus extension. If you have a draw in your natural golf swing, chances are you will have a draw on Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 10. I know this because it’s true for me, so just like on a real golf course I have to compensate for it.

(And here’s a tip: make sure when you buy Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 — and you absolutely should buy it — that you get the one bundled with the Wii Motion Plus remote extension. It’s only about $10 extra, but I think costs $24.99 by itself. You really one need one Wii Motion Plus extension too. It’s golf, so only one person can shoot at a time and it’s easy to just use one remote and hand it off after each shot.)

Where you really notice the difference between the Wii Motion Plus extension and playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 without it is on the greens.  The precision putting is stunning in its accuracy. To be a good putter in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, you literally grip the Wii remote like you are gripping an actual putter, hold your hands exactly the same as you would a putter, and use the same smooth motion to putt that you’d use on an actual green. It’s a crapshoot without the Wii Motion Plus extension, but with it you can actually feel a little bit of the confidence and competence that the real pros feel when they step up to putt.

I cannot say enough about how realistic the Wii Motion Plus makes the experience.

The Course Selection is sublime

Over the last 36 hours or so, my buddy and I played a 72-hole 1-on-1 challenge and rotated between four different courses: Wolf Creek GC, St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and TPC Sawgrass. (He beat me by 6 strokes, that bastard. I was down 8 going into the back 9 at Sawgrass, battled back to 3 down with a string of clutch birdies, and then hit my tee shot in the water trying to land it a little too perfectly the island green. Needless to say, I was distraught.)

Among the other courses I can remember being on there off the top of my head: Doral, Bethpage, Turnberry, and a bunch of other British Open, U.S. Open, and TPC courses. There are tons of options, some of which have to be unlocked through the career mode. The only course I did not see that was a noticeable omission was Augusta National, which apparently has never been a part of the Tiger Woods series or any other video game series.

I guess a tradition unlike any other is too great for us mortals to play on a video game. Oh well.

The Player Customization and career modes seem incredible

I couch this statement with “seem” because I have not delved into the career mode yet myself, so I am going off of what I’ve been told by my friend and dad, both of whom have raved about the options and setup of the career mode. Plus, I’ve read in numerous other reviews that it is the most extensive and realistic career mode for any golf game ever…and perhaps even any sports game ever. After I investigate this more myself, I’ll write another post detailing the experience.

I can say that the player creation and customization options are pretty sweet. There are certainly enough facial and physical variables to create a player that looks pretty damn close to yourself or whoever you are modeling. And from kilts and sandals to slacks and golf shoes, you pretty much have every option possible for what you want your player to wear.

Online Options

Here is one of the criticisms I always hear of video games, especially golf video games: why don’t you just go out and play a real round of golf?

Look, I think there are very few people who would say that they enjoy playing Tiger Woods more than they enjoy actually being out there on a course. Absolutely, if I could round up my buddies and shoot over to Pebble Peach for a morning round on a Sunday, we’d all do it in a second.

But guess what? That might happen once in our lifetimes…if we’re lucky; and the truth is, it probably will never happen.

What is realistic is that my friends and I, scattered all across the U.S., could link our Wiis together, wake up on a Sunday morning, and play Pebble Beach while actually having to perform a legitimate golf swing on every shot. Sure, it’s virtual reality…but even the most jaded video game hater would have to admit that that is pretty cool.

And here is the other thing: I’m poor. Not destitute poor, but certainly not unpoor enough to be able to afford greens fees every weekend. What I can afford is the $50-60 bucks for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, which then gives me the ability to play some of the world’s most famous golf courses the way they were meant to be played.

If I stepped out onto the teebox at Pebble Beach tomorrow (assuming I was cool not paying rent for a month so I could afford it), I might shoot a 150. Granted, I suck, and it would still be fun…but I wouldn’t get to attempt some of the majestic approach shots from the fairway that make playing Pebble Beach such a great experience. I’d be in the water or hacking through trees just trying to make it to the green in single digits.

With a round or two of Tiger Woods to get comfortable with the swing mechanics, the distance measurements and suggestions, and the precision putting, you can competently step up from the pro tees and viscerally experience the power and frustration that Major courses bring. It may not be “real”, but it sure is fun. And fun is what video games are all about anyway; Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 just offers the most realistic fun I can possibly imagine.

One other note regarding online play: there are single-day and four-day tournaments going on constantly, which allow you to test your skills against other players from around the world. That’s just badass and something I can’t wait to delve into.

The game, of course, is not perfect. Here are a few quick-hit things that stink:

• You can’t include more than one user-controlled player in career mode. This isn’t a huge deal since I live alone, but would have sucked back in college. However, the improvements that your custom player makes do carry over when you use him or her in exhibition matches.
• There is no way to play an actual tournament with two human players, at least not that I found. My buddy and I wanted to set it up so that we could compete against other players in our 72-hole tournament. But this can only be done in Career mode, and only one player can play. So we just had to keep track of our 18-hole totals from each course ourselves, but it did give us the opportunity to rotate through some of our favorite courses.
• The announcers did not record enough statements. Scott Van Pelt from ESPN is one of them, and I think he may only have three unique statements in total. It’s pretty annoying when you hear “What a rare gem that was!” after you left a five-foot putt for par short.

Really though, those are pretty nit-picky. Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is an absolutely outstanding game. I’ve been playing all exhibitions with friends so far, so I’m excited to actually delve into the career mode and enjoy the challenge of working my way up to winning Majors. There is no way to quick-sim through stuff, which I like.

The best video games, in my opinion, are ones that are challenging but fair, realistic, and filled with options that allow you to customize your experience as you become more savvy. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 offers all of that and more. Plus, the evolution of Wii sports games brought about by the Wii Motion Plus controller extender catapults the latest Tiger Woods offering into the pantheon of greatest sports video game experience ever.

As far as I am concerned, it’s the greatest.

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* – Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 10 course screenshot credit: Official Website

* – Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 10 addressing ball screenshot credit: Sidelineshow.com

* – Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 10 cover image credit: WiiGolf.net

Hey sports nerds. I have gone through a couple of years in my dynasty with The Ohio State Buckeyes and I think I have a grasp on the new recruiting in EA Sports’ best effort to date. Recruiting is overly comprehensive and unless you want the computer AI to do everything for you, you should keep reading. By the way if you let the computer recruit for you it also means you will not get the best class possible. Note: This is a “strategery” that will work for a powerhouse, since I have time for one dynasty at this point. My examples will be based off of being tOSU out of Columbus, OHIO.

Setting up your success in the preseason:

In your preseason you have many tasks before week 1 of the college football season. One of them is filling your recruiting board (up to 35 slots) with players that you will want to recruit this year. Your team will have a few positions listed as immediate needs so make sure you get someone good (or someone) because placing a walk-on high in the depth chart is a recipe for failure.

Find guys who are already highly interested in you. Keep out the guys who maybe a blue chipper but do not even list you in their top ten and already have high interest in another BCS school. I only do that if I need an immediate starter at kicker or punter and he needs to be a bad ass to compete next year.

Also, don’t worry about being perfect with your recruiting board in the preseason, because at any point in the season you can remove prospects and add other high school players. This is beneficial when a player commits to another school, or you can see the inevitable when, for example, that one blue chip defensive end from California won’t budge on his top three and you cannot crack it. Just let them have him, you can’t win them all.

Other preseason jobs will be to redshirt players on your depth chart and setting up your schedule. Schedule as many home games as possible. It will help in the long run when setting up campus visits with those high school seniors. Also be careful not to redshirt a lot of true freshmen already on your roster because that will discourage a high senior in the recruiting process if early playing time is important to them. Offensive and defensive backs and receivers seem to be the positions where playing time is important.  

Executing in the Regular Season: Each week before you play your game you will have to go through recruiting via telephone. Again make sure your computer help settings are turned off, as this is a manual recruiting guide. You get 10 phone call hours per week. The columns next to your players provide information like your position and interest level on the player’s list of schools, how many schools his list is down to, gain/decline in his interest in your school, ready or scheduled campus visit, and how many schools have offered this player a scholarship and if you have or not. If a player shows a lot of interest in you early on and resides in one of your “pipeline” states (Ohio State: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida) it is a good idea to offer a scholarship right away. Or if this player is an immediate need on your next year roster.

You have 25 scholarships open to offer per season but try to get them early. Unlike past seasons of NCAA Football, it will always be 25 since you cannot get hammered by the NCAA for violations and behavioral problems.

The options in calling a recruit is a quick call or call recruit manually. These are like sales calls. Quick call provides the option to call for 5 to 60 minutes and offer a scholarship, if you have not already. The computer will then get info during the duration you call, including their priorities or if any interest was gained on a sway pitch. The goal of calling manually should be to find out what the player prioritizes from “Most” to “Very High”. If you see a pad lock icon next to that subject do not waste time trying to “sway” that player with your pitch. Watch the icon of the face on the football because its reaction is what you want to base your pitches off of. If you talk too long or about a subject they don’t care about or a subject your school has a bad rep for, then they will get mad and hang up the phone. In turn, you will probably see your school drop on his leader board the following week. Keep that football face smiling! You do that keeping it short and sweet, and by pitching about a subject that is of Most or Very High importance to the prospect.

If it is the first time you’ve called a recruit you must find the importance of a pitch to the player so quickly go to a subject your school is strong in. QBs and offensive lineman seem to enjoy a school that is a pro factory and have high coach prestige. Once you find out the prospect’s three Most, Very High and High importance categories, schedule a visit and try to get them early. Set up the player’s three activities based on their priorities and your reputation. If your school is Elite or Excellent in the category (and you beat the shit out of the team you play that week), you have a really good shot of landing that prospect.

After the visit the prospect will grade A through F how their visit went based on everything above. If you grade A with the prospect and were already #1 on their list it will probably turn into a hard or soft commitment to your school. This will free up phone call minutes in the following weeks for players who have not made a commitment yet.  

Experience Notes:

1. Don’t forget to look at the other teams in the prospect’s top 5. This is an indication what the player places as important to his decision on a school so you don’t have to waste time finding the most important pitch. Example: If you are recruiting a kid from Ohio but his top schools are Florida, LSU, and USC, then obviously proximity to home is not important to him. He may just be looking to leave his home state for school and you might want to take him off your list. Another example: If the kid has the likes of you (Ohio State), Miami OH, Akron, and Ball State but is looking for a school with conference prestige and a shot at a national title, you better hammer that home with your pitches. It works both ways.

2. Don’t ever expect more than ten hard commits to your team during the regular season. Also, don’t get scared if you only have 4 or 5. You probably have several soft commitments at that point. “Those are I.O.U.’s sir, just as good as money.” Dumb and Dumber

3. I have not found a way to steal a soft commit from another school, but it is supposed to be possible. But I have noticed late in the season that if you need to fill spots on your depth chart and keep losing players on your prospect board to other teams, go out and get someone. Try searching for a player (not blue chip) with no offers from one of your pipeline states and just offer them a scholarship with additional talk minutes. Sometimes they hard commit to your school that day. I’ve gotten at least 6 players to commit that way. Better than chasing all the 5 star guys and ending up with a walk-on on signing day. In same way I like to play football with no turnovers, I like to recruit with no walk-ons because they will never improve and always be dead depth chart weight.

4. Scheduling Visits. It seems you should schedule your prospects based on availability, your ability to play a good game against a top team, and of course win it. For example I had a couple prospects visiting a game against USC and won 17-14 in a great game. But those players graded their visit as a B just because we only won by three. Shooting for A’s and A pluses is the goal and it didn’t work there.

The Offseason:

After your bowl game, there are offseason recruiting jobs before national signing day arrives. This will be in-home visits you make to the non committed players on your prospect board. This is new and easy especially if you used your phone call minutes well during the season. Players who have you 1^st on their list don’t need to hear much before they sign with you. The in-home visit will have subjects you can promise to the prospect that will happen in their first year on campus. As you get deeper into your dynasty (and you have fulfilled your promises) your integrity will go up and unlock other crazy things to promise on in-home visits. You can promise up to three things but make sure you can keep all of them. With Ohio State, a winning record versus rivals (Illinois, Penn State, Michigan) and winning conference championship first year on campusâ are pretty safe promises. Look at the depth chart and see if you can guarantee the prospect will NOT redshirt their first year on campus. You can guarantee a national championship and a starting position and a spot on the freshman All-American team and more, but not until your integrity rises after a few promise fulfilled years at head coach.

Move on to signing day and see what you got. You can see how well you did nationally and with-in your conference. Keep in mind I have probably gotten 23 players each year as it is not imperative to use all 25 scholarships. They don’t roll over to your next recruiting season, but as long as you have a top ten class and your position needs are filled, these guys will give your program some pretty awesome years to come. Championships. With or without a Tyrelle Pryor.