Software:NBA Live 99

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 basketball video game
NBA Live 99
NBA Live 99
Cover art featuring Boston Celtics' Antoine Walker
Developer(s)PlayStation/Windows: EA Canada
Nintendo 64: NuFX
Publisher(s)EA Sports
Composer(s)Traz Damji
SeriesNBA Live
EngineVirtual Stadium
Platform(s)PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo 64
ReleaseNintendo 64
  • NA: November 4, 1998[1]
  • EU: December 1998
Windows, PlayStation
Genre(s)Sports (Basketball)
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

NBA Live 99 is the fifth installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 4, 1998, for the Nintendo 64, and then on November 10, 1998, for the Windows and PlayStation. Don Poier is the play-by-play announcer. It was the first NBA Live game released for Nintendo 64. NBA Live 99 was followed by NBA Live 2000.

Summary

NBA Live 99 is EA Sports' NBA release for the 1998–99 NBA season. Major additions include Practice Mode and multi-season play, which features player development between seasons. Although free agency or generated rookies were not included, this would be the forerunner to Franchise Mode.

Live 99 was shipped with 1997–98 NBA season rosters due to the 1998–99 NBA lockout, putting a hold on player movements and rookie signings during the summer of 1998. Prominent bugs led to the NBA Live Series Center fan site submitting a patch petition to EA Sports, resulting in two official patches which included roster updates for the 98–99 season.


Features

LIVE Hoops

  • Fresh new moves, including jab steps, fake passes and aggressive rebounding, plus high-flying new dunks.
  • Real NBA stats, real NBA players, real NBA moves.
  • Create a dynasty with new multiple seasons - players evolve over time.
  • Enhanced GM mode with full NBA draft and realistic computer trading.

LIVE Technology

  • New Sports Ticker via the Internet - check NBA scores as you play.
  • Unreal 3D graphics with real-time lighting and hundreds of animations.
  • Unbelievable player detail, including fully modeled heads and facial animations.

LIVE Style

  • New Pro-Action AI includes smarter, more realistic player reactions.
  • TV presentation - moving cameras focus on player highlights.
  • New enhanced Play-by-Play and Color Commentary.

Platform differences

The Nintendo 64 version is an updated port of NBA Live 98, which differs from the PC and PlayStation versions. The PC and PlayStation versions also featured a bug where players did not fatigue properly. The bug in the PC version was eventually patched.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
N64PCPS
CGWN/AStarStarStarStarHalf star[8]N/A
EGM7.5/10[9]N/A8.67/10[10]
Game Informer7.25/10[11]N/A7.75/10[12]
GameFan70%[13][lower-alpha 1]N/A90%[14][lower-alpha 2]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[15][lower-alpha 3]StarStarStarStarHalf star[16][lower-alpha 4]StarStarStarStarHalf star[17][lower-alpha 5]
GameRevolutionN/AA−[18]B+[19]
GameSpot7.2/10[20]8.9/10[21]8/10[22]
IGN8/10[23]8.6/10[24]9/10[25]
N64 Magazine64%[26]N/AN/A
Nintendo Power7.1/10[27]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AStarStarStarStar[28]
PC Gamer (US)N/A92%[30]N/A
The Cincinnati EnquirerN/AStarStarStarStar[31]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings78%[3]86%[4]88%[5]

The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[5][4][3] AllGame gave the PC version four stars out of five, saying that the game delivers "a full basketball experience. Multiple seasons could literally keep a player busy for years which makes one wonder if anyone will really need the next version."[32] Computer Games Strategy Plus gave the same PC version three stars out of five, however, saying, "there's little compelling reason to choose NBA Live 99 over its previous version. Unlike the amazing FIFA games, the pressure to deliver an all-new game on a yearly basis is causing the NBA Live franchise to spin its wheels."[33] In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported for release on April 28, 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.[34]

The PC version was nominated for the "Best Sports Game of the Year" award at IGN's Best of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to NFL Blitz.[35] It was also nominated for the "Sports Game of the Year" award at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to FIFA 99.[36] However, it won the award for "Best Sports Game" at the Fifth Annual PC Gamer Awards.[37]

Notes

  • Due to the NBA lockout, Live 99 featured final 1997–98 rosters accurate as of July 1, 1998, rather than early 1998–99 rosters featuring the draft class of 1998. EA Sports released two official patches, the first updating the rosters, adding the 50 game schedule and addressing several gameplay issues, while the second served as a midseason roster update.
  • Multi-season play and Practice Mode were introduced in Live 99.
  • Prior to the official roster update, Michael Jordan was once again represented by a "Roster Player" for the Chicago Bulls.
  1. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the Nintendo 64 version, one critic gave it a score of 68, and another gave it 71.
  2. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it a score of 91, and another gave it 89.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and overall fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4/5 for control.
  4. ↑ GamePro gave the PC version 4/5 for graphics, two 5.5 scores for sound and control, and 4.5/5 for overall fun factor.
  5. ↑ GamePro gave the PlayStation version 5/5 for graphics, two 4.5/5 scores for sound and overall fun factor, and 4/5 for control.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 IGN staff (November 4, 1998). "NBA Live Ships Early". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/05/nba-live-ships-early. 
  2. ↑ Hulsey, Joe (November 10, 1998). "NBA [Live 99 Ships to Stores"]. Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/015/098/nba.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "NBA Live 99 for Nintendo 64". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/198086-nba-live-99/index.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "NBA Live 99 for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198085-nba-live-99/index.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "NBA Live 99 for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198087-nba-live-99/index.html. 
  6. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (November 17, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". CNET. http://gamecenter.com/Consoles/Nintendo/Nbalive99/. 
  7. ↑ Bub, Andrew S. (December 10, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (PC)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2330,00.html. 
  8. ↑ Salvator, Dan (February 1999). "Basketball Jones (NBA Live 99 Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (175): 218–19. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_175.pdf. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  9. ↑ EGM staff (1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis). 
  10. ↑ EGM staff (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (114). 
  11. ↑ "NBA Live 99 - Nintendo 64". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (68). December 1998. http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=n64&path=dec98&doc=nbalive. Retrieved April 27, 2015. 
  12. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (69): 47. https://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=789. Retrieved April 27, 2015. 
  13. ↑ Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Justice, Brandon "Big Bubba" (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". GameFan (Shinno Media) 7 (1): 88. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_01/page/n89/mode/2up. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". GameFan (Shinno Media) 7 (1): 88. 
  15. ↑ Johnny Ballgame (December 1998). "NBA Live '99 (N64)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (123): 220. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_113_December_1998/page/n223/mode/2up. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  16. ↑ The GamePros (1998). "NBA Live 99 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/694.shtml. Retrieved April 28, 2015. 
  17. ↑ Air Hendrix (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (124). http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/140.shtml. Retrieved April 28, 2015. 
  18. ↑ Cooke, Mark (December 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PC)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33149-nba-live-99-review. 
  19. ↑ Dr. Moo (November 1998). "NBA Live 99 - PS". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34201-nba-live-99-review-2. 
  20. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (November 10, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (N64)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nba-live-99-review/1900-2543694/. 
  21. ↑ Chin, Elliott (December 9, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nba-live-99-review/1900-2543771/. 
  22. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (November 20, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PS)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nba-live-99-review/1900-2546020/. 
  23. ↑ Schneider, Peer (November 5, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/06/nba-live-99-3. 
  24. ↑ Blevins, Tal (November 10, 1998). "NBA Live '99 [sic (PC)"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/11/nba-live-99. 
  25. ↑ Harris, Chris (November 6, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/07/nba-live-99-2. 
  26. ↑ "NBA Live 99". N64 Magazine (Future Publishing) (24). January 1999. 
  27. ↑ "NBA Live 99". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 115: 130. December 1998. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-357-130.jpg. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  28. ↑ Kujawa, Kraig (January 1999). "NBA Live 99". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 2 (4): 106. https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_2_Issue_4_1999-01_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n105/mode/2up. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  29. ↑ PCA staff (January 1999). "NBA Live 99". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (5): 102. https://archive.org/details/PCXL05Jan1999/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved April 20, 2021. 
  30. ↑ Smolka, Rob (February 1999). "NBA Live 99". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (2). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/17.html. Retrieved April 27, 2015. 
  31. ↑ Hopper, D. Ian (1998). "Another swoosh for EA Sports". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/hopper/nbalive99.html. 
  32. ↑ Sutyak, Jonathan. "NBA Live 99 (PC) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14431&tab=review. 
  33. ↑ Bauman, Steve (December 14, 1998). "NBA Live 99". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/033/nba_live99_review.html. 
  34. ↑ "NBAライブ99 [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=7810&redirect=no. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  35. ↑ IGN staff (January 29, 1999). "IGNPC's Best of 1998 Awards". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/29/ignpcs-best-of-1998-awards. 
  36. ↑ GameSpot staff (1999). "The Best & Worst of 1998 (Sports Game of the Year - Nominees)". Ziff Davis. http://gamespot.com/features/awards1998/genre8.html. 
  37. ↑ PC Gamer staff (March 1999). "The Fifth Annual PC Gamer Awards". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (3): 64, 67, 70–73, 76–78, 84, 86–87. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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