NBA Live 2019 Gets Massively Discounted After All-Star Edition

NBA Live 2019 has been out since September 2018 and has received relatively positive reviews. Players have noted massive improvements to the gameplay and game modes. Still, NBA Live can’t quite get out of the shadows of its rival, NBA 2K19.

It’s not that one is better than the other at this stage, as the debate is still out on that one! It’s that NBA Live 19 had to do something special to make up for the lost ground from previous titles, and it seems it couldn’t quite find enough of an edge despite a lower price point. Can massive discounts and a place in the EA Access Vault bring the basketball game into mainstream popularity once again?

Photo by Keith Allison / CC BY-SA 2.0
Caption: Joel Embiid is the cover star of NBA Live 19, but as it turns out, he likes a game of NBA2K, too.
 

NBA Live 19 Actually a Good Game 

The problem for EA came down to earlier games, which delivered nothing short of a shoddy experience for fans. NBA Live 19 is not one of those games. In fact, many tout it as the game that could save the series.

With mixed reviews but largely positive, gamers have noticed improvements to the gameplay. They also commend the availability of excellent new game modes, such as “The One” career and “The Streets,” an exciting street-basketball format with three-on-three and five-on-five action.

Anyone who follows NBA predictions for the upcoming games will still want in on replicating or controlling the results of their favorite teams like the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, it’s perfectly feasible that you would play NBA Live 19 without even participating in the NBA leagues.

Make no mistake: there are improvements here, but it’s not perfect. Fans still notice occasionally poor AI and shoddy animations. It’s a good effort, but it wasn’t quite enough to topple the scales.

All-Star Edition 

Photo by Keith Allison / CC BY-SA 2.0
Caption: James Harden is on the front cover of the NBA Live All-Star Edition.
 

On February 12, 2019, EA began running the “All-Star Edition” of the game. This update came with five All-Star Ultimate Team Packs, legendary uniforms, and the All-Star squad for use in court battles in “The One.”

NBA Live 19 now has another additional feature, too. This one is the first game to have the “Creator Challenge” events where players can play against real athletes, celebrities, and online streamers, with the chance of adding the characters to their regular team if they beat them. Some of these characters have even been recorded with motion capture to bring out their moves.

Massive Discounts 

To compete with NBA 2K19, which will now release as part of an Xbox One S bundle, NBA Live initially debuted at a lower price. Following that was a steep discount shortly after to a “permanent” price of around $40.

As any console gamer knows, full digital versions of games often appear in the respective stores at hugely discounted rates. At the time of writing, the All-Star Edition of NBA Live 19 is available for $6 on the Xbox One and an incredible $3.99 on the PS4.

It’s as if the developers want you to play the game, and the reason could be an attempt by EA to recapture the basketball video game market.

NBA Live 19 Added to EA Access Vault 

As if the discounts weren’t enough, NBA Live 19 is now a part of the EA Access Vault. The move came in early March, and the game is available now for subscribers to play.

EA Access is a service for Xbox One players and is available on either a one-month or 12-month basis. Subscribers get incentives, discounts, and access to a wide range of EA games, including the Battlefield series, UFC, FIFA series, Madden NFL, Mass Effect, NHL, Star Wars: Battlefront, Titanfall, The Sims, and more.

NBA Live 19 has now been added to that list, allowing players access for as long as their subscription lasts. When the subscriptions run out, saved files and progress remain stored, and there’s always the option to buy the game outright. Given that it is now only a few dollars, buying it outright doesn’t seem a bad option, at least while the offer lasts.

The race is on for NBA Live 19. As it throws everything it has to pull in the players, can it overtake NBA 2K19 for popularity once again? Well, it has indeed redeemed itself on gameplay, and value. Only time will tell whether players agree.