As NBA 2K20 balls out of control on the sales charts, the troubled NBA Live series is now sitting out the 2020 Season. EA has canceled this year's entry in hopes of retooling the franchise for next-gen consoles. After an initial delay last summer, the game has been scrapped altogether and plans for unveiling the new title may come in January during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, gave the rationale that working on next-gen consoles would give developers new ideas and resources to use and that NBA Live would be a beneficiary of this renewed push. According to Wilson, "With greater understanding of the new platforms and what they can power - bringing social connection, accessibility, and player creativity to the forefront - we feel we can go so much further with the new design."

Instead of creating a game on platforms where hardware and software limitations are familiar, the enthusiasm of creating a game on an unknown canvas seems like an odd call. In addition to that, Wilson also noted that the series has missed entries in 2012 and 2017, both coming at times when the series was getting a makeover along the lines of this year's cancellation. Whether or not EA can resuscitate the stagnant basketball series is yet to be seen, but it is clear that they will not contend with this year's 2K entry.

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Considering how bad a rushed title can affect a company (especially a franchise title), EA is making the right moves to sit out this season and give Live a new look. While it is true that NBA 2K20 is selling incredibly well, fan backlash against the game is just as lofty as its sales numbers. When "#fix2k20" is trending on Twitter, it might be seen as an opportunity for NBA Live to get back on track as fans hope for something new.

The biggest obstacle for NBA Live to usurp 2K is one they cannot overcome. Take-Two Interactive's exclusivity deal with the NBA is a big part as to why there is such a tremendous gap between the competing games. Unless the new NBA Live delivers a quality basketball game and an authentic NBA experience -something this series has struggled to do even when it was the only act in town-, a year on the bench might not be enough.

Source: EA Q2-FY20 Report

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