Electronic Arts is really trying to outdo itself with NBA Live 08. The developers are taking realism up a notch in the game, making it feel even more like a live broadcast of an NBA game with over 20,000 lines of speech from commenters Marv Albert and Steve Kerr.

To really capture the feel of a live NBA game, the developers had Albert and Kerr record their lines without scripts, ad-libbing their comments just as they would do in a live game. This preserves the spontaneity - not to mention flaws: the commenters will also be stumbling in their speech sometimes - of a live commentary.

To preserve authenticity, Albert and Kerr have also recorded 800 lines of player-specific comments for 130 players in the game. The lines will be played in the game when a specific player does a specific move (even their own signature shots) so players won't be hearing ambiguous lines referring to players who could be anybody. The commenters will really be specifying who is who in the game.

Another move for authenticity is the game's new default camera is no longer the baseline camera but rather a sideline camera, like the ones you see on a live broadcast. The change of default angles is to immerse players more into the game, but the baseline angle is still available.

Watch out for NBA Live 08 as it is released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and PC on October 2.

As if we need more reasons to look forward to EA Sports' NBA Live 08 (PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii), the folks behind the long-running NBA franchise just revealed this year's soundtrack to tease us. With 19 songs to choose from, something is sure to satisfy your need for a music fix.

There's a good selection, from Kid Beyond's Mothership to Stephen Marley's Hey Baby. Electronic Arts is quite proud with what it was able to cook up, with worldwide executive of music and marketing Steve Schnur saying that "the NBA Live soundtrack is the music industry's top playmaker."

We're inclined to agree, what with all the popular artists in the roster. "The NBA Live soundtrack is now officially a dynasty," Schnur added. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion though, so don't be shy to give your piece after checking out what's in store. Here's the list:

• Aasim - Customer
• Cool Kids - 88
• Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa
• The Dey - Get the Feeling
• DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. CL Smooth - All I Know
• DJ Vadim ft. Emo and Syrus - Fear Feats
• Dub Pistols ft. Terry Hall - Running From the Thoughts
• Eve - Tambourine
• The Hives - Well Alright
• Kid Beyond - Mothership
• KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives
• LCD Soundsystem - Us v Them
• Stephen Marley - Hey Baby
• Kevin Michael ft. Wyclef Jean - It Don't Make Any Difference
• Mr. J. Medeiros - Silent Earth (Ohmega Watts Remix)
• Mark Ronson ft. Tiggers - Toxic
• Joss Stone - Tell Me 'Bout It
• Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson - The Way I Are
• UnkleJam - Love Ya

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NBA Live 08 (PS3, PS2, PSP, PC, Xbox 360, Wii) is not your grandpappy's basketball video game, and we get to see just why in this trailer video update for the PSP version. Not only do we get to see the game's massively-competitive Conquest Mode, but also the plethora of mini-games you'll be able to try your hand out in come NBA Live 08's release date.

So, what's new with EA Sports' NBA Live 08? Well, in the first trailer, we see the game's Conquest Mode in action, where you go around with a select team of individuals, challenging teams from all over the country to see which has the most court superiority this side of the world. The second video shows the lighter side of NBA Live 08, with a ton of mini-games to keep you entertained for hours to come.

Basketball pinball? You have to see it to believe it. Enjoy the videos!

The other video after the jump!

It takes a certain amount of class for a big development team to admit that they came up short for a game. In this trailer, EA Canada didn't hold back anything and admitted that NBA Live 07 didn't live up to expectations. The good thing about their acknowledgement is that they've set out on a motivated effort to make up for it by revolutionizing the franchise with EA Sports' NBA Live 08.

To prove this, they even sat down with the best NBA Live players online and got their feedback on last year's and this year's offerings. You'll see what happened to the chat in the video below.

As you will see, the new features and the older, but improved ones will be discussed. The graphics were also tackled and the commentary got some....well, comments. In any case, check this clip out and tell us what you think. NBA Live 08 is set for the Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, PS2, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and decent Windows gaming PCs.

More than a decade after its rookie season, NBA Live is still the most internationally recognizable franchise when you talk about digital hoops. It may have taken a seat on the bench with its last few iterations but EA Sports is hoping to transform the next-gen era into another dynasty for the series.

The developers have given the game its new and improved look but more than aesthetics, they're placing the premium on gameplay factors. In the thick of things is NBA Live 08's Go-To Basketball system which allows players to play as realistically as possible by knowing the strengths of their particular ballers. If you love shakin' and bakin' as you drive to the lane, you'll be interested in one of the four elements of Go-To: The Quick-Strike ball handling system.

Quick-Strike takes a page out of the NBA Street brand and incorporates it with the freestyle dribbling game of past NBA Live incarnations. Where the freestyle controls allowed you to break ankles by chaining insane maneuvers with the right analog stick, Quick-Strike makes it all intuitive by toning down the more unrealistic stuff and giving players the moves that you'll see them do in the actual game. That means you'll still get the Nash first step but you'll hardly see a Yao Ming cross-over to keep it all real.

Perhaps the best thing about Quick-Strike is the emphasis on hesitation which makes it easy for you to break out of dribble moves like a pro. This means passing can easily be incorporated into your dribbling repertoire without fumbling a lot. With this system, you can distract your defender with a flashy move while waiting for a forward to set a pick. After that, you can choose to either shoot, drive or pass. Textbook execution.

   

Those of you who love to gut it out on the defensive end need not worry. Offensive players may have all the playground moves, but you'll have a risk and reward system that pays off if you're good at anticipating plays. Like in real basketball, you may either play a man loose or aggressive depending on the degree of necessity. Be careful, however, as the decisions you make can either set your man loose or send him to the line.

Overall, the Quick-Strike system looks very promising as it brings you closer to an age in the league where point guards are dominating the sport. Sneaker-squeaking action is right around the corner.

Electronic Arts has announced that the official NBA Live 08 website is now, well, live. If you're a sports fan looking forward to this game's release, check it out.

The website contains various video clips of NBA Live 08 cover athlete Gilbert Arenas talking about his nicknames and getting on the cover of a video game. There are also a couple of screenshots and, for those who want to dress up their computers in the colors of their favorite team, some wallpapers.

Fans can also check out the producer's blog to learn more about the game or head on over to the community talk page for some discussions with other basketball fans. You can check it out via our read link below.