NBA Live 08 to add online team play

In a surprising move, EA has announced that online team play will be added to NBA Live 08 via a free downloadable update. This will offer a complete five on five experience over 10 different consoles.

Prior to the games starting each individual can choose a position to lock into, or if all 10 slots aren’t filled by users you can choose to keep switching between players open during the games. If there are aren’t 10 people for a game the open slots will be filled by AI.

This game mode allows any combination of players from 1 vs. 1 up to 5 vs. 5.

The CPU will take control of any players not controlled by users.

Voice communication is available and isolated from the opposing team.

Player locking is available but not mandatory (unless the team consists of 5 users)

The update is expected to be made available by the end of November.

The online co-op is something I had high hopes to be added in for Live 09 given the success that was seen through NHL 08’s three on three team play. To have it added in this year is an extremely exciting development and improves on what is already the best online experience EA has offered to date.