Live Pro-Am announcement had some traction, but can it carry the game to sales?
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Both NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16 are rolling out a significant online-based mode that shares the same name. The importance each one holds is wildly different however, with Live Pro-Am being the main feature of that game, while 2K’s Pro-Am is just one of several modes that offer considerable depth.
Based on the results of the poll on the two, Live has done well with its announcement as it has attracted some interest. 29% of respondents found themselves more intrigued by Live’s Pro-Am compared to 58% for 2K’s. Considering 2K dominates the basketball market with about 97% of all the sales, that’s a pretty decent showing for the EA Sports game that is in desperate need to demonstrate growth after a disastrous Live 14 and a Live 15 that stabilized the series but fell even further in sales.
NBA Live 16 will have a demo where people get an opportunity to not just try the game out, but do so within the Live Pro-Am, while 2K is unlikely to offer any demo at all. Live will have its chance to draw some attention and prove itself, but one mode may not be enough to sway those who feel 2K16 is the safest bet, particularly as the squeeze is on due to the sheer number of game releases creating intense competition for consumer dollars this month.