Sony's Failed NBA Series

[@PJSnavely]

Dug the video! Appreciate you giving us credit for the features. PSP definitely wasn’t a port, though. We had to write that game from scratch to hit PSP launch and then hustle up a follow up version for the NBA season. Good times 😂

[@theprofessorjg]

I loved the Conquest mode on psp!!! That needs to come back. I went looking for a copy just to play that mode!!!

[@xavierrichardson461]

God bless you ❤

[@Draggo.]

Damn; they had y'all crunching even back then. Sad to hear, but thank you for your contributions to the sports game genre!

[@PJSnavely]

@@Draggo. This game was nothing compared to what we did on the All-Star Baseball series 😂 Appreciate the kind words, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a bunch of talented folks.

[@RonnieG]

I had an Xbox & don't recall this game. Nice find.

[@Iam123-i5j]

This is what modern sports gaming is missing. Variety in what's on offer. Exclusivity took the life out of sports gaming to an extent

[@IllMatic97]

There is no exclusivity in nba games

[@HarryOsborneAS31]

It's way too easy to say "they should make a game" without realizing how expensive it actually is to make one. The fact is, there is no real exclusivity in sports games except the NFL. 2K had MLB and NHL games, EA had NBA but stopped, why? Because no one bought their game. That's the way the free market works. No one is going to sink millions into a game that doesn't sell just to satisfy a few people who like to think the past only had good variety of games.

[@yourhomie7568]

​@@IllMatic97 ea basically stopped making nba live so 2k is all that's left

[@jordanflores5687]

​@@IllMatic97 yes there is theres no licensing agreement but 2k is basically the only show in town

[@namenlosNamenlos]

We be lucky enough to have more future NBA live video games.

[@fizzy360wolf]

When I was young, I accidentally stumbled upon this at a used games and electronics store. I didn't sink that much time into it but when I did play, I had so much fun.

[@LeonCook34]

What about nba court side

[@dcsniper4637]

​@LeonCook34 N64 Jr high days good times

[@xxtooshiestyxx8756]

I got nba 06 from movie gallery and instantly liked it... Never played a sports game with a storyline that in depth

[@Xenlacasa45]

​@@xxtooshiestyxx8756i just downloaded 06 is it fun ? Haven't tried it out yet looking to try it out later

[@sh4mg0d]

Can’t believe I played Live, 2K, and this game all at one point...

[@TRJ2241987]

In 99-2000 I owned and played NBA 2K & Showtime for Dreamcast, NBA Courtside 2 & Jam '99 for N64, and NBA Live 99 for PS1 at the same time. And those weren't even the only series that existed either, there was also ShootOut and In The Zone

[@MPHswayze]

​@@TRJ2241987also football. We had Madden, GameDay, 2k, Street, Blitz

[@JackJackson-em9ix]

Same bro 😂 feeling old

[@kang6914]

NBA Street as well. What a time

[@yeliabdoowyllohx]

don’t forget about the streetball games!

[@riquetc0060]

I love NBA 09 The Inside, it's one of my favorite NBA games ever.

[@NwoFresh]

FACTS

[@raycasta10]

BEST MODES EVER

[@poisonxdagger6670]

I was on that game playing golf lmao

[@RonaldDorsinator]

Facts I still play this game

[@alemayudabaiya297]

I played that just now was doing the blacktop mini game where they had the circles on the ground and when you scored in a circle it turned your colour and you got the points. Its a fun game i love it. I play that or nba street v2

[@Powerhouse1]

I remember NBA 07 for the PSP had a conquest mode that was fun as hell. It was also pretty easy for a newbie like me to time my shots and get better with my shot selection.

[@marcdoesmusics]

dude the conquest mode lives in my head til this day. wish there was something like it in 2K today.. so fun

[@cadimarucut7724]

same And NBA Inside was a OG too for PSP.

[@waltergriggsjr4846]

Yes 🙌 man!!!

[@bigfkd1981]

Yeaaa I did too, I use to play the mini games

[@kendallboultsjr]

Bro that mode is GOATED forever

[@Dom2k16]

I can't believe i grew up with 3 nba games on the shelves Nba 07 was great for introducing me to hd gaming

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

Been a big fan of your work for years man! Glad this video found you

[@ad_stayfly7]

I smell a video with the two of my favorite KZbinrs coming up soon 👀

[@thebenichannel]

@@SOFTDRINKTV I have three questions for the last game: NBA 10: The Inside. 1. Why did it only released on PSP? 2. Are there any cancelled versions on PS2 and PS3 like NBA Elite 11? 3. Did the developers plan it on PS2, PSP and PS3 like MLB 10: The Show?

[@Kittlore]

My introduction to this series was, oddly enough, a demo disk that came packaged inside of the cardboard of a basketball I bought to donate to the school I was attending at the time. The demo was for NBA 07, and was solid enough to make me pick up the full retail release a month or so later. Fun times.

[@rose4mvp2012]

I remember playing NBA 07 on PS3 at the Gamestop Fall 06 and was just blown away at how realistic it looked.

[@gregboddie3765]

Same I think Dwade was on that cover

[@John-jm4nv]

Kobe was on the cover NBA 07. NBA LIVE 06 IS DWADE COVER ​@@gregboddie3765

[@adamddd5692]

Same ,didn't have the ps3 ,this was the only game they would demo lmao

[@SportsFan838]

Great analysis on this game. Very professional and straight to the point. It boggles my mind that a small company like San Diego Studios has the TNT license but 2K does not

[@victim2077]

Small company? It's Sony we're talking about. I wish I had as small business as Sony.

[@SportsFan838]

@@victim2077 Sony is a huge ass company. But I never said that. I said San Diego Studios. Which is a first party studios owned by Sony. Sorry for the confusion

[@thekingofkingsrp]

Damn it nba live 96 and 97 had tnt and tbs....

[@pboogity8309]

@@thekingofkingsrp big facts

[@jannvincentregalado1138]

2K 💴 💴 💴

[@Broly555_TV]

When I was in high school, I had NBA 06 and NBA 07 on the PS2 instead of getting 2K or Live. While I can look back in retrospect and agree with you that the games weren't that good or great, I did get a lot of fun out of it. I especially loved shooting threes with the Suns and slamming down monster dunks with guys like Amare Stoudemire. My best friend and I used to go head to head in these games, and we had a lot of fun. I also at one point had NBA 08 and NBA 09 on the PSP, and you're right: They were great basketball titles for a portable hand-held gaming device. The gameplay in my opinion was better than the PSP ports of NBA 2K, and the game mode depth in the PSP version of NBA 08 & 09 was insane. So many different mini-games to play in addition to the standard game modes of a basketball video game. Part of me misses playing those games today.

[@ainnocent]

The were games with the PSP in mind while the 2k games felt like stripped down versions.

[@mvdebyzo]

I remember playing NBA 09 on my psp and always played the Conquest mode. Such great memories and I wish companies like 2K would pick up on some of those ideas

[@rockosfoodtv]

They stole the shot meter

[@mvdebyzo]

@@rockosfoodtv yes but they should steal the Conquest Mode. Especially now that some sport gaming KZbinrs are making Imperialism content which is the same thing as Conquest

[@rellfromcentral4343]

​@@rockosfoodtv ayoooo

[@russellg23]

I had NBA 10 The Inside for the PSP, it was one of my most played games imo. Not only was it fun but even the mini games outside of basketball like dodgeball and arcade games kept me hooked. Definitely wish I could go back to those times.

[@MPHswayze]

I'm still mad there are no NBA or NHL games for Vita

[@thaace11]

Bruh I had it for PSP back in 09. Absolutely loved the game.

[@JazzyJeff910]

They were decent games for the time. We had tons of pro basketball games to pick from. Never got tired of just one like we are now. I played these a lot with friends that owned them but I never owned any.

[@t99155]

Facts! Grew up playing NBA live 2K etc in the 90’s even older games on N64 like Courtside and it’s true we always had a variety of games and never just 2K now which feels hella repetitive

[@Chrisssss45]

Damn imagine a NBA game made by San Diego Studios right now. A carbon copy of Diamond Dynasty with NBA would be lit

[@frenchk4nuck]

Im always telling they exact same thing but for NHL, Sony San Diego’s Studio just know how to make a perfect sports game

[@blackmamba8810]

@@frenchk4nuckI mean look at the mlb the show games they do good every year

[@Xenlacasa45]

​@@frenchk4nuckit wasn't san Diego studios it was just sony

[@Tr3x615]

I low-key loved how different this game was I put just as much time into this as 2K back in the day. We need more variety like this in sports gaming

[@GhostofMozart]

"A series like this, could easily be forgotten with time. Especially if you weren't around when they launched. That's a big reason why I do what I do, because few others are really documenting and going over these older, more obscure licensed sports games." I WAS around. in fact I was in high school playing 2k and madden. Now that I'm older though (33) I really crave media that goes over the older sports titles when there was more unique ideas, game modes, and overall competition in sports games. It's strange to live in a monopoly now, but please know I've been looking for a youtuber that does exactly what you do for a while now. You've whole heartedly earned a sub here.

[@dreamcage1801]

NBA 06 & 08 were brilliant for me and I was no joke in that game. Need to bring back this game series based on an new NBA on NBC culture.

[@arioca]

Another great video 👍 Note: Steve Jobs referenced Pablo Picasso's quote who once said: "Good artists copy; great artists steal."

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

That's a Picasso quote?? Wow

[@KSmanderes]

One thing you didn't mention is that The Life had a chemistry system which impacted how well your team played. Basically, connecting on assists and alley-oops would cause your whole team to perform better (Steve Nash could hit turn around jumpers from the logo with just one chemistry boost 😂). Playing poorly would make shots, passes and other things harder to make alternatively. NBA Live had something like that at the time, but it was always like a tug of war. Whichever team had the momentum would dominate while the other would struggle. In The Life, both teams could be doing well simultaneously.

[@JWeyght]

Yo i been watching your videos for awhile now and your channel really has a nostalgic vibe like a tv show i'd watch back in the day, covering topics like this leaves a special type of feeling man keep up the good work!

[@Justin4Jays15]

You brought up that topic on playing historical moments and it made me think about madden 25 I think enough time has passed especially with it being a launch title for the previous gen to make a video about it. that game holds a special spot in my heart I even miss the team intros I loved it

[@Viva_Zero]

The story mode in '06 & '07 is one of the absolute greatest in any sports game. I have fond memories of my run as The Juco Kid, the team. The coach and the drama of it. It's a shame that they couldn't have refined the gameplay and added a bit more in terms of a GM mode. But

[@Live01Legends]

I remember playing this as a kid and constantly staring at the shot meter. The gameplay was not as good as Live but the shot meter made the game easier to pick up and play.

[@groovygando]

Getting blocks and greens was so satisfying in NBA09 The Inside. One of my favorite NBA Games

[@dasteelerz7413]

I absolutely loved 989 sports hockey games. I still haven't quite been able to scratch that itch to this day

[@BruvahSulaiman]

It's no secret. The sports game industry standard took a nose dive because the NFL decided to only offer an exclusive license to the highest bidder. EA had the most money, and that's the only reason the Madden NFL series did not end up just like the NBA Live (Elite) series. NFL 2K was already on track to be far better than Madden in 2004 with ESPN NFL 2k5. The following year was going to be the start of a new generation of consoles, and the 2K game engine was simply superior to what EA was using. Unfortunately, the NFL sold exclusive rights to EA and 2K, who were already playing catch-up with regard to popularity simply because Madden existed as a brand first, stood no chance competing in the market without having licensed NFL content. They would have to convince shareholders to give them a budget that would allow them to compete with Madden despite knowing that they couldn't make the money back by selling a football game with no NFL teams or players. NBA Elite (Live) crumbled in the face of direct competition. EA had the money to keep competing and pushing innovation by forcing 2K to keep improving, but they did not see the need to do so when Madden already had no competition and Fifa and NHL were already beating their competition. So 2K became as stagnant as Madden since they have guaranteed sales as long as the NBA is popular. Then you add in the horror of ultimate team and my team modes. Then add in content creators who promote those awful cash grab modes. Sports games just faded from the minds of many former hard-core sports gamers.

[@wingedhussar1453]

That nba 08 camera angle looks so good. Suprisingly they dont have this in 2k

[@ThomasP187]

I had NBA 10 the inside on the PSP as a kid. I always thought they were somehow part of the NBA Live series by EA as a kid. It's only today that I'm realizing that these games were a completely separate series from 2K and EA basketball games

[@LOoSeCaNnOn223]

Not to interrupt but Shot Meter was in the game "NCAA Final Four" which was also created by 989. It's still much more robust now but they had that gameplay back in 01!

[@East_Texas_Gaming]

Actually the shot meter 2k uses, came from the NBA Inside Drive games on xbox.. as when Microsoft sports went under, the whole team left and joined 2k /visual concepts. Inside Drive had the shot meter in 02'-04' before they went under and joined 2k. The meter appeared underneath the player in inside drive.

[@trickedup6164]

Your channel has unlocked so many memories that were lost in the back of my mind.

[@jace9965]

I knew these games existed but never played them. I didn't know how they innovated a big part of the industry. Solid video.

[@Avvura]

My god I remember these inside games. They were both amazing and bad at the same time. I just love the graphics and presentation but everything else eehhhh

[@SuperAlien86]

I remeber the skills challenge being elite and the story mode "the life" was pretty fun for its time

[@SPEliteTV]

We appreciate your videos brother! Definitely, the standard of video games have for sure gone down just as every other facet of entertainment.

[@JonnyLin7]

I got my friend NBA '06 The Life Vol. 1 on his PS2 for his birthday and it was so fun. There was a ton of cheese you could exploit playing, but the game was a ton of fun and the career mode was so cool for it's time. After that, I always wanted Sony's NBA games for their career modes, but I never had any Sony consoles, so I was always really disappointed. It's crazy that Sony's NBA had a career mode a full 3 years before 2k introduced their MyCareer mode.

[@needmoneynow2]

The stat overlays and some of the layups and dunks are still nice I miss when we had sports video game options

[@bbryant9455]

The very first one had one of the sickest story modes in a sports game ever. Maybe any. You played as "the kid" trying to make it to and in the league. So much fun 💯 different challenges each game to keep it fun instead of just the game in 2k. Playing alongside fellow college draftees Shane Blanton and Jerome Hurd. So fun

[@jannvincentregalado1138]

That TNT scoreboard is a WIN

[@c_friii]

These games were so much fun. The cinematic slow mo cam. The life story was fun. Sony should branch out of just MLB maybe do college basketball or football. Something to get competition in the market

[@KingJamal2354]

Ain’t no way Nene just did a whole crossover 🤣😂🤣😂 9:25

[@KingSuperior]

These NBA games were my first and what made me fall in love with basketball

[@ukrainiansareproto-mesopat9235]

These don't seem to have franchise modes, but in future videos you should highlight how various games deal with regenerating players deep in franchise modes

[@TheTimgta]

Yes that would be really interesting and I would totally watch that if he told me he was going to make that video for sure but it was down the line I would turn on notifications for sure I'm new to this stuff I'm just now getting the hang of it but I'm doing weird shit like starting out on really old Madden's and NBA lives and 2ks I'm currently doing a franchise of the Colts on Madden 2001 not for the PS2 but for the PS1 emulated with a PS4 controller

[@hankhill69]

I loved the conquest mode in the PSP games. Some of the minigames were fun too.

[@DasNordlicht91]

I’d like to think that San Diego Studios learned from their experiences with these NBA games and used that to give us probably the best sports franchise right now with the MLB: The Show games. TBH, I’d love to see them try their hand at a NHL game. I know folks want a return of NHL 2K, but a NHL game fronted by San Diego Studios and done with the same care and attention as The Show could give us a strong alternative to EA’s increasingly stale NHL games.

[@jameshav20]

Joe Johnson ankle breaker intro... i love you SoftDrink

[@unknowntrapper2330]

I remember getting nba 06 because I seen it in game informer and said u gonna have a career mode. Had alot of fun but man it was hard after awhile

[@W388S]

Man I love these videos, I don’t know how many of these old games I’ve downloaded because of This guy, 2k is so stale now imo but I can sit on these old Basketball games for hours, This guys channel is a masterpiece.

[@fail_master_z]

9:39 😂 Kob just letting it fly

[@AfG_313]

From 2000-2006 there were so many basketball games from different companies, good days. Now only 2k

[@strikingitrich7630]

You're intro with the softdrinktv is fire

[@shamus248]

NBA 09: The Inside is honestly one of my favorite sports games of all time. Graphics and framerate were insane, The Life absolutely takes the piss out of 2K's my career, and the thing was loaded with mini games. That game was my shit in high school

[@steezybeatz]

Personally I enjoyed the PSP ports of these games. I doubt they’d come back even if they wanted to. Sports/Call of Duty gamers have no standards for developers and are heavily indoctrinated to support COD, Madden, FIFA and 2K no matter what they pump out. There was a huge shift from NBA Live to 2K in the PS3/360 generation and I think it’s here to stay regardless.

[@steveregal6321]

I remember renting nba 07 on ps2 at a Hollywood video when it was around in my neighborhood lol

[@TheJpyne518]

the life career mode was a lot of fun

[@wetzinalvarado6930]

San Diego Studios should make at least a FIBA game, this series looks and plays great, i played the psp demo back in the day and had tons of fun

[@MilesLeonSax]

These were the shit back in middle school. I remember seeing these on ps3 in wal mart and was blown away by the sweat physics lol

[@djones3456]

I always thought 2K stole some sauce from this franchise coming up. Especially stuff for MyCareer story mode.

[@peaceofnasir9813]

NBA 07 and 08 for PSP was my life

[@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006]

Oh yeah, in NBA 10 on PSP, the PA announcer referred to Stephen Curry as Steven Curry, and that guy was apprently experienced as an announcer.

[@ad_stayfly7]

That’s because Stephen (pronounced “Steven”) Jackson was in the league first and his name was the standard pronunciation; in my opinion

[@1fbaby]

thanks for doing this stuff bro

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@ashleyjefferson4107]

Loved the TNT presentation

[@heavyhitter5538]

The life O7' was actually fun, good and addicting. The series was just overshadowed by the bigger brands.

[@Anthony-ru7sk]

NBA 07 had a great my player from what I remember

[@Trick.Ricky.Sternn]

Man I remember renting this game from blockbuster only reason why I wanted it because TNT broadcasting. Lol

[@Dogemon.]

I wasn’t into sports like that but 2k and ncaa football games were it as far as professional sports go…. The arcade games like nba streets, nfl streets, and nba Jam could’ve took over… even today there’s room for them but I’m sure licensing is a issue

[@enemyac130aboveT_T]

the mark of kri is the most lowkey of bangers. amazing art direction and voice acting, innovative combat system, smooth animation 👌 still fun to play today

[@HahaHaha-km4sm]

Man nba 0o9 was hella fun.. me and my cousin would just go back to back to back hitting threes lol

[@reggiejames8626]

Completed 09s story as a guard a forward and a big. Such a fun little story. I love a good sports game with RPG elements and cutscenes. 2K picked up where they left off and filled that void for me as a sports gamer.

[@deondraemcknight232]

Definitely do miss having options when it came to sports games

[@victim2077]

Sony had basically all the big sports covered. This is Football for (what else) football, Gameday for American variation of rugby, featured NBA & shootout for basketball, NHL faceoff & Gretzky NHL for hockey, not to mention Everybody's Golf & Everybody's Tennis. Shame all of those series fizzled out except (of course) of MLB and kinda Everybody's Golf (but it's basically dead now, what a shame, I bought PSVR just for EG VR). It's weird seeing PlayStation logos all over Champions League, when they don't make football games anymore.

[@DrizzleSports]

I’m still convinced This game is where 2K got the Green Shot meter from

[@BennySazon]

Just went into the depths of my mind and pulled this game out. Wow

[@Growfe]

I’ll never forget being in Circuit City seeing a PS3 for the first time, the demo they had on display was NBA 05

[@RomnysGonzalez]

I freaking loved this franchise so much. They were so ahead of their time too with a great storyline with the Jukko Kid. Was engaging,fun,full of challenges and just overrated pretty damn good wrote too. Full of great characters too. 06 was my jam and i love thst game too deaths. I even replayed the whole story last year. NBA2K Stole so much from this game. The shooting bar...the story mode... The fast linking dribbling... Post moves... I can got on and on about why this franchise is one of the most underappreciated sports franchises of all time

[@Dandre181]

Spot on

[@tnobasi]

very informative and kept my attention great vid dawg

[@petroklaxis]

I was playing nba 09 on ps3 a few weeks ago and it was much better than I remembered. A true shame it was never as big as MLB the Show.

[@AKPremier]

I still have NBA 08 for PS3. Amazing game. Sound design, the music, retro jerseys & courts, great graphics, even the details like shoes changing colours depending if it was a home or away game and the play by play was awesome in my opinion. And the George Gervin intro video 👌

[@TheRiverintheRoad]

I would love for you to go through handheld versions of sports games!

[@JayRose1000]

Whoever decided to name the series simply "NBA" needs to be slapped. How did they think the game would stand out against Live and 2k with that name?

[@3xcalibur23_Music]

It didn't fail people just didn't appreciate the games they expected too much when a video game is just a game enjoy it just like nowadays people again expect too much from a video game they want a game to be realistic I hate realistic video games I want them like in the 90s and earlier 2000s i really enjoyed Xbox 360 and PS3 i still have both and i use my Xbox 360 each night when I go home from work i play NbA 2k14 and 15

[@IAmMicxh]

I gotta pull these NBA 07-09 games out the closet. These were pretty fun! I remember being amazed at the sweat on NBA 07

[@him3886]

The story mode was ahead of its time

[@theronquishow5837]

Thank you for this insightful video into an NBA video game series that I never heard of! Thank you also for recognizing my favorite NBA video game franchise, ShootOut! ❤

[@Jalen948]

The replay system was the best too, they would show replays during dead balls instead of right away like real life

[@aidanwatson910]

I love NBA 06 The Life. I thought they were underrated and thought they quit making them because of rights issues not quality. 08 was my second favorite.

[@AbnoramalEnt]

Bro this was so in depth I loved it

[@LaheyCam]

I loved NBA 06 I remember rushing to Kmart to get that game you could hit any shot with any player with the shot meter it was great such good memories

[@mr.h3lmsl3y]

I remember getting 07 because no store had 2k8 or Live 08 … It actually was dope af to me , had a storyline , All Star weekend WITH Skills Challenge and all that

[@vidalmoore3537]

what bothered me about the sony games is that they didnt allow you to dribble between the legs, if they had more dribble moves the game would have been better

[@ainnocent]

I really enjoyed these games! They were meant to be a mindless diversion from 2k. The NBA 06 "The Life" mode was a precursor to anything MyPlayer 2k (or any other respective sport game) has done.

[@DreDay53]

The thing I liked about this was the story and how at all star break your character was chilling with Kobe Lebron Carmelo etc an it was dope compared to live and 2k

[@Xenlacasa45]

Which year?

[@bjnt922]

989 studios also made the NCAA Final Four college basketball video game series. As well as the NCAA Gamebreaker and NFL Gameday.

[@AfG_313]

One copy of game I still have that I love is NFL 2k with Terrell Owens on cover bought that and I think 2k4 or 5 at same time both for 40 bucks flat back then games were going for 19.99 or at most 29.99

[@toasted7135]

a shame the sony nba game failed, it had amazing features and graphics, but had bad game play, if they tried to fix the problem they had with there game, like gameplay and ai logic, instead of adding features they could of lasted longer

[@Joe_Parmesan]

Adding on to what you've talked about, this game had an in-game Momentum Meter, meant for when you or your opponent strung together good plays. Successful alley oops, other dunks, blocked shots and steals would add a sizable boost, for example, while turnovers, bad shots and other mistakes would eat away at your momentum. I didn't know that NBA Replay mode came from this series, because it was something that was adapted into NBA Live and 2K. MyPlayer was definitely inspired by this series though.

[@marcofabrizi8160]

I remember these psp games on long road trips/flights with my parents. Good times… good times

[@itisnottaken4444]

I use NBA 09 the the inside all the time in HS on PSP. By far the best handheld bball game ever Good times

[@lja8187]

Great video as always. Greetings from the UK. ⚽⚽⚽