Sony's Failed NBA Series

Sony’s NBA series developed by San Diego Studio was their next attempt after taking some time off after their NBA Shootout series, and these games actually brought some innovative features to the table. Unfortunately, they just weren’t good enough or popular enough to last, but their impact is still felt today.
Endscreen music: • J. Cole - procrastinat...

[@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.

[@soar123]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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 💴 💴 💴

[@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 👀

[@sbp4668]

@@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?

[@bigfloridapimp]

Coming home from middle school, balling out. NBA 06 The Life was amazing. Looking back, there's no franchise/GM mode to speak of. But all the props for what I feel is the best "my player" mode a basketball game has ever had. And there was huge difference in bench warmers and all stars ratings that really gave the game a realistic feel

[@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

[@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

[@rockofresh600]

They stole the shot meter

[@mvdebyzo]

@@rockofresh600 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]

​@@rockofresh600 ayoooo

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@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

[@groovygando]

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

[@wingedhussar1453]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@dasteelerz7413]

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

[@tnobasi]

very informative and kept my attention great vid dawg

[@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.

[@SuperAlien86]

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

[@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

[@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

[@francischristian1994]

I was just looking up a video for this your thr goat softdrinkz

[@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

[@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! ❤

[@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!

[@hankhill69]

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

[@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.

[@TheRiverintheRoad]

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

[@SomeGuyIan]

Man, would love to see you go over games that still released on the ps2 like mlb 11 the show, nba 2k11, ncaa basketball 2k8, and ncaa football 10 or any after to see the difference between the ps3 version or previous ps2 versions.

[@strikingitrich7630]

You're intro with the softdrinktv is fire

[@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

[@shayonshirley1557]

I use to love this game think about it all the time love your channel brh keep grinding 💯

[@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 👌

[@SPEliteTV]

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

[@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.

[@AfG_313]

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

[@needmoneynow2]

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

[@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

[@lja8187]

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

[@DrizzleSports]

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

[@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.

[@KingSuperior]

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

[@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

[@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

[@bjnt92281]

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

[@1fbaby]

thanks for doing this stuff bro

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@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

[@TrahNO2]

Loved playing the skills challenge on 09. Definitely and NBA game that had a unique feel to it

[@gmen271017]

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

[@TheJpyne518]

the life career mode was a lot of fun

[@peaceofnasir9813]

NBA 07 and 08 for PSP was my life

[@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

[@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

[@videosclips1045]

Good video. I'm surprised that you didn't start with NBA Shootout series on PSX, developed by Sony Sports (later 989). It was the best basketball game on 32 & 64 bit consoles back in 96-98, but dropped off pretty hard as EA caught up and then NBA 2K wowed everybody on Dreamcast. Solid meter-based gameplay and nice polygonal graphics, okay season mode.

[@Legit711]

Can you do retrospective video on the nba inside drive games, I thought they were dope back in the day, they gave 2k a run as far as simulation basketball and franchise mode

[@goldenarms36]

im surprised you havent covered any of the handheld sports game especially on the PSP. PSP had some banger sports games

[@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.

[@him3886]

The story mode was ahead of its time

[@marcofabrizi8160]

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

[@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.

[@jameshavrilla6657]

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

[@andrewalker5730]

I'm actually taking a break from 2k at the moment and getting back into this series has been fun as hell lol

[@efojie]

May I ask what was the music/songs playing in the background while you were talking?

[@deondraemcknight232]

Definitely do miss having options when it came to sports games

[@iamthurnis745]

i had the psp version like 2007-2008 and it was so fun specifically for the TNT presentation

[@KVZY713]

I used to always play the NBA 08 demo on PSP. The shot meter around the ball was a cool feature at the time lol

[@Jalen948]

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

[@YoungSwaggness]

Great vid new sub 👍🏾

[@YHETVNetwork]

Loved this game back in the day. The PSP games at least. I do miss having the option to play other stuff.

[@sammymac2546]

Dude where do you find these beats.??? Sheesh 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@JDflight24]

I had NBA 09 The Inside on PS3. One of the funnest NBA games I’ve ever played. Golf with basketball, 3 point shootout, a couple others. I actually miss it😢

[@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.

[@gardenageezer6510]

I remember NBA 07 for the PSP you could play the carnival games through local multiplayer even if your friend didn’t have the game. Crazy what the PSP could do

[@AlexWeberg]

I have 07 on ps2. It was fun for what it was and always nice at least having the option if I wanted something different from live or 2k.

[@MitchRichmond-dk1tm]

NBA 06 was so fun tryna do those challenges man

[@kingjonofficial1804]

Conquest on the PSP is one of the most fun mini game’s I’ve played as a kid

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@scizorbullet8185]

I had NBA 06 for PSP had a lot of fun with it as a kid the all-star game stuff was really fun

[@patricks.7951]

Still play NBA 09 occasionally to this day, just for the basketball golf mini game.

[@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.

[@jordanlujan2179]

Really good video I was 11 years old playing nba 08 on psp that shit was fun af

[@ryanm4074]

stumbled upon this gem goin to a gamestop back in like '08

[@Expensivefashionclub]

Bro this was so in depth I loved it

[@joeloher8563]

can you do another video of the NBA Shootout franchise from 989 studios?

[@neelchawla4640]

NBA 06 was so fire, remember playing that back in the day.

[@legittroll7245]

Used to love Nba 09 the inside for the psp 😭 conquest,elimiquest, good times

[@backseatgamer3671]

i remember ~8 years ago my dad let me start using his ps2 (i was 9), and the first game i bought for it was NBA 07. i bought it at salvation army instead of madden 08. i played it a bit but got confused by it, so it's been sitting on my shelf watching my ps2 collection grow since then.