Electronic Arts said that WNBA teams and players will be "included on a video game for the first time when 'NBA Live 18' is released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall," according to Katie Barnes of ESPN.com. "NBA Live" Exec Producer Sean O'Brien said, "This is only a taste of what we have in store, and look forward to working with the league on more great integrations in the franchise in the future." NBA Live "will not allow for a fully customized experience like it does for NBA players and user-created male players, but that is the plan moving forward in additional installments." O'Brien: "We've found that through research of a lot of different games in different genres that men and women like playing as women. So that's something we're absolutely committed to moving forward" (
ESPN.com, 8/3). In Orlando, Marco Santana notes EA "hopes to capitalize on the WNBA's growing popularity." O'Brien said that the decision was as much a "business move as a way to highlight the women’s game." O'Brien: "In our jobs, we have personal opinions about what will resonate with us, but when you put that aside, there has to be a strong business reason to do this. The WNBA is very much a healthy and growing brand." NBA Live has been "considered one of the top basketball franchises" since it debuted in '94. However, it has "faced stiff competition" from the NBA 2K series. Future expansion could "allow players to play full seasons with a team, a standard feature in other sports video games, depending on the feedback EA receives this year." O'Brien said that EA has "considered working with the WNBA for roughly two years" (
ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/4).
