Ballers Return
Midway’s rags-to-riches roundball sequel has finally been announced.
Published: December 13, 2005
Few things are as certain in this industry as the sports game sequel. If it does well in a given year – even if it’s not a seasonal installment, a publisher would be wise to use as much of that sports and player license as possible. With EA and 2K gobbling up exclusives, the NBA has emerged as the last bastion of up-for-grabs licenses around, and Midway’s NBA Ballers did well enough (Midway says it was the best-selling basketball game of 2004) that it’s warranted a green light for a follow-up.
NBA Ballers: Phenom, they’re calling it, and it represents a return to the same nobody-to-somebody basketball progression that made the first game a hit. A retooled create-a-player mode with more freedom, bigger storyline and expanded suite of off-the-court activities around Los Angeles have all been poured into the sequel, with the same rags-to-riches rise to the top of the NBA at the forefront.
"With the huge success of NBA Ballers and the fact that it was truly the first basketball videogame to successfully incorporate the fantasy lifestyle element, we can’t help but to be excited with the announcement of NBA Ballers: Phenom," oozed Midway CMO Steve Allison. "In addition to the new 2-on-2 basketball action (along with classic 1-on-1) and a detailed story mode, we’re really looking forward to showcasing the game’s new, unique gameplay modes and enhanced features over the next several months."
It was also mentioned, almost as an aside, that a PSP sequel to the first game is in the works, going by the name of NBA Ballers: Rebound, and should offer a fairly healthy amount of one-on-one activities to counter Phenom’s two-on-two gameplay. We’ll have more on both soon.
NBA Ballers: Phenom, they’re calling it, and it represents a return to the same nobody-to-somebody basketball progression that made the first game a hit. A retooled create-a-player mode with more freedom, bigger storyline and expanded suite of off-the-court activities around Los Angeles have all been poured into the sequel, with the same rags-to-riches rise to the top of the NBA at the forefront.
"With the huge success of NBA Ballers and the fact that it was truly the first basketball videogame to successfully incorporate the fantasy lifestyle element, we can’t help but to be excited with the announcement of NBA Ballers: Phenom," oozed Midway CMO Steve Allison. "In addition to the new 2-on-2 basketball action (along with classic 1-on-1) and a detailed story mode, we’re really looking forward to showcasing the game’s new, unique gameplay modes and enhanced features over the next several months."
It was also mentioned, almost as an aside, that a PSP sequel to the first game is in the works, going by the name of NBA Ballers: Rebound, and should offer a fairly healthy amount of one-on-one activities to counter Phenom’s two-on-two gameplay. We’ll have more on both soon.
