In a little over a week EA Sports will unleash its NBA licensed video game on the masses. They are calling this latest installation to their franchise NBA Elite. If the gamemakers at 2K Sports have been an inspiration to the people at Electronic Arts its in how they present this game to the public. With much fanfare and hoopla (do you see what I just did?) EA Sports launched NBA Elite to a crowd of the best tastemakers and influencers in New York City.
2K Sports also held their game’s launch party the same night but I couldn’t get inside their shindig. The dude’s running the list said they couldn’t find my name. So I was left to wait outside for some of the dignitaries to float thru that could help the 2K people respekanize my internets celebrity status.
In the meantime I asked some questions to the NBA players who were exiting the limousines in front of the club. I asked Derrick Rose if he wouldn’t mind Carmelo taking more shots than him if the Bulls traded for him. To his credit Derrick said he didn’t care. I told Rajon Rondo that there was a rumor about his avatar turning the ball over frequently in the 2K game. He sneered back at me. Lulz.
Sean Price was due to perform at the 2K Sports event and I wanted to stick around for dude to get me into the party but I was getting antsy. I knew that there was liquor flowing at the EA Sports soiree and some little chickadees from the ad game I know just left the 2K party to go to the EA one. That was the spark I needed to get to EA’s event. They took over what appeared to be a former bank space and filled it with all kinds of interactive stations from gaming consoles to webcasted video players. EA Sports had the proper circus atmosphere. All they needed was me – the clown.
I sucked down hor’s d’ovaries and vodka/grapefruit drinks like I was out of my mind. I was totally nice by 9pm and I still had to find something to do with myself for the next 2.5 hours before I would go in to tape the Combat Jack Radio Show. So I kept throwing back the vodka mixes, even after they had run out of Stoli I went in with the Svedka. Trays of shrimp cocktail danced around me with the shrimp so big you could ride them home.
The room was spinning more than a Tim Hardaway free throw but I hung tough. I mean, alcohol… Its. What. I. Do. The atmosphere felt like a high school reunion. 40 Diesel was in effect. Meka and LowKey. Clark Kent, Mos Def, Treach, 9th Wonder and J-Cole doing a mini-set. EA Sports doesn’t just know how to throw a party either. They kept the NBA Elite lounge open to the public all weekend. If I wasn’t nursing the massive migraine from opening night I might would have fell thru again to get a better look at the new Kevin Durant shoe EA Sports x Nike collabo.
So which game is better? EA Sports NBA Elite or NBA 2K11. Here’s my breakdown…
Launch Party
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NBA 2K11
*crickets*
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NBA Elite ’11
Obama (open bar) throughout with free food
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Attending Celebrities
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NBA 2K11
Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo
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NBA Elite ’11
Vashtie Kola FTW
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Fanboy Extras
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NBA 2K11
Douchehammer security
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NBA Elite ’11
Free haircuts and a photo booth.
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Clearly the best game of all is the EA Sports retro version of NBA JAM.
When you consider the pure artistry of the game of basketball…
Dr.J > Michael Jordan
