Suns Win the Virtual NBA Title

According to the world of video games, the Phoenix Suns will win that elusive NBA title this coming season for the NBA. A virtual season was run on Electronic Arts game NBA Live 08. In this simulated season the Suns defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals to capture the title. The Suns were heavy favorites in real life last year, and should continue to be favorites again this year along with Western Conference teams the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.

Also according to the NBA Live virtual season:

"Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat averages 31.6 points a night to earn the league MVP title. Chicago Bulls forward Ben Wallace earns defensive player of the year, while Kevin Durrant of the Seattle SuperSonics receives rookie of the year and Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves collects the most improved player trophy.

The Suns post a 58-24 regular-season record to finish atop the West, and go on to knock off San Antonio in seven games in the Western Conference finals.

The Celtics rebound from their last-place finish in 2006-07 with the addition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the off-season, finishing atop the East at 49-33. Boston beats the New Jersey Nets in six games in the Eastern Conference final." (Source: Canadian Press)

The NBA season starts in less than 2 weeks on October 30th, stay tuned. NBA Live 08 is available for several video game platforms including Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

NBA Live 08' Trailer

A promo trailer for the NBA Live 08' video game is available at Filefront.com. The trailer demonstrates the game's "blow by your defender", "own the paint" and various other moves from different superstars. And yes Kevin Garnett appears in a Celtics uniform..

While the game graphics look great, you never know exactly what you're in for until you get the feel of the controls, particularly the sensitivity of shooting, fouls, etc. So far it looks good. The game hits store shelves for most video game platforms on October 2, 2007. Pre-order NBA Live 08 at Amazon.com.

Check out the trailer for NBA Live 09' here.

Amare: Video Game Cover

Amare Stoudamire will be gracing the cover of "NBA 08" for the Sony Playstation 3 and PSP, coming this fall.

From worthplaying.com:

"Stoudemire, the cover athlete for NBA '06, is making a triumphant return to the PlayStation family after his strong effort within the Suns' lineup this past season. Overcoming micro-fracture surgery that limited him to three games during the entire 2005-06 season, Stoudemire took the NBA by storm in the 2006-07 season and helped the Suns advance to the Western Conference Semi- Finals. Stoudemire finished this past season with an average of 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocked shots per game while earning All-NBA First Team honors and a second All-Star appearance.

Despite not playing basketball until he was 14 years old, Stoudemire quickly excelled at the game. As the only high school player selected in the 2002 NBA draft, Stoudemire was taken ninth overall by the Phoenix Suns and soon made a name for himself, averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a rookie. He went on to be selected as a member of the U.S.A. Basketball Men's Senior National Team that participated in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

"Amare Stoudemire is one of the most dynamic players in the NBA, showcasing a range of power and finesse that makes him a favorite among the fans and a respected competitor among his peers," said Scott Rohde, director, sports product development, SCEA. "We are elated that he has renewed his partnership with us and believe that with Amare back on our team, NBA '08 will once again raise the bar for the franchise."

Check out the full NBA 08 video game story here, along with information on the new features in the game this time around.

IGN Looks at NBA Live 08

IGN.com has a look at the upcoming NBA Live 08' release, which will be available for the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3, Wireless, Sony PlayStation 2, PC, Sony PSP and XBox 360. One of the newest features of the game is a FIBA tournament mode that fans can now play.

From IGN.com:

Gamers can play any of the eight international teams (including Team US) in the Play Now mode or in the new FIBA World Championship mode. The Championship mode is an eight team single-elimination tournament. More importantly, because the real international players will be added into NBA Live 08, they can also be brought in to your Franchise just as a real NBA team might draft an international player.

"We're very excited to count FIBA as a close partner," said Jordan Edelstein, Director of Product Marketing, EA Sports. "Adding the FIBA World Championship license to the NBA Live franchise, allows us at EA Sports to add a new layer of authenticity to the franchise, giving fans all over the world a deeper virtual basketball experience."

"We are very pleased to partner with the world's #1 videogame company to enable basketball fans worldwide to play the FIBA World Championship," said FIBA Commercial Director Matthew Osmon.

For screenshots of the new NBA Live 08 game, check out IGN's page here.