EA Sports recently announced that NBA Live 19 will introduce the ability to create female players for the first time in franchise history. The NBA Live game series has been one of the EA Sports' flagship titles for over 20 years. In recent years, the property has become more innovative and inclusive. To date, it's one of the most popular NBA licensed video game series, and EA continues to offer a unique experience for its players.
EA Sports has dominated the market when it comes to officially licensed sports titles. The company’s Madden, NBA Live, PGA, NHL and FIFA titles have become monolithic franchises. EA has, however, primarily marketed their sports tiles towards men. Over the past 5 years, the company has taken steps to add female athletes in several of their titles. Just last year, NBA Live 18 made history when it added the WNBA to the series for the first time. Fans praised the inclusion of the WNBA into the NBA Live franchise, but it was only a small step in the right direction. Thanks to a recent announcement, it looks like EA Sports is taking further action to promote inclusion in their games.
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EA Sports recently announced that NBA Live 19 will allow players a chance to create female athletes. Gamers will be able to completely customize female athletes and take them through the game’s story mode. EA Sports expressed that this new feature is an important step in promoting more inclusion in their games. EA Sports released an official trailer for the female create-a-player function that gives fans a glimpse at what they can expect from the game. Check it out above.
All previous create-a-player functions will be available for the new feature, meaning female characters will have access to the same upgrades, gear and abilities as their male counterparts. Female gamers also have the chance to scan their faces and import them into the game using EA Sports NBA Live companion app. It's worth noting that the new female characters aren't limited in any way. To that point, EA has confirmed that the new female athletes can compete alongside and against the males. While that may seem like a small detail, it actually goes a long way in defining the company's definition of inclusion.
Beyond EA's official announcement, the footage from NBA Live 19's trailer looks terrific. Fans have already shared their excitement for the upcoming game, and even the YouTube comments are overwhelmingly positive. For years, gamers have been able to create and play as female characters across a myriad of genres. Apart from fighting games, however, the sports genre - especially basketball games - have been almost entirely dominated by male athletes. The fact that EA Sports is striving towards more inclusion in its games is admirable, but it's been a long time coming. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that fans are excited that EA has finally decided to allow female gamers the chance to see themselves reflected in NBA Live 19.
NBA Live 19 releases for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 7, 2018.
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Source: EA Sports