Pre-E3 2007: NBA Live 08 - Hot Spots

EA is hoping to redeem the lackluster performances of the past few NBA Live iterations with some new innovations. For Live 08, EA is introducing Go-To Basketball. Designed to give players a more realistic hoops experience while also providing new play-making options, Go-To Basketball is comprised of four parts: Signature Go-To Moves, Quick-Strike Ball Handling, Own the Paint, and Hot Spots. We've already broken down the first three pieces. Today, we wrap up our Go-To coverage with a look at Hot Spots.

While the first three elements of Go-To Basketball are linked directly to gameplay, Hot Spots are a visual feature. On offense, you can hold down the Left Bumper or L1 to see a color-coded guide to a ball handler's strengths and weaknesses on the court. Depending on the player, you'll see patches of purple for cold zones, red for hot spots and yellow for moderate areas. These are the spots the player has shown to have the most success. That doesn't mean that if you shoot from a cold spot you will instantly brick, but it's much more likely.

In the past, a player had just three shot ratings based on range: close, medium, and three point. Now there are fourteen ratings, all of which were compiled from NBA data over the past few years. The Hot Spots are a bit of a gimmick, but one that will allow gamers to note the strong shooting zones for every player.

Bruce Bowen seems pretty comfortable shooting the three. But statistics show he is actually least effective shooting from the elbows and, in fact, lights it up when firing baseline treys. While you can pull up the Hot Spots any time on offense, it's likely that after a few games, you won't need to. After all, how many times do you really need to hold down a button to know Kobe is hot from every part of the floor?

For a single game and likely for a single season, knowing a player's Hot Spots by heart will mean you can avoid viewing them during a game. However, if you play a Dynasty, you'll need to keep an eye on the Hot Spots as they will change. Sure, Shaq is always going to always be red in the post and cold from just about everywhere else. But shooters might lose their touch from outside the arc as they get older or may start to favor the elbows as time marches on. It's unclear how dynamic these areas will be or the exact factors that will change them, but it's good to know that Kobe won't start red hot into his 50s.

That's everything you need to know about Go-To Basketball. Keep an eye out for updated impressions of NBA Live 08 and plenty more screens and videos as we head towards its fall release.

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