NBA 07 load times take FOREVER on the PS3
by Blake Snow 
{ Nov 6th 2006 at 11:25PM }
Think of the extreme opposite of quick, accelerated, brisk, fast, hasty, and speedy, and that's what you apparently get with Sony's NBA 07 load times for the PS3. Though the video never attempts to start an actual game, the would-be wait appears to be hella-long and flagrantly contrary to how the PS3 cell processor is being pitched as faster. And while this may only be the initial download of content to speed up future game loads, we doubt it given past loading times. The wait for next-gen indefinitely continues...
UPDATE: Fixed EA mistake. Whoops!
[Thanks, aldo; via Kotaku]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Andrew Yoon @ Nov 6th 2006 9:15PM
It's absolutely unfair that someone with a TV as shoddy as that gets a PLAYSTATION 3.
PoKeDeAtH @ Nov 6th 2006 11:30PM
NBA 07 is actually not EA's game. It's Sony's NBA game.
Kyle @ Nov 6th 2006 11:30PM
I think EA makes NBA Live not NBA.
Dylan @ Nov 6th 2006 11:31PM
Yeah, we could blame it on EA again....
Except this isn't NBA Live 07!
This is NBA 07 published by the beloved Sony.
I thought you were smarter Blake.
LK @ Nov 6th 2006 11:34PM
@1 The dude was on a road trip (for the most part I think, It could've been at his house).
Also, TV does not make or break the enjoyment of games, it only enhances them. If the quality of the TV determines your overall enjoyment of a game, you have no business playing games.
Kestrel @ Nov 6th 2006 11:34PM
One word: TRIPOD.
Kyle @ Nov 6th 2006 11:37PM
#5
Unless you're playing Dead Rising :(
BB @ Nov 6th 2006 11:38PM
Wow...I can't believe how long it takes to load everything. I mean, it took a good 3 minutes or so to get to the main menu. That's ALOT of loading.
James @ Nov 7th 2006 12:37AM
Blake Sony is a Sony Hater!!
For God's sake thats w/o the HDD pre-load
nick @ Nov 6th 2006 11:41PM
I never had any problem completing Dead Rising while using a standard definition TV. I think it's a problem if you're on too small of a SDTV. Mine was 30"
Einhanderkiller @ Nov 6th 2006 11:44PM
At 1:35 the screen says that "NBA 07 will install data to the HDD," so that may be the cause of the long load.
hey alex @ Nov 6th 2006 11:44PM
The load times of early games are a concern. That several developers are off-loading huge chunks of data to the hard drive is also a concern, especially if you have the base unit.
Jeremy @ Nov 6th 2006 11:45PM
Wow... you are REQUIRED to install the game? If that's the case for all of the games, and games are taking up to 4 Gigs for the install (I'm lookin at you Ridge Racer), I feel sorry for people who get the 20 Gig PS3.
Dan @ Nov 6th 2006 11:48PM
And that's why I don't play it, or any other sports games (except Hot Shots Golf).
Huzzah!! @ Nov 6th 2006 11:51PM
"FOREVER"??? Have you seen Fight night for PSP???
rob @ Nov 7th 2006 10:13PM
IDK, 9 seconds first load screen and 25 seconds second load screen isn't slow.
if you can't wait
jose @ Nov 6th 2006 11:53PM
what a joke!
Sony == too little, too late!!! (all talk)
blueriot @ Nov 7th 2006 12:25AM
So... Uh...
Did Joystiq piss off Sony? Seems like if Sony was willing to ship a ps3 to Kotaku while he's visiting his moms in texas, the boys at Joystiq should be able to get one at their HQ
Whats up Joystiq, No love from Sony?
aldo @ Nov 7th 2006 12:12AM
Umm i think for the first minute or so he was just @ the interface and not actually loading anything because you can see the ps3 interface...
Mike @ Nov 7th 2006 12:09AM
Wow... those load times are terrible.
I think the worst part is how you're "committed" - like the guy says, there's no button to quit out until it's finished loading the title screen.
peej @ Nov 7th 2006 12:11AM
I love how he keeps reminding us that this actually isn't a very long load time... compared to the other ps3 titles, maybe?!
Alexei @ Nov 7th 2006 12:11AM
I urge everyone to ignore this story. No one who thinks that such low production values are acceptable should be taken seriously.
If this guy can't--
a: get a private room
b: write out his commentary ahead of time and know what he is going to say
c: hold the camera steady or oh... I dunno, put it on a tripod?
--then his opinion does not matter.
It is "journalism" like this that makes the rest of the world think gamers and game enthusiasts are childish and unprofessional. I mean, c'mon man. Your family is eating dinner, take it someplace else. How come real websites cannot give us this kind of coverage, and it has to come from every nobody with a camera and access to a system? And if the coverage is available from somebody who cares to do it right, how come Joystiq is posting junk like this?
Epsiloin @ Nov 7th 2006 12:12AM
Nother nail in the coffin? I'm pretty sure that they promised quick load times so maybe this is just an exception. Or not.
Dave @ Nov 7th 2006 12:17AM
The Blu-Ray drive is slow. Also, the install adds time on the initial run. It's got nothing to do with the capabilities of the cell processor.
aldo @ Nov 7th 2006 12:19AM
lol im probably wrong, :) i didnt have my sound on so i dunno what the guy said :)
Mike @ Nov 7th 2006 12:21AM
@19
They're posting it because it's relative and, my theory is, they havn't gotten any PS3's themselves.
Who cares about how steadily he can hold a camera? The content of the video is still valuable! You shouldn't discount someone's opinion just because they didn't go to film school.
The H @ Nov 7th 2006 12:23AM
aldo, be glad you didnt have your sound on. the guy was friggin annoying, to say the least.
Alexei @ Nov 7th 2006 12:32AM
@24, re: 19
Setting a camera down doesn't have anything to do with filmschool- it's a matter of sense, and respect for your viewer. It's obnoxious to watch shakey-cam footage when it's so simple to set down the camera. I mean, you can see him standing there in front of it... get a chair!
And I'm not slighting the guy because he's a terrible filmmaker- which he is- I'm slighting the entire community because we have to get our "valuable content" from this particular terrible filmmaker and others like him. Bush. League.
In all honesty, I applaud anyone with the means who goes out and gets a story... I just think that when they can do it better, they should- is that wrong? Somebody has to stand up and demand better from the limited amount of "journalists" receiving this kind of access.
Dear Kotaku guy or whoever took this piss-poor video, as well as Blake Snow who posted it: please go over to Cnet and watch any video review they've got. Thank you.
Eric @ Nov 7th 2006 12:34AM
That dude is wrong about Xbox360 controller syncing. I have never used that button on my system. I'm also curious about when you have controllers #5-7. The PS3 controllers feature only 4 lights. What happens?
Tom @ Nov 7th 2006 12:40AM
"You shouldn't discount someone's opinion just because they didn't go to film school." ~ Mike
Yes you should. I do it all the time.
Ripcord83 @ Nov 7th 2006 12:41AM
did anyone actually watch the video?
he didnt actually start the game til 1min 30 sec into the video wich showed all the normal game copyright screens, that is normal. the game loading itself started at 2min & with the hdd load it went to the main menu @ 2min 45sec since he messed up and did the thx logo stuff.
to me that was very quick, even with a hdd install.
this new topic is BS.
pat @ Nov 7th 2006 12:43AM
27
there are such things as Bi colored LEDs
DocEvil @ Nov 7th 2006 12:45AM
The install takes time? Come on people, listen to what he is saying. Things like 'I keep thinking they are talking about the science of basketball' during the load screen. He has clearly loaded this game before so the 'install times' should be a non-issue unless it has to install the files every single time you play the game which would really suck.
Hopefully this is not the rule but the exception.
MosquitoControl @ Nov 7th 2006 12:47AM
Seemed fine to me, considering it installed as we watched.
QAguy @ Nov 7th 2006 12:49AM
Ok...I've never posted here but, I was forced to after reading this "news"...this NONESENSE has got to STOP!!
Let me clarify things for everyone...I've been using the Debug PS3 for almost 2 months now...and let me tell you how it REALLY works...
All PS3 games load a small amount of data on the hard drive called "Game Data" when you initially start the game for the first time...which ranges (from what I've seen) from about 100mb to 300mb. After that, most of the load times are either as fast or faster than XBOX 360!! I'm no "fanboy" or whatever...but Joystiq really shows their immaturity at times when discussing the PS3...it's kinda sad, cause I like this website for the most part! Just don't believe everything you read or see...I've played with the Wii as well...just thought I'd rub that in to you Nintendo FB's!!
Sam @ Nov 7th 2006 12:49AM
Forever? Have you ever seen Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex? That takes like 5 minutes to load one crappy level. Those were relativly fast loads I would say though. I think people are being too harsh on the PS3. Oh well. The Wii will be better.
Zac @ Nov 7th 2006 12:51AM
I don't understand.. So it took about 25 seconds of load time without installing anything on the HD?
Figboy @ Nov 7th 2006 12:52AM
29 seconds...
why is this a big deal?
if you're going to be sitting down for 2 to 3 hours to play the game, why are 30 second load times such an issue?
it's true, the reader base of joystiq likes to complain about *EVERYTHING* and especially if it's negative to Sony in any way. if it's not negative, then they find a way to *make* it negative.
and besides, it did say that it was installing some data to the HD, so that 30 load time could have been just that. if not, so frigging what. much like with the PSP load times will be reduced as developers learn new tricks with the hardware (i give you Daxter for the PSP as exibit A; the title had virtually no load times because it was constantly streaming from the disc, and cleverly hid any loading with things like taking an elevator and opening a door. it gave the illusion that the world was seamless).
i know, i know it's 11 days until the PS3 launches here in North America, and the dissenters are getting scared because it's not going to be speculation anymore, and people will be able to judge for themselves if their purchase of a PS3 was worthwhile. i'll either be joining the next gen in December or March, as i'm in no hurry to get a PS3 just yet (i don't want to go through the hassle of waiting in long lines and what not. i like to be able to walk into a store and pick one up off of the shelf and take it to the cashier).
anyway, you guys need to lighten up, and quit jumping onto any and all "negative" information on the PS3 (or it's competitors), just to make "your" system seem better. Sony, Microsoft, nor Nintendo don't care. they just want you to buy their console.
Revo @ Nov 7th 2006 12:54AM
Alexei: "I urge everyone to ignore this story. No one who thinks that such low production values are acceptable should be taken seriously."
So, should the long load time for the game be attributed to "low production values" as well? The actual performance of the system is quite unaffected by the quality of the journalism, so I'm not entirely sure what your point is.
9mmPreacher @ Nov 7th 2006 12:58AM
What's sad is that I think the PSP has a faster load time. Ahhh!
http://reviewsblog.sonsofgodclan.net
Capt. Castellanos @ Nov 7th 2006 2:39AM
to QAguy
argh!
you played PS3 and Wii!
curse you and your ways!
oh well, just a few more days
until i'll be playing them as well.
Alexei @ Nov 7th 2006 1:06AM
@38. re: 19.
Please read the other comments before you post yours in the future.
The quality of this video is so poor, how can you take the contents seriously? The answer is that you can't take it seriously. And as proof... the comments on the post reflect that we're unsure if this is the first boot of the game or if it has already been installed, which makes the entire video worthless in regards to how long the load time actually takes.
But that wasn't even my original point. My point is that as a community we should refuse to get our info (such as about load times) from people with such low production values. By doing so we would set a higher standard, and because of this higher standard future videos would not only contain valuable information, but would also actually be watchable without inducing sea-sickness.
Why does Joystiq, a site I *typically* respect, need to post this? I saw them do their own unboxing... what are they using that PS3 for?
Sonic @ Nov 7th 2006 2:54AM
This video was to show good load times for the PS3 as the man said, it did not show good load times, thus we should not listen to him, just watch the video.
Deez Nutz @ Nov 7th 2006 1:43AM
Has this retard even SEEN a 360? You simply press the grren X button and the controller syncs up. I've NEVER used the sync button on the console.
Alexei @ Nov 7th 2006 1:45AM
And in closing, did you know they still make Easy-Bake Ovens? I saw one in a TV commercial. Seriously, we're ponying up for the ability to control life-like full motion graphics, and they're still trying to pedal a fake oven that heats up cupcake batter with a light bulb. The world is an incredible place.
glitched @ Nov 7th 2006 2:06AM
Its a given for Blake Snow that he will take a video of the instal load times, and say "we doubt they are just intall load times" and pass the story off as "ps3 load times are terrible, then half the people will just bite on that comment, and not even watch the video... I cant beleive this guy still works for this site... You wont see posts like this on autoblog, engadget, or other sister sites... no need for him/it here either
elmer92413 @ Nov 7th 2006 1:59AM
Raise your hand if you actually watched the video...
...
It only took 25secs for the game to load...
I fail to see how this is "hella-long and flagrantly contrary to how the PS3 cell processor is being pitched as faster." And does Blake even realize that the load time has almost nothing to do with the Cell, but rather the Bluray drive?!
...
..
.
DA @ Nov 7th 2006 2:14AM
My 360 didn't pickup my controller on the first startup I had to hit the sync. I think that is what he is alluding to.
ERrrr @ Nov 7th 2006 2:04AM
Blake really dropped the Sixaxis on this post. First he calls it NBA Live 07, than he tries to be clever about the "Long" Load times. Only a fool would think this game takes a while to load. If any of my fellow 360 owners have Dead Rising, The load times for loading the mall are DISGUSTING! My hats off to Blu-Ray, surprisingly fast loading time.
ERrrr @ Nov 7th 2006 2:08AM
I Agree Glitched. Seems like another Robert Summa, No? Though I think Robert Summa was WAY better suited for Joystiq than Fake Snow. And The post that Got Summa booted, was much more credible than this crap Blake is posting.