In the spirit of basketball, Russell Westbrook has been named the cover athlete for the video game NBA Live 16. Last night KicksOnFire.com posed a question to its Instagram in response to the news, "Will this persuade you to buy the game?" After NBA Live 10 EA Sports placed the game on a four-year hiatus due to overwhelming success by rival NBA 2K from 2K Sports. Moves like making Jay Z and LeBron James executive producers of 2K13 and 2K14 gave the game preference over the Live version. Curated playlists, player input, and keen attention to basketball culture bolstered 2K14 to the best-selling sports video game on next-generation consoles (Xbox One and Playstation 4) and five to seven million copies sold worldwide. However, NBA Live 14, 15, and now 16 have EA Sports poised for a comeback in NBA video game series. The addition of Russell Westbrook to 16's cover will entice gamers to buy Live over 2K thanks to Westbrook's dominance this season. Sport games are popular because they allow users to emulate and imagine otherworldly athletic talent that amazes us on playing fields. Consumers will see Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and director-producer Spike Lee representing NBA 2K16 and think dramatic storyline. Meanwhile, NBA Live 16 will be more attractive as Russell Westbrook represents ferocity and intensity. After all the Point guard recorded 11 triple-doubles--seven more than the any other player, almost willed his team to the playoffs without help from teammate Kevin Durant, and showed supremacy with an MVP performance in this year's All-Star Game. His speed-strength combo makes him a runaway train any gamer would love to ride to an NBA title, and updated graphics from NBA Live makes the experience all the more real. So, to answer KOF's question, yes Russell Westbrook's NBA Live 16 cover will persuade you to buy the game.
