If you have read our look at the NBA Elite 11 demo you would know that we weren’t too pleased with it. Many of the game's animations looked largely inauthentic, forcing gamers to hope that the recently released demo was merely a first pass at the game and that the final product was not being accurately represented. Unfortunately, it looks like EA Sports might not have been pleased with the response they were receiving and have decided to delay NBA Elite 11 until some time next year.

Peter Moore, head of EA Sports, felt that with all of the negative fan reactions the game had been receiving, that delaying it would be the best thing to ensure delivery of a solid product saying:

"NBA Elite had the benefit of play-testing, a demo and a lot of our own research. All that feedback revealed some concerns about gameplay polish, so we’ve listened to your feedback, and made a judgment that the game would benefit from more time in development."

I know what you are thinking. If EA delays Elite into 2011, how will gamers get to experience the epic trifecta that is the Bosh, Wade, James Connection? Well, there are two options. Owners of NBA Live 10, the franchise that became Elite, will receive an update that will include all of the roster changes. The obvious option for those who were waiting to pick up Elite as their first basketball game is to simply put that cash towards NBA 2K11. It might seem like blasphemy, but it will definitely sate a NBA addiction.

With Elite delayed into 2011, EA has come out and said that they will be releasing NBA Jam as a standalone title for the PS3 and Xbox 360.  In a move that is sure to infuriate many hopeful fans, EA has decided to take what was going to be an added bonus to Elite and force gamers to play it or wait until Elite’s unknown release date.

EA certainly will upset many a sports game fanatic with this news and might suffer some really harsh backlash because of it, but if, in the end, they deliver a product that has the polish and finesse that we have come to expect from the brand there will certainly be pleased fans in the end.

What are your feelings on the NBA Elite 11 delay, Ranters? Does having to pay for NBA Jam make you feel a bit cheated by the folks at EA Sports?

NBA Elite 11 will release some time in 2011 on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Source: Giant Bomb