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According to the NBA, three-quarters of its professional players are also avid gamers. That makes it easy for EA Sports to find NBA stars willing to come visit its Canadian studio where the NBA Live franchise is made, and GamePro was there to snag some one on one time with the players.

The Annual NBA Live Summer Camp took place at EA Canada with NBA stars Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics), Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns), Channing Frye (Portland Trailblazers) Randy Foye (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Delonte West (Seattle Supersonics) in attendance.

The athletes got some quality time playing NBA Live 08 for Xbox 360 and Wii, then donned the motion capture suits to bring their personalized moves to NBA Live 09. We were also able to catch Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards by phone.

All of the players are crazy about games and shared with us their own personal gaming history and what it's like to game in the NBA; you'd be surprised at what some of them play. Jump to the next page to see what Paul Pierce had to say about the gaming and what's behind the scenes in the locker room.

The first player GamePro sat down with was Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, who proved to us just how important video games are to NBA players.

GP: How'd you get involved in gaming?

PP: I got interested in videogames because I couldn't go outside at night when I was a little kid, in the early days.

GP: What's it like seeing yourself in NBA games today?

PP: Since I've been in the NBA, it's been great to actually play as myself in these videogames. For so many years I'd been playing with all of the other players and now I can go out there as myself and shoot all the time.

GP: What game consoles did you play growing up?

PP: I was really into the Sega Genesis and Nintendo when I was in elementary school. Then the Playstation came out with these crazy graphics and I got into that. I was always a basketball and football guy.

GP: What's it like to do this mo-cap for NBA Live 09?

PP: It's even more like real-life, knowing that when I get the new game and I use my go-to move that all of the other players can't do that. I did a nice little fade-away jumper, a nice little left hand dunk and some other secret moves I can't give away.

GP: What did you think of NBA Live 08?

PP: I think it's great what they're doing with this franchise. They're always finding new ideas to make it more real. Just when you think they can't make it more real they find ways to go and make it better.

GP: What's it like seeing yourself in high definition in these videogames?

PP: It's a lot of fun. I have a 60-inch flat screen at home so I turn off all the lights and play games on it. I play these NBA videogames and I always wish that I could do some of the same things from the videogames in real life. Well, now I can.

GP: How popular are videogames amongst NBA players?

PP: In the NBA, videogames are so popular owners and teams are putting videogames in players' locker rooms. You can go to Dallas and everyone has their own individual videogame in their locker. A number of teams have that now. The game industry has blown up to a whole 'nother level.

GP: Where do you stack up amongst the gamers on the Celtics?

PP: I have nine new players on my team right now, so I don't know yet.

GP: Do the Celtics have a game set-up in the arena?

PP: We have a videogame system in our locker room. A lot of guys play the Madden game because when it comes to the NBA games, everybody wants to be the Celtics. When everybody wants to be the Celtics and you're on the Celtics how are you going to play?

GP: Do you check your player ratings when new NBA games come out?

PP: I get mad when I see a guy that I know I'm better than get a better player rating than me.

GP: Is that one of the fringe benefits of being in an NBA game? Asking EA Sports to raise your player attributes?

PP: Maybe I can get a better player rating now that I've done the mo-cap. I have an inside track on it now.

GP: Has the technology in mo-cap changed any since you last did this?

PP: The technology is a lot of the same thing. You put on this real hot and tight suit and go out there and do all the moves so they can capture it and put it in the game. It's still as sweaty as it was the last time.

GP: What's it like wearing that mo-cap suit?

PP: The suit is tight as hell. I just wish they had a hole in it so I could take a dump. I'll deal with it for another hour or so.
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Channing Frye of the Portland Trailblazers has a WoW addiction that could probably rival yours.

GP: What did you play growing up?

CF: I played everything. I started with Nintendo, then I got a Sega Genesis. Sonic the Hedgehog was a great game. NBA Jam. I played that until it broke. We played James Bond Goldeneye on Nintendo 64 and WCW vs. NWO, which was hot.

GP: What do you play today?


Yeah, Channing Frye wants to get his hands on this too.
CF: Lately, we play Xbox 360. That really changed everything. Depending on my mood or who's at my house, we play either 360 or Wii. I also play a lot of games like World of Warcraft. I'm a big nerd, I got addicted to that game. I play that too much. I have like a 59 and a 67. It goes up to 70 and the expansion is going to go up to 80. I play with a lot of my teammates; it keeps me safe and I stay in my house all of the time.

GP: Is World of Warcraft popular with NBA players?

CF: David Robinson and Andre Kilenko play. I play with my brother and some friends. I'm not saying I'm the best but I'm saying don't mess with me, my hunter is nice. I have a hunter and a mage and I'm building up a shaman.

GP: Do you find the time flies by inside World of Warcraft?

CF: One time me and my boy, we played for 16 hours one time. If it's a day off, you're too tired to get up. You sit at the computer and eat. I love that game.

GP: What are you playing on consoles these days?

CF: Halo is ridiculous. I have the Halo 3 Beta. It's sick. The only thing I have a problem with is the new controls [because] they changed it up a bit for the 360 and I wasn't really feeling that.

I have Bioshock, which is cool. I've been playing that a lot.

Guitar Hero. I love that freakin' game. That game is addictive. That gets all of my attention. I'm deep on medium [but] the CD's scratching so I can't get past a certain part of the game. I can handle four notes at once, it's just when they start coming really fast that it gets hard. I can do it if I really try. My brother and I have some real battles. Guitar Hero III, I'll be the first one to get that.

GP: Are videogames popular amongst NBA players?

CF: I don't know if it's popular in the NBA, but it is in my household. Forget the rest of the NBA.

GP: Do you travel with any game consoles?

CF: I bring my computer and play World of Warcraft.

GP: What have you learned from your experience doing mo-cap with EA Sports?

CF: It's crazy how many people you need to make the NBA Live videogame and how much detail they pay to everything...your foot, your ankles, your joints and everything. Basically, the people here are geniuses.

GP: What were you able to do at the mo-cap session?

CF: My actual jumpshot, my running, my lay-ups, my play. My signature move...if you're looking at the basket from the left block and if you shoot from there you'll be okay with me.

GP: What did you think of NBA Live 08?

CF: They messed up my jumper a little bit last year but they've fixed it in 08. How I run and how I look is a lot better this year.

GP: What would you add to the game?

CF: I'd give myself a little more flare a little more shake and bake.

GP: What'd you think of the Wii NBA Live 08 game?

CF: Family play makes it easier for parents to get involved with their kids with games.

GP: And the Xbox 360 game?

CF: The 360 was sick. The gameplay was smooth. The graphics are amazing. The way they integrated people's signature moves and the way they dribble and finish was really great.

GP: Any new features you like?

CF: The hot spots in the game. You can hit a button and figure out where any individual player shoots best on the court. They got the stats from the NBA.

GP: Do you keep track of player ratings for the new NBA Live games?

CF: I don't really care about my stats in the NBA games. I kind of boost those up by the end of the year anyway. Trust me, if you shoot every single time in the videogame, you'll be alright.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves' Randy Foye was third up and talked to us about the motion capture experience and Madden football games.

GP: How long have you been playing videogames?

RF: I've been playing videogames forever...every type of racing game, sports game--every time they come out I'm always playing it. I'm competitive, so my friends and I always play each other every day for at least five to six hours a day when a new game comes out to try to beat each other.

GP: What games did you like playing?

RF: Need for Speed...when that game first came out I was in love with that game, [and] Madden 95 when they put the capture of the guy running up the sideline.

GP: What do you play now?

RF: Even though I'm an NBA player, Madden is my favorite sports game. When I play a football game, I usually use all of the teams but when I play a basketball game I only use the Timberwolves because I'm in it.

GP: What's it like knowing your real moves are going to be in NBA Live 09?

RF: I know they'll probably use me and my moves for other NBA guards that are similar to me for motion in the game. I might use another guy in the NBA game and he's going to be walking like me or shooting like me. Just to be able to come here and put these suits on and get our actual moves and jump shots into the game is crazy.

GP: What was the mo-cap session like?

RF: It's all computerized. They take a couple of guys and put the suits on them and it's real human beings, until you look at the screens they have set up. When you see the screens it's all motion and those suits capture every little movement we make. I'm probably still moving now if you look at the screen.

GP: Has being involved in this mo-cap impacted your respect for the guys who make this game?

RF: I give the guys who make these games a lot of respect because I know it's a lot of long hours and a lot of work to get the game out by a certain time. It's kind of like being an athlete; they have to work as hard as they can to get the job done.

GP: Do you game on the road?

RF: We travel with an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Some guys will be playing cards and other guys will be playing videogames. We play everything from FIFA 07 to SOCOM. We play on the plane and in the hotel. Some guys don't go out when we're in another city, we just play videogames in the room; I'm one of those guys.

GP: Where do you rank on your team in terms of gamers?

RF: If there's 10 of us playing, I'd probably be in the top five.

GP: Do you have a favorite team in Madden NFL 08?

RF: I love playing with Peyton Manning. He throws to Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne and they always catch it. Sometimes it's a crazy pass and you don't think they're going to catch it, but they're All-Star receivers so they pull it in.

GP: What consoles do you own?

RF: I have a PS3, Wii and 360.

GP: What do you think of the Wii?

RF: I like the Wii. I play Wii Tennis a lot. The Wii reminds me a little bit of the motion sensor suits we have on here.
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The Seattle Supersonics' Delonte West stopped in with us to chat about the Wii and how even he can't find one yet.

GP: What'd you play gaming-wise growing up?

DW: I grew up playing Monopoly and Tic-Tac-Toe. We eventually got a Nintendo and we played Mario, Duck Hunt, [and] Track & Field. I remember playing Track & Field on the running pads to make the athlete on screen perform and now I'm actually being part of creating a game where they have me hooked up to all of these gadgets. It's amazing how far technology has come from back then.

GP: What did you think of NBA Live 08?

DW: What they can do with these video games is amazing. EA Sports does a great job with all of their sports from golf to football to basketball. I was playing NBA Live 08 on the Wii system and it's come so far from the old Nintendo.

GP: What are your thoughts on the Wii NBA Live 08 game?

DW: The one thing that made me stop playing videogames for a while was that the controller had so many buttons on them that it was hard to play. The guys who knew how to hit the buttons fast had the best chance of winning. With the Wii you can get into the motion and there aren't many buttons on it so it's easy to get into the game.

GP: What do you think of the Wii?

DW: I just enjoy playing these games. They bring the fun back to the games for me.

GP: What's it like to see yourself in these games?

DW: It's spooky, man, to see yourself in these games, especially now that the guy will walk and shoot like me. I personalized the way my guy moves today and it will bring smiles to my nephews knowing that I'm in the game, so I'm happy.

GP: What's it been like to be part of this mo-cap session?

DW: It's been a blessing to be a part of this game. Being a game fan and watching the games progress from year to year. I remember talking to friends about the differences between Madden 99 and Madden 2000. Now to actually see my guy moving and performing the way I do on the court is an amazing sight to see.

GP: What moves did you do for the new game?

DW: My signature moves, like my step-backs and my jumper. They got all of the motions I make when I shoot my jumper. It will be interesting to see when the game comes out to see how detailed they got everything.

GP: What game systems do you own?

DW: I actually have every game system dating all the way back to Nintendo and Sega. I don't have the Wii because I still haven't been able to find it. My brother and my nephews are always around the house and they play all the games. I like the simpler games like Sonic the Hedgehog. For some reason, I can see myself playing NBA Live 08 on Wii.

GP: Why do you think videogames are so popular in the NBA?

DW: Videogames are a great way to let out a lot of energy. A lot of players are competitive by nature and videogames are a way to compete off the court. They get home and they get on the game and blow somebody out and it's a way to channel your energy. I think some of the top consumers of videogames are athletes themselves.
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Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns tells us about how he uses his PSP to feed his poker addiction:

GP: What got you interested in gaming?

SM: Everybody started playing Atari back in the day. I grew up playing Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga. The older you got, the more you got into playing the sports games. I used to play Double Dribble on Nintendo. As I got older I played Genesis and Bulls versus Blazers, Lakers versus Celtics and games like that. It would just escalate from there. Every time a new game system came out the technology for the sports games stepped up. Right now, with NBA Live 08, it's crazy.

GP: What are some of your favorite games?

SM: I loved Mario, the Contra games.

GP: What do you think of NBA Live 08?

SM: It's hot. What can you do? It's almost to a point where you're really in the game to a certain degree. I think it's real special.

GP: What's it like to see yourself in high definition in these NBA games?

SM: It's very cool. I think it's every player's dream to have your actual moves in a video game. You're actually out there doing some of this stuff and that's hot.

GP: What were you able to contribute at this mo-cap session?

SM: I was able to do some layups and shooting and defense. They had us doing everything out there.

GP: Has this mo-cap experience impacted how you look at game makers?

SM: It definitely gives me more respect for how video games are made. The way technology's advancing it's great that they can actually get our moves into these games today.

GP: How popular are videogames in the NBA?

SM: Everybody has different habits that they do in their leisure time. All of us listen to music. I play music and play video games. Video games are a big part of the NBA, everybody loves playing games like NBA Live or adventure games or racing games. I play World Series of Poker a lot. I love poker.

GP: Do you travel with any game systems?

SM: I travel with a PSP. I'm a poker fanatic, man. I have to play poker every day.

GP: Is it nice to play virtual poker and not worry about losing any money?

SM: If I could play every day for real, I probably would lose money, so it's nice to play the video game poker and not have to worry about that. With the video game you can stop and pause it at any time, that's something you can't do playing real poker.

GP: Do you play other players on the plane?

SM: We'll link up sometimes on the plane and play Wi-Fi on the PSP depending on if people have the same game.

GP: Are you good at the videogame poker?

SM: I'm pretty good, but we play for real on the team.
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Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards wasn't at the camp, but we were able to catch NBA Live 08's cover man for a phone interview.

GP: How long have you been playing video games?

GA: I've been playing videogames since Super Mario Bros.

GP: What consoles have you owned over the years?

GA: I had Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Neo Geo, Dreamcast in college, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. I have [the] Xbox 360.

GP: What are your favorite old school videogames?

GA: I used to love Contra, Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, Street Fighter [and] Bomberman.

GP: Not many people owned a NeoGeo.

GA: I had Samurai Warriors on NeoGeo. That's the only game I had on there. I don't know what happened to that system. I lost it....

GP: What do you think of next generation gaming?

GA: Man, it is so cool that you can see how technology is changing if you go back and play those old games now. Like, in my mind Super Mario Bros. is the best game, but if you look at it now it's like, oh my God, [those are] terrible graphics. It makes it so real now. In a couple of years it's going to be real people in these videogames.

GP: Do you think growing up playing videogames helped you in basketball in the real world?

GA: It's hard for somebody to say that, but yes, video games helped me in real sports. You need to have hand-eye coordination for anything, so if you play videogames, and you're good at it, you're going to be good with hand-and-eye coordination stuff.

GP: What impact do you think NBA videogames have on growing the popularity of your sport?

GA: I play Madden all the time, but I never watched a football game. I love the players, but I can't just sit there and watch the whole game. So, by me playing Madden every day, it got me out of the house and I went to a Raiders/Ravens game. I was like, "Ray Lewis, I'm always playing as him, let me go watch him in action." So I think it does help kids; they play the games, they get to know the players and they see what the players can do in the game. They're like, "That's my favorite player because I scored 40 with him last night in the videogame!"

GP: Do you play PSP?

GA: I was one of the first ones who bought the PSP but I never really got into it.

GP: Do NBA players complain about their player rankings in games like some NFL players do about Madden rankings?

GA: We don't pay that much attention to that. I've never heard of players doing that before. If I'm an 85 or a 98, no matter what, I'm still going to shoot the ball 100 times. My whole goal when I play the game is that I don't care about the wins or losses if I'm playing against my friends. I'm just like, "If you can just stop me from scoring 100 as myself, then you won." I just try to score 100 as myself.

GP: Do you have any tips or strategies you can pass along to readers who are going to play as you in NBA Live 08?

GA: Just play. You have to just play with somebody who's better than you; they'll teach you things. I play with my Halo team and they teach me how to get better. When you play videogames, you have to go through...and learn the game.

GP: Do you like to play NBA video games online?

GA: I hate NBA games [online] because they just play all day and they find these little glitches in the game where if you time it right and you're standing a certain way you can steal the ball every time. And I'm like all man, that sucks, that happens all the time to me. And you can't throw it long.

GP: Why do you think Halo is so popular?

GA: [In] Halo, players love fighting games where they have competition with fighting and shooting. I know it's hard for parents because they say, "Oh, it's violent!", but not really. It's entertainment. You play in groups and it's cool how kids are communicating now. They're using video games so they don't have to pay for cell phone bills anymore. I have a lot of friends who don't have cell phones and they tell me to meet me online at 7pm; that's my chitchat hours.
W00t! i don't like how the movement and shooting system is for Live on the Xbox but i doo like what these guys share when they talk about what it was like and etc. etc. w00t!