Celebrity Byte

Gilbert Arenas going for the basket.

What videogames got you hooked in the old days?

When I was growing up I was hooked on Mario Bros., Contra, Double Dribble, and Double Dragon.

What do you think of how far games have come since then?

It's amazing. I looked at an original Nintendo controller recently and asked what is this? Is this made out of a cardboard box? This is not the controller I used to play with. Games have come so far with the graphics and everything. In a few more years, we're actually going to be in the game.

What's it like to see yourself in high definition games today?

When I first saw myself in NCAA Basketball, even though it didn't have my name, it has your zero and I was excited about that. Then when I got into the NBA and it has your name and face, it doesn't get any better than this. At the end of the day, no one can ever take this away from you. You can keep this game forever and say, I'm in this game.

Truthfully, I was just so excited about being on the cover that I didn't care if the game didn't play, as long as I was on the cover.

What's it like for you, being a gamer your whole life, to actually be on the cover of NBA Live 08?

That's just so satisfying for both me and my friends. I'm not going to lie to you. We spend so much time playing videogames and our parents were always telling us videogames are a waste of time. Videogames are not going to get you anything. Only children play videogames. And now I'm like, see, I'm on the cover of a videogame. It's kind of fun because it brings the kid out of you. For some reason, when you become a professional, it makes you file away that kid part of you that made you enjoy videogames.

What role does being on the cover of NBA Live 08 play amongst your peers in the NBA?

I don't know. It's fun because my teammates and friends know I'm a goofball. They know he is one of the players who's going to sit there and play that game 20 hours a day. And they're right. I'm going to be playing it all day.

Were you able to work with EA Sports on this new game to make sure it was worthy of having you on the cover?

Truthfully, I was just so excited about being on the cover that I didn't care if the game didn't play, as long as I was on the cover. But seriously, I told them my concerns that what NBA Live 07 was like. There was the glitch where when you shoot it wasn't as smooth as the NBA 2K7 game and they fixed that in this one.

Arenas drives around Minnesota Timberwolves' Marko Jaric.

Is there anything that really stands out in NBA Live 08 that you like this year?

The hot spots are great, which show you the best place to shoot with any player. And you're able to do more with dribbling in this game. Before it was more like post play and now it's more in your dribbling. You can do more moves with the ball. I think people are going to find that exciting. You can get the best dribbler on your team and play around, spin, and do behind-the-back and I think that's what's going to catch everybody.

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