NBA Inside Drive 2004

• Developer — High Voltage Software • Publisher — Microsoft Game Studios • Platforms — Xbox • Genre — Sports • Modes — Single-player, Multiplayer

• Illustration — Gameplay Players can play matches of basketball in several modes, including single exhibition games, or franchise games played as seasons or playoffs. In the game's franchise mode, players select a team and complete up to 25 seasons of matches, managing the roster of their team's players, salaries and performance in between matches. A Manager mode allows players to create and edit players, teams and rosters. The game features three difficulty ratings: rookie, veteran, and all-star. The game supports Xbox Live multiplayer play, with players able to create online tournaments and view leaderboards on the XSN Sports website.

NBA Inside Drive 2004 was unveiled by Microsoft in May 2003 at E3 as part of its 2004 XSN Sports lineup, alongside Links 2004, NHL Rivals 2004 and NFL Fever 2004. The announcement featured a game demo showcasing a match between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. The game was later showcased at the Leipzig Games Convention. The game's cover features NBA champion basketballer Shaquille O'Neal. Sports commentators Kevin Calabro, Marques Johnson and Kenny Smith also provided play-by-play commentary for the game. The game's gold master was finalised in November, and NBA Inside Drive 2004 was released on 18 November 2003. The game was the last in the Inside Drive series, following Microsoft's postponement and eventual cancellation of first-party sports titles in 2004.