The last time we told you about NBA 09 The Inside on PS3 was, coincidentally, the first time we told you about NBA 09 The Inside on PS3. Funny how that works, eh? Anyway, in that original post, I mentioned the new game mode that SCEA is really pushing this year: “The Life.” In it, you’re going to have to take control of a street baller and attempt to make him an NBA star.

Above is a new trailer from Sony that shows off some of the cinematics in The Life, as well as some new gameplay footage. The mode sounds like it could be fun, but yet again, I have to point out that NBA 09 simply looks bland when compared to something like NBA 2K9 or NBA Live 09. And it’s not just in the player models, which lack any sort of real texture detail; take a look at the subway car that flies by -- it barely looks better than a train that was upscaled from GTA III or something.

Sure, it’s a cutscene, not an FMV -- but nowadays, we’re all used to extremely detailed HD graphics. And while a game doesn’t have to have great graphics to be good, the basketball market is especially crowded with three games, and NBA 09 stands out in a bad way -- especially because Sony likes to promote 1080p as a bullet point for the game. But we’ll have to wait and see how it plays. NBA 09 The Inside will be out on October 7th for the PS3, PSP, and PS2.