NBA 2K15

The dumb idea behind Dumb Fact Monday is that I would have enough mildly interesting facts to release articles week after week. Unfortunately the well is almost dry, so I have decided to change the format up going forward. This is Dumb Mondays, starting the workweek off with facts, opinions, predictions, or any other topic that you may or may not find interesting.

Every year I make a fool of myself trying to predict what the upcoming basketball video games will feature. Now that we have preorders available for NBA 2K15, I realized I needed to get my predictions out there before any information is revealed. As I said, historically this has been a complete blunder in itself. I expected anything good from Live 08 PC, a TNT license in NBA 2K12, The Crib in NBA 2K13, and that we would have “Jaw-Dropping” graphics in NBA Live 14. So, let’s see how embarrassing this year will be for me as we near the reveals for NBA 2K15 and NBA Live 15.

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Gamestop and Amazon have added NBA 2K15 to their databases and it is now available for preorder. Both list the release date of the game as October 7th, which is the first Tuesday of the month and historically the release date of our annual basketball video games. The game is listed to come out on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and thankfully yes, the PC. No features or other information is available, but it is interesting to note that the PC version is listed at the full-priced $60, rather than the usual 50% discount. Either that is a pricing glitch by the early listings, or hopefully a hint that the PC version will be featured differently than years past.

Come join in the speculation in our Forums and keep an eye on our news feeds here at the NLSC. Any information about NBA 2K15, NBA Live 15, and of course PC version news will be featured here.

If you’re looking for some NBA and basketball video game discussion this Easter Weekend, tune in to Episode #75 of the NLSC Podcast! Arcane, JaoSming and I get together again this week to discuss the upcoming 2014 NBA Playoffs, speculate on the direction that NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 will take, and reminisce fondly about our exploits on the virtual hardwood.

• We tip things off with some housekeeping notes, including the full launch of our mobile design and the impending return of the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week.
• The official site of the Boston Celtics provided us with a very cool glimpse behind the scenes of the team’s face scans for NBA Live 15. Looks like we could be seeing a huge jump in the game’s aesthetics.
• Another Coach’s Corner has been posted, as usual giving us a few more tidbits on the further development of the NBA Live series.
• What direction do we see NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 taking? We talk about our expectations for the immediate future of both series.
• Basketball video game modding is getting more attention in the mainstream gaming media, as Polygon posted a piece on MGX’s Space Jam mod.
• JaoSming talks a little about his latest projects and recent modding developments. We also announce a new project by bigh0rt.
• We reminisce about our earliest experiences with basketball video games, and some of the fond memories we have of playing them over the years.
• Turning our attention to the NBA Playoffs, the sixteen participants have been set but the seeding isn’t finalised. Nevertheless, let the predictions begin!
• Should the format of the Playoffs be changed, as Adam Silver has hinted?
• We make some early predictions for the later rounds of the Playoffs. Will the Heat threepeat?
• The episode closes with some reflections on the 2013/2014 regular season.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:18:17 — 73.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

What did you think of this week’s show? What are some of your earliest and/or favourite basketball video gaming memories? Do you share our take on the Playoff format? Let us know what you think, either in the comments below or here in the Forum. We’ll also be looking to bring back the mailbag feature in future episodes, so feel free to hit us up with your submissions and topic suggestions here.

We’ve recorded Episode #74 of the NLSC Podcast and it’s out now for your listening enjoyment (sorry, Leftos). Join Arcane, JaoSming and myself as we discuss our favourite basketball video games, ideas for future releases from EA and 2K, modding, the race to the 2014 NBA Playoffs, and more…even wrasslin’!

• We tip things off with a couple of housekeeping matters, specifically the forthcoming mobile design for the Forum and the future of the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week.
• Once again, we remind everyone to add their feedback to the NBA Live 15 Wishlist ASAP. We also speculate on when we think we’ll start seeing information and previews for NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15. Spoiler: Probably not next week.
• 2K Sports partnered with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to do something pretty cool for a young man who loves NBA 2K.
• JaoSming takes us through some exciting developments in modding…exciting enough to get him out of bed in the middle of the night, in fact.
• The subject of highlight plays in basketball video games is brought up. How can they be implemented without being gamebreakers?
• We also discuss the feasibility and likelihood of career games being carried over to the next year’s release. Could it be done without cheapening the experience?
• Kevin Durant has surpassed a scoring mark set by Michael Jordan, leading us to once again quickly revisit this year’s MVP race.
• Speaking of milestones, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash moved up on the career leaderboards. We comment on their place in NBA history.
• Joe Dumars is reportedly on his way out in Detroit, but is Isiah Thomas on the way in? Meanwhile, Mitch Kupchak looks to remain with the Lakers.
• We make a few more predictions as the NBA regular season winds down, as well as weigh in on the Nets’ season sweep of the defending champion Heat. Foul or not a foul by Plums?
• You’ll never guess what recent gaming announcement has Arcane excited! (A new Fallout game?)
• Wrasslin’ fans JaoSming and Andrew reflect on Wrestlemania 30, the Undertaker and other events from the world of the squared circle.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:25:01 — 75.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, we welcome your thoughts on this week’s show, as well as any of the topics that we discussed. We also invite you to send in your mailbag submissions and topic suggestions here.

With JaoSming hitting the books this week, Episode #73 of the NLSC Podcast is a two man show featuring Arcane and myself. Tune in for a discussion of legends in NBA Live, the latest news and results from around the NBA, and some other gaming topics.

• We open the show by recounting some of our favourite April Fools’ Day gags from around the web this year.
• A new BIG Moment in NBA Live 14 goes old school with Magic Johnson. Could we see legends having a bigger presence in NBA Live 15?
• Some news and notes from the latest installment of Coach’s Corner are also discussed.
• The NBA 2K13 servers have now been shut down. This sets us thinking: will next year’s server shutdowns render NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen unplayable?
• We mention a couple of housekeeping matters, including details on some forthcoming features.
• The Miami Heat are on top of the East for the first time this season, while the San Antonio Spurs set a team record with their current winning streak. Will we see a rematch in this year’s NBA Finals?
• Brooklyn has won fourteen straight at home and seem to be in good form at the right time. Can the Nets make some noise in the Playoffs?
• We discuss an interesting comparison between Kwame Brown and Roy Hibbert.
• Kyrie Irving may possibly return to action for the final few games of the season, which prompts another discussion about Aussies in the NBA.
• The Philadelphia 76ers’ losing streak is over at 26. Our condolences to the Detroit Pistons and their fans.
• Who’s making the eighth and final seed in both Conferences?
• We wrap up the show with some talk about other video games.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:27:23 — 47.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, we welcome your thoughts on this week’s show, as well as any of the topics that we discussed. You can hit us up in the comments below, as well as here in the Forum. We also invite you to send in your mailbag submissions and topic suggestions here.

This is The Tuesday Triple, where I attempt to break down random topics into three points, and maybe an “and one” if I need it. Similar to the established Friday Five by Andrew, the topics will be related to basketball video games and their communities as a whole.

After reading Andrew’s Friday Five last week on why we do wishlists, I couldn’t help but think more about what other features are missing from our yearly NBA basketball video games. So rather than look at past games and features that have been missing in action for years like yesterday’s Dumb Fact Monday, I thought I would look at other sports video games and steal some ideas from them. So here are 3 features I would like to see in NBA Live 15 or NBA 2K15 that are from other sports video games.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! This is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

It’s Wishlist Season again here at the NLSC! As you may have already seen, we’ve started compiling our Wishlist for NBA Live 15 and in this week’s Tuesday Triple, JaoSming outlined some of the things that he wants to see in NBA Live 15 and NBA 2K15 alike.

Of course, the concept of the Wishlist does invite some scepticism, as a contingent of basketball gamers are unsure that it’s worth all the effort, or that it will make any difference to the upcoming games. I take a far more optimistic point of view however and see the Wishlists as an important undertaking for our community, to help improve the games that we’re so passionate about. As such, this week’s Friday Five highlights the importance of our Wishlists, as I take a look at five reasons why we compile them.

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A couple of us are feeling a bit under the weather this week, but we were still eager to get together to talk basketball and basketball video games. Tune in to Episode #71 of the NLSC Podcast, featuring Arcane, JaoSming and myself, along with special guest Vl@d Zola Jr.

• Vl@d and JaoSming take us through the latest developments for RED MC. Some awesome stuff is in the works!
• EA Sports continues their face scanning for NBA Live 15, while also meeting with NBA coaches to gain more insight into their strategies to better hone the game’s AI.
• A quick glimpse at some dunks being motion captured for NBA 2K15 leads to a discussion on dunking in basketball video games.
• The full roster of NBA Legends is now available in NBA Live 14 Ultimate Team. We talk a little about what we want to see in the future as far as Legends in NBA Live are concerned.
• We can honestly say, JaoSming had the worst luck when it came to the random gift Locker Code that’s currently available for NBA 2K14.
• We’re giving away some digital copies of NBA 2K14 PC. Listen to the show for full details on how to win the first Steam code, and get your entries in ASAP!
• Phil Jackson is now officially president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks. Michael Jordan thinks he’ll do a great job…do we?
• Kyrie Irving is injured again and may be done for the season. Let’s hope there’s no NBA Live equivalent of the Madden curse.
• We recap the last week in the NBA, including teams that are hot, teams that we jinxed, and teams whose losing streaks we’re definitely not taking responsibility for.
• The Miami Heat have hit a bit of a rough patch, though it made for an exciting finish against the Brooklyn Nets last week. On a side note, ESPN fails at trivia.
• We touch briefly on March Madness. Our brackets will surely be busted.
• Episode #71 closes with some talk about Sony’s new virtual reality endeavour, Project Morpheus.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:57:10 — 61.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

As always, we welcome your thoughts on this week’s show, as well as any of the topics that we discussed. You can hit us up in the comments below, as well as here in the Forum. We also invite you to send in your mailbag submissions and topic suggestions here.

This is The Tuesday Triple, where I attempt to break down random topics into three points, and maybe an “and one” if I need it. Similar to the established Friday Five by Andrew, the topics will be related to basketball video games and their communities as a whole.

This is the best time for basketball video game communities to put out their wishlists for NBA 2K15 and NBA Live 15. You can see in our Forums that the EA developers are looking for your wishlist items for next year’s game. This is one of my favorite times of year when it comes to our basketball video games. We get to wonder what next year will bring, get excited as we near our first teasers just a couple months away, while also enjoying the best of college and professional hoops. So rather than highlight my three most wanted specific features for next year’s games, I want to put out my three wishlist overarching features that affect the game as a whole rather than a specific tweak or mode addition.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! This is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

As I continue to play NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen, I’m naturally noticing aspects of the games that really impress me, as well as elements that I feel still need some work but certainly have a lot of potential. Needless to say, I’m also noticing a few things that I really hope both developers can avoid in the future.

I do actually want to start talking about some of the more positive aspects of both games in upcoming Friday Fives but this week, I’m focusing on that last category: the things I want EA Sports and 2K Sports to avoid. These include ongoing and re-emerging problems in basketball video games, as well as a few newer issues that I believe need to be nipped in the bud.

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