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The Friday Five: 5 Basketball Video Game Surprises

The Friday Five

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.

If you’re relatively new to basketball video games, or at least the basketball gaming community, you may not have much of an idea of how things used to be when it came to previews and interactions with the developers. With all the tidbits on social media, developer blogs, in-depth interviews here at the NLSC and around the web, live streams, and so on these days, we get to learn a lot about the upcoming editions of NBA Live and NBA 2K before they come out. This allows us to be well-informed, and in turn, savvy consumers.

Of course, the downside of such in-depth coverage is that some of the mystery is taken out of basketball gaming. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – with games coming out every year, we want to know whether the latest iteration is worth spending money on – but it also means that we don’t often get to be surprised by something really cool in basketball video games. Every so often though, EA Sports or 2K Sports will announce something that catches us off guard, and that’s what I’m talking about today: five times that I was surprised by basketball video games. Let’s get to the Five!

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File Additions for NBA Live 2005

Still playing NBA Live 2005 on PC, or feel like dusting it off? Then check out this retro NBA on TNT scoreboard from the early 90s, created by b_baller86!

b_baller86
Early 90s NBA on TNT Scoreboard

You can also find more retro scoreboards from b_baller86 here in our Downloads section.

NLSC Podcast – Episode #124

NLSC Podcast Logo

This past week delivered a little bit of everything: new NBA Live 16 screenshots, confirmed details on NBA 2K16, leaked details on NBA 2K16, and a couple of noteworthy NBA tidbits. Join Arcane and I as we give our thoughts on it all in Episode #124 of the NLSC Podcast!

  • We open with a reminder about our upcoming NBA Live 16 development team interviews. Get your questions in ASAP!
  • NBA Live 16 has also been on display at a Jordan Brand event, and EA Sports are inviting gamers in the Orlando area to join in some playtesting sessions.
  • We have our first official details on MyTEAM in NBA 2K16. The game’s soundtrack has also been released on Spotify.
  • Details on game modes have also been leaked. We comment on the latest leaks and rumours, as it appears that where there’s smoke, there is indeed fire.
  • We reflect on the differences in the previews for NBA Live 16 and NBA 2K16 so far.
  • Ultimate Team in NBA Live 15 has been celebrating Christmas in July, and delivered one of us a nice present.
  • Will LeBron James star in Space Jam 2? It’s likely just speculation and joking around, but…should he?
  • Baron Davis is talking about a comeback attempt, while Stephen Jackson is calling it a day.
  • In free agency news, Seth Curry gets his big break, while Richard Jefferson changes his mind…somewhat less controversially than DeAndre Jordan.
  • The Indiana Pacers will wear jerseys celebrating the 30th anniversary of Hoosiers.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

File Additions for NBA Live 07

We have a new file addition for NBA Live 07 today, as nba player bullet has released a pack of six logo updates for the 2015/2016 season. Download it at the link below!

nba player bullet
6 Team 2015 Logo Pack

Please note that this pack should also be compatible with NBA Live 08.

File Additions for NBA Live 08

NBA Live 08 Cover Art

We’re tipping off the week with some new file additions for NBA Live 08, as S_Brat has released three face packs for the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks. Download them all at the links below!

S_Brat
2014/2015 Houston Rockets Team Update
2014/2015 Detroit Pistons Team Update
2014/2015 Milwaukee Bucks Team Update

File Additions for NBA 2K14

NBA 2K14 Cover Art

Here are the latest file additions for NBA 2K14 PC! Today’s new and updated files include rosters, courts, faces, jerseys and more.

Mythbuster
The Palace – Detroit Pistons
Toronto Raptors 2015 Court & Jersey
Indiana Pacers “Hickory” Jersey
TD Garden

THEUNTAMEDBEAST
Derrick Rose HD Face V2

xyrho_44
Arron Afflalo Next-Gen Face

Kevin
Derrick Rose Face With Mini-Afro
2K12 Intro Video for 2K14
Kevin’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v8.4)

Monzki15
Terran Petteway Face

Medevenx
Med’s NBA Roster Appdata Files (Updated to v2.6)

NBA 2K16 Soundtrack on Spotify

As previously reported, the NBA 2K16 soundtrack has been curated by DJ Mustard, DJ Khaled, and DJ Premier, and will feature six in-game playlists comprised of 50 tracks, including six original songs. For those of you who would like to check out the NBA 2K16 soundtrack before the game drops, you can now tune in and listen to it on Spotify.

Speaking of NBA 2K16 and music, 2K Sports have unveiled an NBA 2K16 boombox, also sending out a few of them to prominent members of the community. Steve Noah of Operation Sports Tweeted out this photo of his boombox and the accompanying tapes.

What do you think of the NBA 2K16 soundtrack? Have your say in the comments below, and as always, feel free to join in the discussion taking place here in the Forum!

The Friday Five: 5 Most Annoying Basketball Video Game Bugs

The Friday Five

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.

We care a great deal about our basketball games in this community, and likewise have high expectations for our basketball gaming experiences. If the controls feel off, or the animations are funky, we notice. It bothers us when the wrong players are scoring most of the points, or when superstars aren’t playing like superstars. If the simulated stats aren’t true to life, it detracts from our enjoyment. In a nutshell, if the gameplay doesn’t feel right, and an acceptable level of realism isn’t present, we’re going to grumble.

However, as with video games of any genre, what really impedes our enjoyment of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball titles is the presence of bugs. Now, some bugs are small, while other bugs render games almost completely unplayable. For the purposes of this list, I’m focusing on smaller bugs that can be worked around, or only occasionally occur, but are nevertheless annoying. There’s nothing completely gamebreaking here, but still plenty of irritation to be found. With that said, here are five of the most annoying basketball video game bugs that I have experienced.

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Latest NBA 2K16 Leaks & Rumours

NBA 2K16 Stephen Curry Cover

While we wait for more information on NBA 2K16 to be officially released by 2K Sports, there continue to be leaks and rumours circulated. A handful of screenshots appear to have confirmed several details about game modes in NBA 2K16, including MyCAREER, MyLEAGUE, MyGM, MyTEAM, and MyPARK.

According to the screenshots, MyTEAM will feature five modes of play: Road to the Playoffs, Challenges, Domination (current and historic) and The Gauntlet, a three-on-three street mode. MyTEAM will apparently also feature greater customisation in NBA 2K16, right down to custom logos. The new 2K Pro-Am is reportedly a league that pits MyPLAYERs against each other in five-on-five gameplay, with NBA rules.

The images also describe MyCAREER as beginning in high school and continuing through college before finally making it to the NBA, with a healthy dose of off-court drama. This obviously gels with previous rumours and reports regarding this year’s MyCAREER, which is written and directed by Spike Lee. MyPARK will also return in NBA 2K16, featuring the same cities as last year.

MyLEAGUE and MyGM are also receiving upgrades in the form of three team trades and the Summer League (already confirmed by the leaked achievements list), a news ticker, and other enhancements including an “all-new Draft Lottery” and “all-new NBA Draft”. Finally, Play Now with feature the standard exhibition play, NBA Today, Play Now Online, Blacktop mode, Play With Friends, and the All-Star Team Up.

While all rumours should be taken with a grain of salt, the information does appear legitimate. Nevertheless, it is all subject to confirmation at this juncture, and we’ll no doubt be getting the full scoop on NBA 2K16 from 2K Sports themselves in the not too distant future.

In the meantime, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below, and as always, be sure to join in the discussion in the NBA 2K16 section of the NLSC Forum! If you’d like to check out the screenshots for yourself, you can find them here.

First Details on MyTEAM in NBA 2K16

At last! We have some officially confirmed information on NBA 2K16 that isn’t (solely) about pre-order bonuses and special editions! During yesterday’s live stream, 2K revealed the first details on MyTEAM in NBA 2K16, which they also summarised in a post on the game’s official Facebook page.

This year, MyTEAM will feature five card classes: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Amethyst, and Diamond. Additionally, NBA 2K16 will introduce Dynamic Rating cards, which as their name suggests, have ratings that will fluctuate as roster updates occur. That way, if you pull the Dynamic Rating card for a player who’s having a breakout season, like Hassan Whiteside last year, you won’t have to wait until a new card is released (and then acquire it) to benefit from their improved ratings. On the flip side, cards for struggling players will obviously become less valuable.

Also new to MyTEAM in NBA 2K16 are Moment Cards. These cards will represent big moments and memorable performances for current players during the 2016 season, however it appears as though a few historical ones might be available too. Gamers who pre-order the Special Edition of NBA 2K16 will receive a Michael Jordan Moment Card, celebrating his very first NBA game way back in 1984.

You can check out a full size image of the Michael Jordan Moment Card below, as well as in our NBA 2K16 screenshots gallery. As always, feel free to have your say in the comments below, as well as in the NBA 2K16 section of the NLSC Forum!

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NLSC Podcast – Episode #123

NLSC Podcast Logo

The 2015 NBA offseason is slowing down a little, but news about this year’s NBA video games is just starting to heat up. Arcane and I are your hosts for Episode #123 of the NLSC Podcast, in which we react to the latest NBA Live 16 news, discuss some NBA 2K16 leaks and rumours, and find a few other things to talk about, too.

  • This past week has brought us some new NBA Live 16 screenshots, and a healthy info drop by way of a developer blog. What do we make of the latest details?
  • We also received some interesting tidbits by way of DualShockers’ video interview with NBA Live 16 designer Ryan Santos.
  • We’ll have the opportunity to conduct some interviews of our own with the NBA Live 16 development team in the near future, so we invite everyone to get their suggestions for questions in ASAP!
  • The NBA 2K16 achievements list has revealed some pleasing details about this year’s game, and also provided some minor spoilers about the MyCAREER story.
  • Rumours about the presence of college basketball in NBA 2K16 remain unconfirmed, but they’re too juicy not to report on and discuss. Do we think it will be a reality?
  • What have we been doing with basketball games this past week? We may have a couple of surprises here.
  • Player movement is slowing down, but there’s still some interesting signings worth talking about, including Josh Smith joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
  • Will Becky Hammon become the first female head coach in the history of the NBA?
  • We end Episode #123 of the NLSC Podcast with a mention of a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Sound off in the comments below, or here in the Forum. Also, if there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, feel free to hit us up in this thread.

Upcoming NBA Live 16 Interviews; New Screenshot

I’m pleased and excited to announce that we’ll have an opportunity in the coming weeks to conduct some interviews/Q&As with the NBA Live 16 Development Team! Needless to say, we do have a lot of questions in mind already, and I do feel that we have a good grasp of what the community wants to hear about, but to make sure that we’re asking about the things that you’re interested in, we are taking your suggestions!

Please note that we won’t be able to ask every question that’s submitted, and answers are at EA’s discretion – there is a timeframe for when certain features will be discussed, after all – but we’ll certainly take all (serious) suggestions into account. Obviously, we won’t be asking anything that’s rude or disrespectful; these are opportunities that we take seriously, and always intend to approach professionally.

With that said…if you have any questions that you’d like us to ask the NBA Live 16 developers, please feel free to post them in the comments section below, as well as in this thread in the Forum. Stay tuned for those interviews in the not too distant future!

In the meantime, a new NBA Live 16 screenshot has been released, showing off the Atlanta Hawks’ new jerseys in this year’s game. You can check it out below, as well as in our NBA Live 16 screenshots gallery. As always, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section, and join in all the NBA Live 16 discussion taking place here in the Forum.

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File Additions for NBA 2K15

We’ve got a couple of new file additions for NBA 2K15 PC today, as Kevin has released jersey updates for the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. Download them both at the links below!

Kevin
San Antonio Spurs Jerseys
Phoenix Suns Jerseys

File Additions for NBA 2K14

NBA 2K14 Cover Art

Once again, we’re tipping off a new week here at the NLSC with a big batch of file additions for NBA 2K14 PC. Today’s new and updated files include player faces, offseason rosters, courts, and more. Download them all at the links below!

2KBM
Richaun Holmes Face

Monzki15
Dimitrios Agravanis Face
Tyler Harvey Face
Cady Lalanne Face

PrinceJohn
Matthew Dellavedova Face

Mythbuster
Staples Center – Los Angeles Clippers 2015

RamBu
Face Pack #1
Face Pack #2
NBA 2K16 Title Screen

THEUNTAMEDBEAST
James Harden HD Face

retroman
2012-2013 New Orleans Arena in New Orleans
EUROBASKET 2015 Courts

Kevin
Kevin’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v7.6)

Medevenx
Med’s NBA Roster Appdata Files (Updated to v2.5c)

2KShiftLeader
2KShiftLeader’s Real 2015 Roster (Updated to v3.6)

Interview with NBA Live 16 Designer Ryan Santos (DualShockers)

DualShockers has posted a new video interview with NBA Live 16 designer Ryan Santos. It doesn’t feature any new gameplay footage (just clips of the first look trailer and some recently released screenshots), but Ryan does talk about the improvements to the gameplay and visuals in this year’s release.

While talking about the player movement, Ryan mentions that the team wanted “the game to come to (the user)”, with players making cuts and getting open, and teams running their real life offenses, without the user needing to call a play every time down the floor. The on-boarding in NBA Live 16 is also touched upon, including the new defensive guideline that you may have seen in some of the E3 gameplay videos. For those who don’t like the look of it, or feel they don’t need it, Ryan does mention that it can be toggled on and off.

Other elements discussed include the AI, on-court chatter related to the current action, the shot meter, dribble handoffs, playcalling, sliders, and the progression in responsiveness and animation quality. Interestingly, Ryan also mentions that new animations will be added to NBA Live 16 post-launch. Check out the full interview below, or watch it here on YouTube if you can’t see the embedded video. As always, feel free to have your say in the comments, as well as in the NBA Live 16 section of the Forum.