NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

Episode #275 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! I’m flying solo again this week, so join me as I monologue – hopefully not in too much of a monotone! – about the past week in basketball gaming news. It’s a much shorter episode than usual, but we should hopefully be back to our regular show next week.

On this week’s show…

• Patch 1.20 has come through for NBA Live 19. A new All-Star Edition of the game has also been released, though owners of The One Edition can pick up the bonus content if they fire up the game by March 22nd.
• Should NBA Live 19 be the last The One Edition of the game? Well, at the very least, we should hope that it’s not the last NBA Edition!
• NBA 2K19 MyTEAM gamers were struck by misfortune when trying to redeem Locker Codes given out during the MyTEAM Unlimited Tournament, as the servers overloaded. 2K’s response once again left something to be desired.
• Episode #275 of the NLSC Podcast wraps up with some news about 2K TV, specifically the return of LD2K to the company as the show’s new host.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 16:51 — 11.6MB)

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

The stars are out in Charlotte for the 2019 All-Star Weekend, and the stars in our NBA 2K19 modding community are putting in work as well! Today’s file additions for NBA 2K19 PC include player faces, a court update for the Atlanta Hawks, 2019 All-Star basketballs, and an updated shoe pack. Please see below for all the download links.

Manni Live
Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena 4K

Torogi
Antawn Jamison Face
Rodney McGruder Face
Kelly Oubre Jr. Face & Model (Updated to v2.0)
D.J. Augustin Face & Model (Updated to v2.0)

Shuajota
Tyler Ennis Face

TwisT
2019 NBA All-Star Basketballs

seanbarkley
KICKSOLOGY [seanbarkley] (Updated to v3.0)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five features five tips for being a good online teammate in NBA Live 19’s LIVE Events and LIVE Run.

It’s a good time to play The One and its connected modes in NBA Live 19. The latest content update has doubled XP in celebration of the 2019 All-Star Weekend, offering an opportunity to make quicker progress on levelling up your One Player. Beyond that, the developers are keeping things fresh with new LIVE Events throughout All-Star Weekend, and the online team play experience of LIVE Run remains a fun way of hooping it up with your fellow virtual basketball enthusiasts. I’ve been taking part in a few LIVE Events myself this week, both solo and co-op.

I’ve generally had a good time playing the co-op LIVE Events in NBA Live 19, but the games have been frustrating at times. Some of my frustration can be attributed to inevitable lag or areas where NBA Live still has room for improvement, but on more than one occasion, I was left muttering and wondering what my online teammates were doing. That’s not to say that I never made a mistake, but I encountered quite a few of the common pitfalls of playing online with random teammates. Playing with randoms is never going to be quite the same as running with an organised squad, but here are five tips for functioning as a cohesive unit in NBA Live 19’s online modes.

Read More »

A new patch (1.20) has come through for NBA Live 19. As always, it should download automatically as long as your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console, or checking for the update manually.

There aren’t any detailed patch notes as of writing, but if any are released, I’ll be sure to update this post and the NBA Live 19 update history over in our Wiki. We can probably assume there are a few minor bug fixes (as listed under the generic patch notes on PS4), compatibility for upcoming LIVE Events, and possibly some new gear.

In addition to Patch 1.20, NBA Live 19 has also received another content update. At a glance, it includes a couple more transactions, lineup changes, and ratings updates. Once again, if any detailed notes on the patch and content update come through, I’ll be sure to post them. In the meantime, feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below, as well as in this topic in the NLSC Forum!

Today’s file additions for NBA 2K14 PC comprise the past, present, and future. Pick up a 2019 season face update for James Harden, a couple of future prospect faces, and a retro face pack for Karl Malone, at the links below!

BBTxJoKer
James Harden 2018-2019 Face

Blang
Carsen Edwards Face
Jaxson Hayes Face

IceCr
Karl Malone Face (Updated to v2.0)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA Inside Drive 2000, developed by High Voltage Software and published by Microsoft exclusively for PC.

I have an unusual history with NBA Inside Drive 2000. Following a hard drive crash in early 2000, my family finally ditched our venerable 486 DX2 66, upgrading to a much better system: a Pentium III! At the time, it meant that I could play most of the latest games, including NBA Live 2000. Even though I was enjoying NBA Live 2000 (and still hold it in high esteem), I was eager to pick up NBA Inside Drive 2000 when I saw it at my local store. Being a teenage gamer obsessed with basketball, I was keen to get my hands on any virtual hoops title that I could. NBA Live was the premier brand at the time, but other games usually had something appealing to offer.

Unfortunately, NBA Inside Drive 2000 just didn’t click with me, and within a week, I exchanged it for GTA 2. I remember making up a story about how I couldn’t get it to run even though I checked the system requirements first, which the staff believed (I’d feel guiltier about it if they hadn’t ripped me off with a video card, and then made up a story about why it wasn’t working properly rather than help me). Ironically, GTA 2 is my least favourite game in the Grand Theft Auto series, but that’s another story. I’ve since picked up a copy of NBA Inside Drive 2000 off eBay, so what is it that I didn’t like, and do I still feel the same way now? Let’s take a look back…way back…

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EA Sports have released an All-Star Edition of NBA Live 19. It features various bonuses including All-Star themed clothing for your One Player and new Court Battles players, as well as a new cover featuring Joel Embiid and James Harden. Harden was previously featured as the cover player for NBA Live 18.

However, this doesn’t mean that owners of The One Edition are left out in the cold. If you fire up the game before March 22nd, you’ll be able to pick up the All-Star content as well. Additionally, if you enter Ultimate Team, you’ll be gifted with five All-Star promo cards for James Harden, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

A new content update has also come through for NBA Live 19. In addition to updated rosters and a couple of bug fixes, it also adds double XP for The One, Court Battles, and LIVE Events. It requires a restart of the game to take effect, but it will last through the rest of the week, in celebration of the 2019 All-Star Weekend.

As always, feel free to share any thoughts in the comments section below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NBA Live 19 section of the NLSC Forum!

The latest file additions for NBA 2K19 PC include player faces, rosters, custom presentation for the recently released 1992 mod, and a crowd update for all 30 NBA teams. Download them all at the links below!

Torogi
Giannis Antetokounmpo Face & Model
Iman Shumpert Face
RKJ No Injuries Roster (With New Retro Teams) (Updated to v1.10)
Andrew Bogut Face (Updated to v2.0)
Joe Harris Face (Updated to v2.0)

CujoMatty
NBA on NBC Studio 1992

TwisT
Crowd Update – All in One

sticky-fingers
NBA on NBC Classic Scoreboard (Updated to v2.0)

Shuajota
Official Roster Update (Updated)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Start your week here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games. This week, I’m tipping things off with a few thoughts on how we tend to react when the developers of basketball video games deliver on the features and experiences that we want.

The number of patches required by modern video games is a sore point, especially when it comes to the matter of day one title updates. Even if you’re fine with the prospect of multiple patches post-release, there’s the possibility that the updates will end up doing more harm than good; a phenomenon we’ve seen on more than one occasion. However, there have also been times when patches have greatly enhanced basketball video games, fulfilling long-standing requests, addressing persistent legacy issues, or just adding something really cool. It’s better to have them than not.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve received such updates for both NBA Live 18 and NBA Live 19. For NBA Live 18, it was the addition of roster editing in a patch. This past week, NBA Live 19 received a significant update that added the City Edition courts, and – quite unexpectedly – in-game injuries. You would expect most gamers to react positively to the news, and indeed, most did. At the same time, there are people within the community that have reacted more cynically, suggesting that we shouldn’t offer up too much praise to the developers for what are overdue additions. This is an understandable view, but I’d like to examine the differing reactions in greater detail.

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Episode #274 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! It’s been a busy week in basketball gaming with multiple patches and content updates, while things have also been interesting in the real NBA thanks to the trade deadline. Along with what we’ve been doing on the virtual hardwood, it’s given Kenny and I plenty to talk about.

On this week’s show…

• NBA Live 19 received a substantial title and content update this week. Getting a trade deadline roster update in time for the weekend was a pleasant surprise, but the addition of in-game injuries came as even better news. It leads us to reflect on some changes that were patched into NBA Live 10 all those years ago.
• Following up on Patch 1.08 for NBA 2K19, there have indeed been some improvements in terms of cutting down on body steals. Will the changes stick for NBA 2K20, though?
• With NBA 2K trying to strike a balance between its sim roots, competitive online play, and occasional demands for less realism, has the series become a victim of its own success due to the influx of more casual basketball gamers?
• NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has received new content, just in time for the All-Star Weekend (and Valentine’s Day). We share a few more opinions on the game, and also discuss the removal of the first NBA Playgrounds game from the Steam Store.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming included progress into Season 2 of MyCAREER, an online session for the NLSC crew, LIVE Events swag, and MyTEAM Domination. It also included a bit of modding, with further updates to a work-in-progress roster update for NBA 2K11.
• We wrap up Episode #274 of the NLSC Podcast with this week’s NBA discussion. Topics include the flurry of movement at the trade deadline, and a look ahead to the 2019 All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:53:57 — 78.3MB)

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

The development team has released additional details on Patch 1.19 for NBA Live 19. On top of the tuning and content listed in yesterday’s bulletin, the following has also been added to the game:

• City Edition Courts added to Play Now, Franchise, & The League
• New Feature: In-Game Injuries.

In-game injuries are obviously a huge addition, as the feature has been missing from NBA Live since the last generation. Please note that the option is disabled by default, but after it’s enabled, you should see players going down with injuries on hard collisions. I haven’t had an opportunity to test out the feature in Franchise yet, but it’s obviously a step in the right direction. The City Edition courts are automatically activated upon selecting the home team’s City Edition jersey.

I’ve amended the notes for Patch 1.19 in the update history for NBA Live 19 over in our Wiki. Once again, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, as well as in this topic in the NLSC Forum!

NBA Live 19 has received a new patch (1.19), as well as a content update. The patch should come through automatically as long as your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One has an active Internet connection, while the content update will be downloaded upon starting the game.

With the All-Star teams finalised and the trade deadline behind us, the NBA Live 19 development team has been quick to get out a roster update. Likeness updates have also been included in Patch 1.19, with new face scans for a couple of players, and hair and tattoo updates for others. Player accessories and shoes have been corrected, and new gear is now available in The One Store.

The patch also features some gameplay tuning. Steals have been toned down, while elite shooters have been nerfed slightly. See below for the full patch notes, or check out the update history for NBA Live 19 over in our Wiki. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, as well as in this topic in our Forum.

Read More »

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five seasons that I’m oddly nostalgic for.

Way back in 2013, the first year of The Friday Five, I listed my top five favourite NBA seasons. That list is still accurate, putting aside the fact that I tried to restrict the number of Chicago Bulls championship years that I included. If I were to remove that restriction, my top five would be 1996, 1997, 1998, 1993, and 1992, with 1991 being an honourable mention. Back in 2017, I discussed five basketball video games that I’m oddly nostalgic for, given that they’re widely considered to be problematic, and don’t necessarily rank among my all-time favourites, either.

I mention those previous articles in part to promote the archives of my content, but also because this week, I’m combining the two concepts. Just as there are NBA video games that I’m nostalgic for despite their issues, there are NBA seasons that I feel nostalgic for even though by all accounts, they should be among my least favourite. Video games do play a part in that of course, and since I am mashing together the ideas of two previous articles, I will touch on them in this piece as well. It’s not just my experiences on the virtual hardwood that make me nostalgic for these seasons though, as the action in the real NBA was interesting in its own right.

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A new patch (1.05) has come through for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. Billed as the All-Star Update, the patch adds a playground based on the 2019 All-Star court in Charlotte, as well as this year’s All-Star jerseys. The playground is readily available to select, while the jerseys are custom gear that must be unlocked via the Swag Packs.

Patch 1.05 also adds a Valentine’s Day playground, Daily Challenges, an unranked Championship mode, and 70 new players. It also addresses some technical issues and adds a listing of the current players’ challenges to the pause screen.

Please see below for the full patch notes. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below, as well as join in the discussion about NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 here in the Other Basketball Games section of the NLSC Forum.

Read More »

It’s tougher to create comprehensive roster mods for the current generation of NBA 2K games, but with the help of several contributors, Stildo33 has released a 1992 Season Mod for NBA 2K19 PC! The mod, currently in V1.1, is extremely detailed with complete rosters and accurate retro artwork, from player faces to stadium branding.

There are two versions of the mod available: one intended for use in Play Now, and one that is MyLEAGUE compatible. To download the mod through the Roster Creator, search for 1992 SEASON for the Play Now roster, and 1992 SEASON MYLEAGUE for the MyLEAGUE compatible version.

You’ll also need to download the art pack, which you can find in the mod’s release topic. Be sure to check out the release topic for more information and previews! Stildo33 also has a 1993 Season Mod in the works for NBA 2K19; more information on that project can be found here.