NBA 2K19

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, I’m breaking down what I feel are the five worst parts of playing with randoms online.

One of the best parts of modern basketball games is that we’re able to meet up with a bunch of other people we don’t know to play online. Likewise, one of the worst parts of modern basketball games is that we’re able to meet up with a bunch of other people we don’t know to play online. Snarky echoes aside, online gaming will always be a mixed bag, no matter what the genre. Not everyone is about playing fair, or being cooperative. The experience is usually better if you’re teaming up with people that you know, but that isn’t always feasible.

That’s when you end up teaming with randoms. Again, this isn’t unique to basketball games, but hoops games present some unique drawbacks. Since there’s only one ball, not everyone can take an active role at all times as they might in other genres, such as a shooter. Everyone is used to being Player One, and is therefore unwilling to defer to teammates they don’t know. In all fairness it isn’t always a nightmare, and it’s better than not being able to play at all, especially with the new restrictions on team Pro-Am. Nevertheless, it’s often a less than ideal basketball gaming experience. Here are, in my opinion, the five worst parts of being in that situation.

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Let’s get caught up on the latest mods for NBA 2K19 PC! Today’s new and updated files include player faces and current rosters. Check them out at the links below!

MonkeymanJSV
Zach LaVine Face
Josh Smith Face
Dedric Lawson Face
Cam Reddish Face

Torogi
Jarrett Allen Face

Shuajota
Shuajota’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v6.6)

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.

Episode #268 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! This week, Kenny and I have new content and title updates for NBA Live 19 and NBA 2K19 to discuss, some NBA news to catch up on, and as always, some stories about what we’ve been doing on the virtual hardwood.

On this week’s show…

• The December 4th content update for NBA Live 19 features some worthwhile fixes and additions. However, we’re still left wanting a little more out of the game.
• Patch 1.07 for NBA 2K19 likewise provides a few welcome fixes and new content. It also includes a gameplay adjustment that should cut down on some online cheese.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming saw some fantastic performances, a determined grind for more VC, and a few less-than-stellar random online teammates (except for one).
• We wrap up Episode #268 of the NLSC Podcast with the usual NBA discussion. This week’s topics include recent trades and signings, parity in the West, and the continuation of an unofficial Melo Watch segment.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:26:20 — 59.4MB)

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.

Our modding community has provided a variety of updates in today’s batch of file additions for NBA 2K19 PC. Check out all of the new and updated releases at the links below!

MonkeymanJSV
Udoka Azubuike Face

bluejaybrandon
Terrance Ferguson Face & Tattoo Update

TwisT
Crowd Update – Southwest Division (Updated to v2.0)

Shuajota
Ding Yanyuhang Face (Updated to v2.0)
Shuajota’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v6.4)
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.

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 offers five tips for earning and managing VC in NBA 2K19’s MyCAREER.

Fighting the urge to buy VC to level up faster in NBA 2K19’s MyCAREER? You’re not alone, as the game is designed to push you in the direction of microtransactions. Since the situation is unlikely to get better anytime soon, I’ve decided that it would be more productive to focus on some content that helps gamers rather than critiques 2K’s design choices. After all, while microtransactions are strongly encouraged, VC can indeed be gained without spending real money. With that in mind, I’ve devised five tips that I hope will be useful for both earning and managing VC.

Before I get to the tips, I should emphasise that it’s still going to be a long process. As the push for recurrent revenue is quite aggressive, the grind is very real. Perseverance will pay off, however. Aside from the pre-order bonus for the standard edition, I’ve not spent any VC that I didn’t earn in-game, and as of this writing, I’m sitting at 74 Overall (starting from the base rating of 60). I did skip The Prelude for this player, though as a bonus tip, I would suggest that you play through it in order to get a head start on upgrades and Badges, as well as an opportunity for a higher salary out of the gate. With that being said, let’s take a look at some strategies for VC budgeting!

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Patch 1.07 has come through for NBA 2K19. It’s currently available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, with the PC and Switch patches coming soon. As always, the patch should download automatically as long as your console is connected to the Internet. If it doesn’t, try restarting, or checking for it manually.

The patch adds the latest uniform and shoe updates to MyCAREER, MyLEAGUE, and MyGM saves. According to reports over at Operation Sports, it unfortunately doesn’t update existing MyLEAGUE Online games. A couple of gameplay tweaks have also been made, including an adjustment to illegal screens. New player likenesses and action shots have been added, a few bugs have been fixed, and there’s some new functionality in MyTEAM and 2K Pro-Am. Unfortunately, the latter still doesn’t support less than five users per side, as in past games.

Please see below for the full patch notes. You can also find them here in our Wiki. Feel free to share your thoughts on the latest patch in the comments section below, as well as in this topic in our NBA 2K19 Forum.

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Before we get too much further into the week, let’s catch up on the latest file additions for NBA 2K19 PC! Today’s new and updated mod releases include face, court, and roster updates. Check them all out at the links below!

TwistedLogic
Antonio Blakeney Face

MonkeymanJSV
Tre Jones Face
R.J. Barrett Face

Manni Live
New York Knicks Madison Square Garden 4K

Torogi
LeBron James Portrait
RKJ No Injuries Roster (With New Retro Teams) (Updated to v1.5)

Shuajota
Calvin Abueva Face
Stanley Pringle Jr. Face
Beau Belga Face
Shuajota’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v6.3)

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.

Episode #267 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Unfortunately illness and jetlag got in the way of us recording an episode last week, but Kenny and I are back this week to catch up on the latest news and talk about what we’ve been doing on the virtual hardwood.

On this week’s show…

• Patch 1.15 has come through for NBA Live 19. We discuss the latest changes, recap some of the other additions and fixes in recent patches, and give our thoughts on where the game is at after a couple of months.
• EA Sports recently announced that NBA Live Mobile is the most downloaded basketball game this year. We reflect on how it’s helped the brand, even if it’s not something we’re into ourselves.
• NBA 2K19 has also received another update recently, namely Patch 1.06. Unfortunately we still haven’t seen the functionality we want to see patched back in for 2K Pro-Am, but there have been some other noteworthy and welcome changes.
• The in-universe value of Virtual Currency in NBA 2K19’s Neighborhood is truly astonishing this year. We note some of the oddities and issues with the exchange rate.
• Could a new college football game be paving the way for other college sports titles, including basketball? Can a sports game without licensing succeed in 2018?
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming included setting records in MyCAREER, playing with WNBA players and taking control of courts in NBA Live 19, and trying to unlock a team that’s close to our hearts in Basketball Classics.
• We wrap up Episode #267 of the NLSC Podcast with this week’s NBA talk. Topics include surprising results in the East and West, standout rookies, and more thoughts on Carmelo Anthony.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:56:42 — 80.2MB)

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.

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 takes a look at five ways that NBA 2K pushes microtransactions on basketball gamers.

As much as I’ve criticised microtransactions in previous articles, I have to admit that I’m guilty of partaking in the practice. On some occasions, I’ve been more willing to drop some spare change on content because I’ve been enjoying the game so much. At other times, it’s been through gritted teeth because the grind has been so painful, and I’ve wanted to play online sooner rather than later. I’ve never broken my budget with microtransactions, but simply out of principle, this year it’s been my goal not to spend any real money on any form of virtual currency (in particular, Virtual Currency).

So far, I’ve made good on that resolution. The only VC that I didn’t earn in-game was the 5000 VC pre-order bonus for the standard edition of NBA 2K19. I’m currently 73 Overall, and I would have to say that grinding up the hard way has been a rewarding journey. It is most certainly a grind though, especially now that ratings upgrades are getting more expensive. You really notice how actively (and sometimes, aggressively) 2K pushes microtransactions when you’re trying to avoid them! Metaphorically, it’s gone from a gentle nudge to a firm hand shunting you in the small of your back. Here are five ways that NBA 2K games pressure us in the name of “recurrent revenue”.

Read More »

Get caught up on the latest file additions for NBA 2K19 PC! The latest releases in our Downloads section include faces, portraits, and rosters. Check them all out at the links below.

Torogi
DeMar DeRozan Face
Kyle Kuzma Face (Updated to v2.0)

Shuajota
Derrick Rose Portrait
Jimmy Butler Portrait
Milos Teodosic Face
Official Roster Update (Updated)

TwistedLogic
Torrey Craig Face

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 by addressing the situation with 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K19.

As you may or may not be aware, a significant change has been made to 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K19. Whether it’s organised squad games or the Jordan Rec Center – this year’s version of Walk-On – you need five users per side to start a game. In previous games, it was possible to play with at least three users per side, with the remaining spots being filled by AI players. This has made it more difficult for a lot of people to play a mode they’ve enjoyed in recent years. Our NLSC squad is in that boat, and so we’re among the people wanting to see the old functionality patched into the game.

However, not everyone is on board with that idea. 2K themselves haven’t made it a priority to address the situation, and there’s also been pushback from NBA 2K19 gamers. It’s admittedly hard to please everyone in this situation, but the change was myopic, while the pushback has highlighted some of the toxicity that sadly exists in the NBA 2K community. To that end, I’d like to address both Visual Concepts and the dissenting gamers in this week’s Monday Tip-Off. Call it an open letter, call it a rant; call it whining if you’re the close-minded and toxic type. It’s a situation that I believe must be addressed, and to that end, I’m stating the case for my side.

Read More »

The mod releases for NBA 2K19 PC have been piling up this week, so it’s time for another batch of file additions! The latest mods include face, tattoo, global, transition, and roster updates. Please see below for all the download links.

TwisT
Euroleague Transition Wipe
FIBA Transition Wipes
ESPN Transition Wipes (Updated to v3.0)

MonkeymanJSV
Rui Hachimura Face
Zion Williamson Face (Updated to v2.0)

Torogi
Muscle And Sweat Global 4.0 (Updated to v4.0)

Shuajota
Gary Clark Face
Shuajota’s Realistic Roster (Updated to v6.0)

jowaks
Willie Cauley-Stein Leg Tattoo
J.R. Smith Leg Tattoo
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Reggie Bullock Leg Tattoo
Shawn Marion Leg Tattoo
Steve Francis Tattoo

TwistedLogic
Isiah Thomas Face (’88-’89 Detroit Pistons)
Chimezie Metu Face

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.

Patch 1.06 (also referred to as Patch #6) is now available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of NBA 2K19. It should come through automatically, but if you encounter any issues, try restarting your console or checking for the update manually. The PC and Switch patches should be coming through soon.

The latest title update addresses several bugs, including the shot clock not resetting to 14 seconds in online games, VC not being earned in Ante-Up games, and Advanced Rotation settings being reset to the default. It’s also intended to resolve some crashes and hangs, fix some visual errors, and improve matchmaking and general stability.

Please see below for the full patch notes. You can also find them here in the NBA 2K19 update history in our Wiki. As always, feel free to share any thoughts in the comments section below, as well as in this topic in the NLSC Forum.

Read More »

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 look at the in-universe value of VC in NBA 2K19’s Neighborhood.

Last year, I calculated the in-universe value of Virtual Currency in NBA 2K18’s new open world, The Neighborhood. I noted that most consumables and clothing cost as much as a single game’s base salary for your MyPLAYER (if not more), which was already stretching reality. Converting VC to real dollars via the salary that’s listed on our MyPLAYER’s bio card determined that 1 VC was equivalent to around $29. This meant that in-universe, a basic t-shirt cost over $17,000, while a headband would set you back a whopping $29,000. That’s some serious sales tax!

In NBA 2K19, VC rewards were increased slightly. It’s possible to negotiate a higher first year salary upon completing The Prelude, incentive-based bonuses come along quite early in your career, and there are other ways of earning some extra VC. The catch is that upgrades are still quite expensive, as are clothing items. In other words, it’s been more of a case of inflation rather than parity. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to make the same conversions and determine the in-universe value of Virtual Currency in NBA 2K19 as well. Are the prices just as ridiculous when you put a real dollar value on them this year?

Read More »

Episode #266 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and myself as we give our thoughts on Patch 1.14 for NBA Live 19, discuss a promising development in the fight against online cheaters, and catch up with some recent NBA news. Also, it’s the return of Our Week in Basketball Gaming!

On this week’s show…

• Patch 1.14 has come through for NBA Live 19. It’s a significant update, but does it address all of our most pressing concerns regarding gameplay and content?
• Sony has patented technology intended to detect cheaters who are using lag switches. Needless to say, this could be very good news for online basketball gaming.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming is back! This week, we enjoyed Court Battles, LIVE Events, LIVE Run, and The League in NBA Live 19. Meanwhile, the grind is on in NBA 2K19’s MyCAREER.
• We wrap up Episode #266 of the NLSC Podcast with this week’s NBA discussion. Topics include Kemba Walker’s 60 point game, the latest development in the Carmelo Anthony saga, and Donovan Mitchell’s dubiously historical performance.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:36:37 — 66.4MB)

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.