Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

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Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby [Hyperize] on Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:42 am

Obviously this will never happen because the motive is money, but isn't this outdated by now? Wasn't the main reason they were released annually before was just because there was no way to update the rosters, and now they're pushing the game releases back further and further? I feel like it'd be justifiable to have like 2-3 NBA games per generation: you launch with one, you release one midway through once you get the kinks worked out and then maybe one at the end for people who aren't moving on to the next hardware; just a thought I had.

Every year we restart our MyPlayers, you can't export your MyLeagues into the next game, etc. Just curious if you guys had any thoughts on this.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby [Q] on Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:08 am

For 2k, it would make sense to have a base game and sell like a "season pass" for access to the current season's rosters. However, they make more money by selling new games every year and charging more for early access bundled with VC. They make more money by making players start over on my career and grinding every year
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Andrew on Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:44 pm

There has been speculation about sports games going to a subscription model with a release every few years, but I'm not sure about that. Obviously there's a lot they can do as far as pushing through new content and even fixes, so on one hand, it's feasible. As noted, it would alleviate issues such as starting over from scratch in the career modes. At the same time, I imagine the subscription for updates in between releases wouldn't be that much cheaper than that of a new game (otherwise it's definitely not going to be as profitable), and not releasing a new game every year would have its drawbacks as well.

Consider that while a lot of updates are feasible, there are major changes and fixes that require a brand new release. Imagine getting stuck with a broken/problematic game for two or three years, and having to pay to play it with updated rosters because it's the latest version, for better or worse. It'd be annoying to be stuck with the same story in The One and MyCAREER for multiple years. Likewise, if the game is constantly being updated for the latest season, we'd lose the ability to go back and play from old starting points, as we currently can when we fire up an older title. We'd be losing seasons worth of basketball gaming.

The profits that can be made do make it unlikely in the first place, but even if the option were on the table, I'm not sure I'd want it; for the above reasons, I'm not sure it'd be any better. What I would like to see is more appreciation shown for loyal gamers who do buy the game every year, or at least bought the game the year before. I'd like to see some sort of "returning player bonus" where you can make some quick progress in MyCAREER and MyTEAM if you played the mode last year. Obviously you can't have everything transfer over, but if you could keep some of your top cards or have a significant one-time boost to your MyPLAYER, it'd make it less of a grind and less painful to start over in a new game.

Is it an outdated concept? Yes and no. I think if it were to ever happen, the games would need to get to a point where a release can sustain gamers for at least a couple of years. There'd still be the drawback of losing the old starting point for franchise and career modes though, assuming of course it would be easy enough to change that it an update without causing a whole lot of problems.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Breems on Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:33 pm

I hate the GaaS (game as a service) model, but if I had to pick one genre where it makes sense, it would be sports games. One game with regular bug fixes/patches and roster updates.

However, as Andrew alluded to, I don't trust the publishers to implement it in a fair or cost-effective way, so we're probably better off with the current model. Still waiting for my NBA Live 06 roster updates from EA. :cool:
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby sticky-fingers on Fri Aug 17, 2018 5:04 pm

GaaS isnt gas :roll:
But take a look at iRacing, it works for years.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby [Hyperize] on Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:41 pm

Andrew wrote:There has been speculation about sports games going to a subscription model with a release every few years, but I'm not sure about that. Obviously there's a lot they can do as far as pushing through new content and even fixes, so on one hand, it's feasible. As noted, it would alleviate issues such as starting over from scratch in the career modes. At the same time, I imagine the subscription for updates in between releases wouldn't be that much cheaper than that of a new game (otherwise it's definitely not going to be as profitable), and not releasing a new game every year would have its drawbacks as well.

Consider that while a lot of updates are feasible, there are major changes and fixes that require a brand new release. Imagine getting stuck with a broken/problematic game for two or three years, and having to pay to play it with updated rosters because it's the latest version, for better or worse. It'd be annoying to be stuck with the same story in The One and MyCAREER for multiple years. Likewise, if the game is constantly being updated for the latest season, we'd lose the ability to go back and play from old starting points, as we currently can when we fire up an older title. We'd be losing seasons worth of basketball gaming.

The profits that can be made do make it unlikely in the first place, but even if the option were on the table, I'm not sure I'd want it; for the above reasons, I'm not sure it'd be any better. What I would like to see is more appreciation shown for loyal gamers who do buy the game every year, or at least bought the game the year before. I'd like to see some sort of "returning player bonus" where you can make some quick progress in MyCAREER and MyTEAM if you played the mode last year. Obviously you can't have everything transfer over, but if you could keep some of your top cards or have a significant one-time boost to your MyPLAYER, it'd make it less of a grind and less painful to start over in a new game.

Is it an outdated concept? Yes and no. I think if it were to ever happen, the games would need to get to a point where a release can sustain gamers for at least a couple of years. There'd still be the drawback of losing the old starting point for franchise and career modes though, assuming of course it would be easy enough to change that it an update without causing a whole lot of problems.

Really good points all around. (Y) I would honestly be shocked if 2K19 doesn't have some kind of loyalty bonus, as this seems like the year to start.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Andrew on Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:06 pm

Oh, with everything that happened last year, it would be a great time to introduce something like that! It shouldn't shorten the journey too drastically and you should only be able to do it once with the first MyPLAYER that you create, but it would be a nice bonus. The same goes for being able to take across a few of your best cards, or maybe get some bonus packs at the start where you're guaranteed to pull some good players; not necessarily the same ones you had last year, but good ones to get you going.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby [Hyperize] on Sun Aug 19, 2018 3:10 pm

It's completely ludicrous to think of all the 99's who are gonna have to restart next month.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Andrew on Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:43 pm

It's a long way to drop. And of course, it encourages microtransactions to quickly get back part of the way to where you were, or at least in a place where you can do some of the stuff you're used to doing with your player.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby ThePointForward on Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:49 pm

I mean look at for example No Man's Sky. They made major changes several times now. Updating a single game even if you rework whole collision model (as an example) is possible, but you obviously cannot make that locked as a paid DLC.

Bigger issue would be for example difference between MyPlayer between 2K17 and 2K18 - 2K18 introduced the dual archetype system which would be probably impossible to transfer between if it was single game. So they'd either have to wait X years with that or force players to start anew.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Andrew on Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:13 pm

That's the thing. Even when games make missteps, there's usually a few good ideas that are worth adding, and couldn't have been added in a patch or DLC.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby [Hyperize] on Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:48 pm

I can't believe I made this thread in 2018, and with the release of 2K22 next week, I still hate annual releases lol, and they need to go away. They're just taking advantage of an outdated model even though it's cruelly unnecessary.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby sticky-fingers on Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:53 pm

imagine if 2K started this model with 2K18, you couldnt go back and play 2K18, 19, 20...
as long as 2K is alone on the market, they just can add minor stuff (like PA on 2K22) and market it as a big step in realism
but we know that 2K22 will be like 2K21.
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Re: Is it time to stop releasing NBA games annually?

Postby Andrew on Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:54 am

For all their problems, I do still prefer annual releases for the reasons I stated above: the ability to go back or stick with a title, not having to wait several years for changes that can't be patched, no subscription fees, and fresh content. More cynically, one could say that they're the lesser of two evils. To that point, the focus on recurrent revenue over quality and enjoyment is the greatest evil in gaming these days; at least from a consumer standpoint. Some of the practices involving people actually working on games are downright heinous and inhumane.
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