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Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Has All The Leverage Over Cheesers

Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Has All The Leverage Over Cheesers

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with my thoughts on how NBA 2K has all of the leverage over cheesers, and should take advantage of that.

The December patch for NBA 2K22 Next Gen included an attempt to reduce cheese in the online scene. More specifically, it addressed exploits with quick left and right bursts – the infamous “zigzag cheese” – that has been contributing to a homogenised, unrealistic style of play. Needless to say, the cheesers weren’t pleased. There were more than a couple of angry comments, usually along the lines of how NBA 2K had been ruined, and that video games shouldn’t have to be realistic. It’s clear that a vocal contingent of online NBA 2K gamers are in favour of utilising cheesy tactics.

As someone who has been turned off the online scene due to its toxicity and style, and believes that a sim game should maintain a base level of realism and strategy, my response is: tough cheese! A truly competitive scene should facilitate different styles of play, and discourage easily repeatable exploits. Mastering a single move and then proceeding to spam it over and over again is hardly skilful. It certainly isn’t basketball either, and while there’s value in taking liberties with realism, a sim game should still be realistic at its core. That the developers have taken a stand against cheesers does suggest that they believe this as well, but to that end, it’s vital that they stand firm.

You see, this wasn’t the first time that the NBA 2K devs have tried to address cheese post-release. There have been other nerfs and buffs to counteract the cheesers, and attempt to improve the gameplay experience. The problem is that there’s a tendency to walk back on those measures, in order to appease complaints. Now, on the surface, it’s a good sign that the developers are listening to feedback. That’s what we want, after all. It’s also easy to prioritise our own preferences, demanding that we and others who share our opinions are the only ones who are listened to. And, as much as I loathe the “get good” rhetoric, there are some people who balk at dealing with a learning curve.

Cheesers Are Found in Every Online Mode in NBA 2K

However, the developers should never bend to the will of the cheesers. I realise it’s difficult as there can be pressure from influential members of the community, and the contingent of gamers that they represent. This is where we need to take some of the cliches, and repurpose them for more constructive use. Let’s begin with the lack of competition. “What are you going to do? Play NBA Live?” is lousy reasoning as far as making excuses for issues in NBA 2K. It does sum up the leverage that NBA 2K has in the market, though. To that point, cheesers who are unhappy with any efforts to make NBA 2K “dairy-free” don’t have another option in the basketball gaming space.

A lack of competition is bad news for the most part, but it does give NBA 2K freedom to take that phrase that so many cheesers love – “get good” – and throw it back in their face. Once again, it’s not like they’re about to make the switch to NBA Live. NBA 2K being the only game in town has many drawbacks for us as consumers, but if there is a benefit, it’s that they are in a position to stand firm in their vision for the gameplay experience. That’s not always a good thing for us either, but in terms of not giving in to the demands of the cheesers, this leverage is a silver lining to NBA 2K’s monopoly over basketball video games. They can demand that cheesers adapt, and “get good”.

That’s why it’s been so frustrating when issues have kept sneaking back into NBA 2K, such as zigzag cheese and other exploits. The pushback against cheese and the other complaints about the online scene – many of which I can personally attest to – are just as vocal as the contingent that believes cheesy play is fair game. When cheese makes its way back into the game, whether it’s the following year or in a follow-up patch, I doubt that it’s a change that’s catering to a majority. It feels more like caving in to a vocal minority that doesn’t want the game to be accessible or enjoyable for everyone. These elitist cheesers just want to spam moves, and then pat themselves on the back.

Waiting For a Playground Game (NBA 2K19)

Since sales and revenue are an important factor here, let’s ponder the question: would NBA 2K’s sales and revenue drastically suffer if they stood firm on keeping cheese out of the game? Look, I can’t speak from experience in the industry, and I’m not a financial export. I am a long-time basketball gamer who’s been around the community for more than two decades however, and I have noticed the trends and what my fellow gamers do and say. The sales figures for NBA 2K are also available to us. On the surface, they suggest that everyone is happy with the game, as it continues to sell millions of copies every year. User reviews and reactions paint a different picture.

There’s an increasing sentiment that basketball gamers are buying the new NBA 2K out of obligation, rather than affection or a belief that it’s better than ever each and every year. We want a new game for the latest season, and again, there’s only one game in town. There’s less goodwill than before, and less trust in the brand. Despite all of NBA Live’s blunders and its current hiatus, there’s interest in its return; wistful, wishful thinking as it may be. The point is that steady sales and record numbers don’t indicate peak quality, so much as the current market situation. That’s not to say that no one enjoys NBA 2K, but the sales numbers don’t necessarily correlate to satisfaction.

Perhaps most importantly, however, it demonstrates how boycotts are unfortunately more popular in theory than in practice. Sure, some basketball gamers have become fed up with NBA 2K, and are no longer buying it. Anecdotally, I know people within our community who continue to boycott recent NBA 2K games. There are likewise comments on the official NBA 2K subreddit that – taken at face value – confirm others are doing the same. Obviously, new gamers are taking their place, buying the game along with millions of others. In short, while there’s clearly more dissatisfaction with NBA 2K compared to several years ago, there’s no widespread boycott of the series.

2v2 Pre-Game in The Playground (NBA 2K19)

This may not seem particularly helpful to our cause of effecting desirable change, but again, there’s a silver lining here. If so many people continue to buy NBA 2K despite their complaints and recurring issues with cheese, then I don’t see the cheesers being able to stage a successful boycott of their own if they don’t get what they want. In other words, if NBA 2K takes advantage of their leverage and commits to eliminating cheese and toxicity from the online scene, it’s the cheesers that will blink, and adjust. If they move on to another game, then I’m sure plenty of other gamers and basketball enthusiasts will take their place. A cheeser boycott won’t be any more effective.

Recurrent revenue is a trickier issue. The current approach to NBA 2K’s modes that utilise Virtual Currency is intended to “strongly encourage” spending, while retaining the plausible deniability of the “it’s optional” rhetoric. Cleaning up some of the issues with the online scene, including finally implementing proper matchmaking, would reduce the pressure to spend, or madly grind. This is the downside of the leverage that has been afforded to NBA 2K through its virtual monopoly, and it’s not something the suits are going to give up willingly. It’d be nice if that leverage was used to take a stand against cheesers, but it’d be asking a big corporation to be unusually charitable.

On the other hand, they basically have millions of guaranteed customers, many of whom would be happier about their purchase if these issues were addressed. It’s even possible that increased goodwill would have a positive effect on recurrent revenue as well. As it stands, a disenchanted gamer who is buying out of habit or a desire to get a new game for the current season is highly unlikely to buy VC, and is only going to dig in their heels or finally boycott NBA 2K if the pressure to spend increases. Likewise, someone who buys the game but quickly puts it aside (or returns/trades it in) because they’re dissastisfied with it, isn’t going to contribute to recurrent revenue profits either.

Winners in The Rec (NBA 2K21)

In short, I don’t think that improving the online scene by refusing to cater to cheesers will cost NBA 2K sales, or recurrent revenue. If anything, they could even increase their profits and sales numbers by providing a better experience and fostering some goodwill. I don’t say this because I support recurrent revenue mechanics, because I don’t. As a consumer, I’m more concerned about the quality of the product and getting value for money, for both myself and my fellow gamers. However, when considering any solutions to issues with NBA 2K, we do have to consider that the suits will ask what’s in it for them. The profitability of any changes thus has to be kept in mind.

Once again, I highly doubt refusing to cave and cater to cheesers will hurt NBA 2K’s bottom line. They have tremendous leverage here as the only NBA sim game on the market. They’re in a position to present us with the best virtual basketball gaming experience possible, with a competitive online scene that’s welcoming to everyone, and challenging to elite gamers. Cheesers will simply have to adapt – “get good”, if you will – because the only other choice is to not play. Boycotts are unlikely to hurt sales, so there’s no risk in alienating cheesed off cheesers. It won’t hurt the recurrent revenue streams, as anyone frustrated with cheese is already unlikely to buy VC.

Cheesers are not to be feared or catered to, because at the end of the day, they don’t have any leverage. I would suggest that although they have a strong presence in the online scene, they’re not the majority of the fanbase, and they have nowhere else to go besides. If the developers are serious about creating a skill gap, encouraging strategy, and providing the best possible online experience, they’ll keep the cheese out. They’ll brush off the complaints of cheesers who only care about picking up easy wins with simple exploits that have nothing to do with skilfully playing basketball. If they do take their ball and go home, they will be replaced, and nothing of value will be lost.

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