NLSC Podcast Episodes (2017)

This is an episode guide for the NLSC Podcast, featuring all episodes released during 2017.

Episode Guide

Episode	Hosts	Synopsis	Release Date
Episode #191	Andrew & Kenny	Early 2017 should be an eventful time for basketball gaming, with NBA Live 17 currently slated for release in Q1, and 2K Sports holding eSports tournaments for NBA 2K17. When do we think we'll start receiving some NBA Live 17 news? Are we standing by our previous predictions? All things considered, is it likely that EA Sports will end up skipping the scheduled Q1 release and simply go ahead with NBA Live 18 later this year? What frustrates us the most about NBA Live and NBA 2K? In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: Win #100, another epic overtime win, and some big numbers in 2K Pro-Am. Also, some MyTEAM tales and tips. We wrap up Episode #191 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA talk. Russell Westbrook is still averaging a triple-double, Kyle Korver has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 2017 All-Star Weekend looms.	January 13th, 2017
Episode #192	Andrew & Arcane	Visual Concepts has announced that NBA 2K18 will be available on the Nintendo Switch. We discuss the Switch's viability as a primary platform for basketball gaming. Something is in the pipeline as far as the next NBA Live game is concerned. Following on from last week's speculation, we talk about the as yet unannounced demo, "The Drive to NBA Live", and what it could mean for the future of the NBA Live series. Millertime2325 has released an excellent mod for the Super Nintendo version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition, NBA Jam 2K17. Play an old favourite with 2017 season rosters! We originally decide not to talk about Our Week in Basketball Gaming - it's been a bit of a tough one - but then we do anyway. NLSC THRILLHO reaches the Elite tier (then experiences some tough losses), and our MyCAREER games roll on. Episode #192 of the NLSC Podcast wraps up with some fantastic news about the future of sleeved jerseys, now that Nike will be taking over.	January 20th, 2017
Episode #193	Andrew & Arcane	It appears as though The Drive to NBA Live has been cancelled, and EA Sports will instead be focusing on developing a fully featured NBA Live 18, coming in the Fall. We give our thoughts on the situation. A new patch has come through for NBA 2K17, addressing a few key problems gamers have been having. Aside from that, have we noticed any remarkable differences? In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: an update on our MyCAREER games, including some All-Star Weekend disappointment, and the latest highs and lows of NLSC THRILLHO in 2K Pro-Am. The 2017 All-Stars have been announced. Unfortunately for Zaza Pachulia, the league stepped in and squashed his All-Star hopes. Dysfunction and drama are the common themes in the NBA right now, from the Chicago Bulls' struggles to a war of words between LeBron James and Charles Barkley.	February 3rd, 2017
Episode #194	Andrew & Arcane	2K Sports is partnering with the NBA for an official eSports league. It's a cool concept, but will it ultimately benefit a majority of the userbase? In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: We've had very little success getting matched up for games in 2K Pro-Am following Patch 1.10, though we did hit up MyPARK and a couple of Walk-On games. Also, Playoff success in MyCAREER, and the early stages of building a powerful MyTEAM squad. New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley was thrown out of Madison Square Garden in controversial fashion. Seems most observers are on Oak's side, and we find it hard to disagree there.	February 11th, 2017
Episode #195	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	NBA 2K17 celebrated Valentine's Day with a Locker Code for a Kevin Love MyTEAM card, but the limited quantity didn't exactly leave gamers swooning. We react to the controversy, and discuss what 2K could have done instead. In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: NLSC THRILLHO enjoyed an exciting overtime win in 2K Pro-Am, but also weathered some tough, tough losses. Also, a milestone performance in MyCAREER, and expanding collections in MyTEAM. A couple more significant trades have taken place, and it sounds as though a few more are in the works. We give our thoughts on the Toronto Raptors acquiring Serge Ibaka, and the Denver Nuggets trading away Jusuf Nurkic. With the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend just about ready to get underway, we offer up our predictions for all of the events. We wrap up Episode #195 of the NLSC Podcast with a quick discussion of Ben Simmons. Will he make his debut this season, or shut it down until next year?	February 17th, 2017
Episode #196	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	A solid, well-thought out list of suggestions for improving 2K Pro-Am was posted over at Operation Sports. It's certainly a topic that interests us, so we take a look at the ideas, and throw out a few suggestions of our own. Visual Concepts recently did something very cool with Make-A-Wish, though some unfortunate wording was used to promote it on Twitter. In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: We played a little bit of everything this week! Thoughts on Park After Dark #3, Kenny's impressions of NBA Live 16, comparisons between LIVE Pro-Am and 2K Pro-Am, and updates on what we've been doing in MyCAREER and MyTEAM. The 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend came, disappointed, and went. You might think we're turning into grumpy (grumpier?) old men, but a lot of people seem to share our sentiments. As it turned out, the biggest trade happened during the All-Star Game, and not at the trade deadline. We wrap up Episode #196 of the NLSC Podcast with a quick discussion of recent NBA news and results, including injuries and the Playoff push.	March 4th, 2017
Episode #197	Andrew & Arcane	Regular roster updates continue to come through for NBA 2K17. However, on top of a couple of other issues, it appears that the injury-free rosters aren't actually injury-free. On a more positive note, starting a new MyCAREER will use the most recent official roster. Starting over at 55 Overall is still painful, though. In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: We've tried MyPARK and 2K Pro-Am, but online play is losing its appeal. MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and MyLEAGUE still hold intrigue however, and we get an idea for a fun challenge. Moving on to the real NBA, our fellow Aussie Andrew Bogut has suffered another unlucky break; literally. Will he end up in the NBL? Adam Silver has indicated that he'd like to make the All-Star Game competitive again. We're encouraged to hear it! As the 2017 regular season enters its final stages, who are the frontrunners for the MVP? We wrap up Episode #197 of the NLSC Podcast with a milestone by Dirk Nowitzki.	March 10th, 2017
Episode #198	Andrew & Kenny	NBA 2K17 has been out for around six months now. After many, many hours playing it, what are our favourite and least favourite aspects of the game? In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK have lost their appeal for us. On the bright side, we've been having more fun with MyLEAGUE, MyTEAM, and MyCAREER. The practice of resting players in nationally televised games has prompted some harsh remarks from all-time greats. We offer up our thoughts on the matter, and some of the backlash. Larry Sanders has returned to the NBA. Will he be able to pick up where he left off a couple of years ago?	March 25th, 2017
Episode #199	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	NBA Live 18 will be on display and playable at EA Play 2017. Are we optimistic, and what kind of details are we expecting to come out of the event? In Our Week in Basketball Gaming: a return to 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK in NBA 2K17 yields unexpectedly enjoyable results. Also, strange player movement in MyCAREER, MyTEAM challenges, and a new MyLEAGUE game. An itch to mod an old favourite has resulted in the release of an updated 1996 season roster for NBA Live 2004. The Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker turned heads and set records when he scored 70 points against the Boston Celtics. We react to the performance, and some of the things that have been said about it.	April 1st, 2017
Episode #200	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	Patch 1.12 has been pushed through for NBA 2K17. We've played some online and offline games with the patch, and have a few impressions to share. Various tuning updates have tweaked the shooting in NBA 2K17 as of late. Have we noticed any major differences? We're all looking forward to the newly announced NBA Playgrounds from Saber Interactive. Since it's Episode #200, we take some time to reflect on the previous 199 shows, and our time in the NLSC community. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has included a shocking loss in MyCAREER, new rewards in MyTEAM, and connection issues in 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK. Derrick Rose has had yet another season ended early by a knee injury. What's next for the former MVP? Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, and Paul Pierce - all arguably underrated stars in their prime - reached noteworthy scoring milestones before the season ended. Bold predictions return, as we give our picks for the regular season award winners, and the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.	April 14th, 2017
Episode #201	Andrew & Kenny	We highly recommend checking out Operation Sports' interview with the NBA 2K team, for an insight into the development of the games, what it's like to work in the industry, and how to give the best constructive feedback. And to see JaoSming and Leftos, of course. A couple of off-screen photos of NBA Live 18 have emerged. There's not much to be gleaned from such blurry images, but there are a couple of points of interest worth talking about. Do we think the cover player for NBA Live 18 will be revealed before EA Play? Will (and should) EA Sports begin promoting NBA Live 18 during the Playoffs, or perhaps the NBA Finals? Our Week in Basketball Gaming has included some experimenting with "Start Today" in MyLEAGUE, a failed attempt at a second MyCAREER, and an expanding MyTEAM collection. A few ideas for future games are also discussed. We wrap up Episode #201 of the NLSC Podcast with some discussion of the first few games of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, which has seen a couple of surprising results.	April 20th, 2017
Episode #202	Andrew & Kenny	The roster for NBA Playgrounds has been revealed. Some of the inclusions and omissions were rather surprising, but we're still looking forward to the game. Hassan Whiteside isn't exactly satisfied with his ratings in NBA 2K17, and he wasn't shy about letting his feelings be known on Twitter. We wonder whether other players have felt similarly insulted over the years. A post over on Reddit has shed some interesting insights into pack odds in MyTEAM. We once again give our thoughts on the fairness of packs in NBA 2K17. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has featured disappointment over the lack of a 2K TV screenshot in MyCAREER, new MyCOURT digs in the woods, and MyTEAM challenges. A discussion of Freestyle2: Street Basketball also leads us to reminisce about the days when the market was awash with hoops titles. We wrap up Episode #202 of the NLSC Podcast with a recap of the recent action from the 2017 Playoffs, as well as our thoughts on three point guards: Rajon Rondo, Damian Lillard, and Chris Paul.	April 28th, 2017
Episode #203	Andrew & Kenny	NBA Playgrounds has a confirmed release date of May 9th. Polygon's preview provided us with some new info on the game, and we're still very much looking forward to it. Mike Wang (aka Beluba) posted an insight into his plans for shooting mechanics in future NBA 2K games, specifically his desire to wean gamers off automatic makes on Green releases. We give our thoughts on the matter. Following on from this week's Monday Tip-Off article, we discuss whether it would be a good idea for NBA Live 18 to take a more traditional approach, in order to capitalise on the dissatisfaction some gamers have with certain aspects of NBA 2K's direction. Our Week in Basketball Gaming includes a head-to-head showdown in MyTEAM, expanding collections, and a refreshingly enjoyable run in both 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK. The 2017 NBA Playoffs roll on into the second round. LeBron reaches a milestone, prompting thoughts from the (alleged) resident bitter insecure hater. Also, Paul Pierce's retirement, Tony Parker's injury, Isaiah Thomas' big night, and some predictions. We wrap up Episode #203 of the NLSC Podcast with some quick thoughts on the new BIG3 league, which recently completed its draft.	May 5th, 2017
Episode #204	Andrew & Arcane	Shaquille O'Neal has been revealed as the cover player for the Legend Edition of NBA 2K18. We also know the release date and the pre-order bonuses. Does all that VC suggest another tough grind this year? Charles Barkley has revealed what it will take for him to appear in NBA 2K18. NBA Playgrounds has been released, and we have some initial impressions to share. One of us is a little more positive than the other. Referring back to a Monday Tip-Off article from a few weeks ago, we discuss the burnout and cynicism that can arise after years of talking about improvements to basketball video games, and compiling feedback for developers. It pains us to say it as long-time NBA fans, but we're just not feeling this year's Playoffs. We wrap up Episode #204 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which included another brief but enjoyable session of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K17.	May 12th, 2017
Episode #205	Andrew & Kenny	A new member in our Forum who's going through a difficult time made a mod request, which was quickly fulfilled. We've got a good thing going. Following on from last week's Podcast and Sunday Substitute article, we provide some updated impressions of NBA Playgrounds. One of us is a little more positive this time around! Our Week in Basketball Gaming has not only consisted of some games of NBA Playgrounds, but also a fun run of 2K Pro-Am victories, and successful MyTEAM challenges. We wrap up Episode #205 of the NLSC Podcast with some thoughts on the 2017 NBA Playoffs, which have reached the Conference Finals. Zaza Pachulia not surprisingly gets a mention.	May 18th, 2017
Episode #206	Andrew & Arcane	We've received our first proper glimpse at NBA Live 18, including a bunch of screenshots and some cinematic gameplay clips. We reflect on some of the community's reactions, and provide our own take. The PC versions of NBA 2K14 and NBA 2K15 are no longer available on Steam, which is potentially bad news for completionists and retro basketball gamers. NBA Playgrounds has received a big patch on PC and PlayStation 4, containing several tweaks and additions demonstrating that Saber Interactive are paying close attention to gamer feedback. Our Week in Basketball Gaming includes a long-awaited cutscene in MyCAREER, and another decent session of 2K Pro-Am. We wrap up Episode #206 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA talk. Topics include LeBron James' new milestone, predictions for the 2017 NBA Finals, and Chris Bosh's future.	May 27th, 2017
Episode #207	Andrew & Arcane	Kyrie Irving has been revealed as the cover player for NBA 2K18. We give our thoughts on the choice, and reflect on some past cover players. Now that we've seen the first trailer for NBA Live 18, what are our hopes and expectations for this year's game from EA Sports? Having played a few games of NBA Playgrounds with the new patch, we've got some further impressions to share. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included one of the most frustrating 2K Pro-Am sessions to date, and a couple of MyCAREER games. The 2017 NBA Finals is underway, and the Golden State Warriors certainly made a statement in Game 1. We wrap up Episode #207 of the NLSC Podcast with news on some merch!	June 3rd, 2017
Episode #208	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	A listing on Game Informer led to rumours of a PC release for NBA Live 18, which unfortunately isn't going to happen. Nevertheless, an eventual return to the PC platform is something we'd like to see for NBA Live. New gameplay footage, screenshots, and a couple of tidbits of information about NBA Live 18 have come out of a recent event in New York. We're liking what we're seeing, and intrigued by what we've read. What kind of information and previews are we hoping to see at EA Play? We talk a little about our expectations for the event. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has seen further progress in NBA Playgrounds, a dubious record almost set in 2K Pro-Am, and the triumphant return of Kiki Vandeweghe in MyTEAM. We wrap up Episode #208 of the NLSC Podcast with a few thoughts on the NBA Finals. Even if we're not exactly hating the results so far, it's hardly a contender for Best Finals Ever...in our humble opinion, anyway. At least Game 3 was close, right?	June 9th, 2017
Episode #209	Andrew & Arcane	Coming out of EA Play 2017, we now know about The One, the new single player career mode in NBA Live 18. From the basic concept to the approach to Playstyles, it's definitely sounding good. A lot of the hands-on impressions of NBA Live 18 have also been very positive, which has us feeling quite optimistic. A couple of other details are also potentially quite promising. Opponents quitting on you in online games of NBA 2K? 2K Support has some...interesting advice. The latest patch for NBA Playgrounds has continued the trend of adding more content and making some very welcome fixes and adjustments. We answer a listener question: would we like to see a story-driven career mode in NBA Live, similar to what we've seen in MyCAREER? Our Week in Basketball Gaming included our most enjoyable 2K Pro-Am game in a while...after some more frustrating contests, of course. With the Golden State Warriors' victory in Game 5, the 2017 NBA Finals are over...of course, the MJ vs. LeBron debate is not. We wrap up Episode #209 of the NLSC Podcast with a short discussion of Jerry West's new role with the Los Angeles Clippers, and the announcement regarding 3-on-3 basketball at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.	June 15th, 2017
Episode #210	Andrew & Arcane	EA Play attendees have released new gameplay videos of NBA Live 18, while offering up further hands-on impressions. We share our thoughts on what we've been shown, from the animations to the new Shot Meter. Oddly, NBA 2K18 Legend Edition cover player Shaquille O'Neal was photographed wearing an NBA Live 18 barber's smock. Probably not the promotion that Visual Concepts wanted. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included a somewhat backwards session of 2K Pro-Am, a very brief trip to MyPARK, and some great card pulls in NBA Playgrounds. We wrap up Episode #210 of the NLSC Podcast with some thoughts on the 2017 NBA Draft, and a couple of big trades. #FireGarPax	June 25th, 2017
Episode #211	Andrew & Arcane	NBA 2K17 PC is currently 75% off on Steam. If you've been looking to double-dip, or you've been holding off on getting the latest game from 2K, now's a good opportunity. The 2017 season may be over, but our modding community is still hard at work. We talk a little about the latest roster projects for the PC, including Dee4Three's releases and the upcoming community roster update, and SkillzFromThe6's detailed offseason roster for PlayStation 4. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has mostly revolved around NBA Playgrounds, which is currently also on sale through Steam. Phil Jackson is out in New York. Knicks fans seem to be happy, but are also wondering why it took so long. Chris Paul has been traded to the Houston Rockets, setting up what might be a very interesting offseason.	July 1st, 2017
Episode #212	Andrew & Arcane	DeMar DeRozan will grace the Canadian cover of NBA 2K18. It's the first time that Canada will receive a region-specific cover for NBA 2K, though it's worth noting that DeRozan himself isn't Canadian. Nintendo Switch users are still waiting for the NBA Playgrounds patches, but it isn't Saber Interactive's fault. CEO Matthew Karch has provided some hints as to why there's been a holdup at Nintendo's end. A rare copy of the unreleased PAL version of Lakers vs. Celtics for the SEGA Mega Drive is currently attracting some huge bids on eBay. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included a 2K Pro-Am victory that was tough to get excited about, some great card pulls in MyTEAM, and Arcane's first look at the full version of NBA Playgrounds. We wrap up Episode #212 of the NLSC Podcast with a recap of the wild first week of the 2017 NBA offseason, and our thoughts on all the big player moves.	July 8th, 2017
Episode #213	Andrew & Arcane	It seems that we can mark August 11th on our calendars as being a significant date in the preview season for NBA Live 18. Current speculation is that it's when the demo will drop, but we also discuss a couple of other possibilities. The modding community has been doing some great work with final 2017 season and 2017 offseason rosters for NBA 2K17 (both on PC and PS4), as well as NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14. We recap some of the latest releases, and works in progress. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included a very satisfying session of 2K Pro-Am, a couple of MyCAREER games, some online head-to-head with an old friend, and grinding for packs in NBA Playgrounds. We wrap up Episode #213 of the NLSC Podcast with a reminder about some NLSC merch, available through Arcane Apparel!	July 15th, 2017
Episode #214	Andrew & Arcane	A recent promo shoot for NBA 2K18 has revealed some early player ratings. The players themselves were on hand to hear them, and not all of them were pleased with what they heard! The soundtrack for NBA 2K18 has been revealed. We're neither thrilled nor upset with the selection, but we do wish that we were getting some more substantial details about this year's game. A significant content update is in the pipeline for NBA Playgrounds. New tournaments seem quite likely, but could we also see a slam dunk contest and three-point shootout added to the game? Five copies of NBA Elite 11 have been listed on eBay for $30,000 US. Glancing at our bank accounts, we might have to pass on making an offer. We do ponder how much we'd pay for a copy, though. Our Week in Basketball gaming included a so-so run in 2K Pro-Am, and some head-to-head games against each other in NBA Playgrounds. Paul Pierce has signed with the Boston Celtics, in order to retire a Boston Celtic. It seems to be a new trend with retiring players, and honestly, we don't mind it. We wrap up Episode #214 of the NLSC Podcast with some thoughts on the new jersey designations that the NBA will be using moving forward.	July 22nd, 2017
Episode #215	Andrew & Arcane	The first NBA 2K18 screenshots have been released. What do we think of this year's aesthetics? We received a ton of information about MyLEAGUE and MyGM by way of the first developer blog. This year's franchise modes sound awesome! Did the 2K TV finale drop a hint about additional retro teams in NBA 2K18? We believe it's a possibility. Sole Collector published a short article about shoes in NBA Live 18, which also went into the history of EA Sports getting authentic shoes into their game. The next big content update for NBA Playgrounds has come through. While there are still a few issues with the game, it continues to get better and better. Not surprisingly, the five copies of NBA Elite 11 listed on eBay for $30,000 USD didn't sell. They haven't been re-listed, but another copy is still available...for $4,000 USD. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included some of the most enjoyable sessions of online play we've ever had, in both 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK. Also, grinding for packs in NBA Playgrounds, MyTEAM Domination, and fantasy exhibitions. Kyrie Irving has surprisingly demanded a trade. We wonder where he'll end up, and whether Visual Concepts will do anything about the NBA 2K18 cover if he's dealt. We wrap up Episode #215 of the NLSC Podcast with some information on the latest NLSC merch by Arcane Apparel.	July 29th, 2017
Episode #216	Andrew & Arcane	The NBA Live 18 demo will be coming out next week, August 11th. We've also found out a little more about The Streets portion of The One. EA Sports has also announced that all twelve WNBA teams will be included in NBA Live 18. We feel it's a pretty good idea, and speculate on the future of additional content in NBA Live. The latest NBA 2K18 screenshots are looking very good, with some noticeable improvements to a couple of players. For what it's worth, we've also found out a few more player ratings. A couple of interviews have provided us with some snippets of information regarding improvements to gameplay and MyPLAYER Archetypes in NBA 2K18, as well a few additional details on the new story in MyGM. Saber Interactive has released a Roster Unlock for NBA Playgrounds. The idea definitely has merit and it's something gamers have been asking for, but not everyone is happy about it. NBA 2K17 is the highest selling Take Two sports title to date. It's also raking in higher than expected revenue from microtransactions. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has included some fun moments and satisfying victories in 2K Pro-Am and MyPARK, and more enjoyment out of an old school fantasy approach in Play Now. We wrap up Episode #216 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBL talk. Yes, really!	August 5th, 2017
Episode #217	Andrew & Arcane	Shortly after we finished recording last week's NLSC Podcast, the Companion App for NBA Live 18 was released. How does it compare to the NBA Live 16 app, and how did our face scans turn out? The NBA Live 18 Demo is out now. In one of our longest segments to date, we provide some in-depth initial impressions of our first hands-on look at this year's game from EA Sports. NBA Live 18 is now available to pre-order, with a 33% discount on offer. There also appears to be a Deluxe edition of the game, though no further details are available at this time. Wrapping up the NBA Live 18 news, the full soundtrack has been released. Notably, some big names have contributed tracks this year. The second Developer Diary for NBA 2K18 provided us with a look at the gameplay, as well as an insight into the aesthetic improvements in this year's game. We also have some hands-on impressions from the community, more screenshots, and mention of amiibo compatibility. We'll be getting another edition of The Prelude before the release of NBA 2K18, but it's reportedly different to last year's demo. Naturally, that news invites speculation. Episode #217 of the NLSC Podcast wraps up with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which included a troubleshooting fail (albeit with a happy ending), a brewing rivalry for NLSC THRILLHO, and an elusive PlayStation Trophy.	August 12th, 2017
Episode #218	Andrew & Arcane	Since its release, the NBA Live 18 demo has been receiving some patches, so it would appear that the experience will continue to be tweaked based on user feedback. Hopefully, this will also bode well for the inevitable Day One patch. The One Edition of NBA Live 18 has been confirmed, and it includes a couple of in-game pre-order bonuses, as well as a 33% discount from participating retailers. 2K Sports dropped the "Get Shook" trailer, along with a developer blog describing the improvements to gameplay in NBA 2K18. It sounds like the team has been focusing on the right things this year. A trailer and developer blog for MyTEAM in NBA 2K18 has also been released. The trailer itself was a little cringe-worthy, but overall the news is good there too. All-Time Teams and sixteen new Classic Teams will be added in NBA 2K18. We share our thoughts on the new classic teams that have been revealed so far. We wrap up Episode #218 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which has seen our 2K Pro-Am season for NBA 2K17 approach its final few sessions, and more grinding for cards in NBA Playgrounds. We also look ahead to our future weeks of basketball gaming.	August 20th, 2017
Episode #219	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	We tip off the show with some further impressions of the NBA Live 18 demo. The game has also been receiving some support in IGN's Player's Choice Awards. Arcane is running a Madden 18 giveaway for PlayStation 4. Entries close August 31st, so get them in ASAP! All of the new classic teams in NBA 2K18 have been revealed, including an additional seventeenth squad. The full lineups for the All-Time Teams have also been posted. We share a few opinions on the new historical content. With Kyrie Irving being traded to the Boston Celtics, it seems that a new cover for NBA 2K18 will be issued at some point. An upcoming Facebook event will provide us with details on MyCAREER in NBA 2K18. We speculate on this year's story, based on the event name and hashtag. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included 2K Pro-Am cheese - surprise, surprise - and MyLEAGUE success. Backing up a little, we talk about the Kyrie Irving trade in more depth. Did the Cavs make a steal in the deal? We wrap up Episode #219 of the NLSC Podcast by picking our Ultimate Australian 3-on-3 squads.	August 26th, 2017
Episode #220	Andrew & Arcane	Patch 1.05 has been pushed through for the NBA Live 18 demo, and this time, we have a few patch notes. Once again, we take the opportunity to offer some further impressions of the demo, and encourage everyone to keep the feedback coming. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett will be joining NBA 2K18's broadcasting team as special guest commentators. Unfortunately for KG, the game is only rated E10+. The latest NBA 2K18 developer blogs by Scott O'Gallagher and Da_Czar have delivered a lot of promising news about improvements to AI, playcalling, and gameplay in general. NBA 2K18 will see the debut of The Neighborhood, a new online open world experience that encompasses MyCAREER, 2K Pro-Am, and MyPARK (now called The Playground). It's very cool, but we do have a few questions and concerns. There will be 189 MyPLAYER Archetypes this year, with primary and secondary archetypes and hybrid styles. Excellent news, in our opinion. A list of Achievements for The Prelude has been leaked, hinting at this year's story. Mild spoiler warning! We wrap up Episode #220 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which included a couple of really fun sessions of 2K Pro-Am as our season in NBA 2K17 continues to draw to a close.	September 2nd, 2017
Episode #221	Andrew & Arcane	The NBA Live 18 Demo has received another update. On top of making some further gameplay tweaks, it also added updated rosters, and two additional teams to Play Now: the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. EA Access subscribers on Xbox One are currently enjoying a ten hour trial of the full version of NBA Live 18. Their streams and impressions suggest further improvement over the demo, which is great news. A Game Informer article provided us with a few details on this year's MyCAREER story ahead of the release of The Prelude, and some further information about The Neighborhood. In the wake of a somewhat flat trailer, The Prelude has been released, along with the MyNBA2K18 companion app. We tip off our impressions with a few thoughts on face scanning. We're not impressed by the lack of customisation options, nor the decision to put more content behind a VC paywall. It's a continuation of a disheartening trend that began in NBA 2K17. The story in this year's MyCAREER mode leaves something to be desired. Although we like the general idea of being able to pick our team, the plot, acting, and characters are rather corny, with one character in particular being a bit uncomfortable. Although the brevity of The Prelude was disappointing, the gameplay was a highlight, and demonstrates some pleasing improvements that have us looking forward to the full version of NBA 2K18. We wrap up Episode #221 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which featured NLSC THRILLHO's final 2K Pro-Am game for NBA 2K17, and the acquisition of a long-coveted MyPARK trophy.	September 10th, 2017
Episode #222	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	After spending quite a bit of time with the demo, we finally have our hands on the full version of NBA Live 18. Pleasingly, the game is feeling like a significant step forward. Interestingly, WNBA Play Now has been a lot of fun, changing up the experience. It definitely feels like something to build upon. Ultimate Team could stand to be deeper, but there are a couple of nice features with the starter packs, based on your favourite team. Franchise needs some work, but may be worth checking out as well. All in all, NBA Live 18 is shaping up to be a good comeback for the series. Our initial impression of NBA 2K18 is that the NBA gameplay is a bit more fun than MyCAREER on the sticks, but it's mostly some of the concepts that bug us. Starting from scratch again has us a little shook (sorry). The biggest gripes with NBA 2K18 so far? The VC gouging, and a bewildering change to free throw shooting for MyPLAYERs. Despite our complaints, there are some noticeable improvements to the gameplay, and other modes are looking good as well. There's still a lot to sink our teeth into, but on the whole, we are looking forward to the next year of basketball gaming, in both NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.	September 17th, 2017
Episode #223	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	Following on from our initial positive impressions, we continue to enjoy our experiences in NBA Live 18. There is still room for improvement however, and we've identified some issues that we definitely hope can be patched. We're glad to see the new Nike Statement jerseys added to NBA Live 18, but the latest roster update leaves something to be desired. Hopefully, post-release support will be on point this year, once the season begins. Moving on to NBA 2K18, while we're still liking the 5v5 gameplay and looking forward to MyLEAGUE, we've really soured on MyCAREER. 2K Pro-Am meanwhile proved to be a disaster last week, which is a shame given how much we enjoyed the mode in NBA 2K17. A lot of users has been losing their MyPLAYERs in NBA 2K18, which has been a tremendous pain for anyone who happened to purchase VC to upgrade them. A nasty bug has also caused problems with pre-order bonuses disappearing when creating new MyPLAYERs. Although NBA 2K18 has been receiving high scores from several publications as usual, some reviewers - and a lot of gamers - aren't so enthusiastic. One review in particular has attracted controversy. We wrap up Episode #223 of the NLSC Podcast with a few thoughts on the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Is Melo a little underrated?	September 24th, 2017
Episode #224	Andrew & Arcane	New rosters have come through for NBA Live 18, and they include the two biggest transactions from the past week or so. Unfortunately, there are still some issues with missing transactions and players, incorrect jersey numbers, and a couple of other problems. Master Challenges have been added to Ultimate Team in NBA Live 18. We're glad to see new content being added so early, and hope that it will continue throughout the season. NBA 2K18 has received another patch this week, addressing some noteworthy technical problems in modes and gameplay. It's quite welcome, but how many title updates will we see this year? The problems with microtransactions and grinding in NBA 2K18 continue to be a big story. It has spread beyond the basketball gaming community, as mainstream publications and content creators are touching upon it. We crunch a few numbers, and provide some more thoughts on the situation. Downloadable versions of the updated NBA 2K18 cover are now available. It's a nice gesture, but could it result in collectors being scammed? Our Week in Basketball gaming included a tentative second attempt at 2K Pro-Am, more grinding, some fun Play Now games in NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, more grinding, MyTEAM games, and yes, more grinding. MyLEAGUE games to follow, closer to the start of the 2018 season. Dwyane Wade has joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. Can anyone in the East compete with the Cavs this season? We wrap up Episode #224 of the NLSC Podcast with a nice story about Dirk Nowitzki and an appreciative Dallas Mavericks fan.	October 1st, 2017
Episode #225	Andrew & Arcane	Patch 1.04 has been released for NBA Live 18. In addition to addressing some key technical issues, it's made some pleasing improvements to the feel of the game. There is, of course, still room for improvement. As it turns out, NBA Live 18 was one of the most downloaded games on PSN in September, which bodes well for a strong comeback for the brand. Xbox One users are facing some technical restrictions in terms of uploading media from NBA 2K18. Once again, we discuss the frustration with the lack of sound recording on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It seems that player face scans are being used for AI players in 2K Pro-Am. As such, it seems like a perfect opportunity to have some fun with wacky scans. NBA Playgrounds has received a new patch, and more controversially, paid DLC which adds eight Class of 2017 rookies and three new playgrounds. The move seems to lack the goodwill that Saber Interactive has previously demonstrated. We wrap up Episode #225 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming. We're not quite done with MyCAREER or 2K Pro-Am yet, so the grind continues. Also, we lay out some more plans for both NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.	October 8th, 2017
Episode #226	Andrew, Arcane & Kenny	New rosters have been released for NBA Live 18, accounting for recent transactions and adding new classic uniforms for eight teams. With the 2018 season right around the corner, we hope that EA will remain on the ball with forthcoming updates. Patch 1.04 has been released for NBA 2K18. It's a substantial update and addresses a lot of issues, but unfortunately, it's caused a lot of problems as well. Bewilderingly, it's also nerfed certain VC rewards even further. NBA Playgrounds has received a hotfix that addresses an issue with the previously released Roster Unlock DLC. Once again, we reflect on how the game has evolved since launch, and whether paid DLC is a wise approach given the circumstances. Our Week in Basketball Gaming included our best session of 2K Pro-Am in NBA 2K18 so far, further progress in MyCAREER and The One, and a bit of Ultimate Team. The 2018 NBA season tips off next week! We've felt a bit jaded and disillusioned in recent years, so we're hoping that the upcoming campaign will be a fun and exciting one that we can really get into.	October 15th, 2017
Episode #227	Andrew & Arcane	We tip things off with the revelation that Arcane took part in a community playtesting event at EA Tiburon back in May. Arcane reflects on his experiences, which included a celebrity encounter. A couple of patches (1.05 and 1.06) have come through for NBA Live 18, as well as some roster updates. We're liking some of the improvements, though we've also identified issues that need to be resolved in NBA Live 19 and beyond. A new patch (1.05) has also been released for NBA 2K18, at least for PlayStation 4. It too has included some welcome improvements, but has unfortunately caused a couple of new problems. Two NLSC T-Shirts are now available to purchase from the kiosk in NBA 2K18's Neighborhood. Rep us in The Playground, preferably by winning more games than we've managed to so far! In response to a mailbag question, we discuss the future of microtransactions in NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, particularly the latter. How bad could it get, and do we foresee any changes next year? We also give our thoughts on a question regarding issues with unfinished and unpolished releases. Our Week in Basketball Gaming, or rather our past couple of weeks in basketball gaming, have included several games of 2K Pro-Am, further progress in MyCAREER, and the new DLC for NBA Playgrounds. We wrap up Episode #227 of the NLSC Podcast with our thoughts on 2018 NBA season so far.	November 5th, 2017
Episode #228	Andrew & Arcane	The release of Star Wars: Battlefront II has led to some crossover content in NBA Live 18. It's not to everyone's taste, but some of the gear is pretty cool. We now know what LIVESTRIKE entails. A series of Live Events will be available for a short period of time, providing premium content drops featuring exclusive gear. It seems that we'll be getting more than just gear, as EA Sports has also teased some other new content for NBA Live 18. Will it be a 3v3 mode, as currently rumoured? Roster updates seem to have taken a back seat in NBA Live 18, which is less than ideal given the lack of roster editing. Patch 1.05 is out now for the PC and Xbox One versions of NBA 2K18. We also wonder whether a hotfix has come through, resolving lock-up issues in The Neighborhood. Revenue from microtransactions has increased 57% in NBA 2K18. The question is, are gamers spending the money because they support the business model, or simply out of necessity? NBA 2K18 has been nominated for a Sports Game of the Year award. Would it be our pick? Our Week in Basketball Gaming has included some very satisfying wins in 2K Pro-Am, a lot of progress in MyCAREER, and Live Events in NBA Live 18. We wrap up Episode #228 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA discussion. Apologies in advance to Boston Celtics fans for jinxing the team.	November 19th, 2017
Episode #229	Andrew & Arcane	Patch 1.07 provided a significant content update for NBA Live 18, including new rosters and 3v3 play in Live Run. The gameplay itself also continues to improve. A handful of new players have been added to the All-Time teams and historical squads in NBA 2K18. Unfortunately, some of the biggest names are still absent. Our Week in Basketball Gaming was full and eventful! Although we had some rough sessions of 2K Pro-Am, we did pick up a few victories (including some in The Playground), continued our respective MyCAREERs, and had fun with NBA Live 18 online and offline. We also discuss shooting mechanics in NBA 2K18. We wrap up Episode #229 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA talk, including the Celtics' winning streak coming to an end, the Thunder/Warriors clash, and Derrick Rose's future.	November 26th, 2017
Episode #230	Andrew & Arcane	Patch 1.08 has added comprehensive roster editing to NBA Live 18. We're certainly surprised, and impressed at how the game has continued to improve since launch. NBA 2K18's Patch 1.06 has addressed some bugs, but also caused a few more problems. To be honest, we're still feeling disappointed with this year's release from Visual Concepts. The qualifying round for the NBA 2K League will be taking place in January. We share our thoughts on what the League might be like, given our experiences with 2K Pro-Am. Several t-shirts have been removed from the kiosk in The Neighborhood, mostly due to trademark and copyright concerns. This has led to some issues with lost VC. A teenager has spent over $17,000 AUS on microtransactions across various games, leading us to once again reflect on their intrusive nature in AAA titles. Our Week in Basketball Gaming has seen our frustration with 2K Pro-Am reach its boiling point, an enjoyable victory in The Playground, and possible plans to change up our habits on the virtual hardwood. We wrap up Episode #230 of the NLSC Podcast with some NBA discussion, including recent streaks, and the Jahlil Okafor trade.	December 10th, 2017

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