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Monday Tip-Off: Making The Journey Worth It

Monday Tip-Off: Making The Journey Worth It

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 ensuring that the journey is worth the time and effort in basketball video games.

In recent years, there’s been a puzzling acceptance of the notion that we should have to work to have fun with the basketball video games we play. I’m not talking about the time and effort it takes to master strategies and stick skills, complete challenges, and level up accordingly. A game that’s over too quickly is generally unsatisfying, unless you’re attempting a speedrun. The best rewards and whatever counts as being 100% completion in a game shouldn’t be quick and easy to attain. For most people, it isn’t fun to be handed absolutely everything.

These are uncontroversial statements that I’m sure we can all agree upon. However, the sentiment has mutated into a bad faith argument about gamers wanting everything right away. That may be true of a scant minority of less patient basketball gamers, but most of us just want a rate of progression that’s fair and enjoyable, with rewards that make the journey feel worthwhile. Again, the key to that bad faith argument is in the wording: “you don’t want to put in the work“. A video game should not have to be treated like an occupation in order to be enjoyed, or feel like a rewarding journey. It’s therefore vital that any rewards system makes us feel like it was time well spent.

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Monday Tip-Off: Focusing On What I Find Fun

Monday Tip-Off: Focusing On What I Find Fun

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 a few thoughts on focusing on what I find fun in basketball gaming.

I realise that sounds like a strange thing to say. Whether it’s a video game or any other hobby, the point is to enjoy the time you’re spending with it. It doesn’t make sense to not have fun! And yet, that is something that happens with video games, particularly newer releases. I promise this isn’t just another rant about microtransactions, although they undoubtedly play a major role in this. Modes like MyTEAM and MyCAREER are designed in a way that intentionally limits the fun if you intend not to spend, and that’s an issue that was created by the adoption of recurrent revenue mechanics.

However, it’s bigger than that. Even when you’re past the unpleasant grind, indeed even if you pay to skip it, modern basketball games aren’t as fun as they should be. Moreover, ideas that should be fun in theory end up detracting from the enjoyment, either because of the looming shadows of microtransactions and FOMO, or simply less than optimal design. The frustrating part of that is how easy it is to get hooked despite these obvious pitfalls, which of course is completely intentional. However, once you can break free of that spell and start focusing on what is fun, basketball gaming will return to being the enjoyable pastime that it should always be.

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NBA 2K22 Patch 1.8 Released; Season 3 Details

NBA 2K22 Patch 1.8

Patch 1.8 has come through for both the Current Gen and Next Gen versions of NBA 2K22. As always, it should download automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting, or checking for updates manually.

The new patch includes player and coach likeness updates, bug and stability fixes across a variety of game modes, and prepares both versions of NBA 2K22 for Season 3 in MyTEAM and MyCAREER. It also includes some gameplay tweaks, notably slowing down lateral dribble launches and adding a shot penalty to combat zigzag cheese. Needless to say, not all online gamers are happy about that change!

Speaking of Season 3: Iced Out, it will bring Winter decorations to The City and The Neighborhood, and challenges based around legendary clutch performances in MyTEAM. There will be free gifts on Current Gen and Next Gen, as well as several Winter and Holiday-themed events. The Next Gen version will also receive two new modes: Rooftops in MyCAREER, and Clutch Time in MyTEAM. More details can be found in the Season 3 Courtside Report.

You can find the full notes for Patch 1.8 below, as well as in our Current Gen and Next Gen update history for NBA 2K22. Feel free to add your thoughts and impressions in the comments, as well as join in the discussion in the respective pinned topics in the NBA 2K22 section of the Forum!

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NBA 2K22 MyTEAM Details; Draft, TTO, & More

NBA 2K22 MyTEAM Details

As per the previously released schedule, the latest Courtside Report (aka developer blog) has delivered the details on MyTEAM in NBA 2K22. Incidentally, you may recognise the name of the producer who penned the blog. Yes, it’s JaoSming!

There’s a lot to look forward to in MyTEAM this year. The new Draft mode provides online gamers with an opportunity to play with some of the best cards in the game. Collector Levels have returned, and The 100 adds a new defensive challenge to Triple Threat Online. The MT Shoe Lab allows for custom boosts, and Challenges have been reworked. All cards are now Gold or higher, and Holo Cards are the new rarest of the rare collectibles. Team customisation has also been expanded, it’s possible to collect multiple starter cards, and there is a card grading system.

In addition to the blog, a trailer has also been posted. You can check it out below, along with my summary of the Courtside Report. What are your thoughts after seeing what’s in store for MyTEAM in NBA 2K22? Have your say in the comments below, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum! Ahead of NBA 2K22’s release on September 10th, next week’s Courtside Reports and other previews will be focusing on The City, MyCAREER, and MyNBA.

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Monday Tip-Off: The Economics of MyTEAM

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 looking into the problematic economics of MyTEAM.

Although I’ve spent a lot of time with MyCAREER over the past generation, I’ve also dabbled with MyTEAM. After making MyTEAM my mode of choice in NBA 2K21, I’ve had more firsthand experience with its troubling economics. For once, I’m not talking about microtransactions and Virtual Currency. While there is pushiness to the recurrent revenue mechanics in MyTEAM and I remain critical of those practices, I’ve covered that issue in previous articles. Besides, I can attest to the viability of sticking to a “No Money Spent” philosophy, and still greatly enjoying MyTEAM.

Ironically, the more pressing issue with MyTEAM’s economics concerns MT: an in-game currency that can’t be purchased (at least, not from 2K). It does tie into issues with VC to a certain extent – they’re ultimately part of the same economy, after all – but even if you eliminate microtransactions from the discussion, there are still some major problems with MT. These issues affect everything from budgeting for packs and contracts, to the Auction House and the handling of pulling cards you already own. Some of these issues are unfortunately by design, but I believe that 2K should address problems affecting the mode’s economics, as soon as in NBA 2K22.

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Monday Tip-Off: Thoughts on MyTEAM Seasons

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 some thoughts on the new Seasons approach adopted in NBA 2K21’s MyTEAM.

One of the major changes in NBA 2K21’s MyTEAM was the adoption of Seasons. For those unfamiliar with the concept, MyTEAM Seasons run for about six weeks, with each Season featuring its own theme, content, and Challenges. While modes of play such as Domination remain unaffected by Seasons, and Triple Threat Offline simply gains new rewards as each new Season begins, Season-based content such as The Agenda has a time limit. If you have any unfinished business on The Agenda by the time a new Season begins, too bad; it’s a new day in MyTEAM.

The Seasons approach is not unique to MyTEAM and NBA 2K, of course. It’s a form of the “games as a service” model that mobile and Triple-A games alike are using with ever-increasing frequency, which invites cynicism because of the way those mechanics utilise FOMO to push microtransactions, season passes, and so on. Less cynically, however, it’s a way to keep content fresh and not overwhelm late adopters with an overabundance of content. I’m generally in favour of Seasons in MyTEAM, but I do have a few criticisms and concerns that I’d like to discuss. Along with a few other aspects of the mode, the approach could be even better in NBA 2K22.

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