Tag Archives: EA Sports College Basketball

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #601 of the NLSC Podcast!

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that Electronic Arts will be going private after being acquired in one of the biggest deals in the history of video games. This week, we share our thoughts on the news, and what it might mean for the future of basketball gaming (if anything). We also note some of the reactions that we’ve seen from the wider gaming community on social media. Needless to say, it’s proving to be quite a controversial move! To that end, we also touch once again on the effectiveness of video game boycotts, and how much the average gamer realistically cares about who owns the companies that are developing their favourite titles and series.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 34:06 — 23.8MB)

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To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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 some reflections on how I’ve lost enthusiasm for new basketball video games.

When the preview season for NBA 2K26 officially tipped off in early July, I was filled with dread. Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to aggregating the news and discussing the upcoming game. Likewise, I wasn’t excited for September to arrive so that I could get my hands on it. The anticipation that I once felt for new games – even when I was hooked on the current one – simply wasn’t there. It helped temper my expectations, but as I discussed in Episode #596 of the NLSC Podcast, NBA 2K26 still failed to reach the low bar that I’d set for it.

Moreover, as I said on the show, NBA 2K26 proved to be a breaking point for me. I already felt disappointed and disillusioned with the ninth generation, but this was the final straw. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my enthusiasm for new games. Even though it’s a year away, I’m not excited about going through another preview season. I’m dreading having to play and talk about future NBA 2K releases. I can’t feel optimistic about the future of the series, or the chances that we’ll see the return of NBA Live; especially after EA Sports rescinded their proposal for a college game. Call it an extreme case of the New Game Blues if you like, but I’m not sure how I can get that enthusiasm back.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #596 of the NLSC Podcast!

In a shocking and rather unfortunate development, EA Sports has rescinded their proposal for a college basketball game in light of Take-Two reaching agreements with several schools to develop their own “college basketball experience”. This week, we join the community in reacting to the news and speculating on what we can expect from 2K as far as DLC and possibly a standalone game within a couple of years. Interestingly, not everyone is in favour of 2K beating EA to the punch here, but there certainly is interest in what they’ve hinted at. We also follow up on last week’s show with some further impressions of NBA 2K26, now that we’ve both had a chance to spend ample time with this year’s game.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:08:37 — 47.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

Back in June, many of us were excited to hear that EA Sports were planning to make a new college basketball game, targeting a 2028 release. Since then however, Take-Two has also thrown their hat into the ring, and it appears that their efforts have already sunk EA’s return to the virtual hardwood.

As per Matt Brown of Extra Points, EA Sports has now rescinded their proposal to the Collegiate Licensing Company in the wake of Take-Two coming to terms with several schools. EA’s proposal was for an exclusive license to develop a game featuring every Division I school, notably representing both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. 2K originally proposed a non-exclusive deal that would see them integrate a limited number of college teams as MyTEAM content. However, they later proposed a standalone game, and began contacting schools accordingly.

EA Sports has yet to make a further public announcement regarding their planned college basketball game, but it certainly does sound as though they’ve backed away from those plans in light of 2K inking deals with a number of schools, and their own failure to secure an exclusive contract. Matt Brown’s coverage of this situation from the initial rumblings to the latest development has been excellent and on-point, so for now, it doesn’t look like we should hold out much hope for a new EA Sports college basketball title anytime soon.

This is obviously unfortunate news as many basketball gamers were looking forward to having an alternative in the space once more. With the success of EA Sports College Football, there seemed to be cause for optimism that EA would be looking to make a strong return to the virtual hardwood. 2K is undoubtedly in a better position to deliver a game sooner though, so it’ll be interesting to see if any announcements are forthcoming. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as here in our Forum.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #589 of the NLSC Podcast!

In the wake of EA Sports announcing a new college basketball game, Take-Two is reportedly planning to develop a competing title. This decision follows a particularly insulting proposal to the CLC regarding the use of collegiate content, and an attempt to hamstring the development of EA’s announced game that involves a broken NDA. We definitely have some thoughts about the situation, and as you can probably guess, they aren’t exactly positive! We also join the community in discussing whether or not we’d like to see a new college game based on the NBA 2K engine and if we’d prefer that 2K beat EA to the punch, and touch on 2K’s new NBA deal which apparently includes initiatives that go beyond the virtual hardwood.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 54:36 — 37.9MB)

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To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #587 of the NLSC Podcast!

Not long after we finished recording last week’s show, EA Sports surprised us with the announcement that they will be returning to the virtual hardwood with a new college basketball game, slated for release in 2028 at the earliest! This week, we join the community in sharing our reactions to the news, from rating our excitement level to discussing the things that we want and need to see in a new hoops title from EA. We also touch on 2K’s somewhat petty reaction to EA’s announcement, and the response it drew on social media. Suffice it to say that things are set to be a lot more interesting in the basketball gaming space over the next few years!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:00:21 — 41.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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 some thoughts on the way that 2K responded with pettiness to the announcement of a new college basketball game from EA Sports.

Last week, EA Sports surprised a lot of gamers with the announcement of a new college basketball title, tentatively scheduled for release in 2028. There have been some questions as to why the announcement is being made so far out. It appears that the Collegiate Licensing Company entertained bids for a new basketball game in late June, with EA Sports’ bid being successful. A three year development window would be similar to the return of EA Sports College Football, which was announced in 2021 and released in 2024. Presumably, pre-production on this new hoops title has begun.

Needless to say, while not everyone is optimistic about a new college basketball game from EA Sports – understandably so – many gamers are excited. It’ll be a new release from an established company, in a genre that’s suffered from a lack of alternatives and competition. To that point, how did 2K respond to EA Sports rejoining the basketball gaming space with a college game? In short, a quote reply to a post on X opining that they should be the ones making the game wryly saying “the campus has been quiet for too long”, and a statement in which they referred to themselves as the “undisputed home of basketball gaming”. Basically, 2K is giving pettiness the old college try.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #586 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we generally focus on the Triple-A scene, there’s definitely untapped potential for the virtual hardwood and blacktop in the indie gaming space. To that end, this week we discuss The Dunkers, a 2D indie basketball title that’s currently available in Early Access on Steam. Following a competitive session with the game, we’re hoping that it will continue to be updated and ultimately fulfil its potential! We also once again touch on the possibility of EA Sports returning to basketball gaming with NBA Live or a college basketball game. Little did we know that a big announcement was on the horizon, so we’ll undoubtedly be coming back to this topic in the very near future!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 47:37 — 33.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!