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NLSC Podcast #517: Making Highlights, More MyTEAM BS, & Freestyle Control

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #517 of the NLSC Podcast!

The community has really been cooking with their submissions for the NLSC Top 10 Plays as of late. Indeed, we’re still excited about last week’s countdown! To that end, we recap what was a diverse array of spectacular virtual hardwood moments from a variety of titles, and also provide advice for both recording and submitting your highlights for future Top 10s. We also note some recent improvements to PlayStation 2 emulation (particularly in regards to NBA Street), discuss the ongoing saga with MyTEAM greed hitting an all-time high, and join the community in reminiscing about the introduction of Freestyle Control in this week’s mailbag.

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!

NLSC Podcast #512: NBA 2K25 Gameplay Wishlist

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #512 of the NLSC Podcast!

It’s Wishlist season once again, so this week, we join the community in listing our top three gameplay wishes for NBA 2K25! Not surprisingly, many of us have similar thoughts on what we want to see out of this year’s game. Following our recent sessions with them, we also discuss NBA ShootOut (aka Total NBA ’96) and Sony’s NBA 08, and compare them to their contemporaries. We’ve also got an injury update to share, and spend some time reflecting on past-their-prime players still having something left in the tank in real life, as well as being fun to play with in video games; especially when they’re familiar faces in unfamiliar places.

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!

NLSC Podcast #510: Street Hoops & NBA 2K League Elitism

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #510 of the NLSC Podcast!

Are the NBA 2K League competitors actually the best NBA 2K gamers in the world? Both we and the community have some thoughts on that, as well as a ridiculous comparison to real NBA players. Meanwhile, a session with Street Hoops by Black Ops Entertainment has revealed it to be a hidden gem, as we had an absolute blast with it! We also discuss the importance of the unwritten rules of sportsmanship in basketball, and thanks to the NBA Live 2001 Legends, reflect on the real and virtual accomplishments of Keith Van Horn. Finally, since we shared our basketball gaming resolutions last week, this week we open up the mailbag to find out what the community has planned for 2024.

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!

NBA 2K24 Patch 3.0 Released; Season 3 Update

NBA 2K24 Patch 3.0 Released; Season 3 Update

With Season 3 tipping off this Friday, Patch 3.0 has come through for NBA 2K24! As of writing, the patch is available on all consoles, with the PC update likely dropping in time for the new Season. As always, it should come through automatically, as long as your PC or console is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

In addition to preparing NBA 2K24 for Season 3 in MyCAREER and MyTEAM, Patch 3.0 includes new player likenesses, bug and stability fixes, and jersey sponsor updates. It also brings back the traditional East-West All-Star Game format to reflect the change to this year’s event, and improves the representation of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Season 3 celebrates OG NBA 2K cover player Allen Iverson and 25 Years of NBA 2K; more information on the rewards and events can be found here.

You can find the full release notes for Patch 3.0 below, as well as in the NBA 2K24 Current Gen and Next Gen update histories in our Wiki. I’ve also updated those resources to reflect the proper version numbers for the Season 2 patches, and added missing information for the 2.1 hotfix on Next Gen. As always, feel free to share your impressions of and experiences with the latest update in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in our NBA 2K24 Forum!

UPDATE: The PC patch is now available.

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NLSC Podcast #502: Hoop Land & NBA 2K24 Ennui

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #502 of the NLSC Podcast!

Koality Games has released a new version of Hoop Land for mobile devices, and having followed their progress reports in the NLSC Forum, we were keen to give it a try. After doing so, we’re hoping to see it come to PC via a Steam release! Unfortunately, we’re far less excited about both versions of NBA 2K24 right now, and based on the responses to this week’s community question – to say nothing of the lack of mods, highlights, and discussion – we’re not alone there. On the bright side, we’ve been having a blast with other games in our rotation including NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, and so spend some time catching up on our recent sessions.

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!

NBA 2K24 Patch 1.4 Out Now For New Gen

NBA 2K24 Patch 1.4 Out Now For New Gen

Patch 1.4 (aka the big Season 2 Patch that has been promised) is out now for the New Gen version of NBA 2K24. It should come through automatically as long as your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console, or checking for updates manually.

In addition to preparing NBA 2K24 for Season 2 in MyCAREER and MyTEAM, Patch 1.4 includes a variety of fixes based on gamer feedback since launch. This includes adjusting progression, addressing latency issues (allegedly), and resolving a number of bugs throughout modes and gameplay. Several player likenesses have also been updated, along with jerseys and courts.

Full notes for Patch 1.4 can be found below, as well as in the NBA 2K24 New Gen update history over in our Wiki. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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NBA 2K24 Patch 1.3 for New Gen & 1.2 for Current Gen

NBA 2K24 Patch 1.3 for New Gen & 1.2 for Current Gen

New updates have come through for NBA 2K24, specifically Patch 1.3 for New Gen, and Patch 1.2 for Current Gen (which includes PC). As always, the patches should be downloaded automatically as long as you’re online. If the latest update doesn’t come through, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

Patch 1.3 for NBA 2K24 New Gen addresses “ghost contests”, fixes stability in The City, resolves a few bugs, and makes some adjustments to progression in MyCAREER. The new patch for Current Gen also addresses some technical issues, adjusts Season XP rewards to correlate with Teammate Grade in MyCAREER games, and enhances player appearances in The Neighborhood. A larger update based on gamer feedback is still scheduled for early to mid October.

Full notes for both updates can be found below. You can also find update histories for the New Gen and Current Gen versions of NBA 2K24 over in our Wiki. Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in our NBA 2K24 Forum!

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NLSC Podcast #495: A Second Look at NBA 2K24

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #495 of the NLSC Podcast!

Now that NBA 2K24 has been out for over a week, how do our second impressions compare to our first look at the game? This week we join the community in discussing how we feel about the gameplay after more time on the sticks, and it’s fair to say that we’ve noticed a few more issues! Having dived into MyTEAM and MyCAREER, we’ve also got some thoughts on the disappointingly greedy approach in both modes, as well as the difference between fair challenge and artificial difficulty. In addition to our ongoing NBA 2K24 coverage, we also take some time to catch up on what we’ve been doing in NBA 2K14, NBA 2K19, and NBA Live 06, while getting far too excited reminiscing about former NBA big man Chuck Nevitt.

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!

Monday Tip-Off: Sim Heads Are Not Casuals

Monday Tip-Off: Sim Heads Are Not Casuals

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 rebuttal to the idea that basketball gamers who are sim heads are somehow casuals.

Since we’re all on the internet here, I’m going to assume that we’re all familiar with Harvey Dent’s line in The Dark Knight about either dying a hero, or living long enough to become the villain. It’s up there with Alfred musing that some men just want to watch the world burn; another line that the internet loves, especially wannabe nihilist edgelords. In any case, Dent’s observation can be applied to the real world as well. From people who tarnished their reputation, to simply finding yourself on the wrong side of the argument as time goes by, it’s possible to end up as the bad guy.

Of course, when it’s a matter of fandom infighting, “bad guy” is a relative term. We’re more likely to throw around a word like “casuals” to dismiss the opinions of people we disagree with, ostensibly because they just don’t get it. For a long time, gamers who played basketball games, but didn’t know or care much about the real sport, were the ones who were branded with the “casuals” label. While I don’t agree with the gatekeeping nature of that, it made sense in so much as sim games in particular were designed with hardcore hoop heads in mind. These days, sim heads are being called “casuals” by those who advocate for cheese and “stick skills” over realistic gameplay.

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NLSC Podcast #494: First Impressions of NBA 2K24

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #494 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA 2K24 is out now on all platforms! We’ve spent some time with both the PC and PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of the game – including a head-to-head game on PC that ended in dramatic fashion – and have some initial impressions to share. While we’re mostly focusing on gameplay this week, we also discuss our thoughts on the modes, features, and content that we’ve had a chance to check out, as well as react to some of the issues with MyTEAM and MyCAREER that several gamers are reporting. We also open up the mailbag to see what the community thinks of NBA 2K24 so far, and offer our early recommendations as to whether the game is worth picking up at this stage, or if it would be best to hold off for now or even skip it altogether.

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!

NLSC Podcast #493: All-Time Favourites, MyTEAM, & MyCAREER

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #493 of the NLSC Podcast!

Could you name your Top 25 all-time favourite basketball video games? We reflect on some of the titles that were ranked in last week’s Monday Tip-Off, and reiterate the distinction between personal favourites and “best” lists. With the release of NBA 2K24 looming, we also have some news on MyTEAM, MyCAREER, and The City to discuss. Have the promised changes to MyTEAM Points, pack odds, and Season progression, and the streamlined approach to the NBA career experience, affected our excitement and anticipation for this year’s game? Also, in this week’s mailbag, the community shares their reactions to NBA 2K24 gameplay footage, as well as some of the other details coming out of the recent community event.

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!

Monday Tip-Off: Why Basketball Game Reviews Suck

Monday Tip-Off: Why Basketball Game Reviews Suck

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 candid thoughts on why so many basketball video game reviews suck.

As much as I value thoughtful critique over statements that are blunt and insulting for the sake of being provocative, I must be frank here: many of the reviews of basketball video games flat out suck. They aren’t helpful to enthusiastic hoops gamers who want to know if a title is a significant improvement over its predecessor, and whether it’s worth getting. Their lack of insightful commentary provides no useful feedback to the developers, and seldom holds the publisher accountable for business practices that are predatory and even hostile towards the core audience.

It’s extremely frustrating for me. As someone who has been playing basketball video games for over 25 years, and – at the risk of sounding egotistical – knows a thing or two about them, I’m unimpressed by such poor evaluations of them as products. On top of that, my philosophy is to stand with my fellow gamers rather than shill for a company. I believe it’s vital to be honest with ourselves and each other, and to keep the community informed. Also, while there’s really no such thing as an “unbiased review” as opinions are always subjective, personal bias can impact fairness and accuracy. It’s these recurring issues that result in laughable and subpar reviews.

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The Friday Five: 5 Plays That Affected Video Games

The Friday Five: 5 Plays That Affected Video Games

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five plays that had a profound impact on gameplay design in basketball video games.

Since the aim of sim basketball games is to depict the NBA in a realistic manner, it goes without saying that events in the real league have had an impact on those titles. Likewise, our enthusiasm for real basketball makes us want to imitate NBA highlights on the virtual hardwood. It’s something that the games have allowed us to do with increasing accuracy over the years, as new animations, controls, and mechanics are added. Our desire to see certain plays accounted for in video games can be traced back to wide trends and specific moments alike.

Quite often, they’re the memorable plays that are assured to make all the highlight reels for decades to come; the iconic moments in NBA history. When we see them happen in real life and can’t replicate them in games, we immediately develop a keen interest in seeing them made possible in future releases. While it may not be entirely accurate to ascribe a particular gameplay addition solely to a single highlight, there’s no doubt that memorable plays have had an impact on gameplay development. After all, the developers are basketball fans too, and are just as eager to perform those dazzling plays on the sticks. Here are five plays that impacted gameplay design!

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NLSC Podcast #492: ProPLAY, Mamba Moments, & Badges (Oh My!)

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #492 of the NLSC Podcast!

The NBA 2K24 preview season is certainly ramping up! This week, we’re reacting to the ProPLAY trailer and the insights of the gameplay blog, discussing the featured games in Mamba Moments and noting some missed opportunities, debating the merits of the “Green or Miss” approach to shooting mechanics, and mulling the pros and cons of the new MyPLAYER Builder and the Badge progression/regression system. There are some intriguing ideas, but also a few that could prove to be costly missteps for NBA 2K24. We also recap fun sessions with NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, celebrate a big milestone, and join the community in sharing some of our favourite memories of Kobe Bryant.

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!

NBA 2K24 Gameplay Trailer & Developer Blog

NBA 2K24 Gameplay Trailer & Developer Blog

The preview season for NBA 2K24 is now truly underway, with the release of the first gameplay trailer and developer blog! Both the trailer and gameplay blog are focused on the Next Gen/New Gen version of NBA 2K24, with details for Current Gen/PC likely dropping soon.

Among other things, the blog confirms that ProPLAY is indeed a new method of capturing animations from real NBA footage. It’s being touted as a major improvement over traditional motion capture, though old mocap techniques apparently still played a role in development. The blog also provides a breakdown of changes to controls and mechanics such as dribbling, shooting, Takeover, and adrenaline boosts. Notably, online play and tougher difficulty levels offline will be “Green or Miss” in NBA 2K24, with lower difficulty levels offering more forgiving timing.

As always, the trailer features an assortment of stars pulling off highlights from cinematic angles. It also includes some comparisons to real footage, spotlighting the impact of ProPLAY on the animations. You can check out the NBA 2K24 gameplay trailer below, along with my recap of the key points from the first developer blog. Although I approach developer blogs with some healthy scepticism, there are definitely some promising details. I’d also recommend giving the original blog a read, as it includes some dev diary videos with further explanations from Beluba.

Got any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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