Tag Archives: NBA 2K18

Episode #387 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

It’s the Return of Leftos! The former NLSC Team member and original host of the show joins us to talk about his eight years working at Visual Concepts, where he is now the Lead Software Engineer Backend on the NBA 2K series. We talk about his work on the game’s various franchise modes, and the dedication to the franchise experience even as modes such as MyCAREER and MyTEAM have become more popular. The concept of realism in franchise modes is also brought up, along with Leftos’ background in basketball. Oh, and the importance of adding some unruly geese in The City.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:31:13 — 63.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five issues that keep sneaking back into NBA 2K games.

Look, video game design is more difficult than a lot of gamers believe it to be. I know it sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but it bears repeating because there are people out there who seem to think creating the perfect basketball title is as simple as typing plain English into a word processor. Even more cynically, there’s a belief that the developers are capable of creating a much better game, but intentionally holding back on doing so in order to sell next year’s release. I can see the thought process behind that, but if creating a near-flawless game were feasible, it would’ve happened already.

What I’m getting at here is that video game development is challenging. Developers do care about making a great game – the suits may not, but the people actually putting in hard work absolutely do – and they want us to enjoy the fruits of their labour. In all fairness, NBA 2K has maintained a consistently high level of quality throughout the years. Even some of the more problematic and controversial releases over the past decade are still a far cry from being the worst hoops games ever made. There are some legacy issues that manage to keep sneaking back into new NBA 2K titles though, and with a new generation upon us, now is the time to shut them out.

Read More »

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 tackling a controversial issue in NBA 2K: the use of AI Players in online modes.

I’ve covered several topics related to online modes in NBA 2K, from gatekeeping and elitism to forced grinding and a lack of matchmaking. One issue that I haven’t touched upon all that much is the use of AI Players in the online arena. As you know if you’ve played MyCAREER’s connected online modes, AI Players are utilised in one of two ways. Either they make up the numbers when there aren’t enough users to completely fill both squads, or they take the place of a user when they quit or foul out of a game so that everyone else can keep playing.

The use of AI Players in online team play modes is particularly controversial, though. It ties into the aforementioned issues of matchmaking and elitism, but there are some legitimate complaints regarding the practice. The presence of AI Players in the online modes runs contrary to their very concept, yet at the same time, it facilitates them. It’s an issue where it’s impossible to cater to two very different preferences, at least with the current options and mechanics. Moving forward, it’s an issue that NBA 2K will have to resolve, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at both the drawbacks and the benefits of AI Players in online modes, and why the matter evokes strong opinions.

Read More »

It’s time to enjoy some virtual hardwood highlights in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week! This is a weekly feature curated by Derek (aka Dee4Three) spotlighting the best plays from the basketball gaming community, which includes a few of our own memorable clips from time to time. Submit your clips in the Forum, or hit up Derek on Twitter!

No less than seven different titles are represented in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week. It’s great to see such variety in the games being played, on top of the selection of highlights they produced. As usual, you’ll see a couple of mods for PC on display, a handful of rim-rattling dunks, and some impressive performances in the clutch. Thanks to everyone who submitted clips this week! The top play might surprise you, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it stands out in its own right.

What was your favourite highlight this week? Sound off in the comments below, and once again, get in on the fun by sending us your spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood or blacktop. All basketball games are welcome, new and old! Also, be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

Episode #381 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

We have a lot on our minds this week! Our NBA Live 10 sessions continued with another epic clash that delighted us with its authenticity. NBA Action 94 and 95 were also briefly in the rotation, and they had their interesting points. Unfortunately, NBA Live 15 and 16 provided a reminder of staples that have been missing from the series for years. Playing NBA Live 10 as well as NBA 2K14 on PS4 also leads us to reminisce about external factors that tainted our first impressions of games we later came to enjoy. Meanwhile, a comment blaming the community for recurrent revenue mechanics has us fired up; suffice to say, we disagree! We also cover a recent fix in NBA 2K21 Next Gen, and answer a mailbag question about gameplay improvements that we’re yet to see.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:38:28 — 67.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

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 a look at the concerning complacency that afflicts many a basketball gamer, especially when it comes to NBA 2K’s practices.

There’s a well-travelled fable about a boiling frog. The story goes that if you place a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out. However, if you place it in tepid water and slowly bring it to boil, the frog will not react to the danger and be boiled alive. Experiments have proven the premise to be false, but the imagery is still used as a metaphor for an unwillingness to react to threats that arise gradually, compared to those that arise suddenly. While the metaphor is based on a disproven principle, its imagery aptly illustrates the process of creeping normality.

Complacency is a major factor here, and it’s certainly an issue in basketball gaming. The attitude of “well, that’s just the way it is” shrugs off valid criticism and concerns. It can be shocking to look back at some of the fantastic games from years ago, and compare them to recent releases that are riddled with recurrent revenue mechanics, gatekeeping, and other aspects that are lacking in goodwill. How did we get from there to here? As in the boiling frog metaphor, had these changes come suddenly, there’d have been a revolt. By shrewdly introducing these elements and then turning up the heat, 2K has taken advantage of the complacency of the basketball gamer.

Read More »

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five annoying quirks with instant replay in various basketball video games.

If you had to name the key components of a basketball video game, or any sports title for that matter, instant replay would definitely be on that list. Of course, it’s also very easy to skip over, as it’s a function that we sometimes take for granted. We certainly notice when it’s absent though, as was the case in the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06. Whether we want to re-watch an incredible play again and again from different angles, capture a video or screenshot, or take a second look at something that didn’t seem right, it’s great that we can pause and rewind the last minute or so of the action.

Because there doesn’t need to be much depth to the functionality of instant replay, it hasn’t really changed much throughout the years. For the most part, that hasn’t been a problem. However, the lack of innovation in the instant replay functions of basketball games has resulted in a few annoying quirks continuing to pop up through the years. We can usually work around them and they’re not necessarily big problems if you aren’t a content creator. Nevertheless, I imagine that long-time basketball gamers will recognise the annoying instant replay quirks that I’m describing here today. With that being said, let’s roll it back and take another look at them!

Read More »

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five basketball video games that had the wrong vibe about them.

I wouldn’t blame you if you’re looking at this week’s topic and thinking that I’ve lost my mind, talking about a basketball game having the wrong kind of “vibe”. What kind of a metric is that? Allow me to explain myself, as I think many of you will actually be able to relate. I’m sure that at some point, we’ve all eagerly picked up a new hoops title, only to feel disappointed in it. However, that disappointment goes beyond our complaints about gameplay, modes, graphics, animations, and so on. Something about the game just feels…off. Some problems may be more conceptual than technical.

As such, this can be a very personal reaction, and thus highly subjective. Furthermore, although it’s more common for games with a lot of issues to have the wrong vibe, it can also happen with titles that are generally considered to be good, if something about them just doesn’t gel with you. To that end, while I expect I’m not alone on a couple of the examples I’m sharing here, I suspect that not everyone will agree with all of them. That’s fine; as I said, it’s highly subjective, and I’d be interested to hear other examples from my fellow basketball gamers. With that being said, for one reason or another, these five games just didn’t have the right vibe for me.

Read More »

Episode #376 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

An idea for an NBA Live 10 game over Parsec resulted in an epic clash that produced some memorable highlights for us both. On that note, the return of the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week has us thinking about what makes good basketball video game highlights. We discuss how unique scenarios, rare animations, and context add importance, emotion, and just plain “oomph” to plays on the virtual hardwood. We’re also sorry that NBA Live 10’s Fantasy Teams mode is a thing of the past. In this week’s mailbag, we’re talking about RetroArch, and the possibility of special editions of NBA Live or NBA 2K that utilise old school aesthetics.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:33:06 — 64.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Episode #374 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

It warms our hearts that gamers are still interested in watching User vs. User gameplay videos! Sadly, not everyone is open to the idea of playing on broadcast camera angles, but gatekeepers gonna gatekeep. Reports that Luka Doncic has broken his contract with EA Sports to sign with 2K Sports have caused a stir this week. We discuss the speculation, and reflect on what it might mean – if anything – for the fortunes and future of NBA Live. In this week’s mailbag, we’re taking another look back at the rough start for NBA Live on Xbox 360, and talking about Tecmo NBA Basketball and Tecmo Super NBA Basketball.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:24:56 — 58.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five details found in various basketball games that aged rather quickly.

It’s impossible for basketball video games to completely avoid being outdated in their content. Obviously there are benefits to this – as I’ve discussed on many occasions, I love the way hoops games can act as interactive NBA almanacs – but the point is that certain aspects of basketball titles will have already aged by the time we get our hands on them. If nothing else, the rosters need to be locked by a certain date, which gives us fun oddities such as players only appearing on a particular team in video games, players who ultimately never played in the NBA being included in games, and so on.

Of course, now that official roster updates are the norm, it doesn’t matter that a game’s roster has aged by its release. An abundance of content updates and patches ensure that modern games can evolve and stay current far more easily than their much older predecessors could. Of course, there are elements that aren’t updated, and although their outdated nature may not ruin a game, they nevertheless stand out. Some of the examples I’m discussing today aged quickly because of events that occurred after their release, while others were already outdated before the game hit shelves. Either way they’re fun to look back at, especially when a major event is involved.

Read More »

Episode #373 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

Our first foray into playing NBA 2K17 head to head using Parsec and Steam Remote Play didn’t go as well as we hoped, but we’re not giving up just yet. Following up on the announcement that prompted our main discussion in Episode #368, the PlayStation 3 Store is remaining open, preserving NBA Jam: On Fire Edition a little longer. Although the preview season is still months away, we’ve been thinking about past innovations that changed basketball gaming, and what would excite us for NBA 2K22. Surprisingly, it’s still not shoelace physics! In this week’s mailbag, we’re taking a look back at NBA Live 09 on PlayStation 2, and discuss buying prior gen games after we’ve moved on to a new console.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:47:58 — 74.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Episode #369 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

An annoying issue in MLB The Show 20 leads us to reflect on some of the flaws in our all-time favourite basketball games. We conclude that there isn’t a title that we wouldn’t change something in; content, a mechanic, or a noteworthy bug that needed fixing. Also, March Modness may be over, but we’ve still got modding on our minds. For anyone looking to get into the hobby, we offer up some advice, and discuss the various possibilities. In this week’s mailbag, we’re throwing it back to NBA Live 2001, and discussing the benefits of the User vs. User experience.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:41:23 — 69.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Episode #367 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

The surprising quality of Garfield Kart (of all things) leads us to consider how to make a good rip-off, and where so many NBA Jam clones have come up short. However, our main topic this week is controversial and unpopular basketball gaming opinions. We share a few of our own potentially divisive takes, and react to the fantastic responses we received on Twitter when we invited our followers to share theirs. As it turns out, some opinions may be more popular than some people think! Additionally, we touch on how people are discouraged from sharing unpopular opinions – or just opinions in general – particularly valid criticism. In this week’s mailbag, we return to the question of when releases should and likely will end for Current Gen.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:46:07 — 72.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five artistic choices in basketball video games that proved to be divisive.

It’s likely that at some point, you’ve heard the fable of “The miller, his son, and the donkey.” It’s the go-to fable whenever you want to illustrate that you can’t please everyone; or, to use the wording of the moral that’s appended to certain versions of the fable, “if you try to please all, you please none.” The fable is talking about actions, but the message holds true for art and entertainment as well. Whether it’s a video game, tabletop game, film, TV series (or an individual episode thereof), album, song, poem, drawing, painting, or whatever…nothing receives universal acclaim.

After all, it’s impossible for a single work to cater to everyone’s individual taste with its artistic choices. Of course, some artistic choices tend to evoke more extreme responses and opinions than others. They’re the proverbial “love it or hate it” artistic choices, with very little in between. It’s also interesting that some of the most divisive aspects of basketball games are generally inconsequential artistic choices that don’t inhibit the core gameplay experience. Atmosphere is still important though, and a gaudy art style can be off-putting. With that in mind, here are five of the most divisive artistic choices that we’ve seen in various aspects of basketball video games.

Read More »