Tag Archives: NBA 2K21

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 confessions that I must make in regards to basketball gaming.

Today, I’m opening up the floor to basketball gaming confessions. What do I mean by that? Well, I think it’s fair to say that when it comes to the virtual hardwood, we’ve all made some mistakes, have some surprising or unpopular opinions that contradict our usual stance on basketball gaming topics, and have done things that are hypocritical. Hey, we’re complicated beings, and none of us are perfect! We don’t like to admit it because we don’t enjoy looking foolish, even when it comes to something as low stakes as a recreational activity like basketball video games.

So you know what? Let’s remove that stigma and share some stories! I’ll readily tip things off with five basketball gaming confessions of my own. There’s nothing sinister here; nothing particularly scandalous. From finding enjoyment in aspects that I’ve criticised to being a sore loser on the virtual hardwood, I’m willing to put my hand up and admit to blunders, regrets, and guilty pleasures. Some of these confessions may be surprising, while others will probably make sense. There’s also something I can chalk up as research and a learning experience, while another is a reminder to always pay attention when shopping on eBay. With that being said, let the admissions begin!

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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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Episode #377 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 tip things off by paying tribute to the late Mark Eaton. Reflecting on the first two weeks of the revitalised NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, we note that NBA-oriented gaming highlights are rarer these days. This leads to a discussion on the decline in popularity of NBA-oriented modes, in favour of online team play. We note that current attitudes towards the NBA and changing demographics among gamers play a huge role here. Meanwhile, things haven’t been as rosy with NBA Live 10 and Parsec this past week, but we’re not giving up our retro kick just yet. In this week’s mailbag, we’re talking about NBA Live possibly using the Frostbite engine, and looking back at NBA Courtside 2002.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:27:02 — 59.8MB)

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.

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!

As always, you can expect to see some big dunks, crafty plays, nifty passes, and other fun highlights in this week’s countdown. However, you’ll also see some mods being spotlighted, and some fun ideas for exhibition games. On top of that, you’ll see a variety of games being featured, including a couple of old favourites. Remember, it doesn’t need to be the latest NBA 2K to qualify; if it’s a great moment on the virtual hardwood, we want to showcase it in our Top 10 Plays!

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.

Today’s assortment of file additions for NBA 2K21 PC includes a portrait update from our own Dee4Three, three faces by Shuajota, and an updated scoreboard pack from Karinge. Download them all at the links below!

Dee4Three
Desmond Mason Sonics Portrait

Shuajota
Gabriel Deck Face
Moses Brown Face
Elijah Bryant Face

Karinge
ESPN & FOX 2021 Scoreboard (Updated to v10.5)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

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.

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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 celebration of my love of basketball and basketball gaming.

It’s important to be critical, even about the hobbies and interests that we love. We don’t need to pretend to enjoy something that isn’t to our tastes. As consumers, it doesn’t benefit us to keep quiet when there are problems, or we aren’t getting value for money. New isn’t always better, just as nostalgia can make us overlook issues of the past. There are plenty of valid reasons to speak out, or express a negative opinion. Of course, it isn’t healthy to be constantly mired in negativity, and it’s all too easy to forget that it’s OK to enjoy and celebrate our passions.

I am critical of certain aspects of basketball gaming, even though I love the hobby. I’ve got forthcoming articles where I examine problems and consider solutions, but today, I want to talk about why I love basketball, and video games based on it. The reason I’m taking time to do this is that last week, I encountered a miserable, mean-spirited article about film that was pure bait for rage clicks. It was snobby and snarky, essentially bashing a popular old film under the guise of “I’m smart enough to see that it sucks“. I never want to be that kind of sad sack in my basketball gaming coverage, so today I’m talking about why I love the sport of basketball, both real and virtual.

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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.

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!

The NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week is back after a lengthy hiatus! This week’s countdown is a little belated, but it will be coming out on Saturdays moving forward. We’ve got some fun highlights in the return episode, from recent titles and some beloved classics alike. From big dunks to buzzer beaters and everything in between, there’s a little bit of everything this week. Some great mods are also on display. Catch the countdown below, or watch it here over on our YouTube channel.

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.

Patch 1.11 is now available for the Current Gen version of NBA 2K21. As always, it should come through automatically as long as your PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or check for updates manually.

The patch includes the same player likeness updates from the recently released Next Gen patch, as well as new WNBA uniforms. It also adds new Summer decorations to 2K Beach in MyCAREER, and prepares the mode for upcoming events. Although it isn’t mentioned in the notes, the PC version now supports crossplay between the Steam and Epic Games platforms.

There isn’t much more detail to the full patch notes, but you can check them out below, as well as a complete update history for NBA 2K21 Current Gen here in our Wiki. Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum. Additionally, NBA 2K21 PC is currently free to claim on Epic Games until May 27th. Pick it up here if you don’t already have it in your collection.

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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 discussion of canned moments, and how they play into the myth of the skill gap in NBA 2K.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about NBA 2K implementing a “skill gap”. It seems that every year, we get a gameplay blog in which a new or tweaked mechanic is touted as bringing a proper skill gap to the forthcoming game. By and large, this is a promise that games have failed to deliver upon. That’s not to say that the changes aren’t improvements in their own right, or that there isn’t any skill involved in playing NBA 2K. Furthermore, gamers definitely do demonstrate different levels of skill – such as it is – especially in the online arena.

However, it isn’t a true skill gap as such, because the way one wins and loses in NBA 2K doesn’t necessarily come down to skill; or at least, not pure stick skills. There are factors such as meta-gaming in MyCAREER and its connected modes, and pay-for-advantage mechanics in terms of quick MyPLAYER upgrades and pack openings in MyTEAM. I’ve discussed those issues at length before, so I won’t be going into them today. Instead, I want to talk about core mechanics that stand in the way of NBA 2K truly having a skill gap. One of the most pressing issues in that regard, as I’m sure many NBA 2K gamers are all too aware, is the prominence of canned moments.

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Episode #375 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 announced lineup for EA Play 2021 doesn’t include NBA Live, which has given life to more speculation and clickbait. We share our thoughts on the situation, and our expectations regarding any surprise announcements. We’ve also been having a lot of fun playing NBA Live 10 over Parsec, and while it makes us wistful at times, it’s also given us a new appreciation for the game. Raja Bell has also become a virtual hardwood legend. In the mailbag this week, we’re talking about the effect that basketball gaming discourse has on opinions and enjoyment, as well as some of the worst cyberfaces throughout the years.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:34:40 — 65.1MB)

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 suggestions to make The Rec a friendlier and more positive experience.

After years of playing 2K Pro-Am and The Rec as part of the connected experience in MyCAREER, I’ve mostly moved on as of NBA 2K21. Sure, I won’t rule out playing online every now and again, but too many negative experiences combined with a desire to play other modes has led to little to no desire to jump on as often as I once did. In a way that’s a shame, as when The Rec and Pro-Am were fun, they were a lot of fun. The worst games were tough to endure though, and believe me, I did all I could to stomach some truly wretched virtual basketball in pursuit of good games.

With that being said, I want the online experience in NBA 2K to improve. Whether or not I ever regularly partake in the scene again, I’d like to see it become as good as it possibly can be, so that the people who do want to play online have an enjoyable time. This applies to all of the connected modes in MyCAREER – as well as online play in MyTEAM – but The Rec’s purpose as an arena for impromptu, makeshift squads means that it invites a specific brand of toxic play. From the comments I’ve seen on Twitter and Reddit, The Rec could stand to be a friendlier and more cooperative place. Here are five ways that it could possibly achieve that goal moving forward.

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Patch 1.09 is now available for the Next Gen version of NBA 2K21. As always, it will 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.

The new patch updates the WNBA jerseys for the league’s 2021 season. It also includes face updates for 40 players, addresses issues with downloading custom designs in MyNBA, and resolves a rare hang in MyWNBA. Presumably, the Current Gen version will be receiving the likeness updates in a forthcoming patch as well.

You can find the release notes for Patch 1.09 below, as well as a complete update history for NBA 2K21 Next Gen here in our Wiki. Feel free to share your impressions in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum.

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Two new face updates by our own Dee4Three – namely Mark Blount and Hellboy – can be found in today’s file additions for NBA 2K21. Pick them up at the links below!

Dee4Three
Mark Blount Face by Dee4Three
Hellboy Face by Dee4Three

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.