Tag Archives: Visual Concepts

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 we ignored the red flags of the original MyGM in NBA 2K14.

These are controversial times for gaming. The Steam Machine underwhelmed with its specs, and has had gamers understandably balking at its price. Sony has announced that the end of physical releases of PlayStation games is coming in January 2028, which has led to more backlash than they were anticipating. And, most recently, EA Sports were forced to walk back their attempts to gouge College Football 27 gamers at every turn. Needless to say, their attempts to implement microtransactions in single player modes had not been warmly received!

Of course, this is what companies like Electronic Arts and Take-Two have been striving for over the past couple of generations: ramping up microtransactions, and the pressure to spend. There has been plenty of criticism of modes like MyTEAM and Ultimate Team, and the grind-or-pay aspect of MyCAREER, and rightfully so. When I read about the attempts to monetise Dynasty in College Football 27 though, I was reminded of the original MyGM in NBA 2K14. Although the replacement for The Association was innovative and included some nifty attention to detail, it also brought Virtual Currency to the mode. In hindsight, we overlooked some glaring red flags.

Read More »

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)

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 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.

Read More »

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 how important it is to support your fellow basketball gamers.

In many ways, gamers don’t have a lot of power or leverage as consumers. We can choose not to buy games – and I’d certainly advise that if you’re not sold on a new release – but generally speaking, widespread boycotts are ineffective. The same goes for abstaining from pumping extra money into games via their recurrent revenue mechanics. Whales will still spend, apologists will bleat “it’s optional”, and the gaming experience will remain weaker for anyone who doesn’t want to pay. Even constructive criticism gets shouted down as “complaining“.

Obviously this frequently happens on most any platform where basketball games (or titles from other genres) are discussed. However, it’s particularly disheartening when content creators with significant influence jump on that bandwagon. I’ve seen some creators with large audiences share some truly terrible takes that throw their fellow basketball gamers under the bus, yet somehow they don’t seem to lose any credibility when they do so. Along with so much zero-sum thinking in the wider community, it underscores a lack of willingness for basketball gamers to support each other. That only plays into the hands of the suits, making it high time that we change this attitude.

Read More »

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 why I find it distasteful when video game companies join in with memes and jokes, especially about themselves.

Like any joke or popular fad, online memes eventually run their course. To that end, the general lifecycle of a meme has been astutely lampooned by several people. Last year, Man Carrying Thing posted a sketch that summed up the rapid rise and fall of many an absurd meme that achieves inexplicable popularity. While “OK Boomer” lives on as a common retort, cartoonist Kasia Babis aptly used it as an example of a meme’s lifecycle. Another cartoonist, Alex Krokus, perfectly captured the general response to brands jumping on memes and online trends.

Alex’s comic in particular resonates with me, because we’ve seen more and more brands attempt to join in on viral trends as a marketing strategy. Naturally, this also includes video game developers and publishers. On paper, it makes sense for these companies to angle for some viral positive publicity by attempting to cultivate a fun and relatable image, though this can easily backfire. This is especially true whenever a company tries to lean into jokes and memes about itself. Although it can be a very effective strategy if they end up pulling it off, it can easily fail to achieve the playful vibe that they’re aiming for. All too often, it instead comes across as condescending.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the controversy that surrounded the NBA 2K14 server shutdown.

The unfortunate reality of games with online features is that at some point, support for those titles will end. Obviously, this is a useful way for companies to push us towards buying a newer release, but in all fairness, it’s also understandable that the servers are shut down once a game’s userbase has largely moved on. Naturally, this happens even quicker with annual sports games. As much as we hate to lose online support for older classics, most gamers do move on every year, making it difficult to justify the expense and effort of maintaining the servers indefinitely.

It’s still a bummer though, especially when we’re locked out of save files and content that should be able to function in a limited capacity offline. While we’re never pleased to see the end of online support, the NBA 2K14 server shutdown ten years ago proved to be particularly controversial. Not only did it impact the way that Take-Two handled online support for future titles, but it also hinted at future controversies with a lack of communication and goodwill when it comes to the NBA 2K series. To that end, it was a significant event with lasting ramifications! Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #563 of the NLSC Podcast!

With rumours that both EA Sports and Visual Concepts are considering bringing back their respective college basketball video games, which series would we personally prefer to see return? Our answer may surprise you…or then again, perhaps not! We also join the community in naming the players from NBA history and today that we most wish we could play like. It’s probably not a huge spoiler to mention that among others, we wanna be like Mike! Finally, we wrap up with a recap of a fun co-op session of NBA Live 2004 in which we took on the Houston Rockets with the Phoenix Suns, and reflect on it being a transitional year for both of those teams, as well as the NBA Live series.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 56:17 — 39.0MB)

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 how to go about crafting an alternative to NBA 2K.

At this point, it’s painfully apparent how important alternatives and choices are in the sports gaming space. For years, too many people in the basketball gaming community seemingly delighted at NBA Live’s struggles. They relished in its shortcomings, eager to pounce on every preview with snarky mockery. That’s not to say that there weren’t valid criticisms, even the ones delivered drenched in snark. NBA Live is dormant for a reason – several reasons, actually – but too many gamers wanted to see its downfall. “Just give up and go away,” they sneered. “It’s NBA 2K’s time, now.”

Misguided as it may have been, that stance was at least understandable when NBA 2K was at its peak, delivering quality on the virtual hardwood and fairness to the gamer. It was easy for the series to become the darling of basketball gamers, while Take-Two became the “good guys” who kept virtual hoops on PC when EA Sports abandoned the platform. As I said in a previous article however, Take-Two has become EA now, from greedy practices to games that fail to innovate and excite as they once did. NBA 2K is admittedly in much better shape than NBA Live was at its lowest, but there’s still room for viable alternatives. The question is how do you craft a competing title?

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #514 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA 2K24 is prompting gamers to accept a new Terms of Service that includes updated clauses regarding class action lawsuits and digital purchases. We discuss how the move has further eroded goodwill, especially as the language comes across as threatening in the wake of recent legal action against Take-Two, and opting out is a deliberately challenging process. While noting NBA 2K’s fall from grace as the darling of basketball gaming, we also criticise the silence from influencers and much of the gaming media, as well as the apologist rhetoric that some gamers are spouting. In short, it’s not an issue that basketball gamers should allow to be swept under the rug!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:05:50 — 45.6MB)

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!

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 reasons that NBA 2K now has a virtual monopoly over the virtual hardwood.

We’re fortunate that the NBA hasn’t followed the NFL’s example of offering video game developers and publishers exclusive rights to their license. In theory, we could still see an array of licensed NBA video games from a variety of companies, since there’s nothing legally preventing them from throwing their hat into the ring. Of course, in terms of feasibility and practicality, it’s not so simple. NBA 2K has set a high bar that sim basketball games are expected to clear and raise, meaning the NBA license alone won’t allow alternative titles to compete.

Since no one else is taking a chance on competing with NBA 2K, they have a virtual monopoly when it comes to basketball video games. Sure, there have been a handful of NBA Live games over the past decade – though none since 2018 – as well as two NBA Playgrounds titles. We’ve also seen some indie hoops games that don’t use the NBA license, including the outstanding Basketball Classics. However, NBA 2K is the only Big Name™ in basketball gaming, and the lack of alternatives and competition is essentially a monopoly. How did we get to this point? Here are five reasons that NBA 2K was able to establish a monopoly, with a little help from its one-time competitors.

Read More »

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 2K and their failure to communicate.

Social media has granted us more access to brands than ever before. Whether it’s getting in touch when there’s a problem, or staying up to date on new products and services, it’s as simple as following an official account. The way that we interact with brands is a reflection of online discourse in general, running the gamut of friendliness and respectfulness. It’s why I’ll always advocate for constructive feedback and not stooping to the level of personal attacks. Of course, I also understand feeling so frustrated that your words end up being terser than you perhaps intended.

How about the way that brands interact with us? While many official social media accounts stick to professional, PR-friendly posts and replies, some brands have developed a reputation for being provocative. The official Wendy’s account has built an online brand of sass, poking fun at its competitors and involving itself in trending topics with an assortment of zingers. Other accounts have followed their lead, with mixed results. After all, a corporation jumping on memes is often a “How do you do, fellow kids” moment. Even if it’s not, it can come across as tone-deaf, particularly when a company like 2K has demonstrated a failure to communicate with respect.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA 2K’s Eco-Motion Engine.

Over the years, we’ve become more aware of – and concerned with – the technology under the hood of video games. The announcement that a game will be running on a specific engine may excite gamers, or disappoint them. Sometimes, we assume too much here. After all, the same engines have powered good games and bad games alike. Time, resources, and design choices that harness the power of the engine, are paramount. In-house solutions can also offer an advantage over widely-used engines such as Unreal, since they’re custom-built for a title or series.

Perhaps the most famous basketball game engine is Eco-Motion. It debuted in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of NBA 2K14, facilitating a landmark release in basketball gaming. Many basketball gamers remember it fondly, and are wistful that it was replaced by tech that many say hasn’t felt nearly as good. What was it all about? Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the history of Shaq and his Superman logo tattoo in basketball video games.

Not only is Shaquille O’Neal one of the greatest players in the history of basketball, but he’s one of the most prominent faces in basketball video games. By virtue of a 19-year NBA career and the inclusion of historical content, Shaq has appeared in at least one video game every year going back to 1993; a streak that rivals his “teammates in the NBA Finals” record! Of course, when it comes to depicting the Diesel in video games, accuracy demands that he’s sporting his ink. On that note, as you’re probably aware, Shaq has a prominent tattoo of the Superman logo on his left arm.

As the detail on player models improved, virtual Shaq likewise began sporting his Superman tattoo; or did he? As RayRay_953 pointed out in the Forum, there’s an interesting history with Shaq’s ink and its appearance in basketball video games over the years. Certain games have achieved a degree of accuracy with the tattoo, while others have taken some creative liberties with the design. I’ve scoured the games in my collection to bring you an overview of how different titles depicted Shaq with his Superman tattoo throughout the years. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

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 cover players that won NBA titles in the same season their game came out.

Last week, I listed five players who graced video game covers in the same year that they made the NBA Finals. More specifically, I was referring to players who made the Finals, but were ultimately the runners-up. Obviously, cover players who won titles while being the face of a game technically qualify as examples for last week’s list as well. However, I did want to draw a distinction between the cover players who “only” made it to the Finals that same year, and those who actually won titles. While both are accomplishments and interesting trivia, the latter is naturally rather more special.

To that end, the number of cover players that won titles in the same year is smaller than the already select group of names who made the Finals while being the face of NBA Live, NBA 2K, or another title. As I noted last week, publishers like EA and 2K are no doubt more interested in a player’s popularity and marketability than whether they’ll be in the Finals, or NBA Champions. I have no doubt that they’re happy when it does occur, but given that it’s a gamble even if they ink a deal with a player from a contender, it’s a bonus boost to the brand at the end of the day. NBA Champion cover players are something that a handful of titles can boast however, including these five.

Read More »