Tag Archives: Xbox One

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 ways that roster editing was lacking in the eighth generation NBA Live releases.

For all the insistence that the only reason to prefer or still enjoy old games is blind or wilfully ignorant nostalgia, experience has taught me that the opposite is often true. Sure, I love revisiting old favourites that hold up well, and to a certain point, my nostalgia and affection for them does smooth over some rough edges. At the same time, I’ve discovered that some old favourites haven’t aged as well as I thought upon revisiting them, while games I never played or indeed didn’t care for when they were new have impressed me. It’s a case-by-case matter, rather than an absolute either way.

To that end, going back and playing some eighth gen NBA Live titles with fresh eyes and no (or low) expectations has allowed me to enjoy them more, or at least notice some of their stronger points. Unfortunately, roster editing isn’t one of them! Despite being a staple feature of basketball games and sim titles in general, roster editing was severely lacking in the NBA Live games released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s a perfect example of how the series was lagging behind where it needed to be, as well as the vision for the series being out of step with what many long-time NBA Live fans wanted. Let’s take a look at the biggest roster editing shortcomings in those releases.

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 basketball game intros that were in some way misleading.

There’s something special about the best basketball game intros. Sure, we often end up skipping them because we’re keen to play, but most of us will watch them in their entirety the first time we fire up a game, and probably a few times after that as well. The combination of a great song and either real NBA footage or a highlight reel created in the game itself is a fantastic way to get us in the mood to play some virtual basketball. They underscored how the games were made for hardcore hoop heads, celebrating a beautiful sport and putting the NBA in our hands.

Cynically, I might suggest that that’s why basketball game intros have been phased out over the years. As they’ve tried to appeal to a wider audience and lean into online modes starring user avatars, there’s a large portion of the userbase that probably won’t get hyped up by NBA highlights. Less cynically, the fact that intros do end up getting skipped is probably a factor as well. And of course, if we’re being honest, basketball game intros can be misleading, even deceptive. Like a carefully curated preview or back-of-the-box promotional materials, intros can oversell a game with promises of quality and features it just can’t deliver upon. Here are five examples of such intros.

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #537 of the NLSC Podcast!

The first details about NBA 2K25 have been revealed, and they’ve brought some extremely exciting news: the New Gen version is coming to PC! This week, we join the community in discussing this much-anticipated announcement, including what it will mean for a modding community that’s been aching for a PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X port. It’s not the only noteworthy news of course, as we already have the system requirements, confirmation of no crossplay on PC, and word of a new era coming in MyNBA which naturally has us speculating as to what it will be. We also react to the cover players and art, and touch on some other tidbits that we’ve noticed such as combined pre-orders on console, and purported Steam Deck optimisation.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:16:24 — 52.8MB)

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 approaching mid-July, so it’s no surprise that we’ve received the first details about NBA 2K25! This includes the release date, cover players, platforms, and pre-order bonuses for every edition that will be available.

First of all, skipping straight to the details that will probably be of the most interest to our community, NBA 2K25 will indeed be coming out on PC, and will at long last be a New Gen (aka Next Gen) port! This means that the PC version will have MyNBA Eras, ProPLAY, The City, and The W for the first time. Notably, crossplay with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X won’t be supported, which isn’t surprising given the possibility of cheating on PC (which again, we do not support in our community). There’ll still be a Current Gen version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

As for the cover players, Jayson Tatum is the face of the Standard Edition. A’ja Wilson is the cover player for the WNBA Edition, while both Tatum and Wilson are featured on the cover of the All-Star Edition. The Hall of Fame Edition – aka the most expensive edition of the game – features Vince Carter on the cover. You can check out the cover art below, along with a breakdown of the various pre-order bonuses for each edition.

Additionally, first look screenshots of the three cover players, as well as Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have been released via the official NBA 2K Discord. You’ll find those screenshots below, along with the aforementioned pre-order info and cover art.

NBA 2K25 is slated for release on September 6th, 2024, and is now available to pre-order. Since we now have the first details about NBA 2K25, I’ve created a section for the game in the Forum, which you can find here; feel free to get the ball rolling on the discussion as we await further previews! I’ve also created a page in our Wiki which you can find here. As always, any help in keeping it up to date throughout the preview season and beyond would be most appreciated. With that being said, another preview season is underway! I’ll be doing my best to stay on top of the news, but by all means send me any tips if you come across info that I haven’t posted.

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 the ninth generation has been a disappointment for me so far.

I was eager to get a PlayStation 5 as soon as possible back in 2020, and was fortunate enough to snag one during the second wave of pre-orders at my preferred retailer here in Australia. It was essential in order to cover the Next Gen version of NBA 2K that tipped off the ninth generation that November, and there are obviously other games that I’m interested in as well. However, to be completely honest, the ninth generation has been a significant disappointment for me so far. None of the NBA 2K titles on PS5 have held my attention for an entire year, nor have I been tempted to revisit them.

To that point, I’ve mostly been using my PlayStation 5 to play MyCAREER in NBA 2K14! It’s not just the virtual hardwood that’s left me feeling uninspired by the ninth generation, either. I was also disappointed by Mortal Kombat 1, though not so much for its gameplay. This is where somebody might suggest that I’ve “outgrown” video games, or that I’m simply out of touch with modern trends. Given some of the trends that have emerged in video games – basketball or otherwise – I’d actually consider that to be a point of pride! Look, I can’t deny a couple of Grumpy Old Man opinions, but when it comes to the ninth generation, I truly believe my disappointment is justified.

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 the accuracy of the word “retro” when it comes to retro gaming, basketball or otherwise.

For a few years now, I’ve preferred playing old favourites and discovering new retro kicks to spending time with the latest NBA 2K. I do always want to give the newest release a chance, but beginning with NBA 2K21 – both versions, in fact – I’ve found more joy in revisiting older titles. It’s something that Dee enjoys as well, and we’ve often advocated for retro gaming on the NLSC Podcast, as well as through our other content. “Retro gaming” is the term that we often use, but considering the recency of some of the titles, it leads one to wonder: is “retro” really the right word?

Indeed, this is a question that goes beyond basketball gaming: how old does a game need to be to truly qualify as “retro”? Is there a generational cut-off? Is there a term that’s more appropriate, or less misleading? After all, “retro” means different things to different people. Depending on how old you are and when you started gaming, the primitive titles of your youth will seem like truly ancient history to some, while others remember them as landmark jumps and technological feats. While I’m generally fine with using “retro gaming” as a blanket term for the hobby and practice of playing older video games, there’s ambiguity to the term that invites a thoughtful discussion.

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #522 of the NLSC Podcast!

Obviously we’re big fans of and advocates for PC gaming, but are the benefits worth the drawbacks and potential expense in 2024? You can probably guess our short answer to that question, but nevertheless, this week we join the community in discussing the pros and cons of PC gaming – basketball and otherwise – while also recommending price ranges for anyone in the market for a new rig. We also share our expectations as far as NBA 2K25 coming out on PC and possibly being a port of the PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X version, talk about Steam sales and other bargain hunting, and preview some roster projects for NBA 2K6 on Xbox 360 while once again encouraging minimalist modding on all platforms.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:22:42 — 57.2MB)

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 advice to not allow imperfection get in the way of having fun on the virtual hardwood.

When it comes to sim basketball games – or sim sports titles in general – accuracy is obviously the name of the game. Inaccuracies, whether aesthetic or gameplay-related, stick out like a sore thumb. We have a similar philosophy when it comes to modding. Missing or incorrectly assigned art updates, inaccurate ratings, or some other mistake, will not go unnoticed. Perfection is a lofty and indeed impossible goal, but developers and modders alike strive to come as close to it as possible. At some point of course, we do need to make peace with some level of imperfection.

In fact, it’s important to not let imperfection stifle or stand in the way of fun. Again, this isn’t to say that accuracy isn’t important or something to aim for. However, by focusing on imperfections or allowing limitations to shoot down an otherwise good idea, you’re robbing yourself of a good time on the virtual hardwood. You can and certainly should point out errors, and constructively criticise aspects of games and mods that could stand to improve. There are undoubtedly times when an imperfection will detract from the experience. With that being said, as the saying goes, perfection is the enemy of good, and the pursuit of it can often stand in the way of our enjoyment.

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 additions that would’ve greatly improved specific basketball video games.

We’ve yet to see a truly perfect basketball video game. That’s not surprising since true perfection is an unrealistic goal, and we all have our own ideas as to what that would entail besides. We have had some fantastic sim and arcade basketball games though, with the NBA Live, NBA 2K, NBA Jam, and NBA Street series all offering up some candidates for the best hoops titles of all-time. However, much as many of the all-time great players have had a weakness or two, the best basketball video games are often missing a feature or mode that would’ve made them even better.

Interestingly, it’s not just the all-time best basketball video games that feasibly could have been improved by just one addition. There are some very good and even a few mediocre games whose overall quality and reputations would be greatly impacted by the addition of a key feature or mode. It might not quite push them into the upper echelon of virtual hardwood classics, but hypothetically, they suddenly become far more appealing and playable with one big addition. I’ve selected five hoops games of varying quality, and nominated a major addition – one per game – that I believe either pushes them closer to “perfection”, or results in the most significant improvement.

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 issues with NBA Live that were seemingly evergreen.

When we look at the struggles that NBA Live endured for over a decade, there are two levels to our critique. The first concerns the minutia of the games; the hands-on experience, from gameplay to game modes. In other words, the technical issues and specific design choices that have resulted in titles which failed to live up to ours or EA’s expectations. That’s an important conversation to have, especially when we’ve compiled Wishlists, or otherwise sent in feedback to the developers. However, there’s also a second level in which we evaluate concepts and approach.

It’s at the conceptual level that you’ll find many evergreen issues with the NBA Live series, which have served to hold it back and take it in bad directions. It isn’t a case of laziness, a lack of knowledge, or even resources, though it could be argued that NBA Live has never received the same support from EA Sports brass as its other franchises. There are common mistakes that are present in all of the problematic NBA Live titles though, and even some of the best releases still suffer from these evergreen issues. A comeback for NBA Live will require many specific fixes and additions from a virtual basketball perspective, but conceptually, it must also break the cycle on these trends.

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 we might be reaching the end of the road as far as NBA 2K coming out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Although I don’t support Next Gen Elitism any more than other forms of gatekeeping, there is a valid point when you sift through the snobbery. At some point, support does have to end for older hardware and software alike. It’s the same reason that, as much I dislike the timeframe and impact of NBA 2K’s server shutdowns, I do understand the practice. I can even relate it back to my time creating roster updates for NBA Live. As more and more gamers moved on to playing NBA 2K on PC, it was increasingly hard to justify the time and effort needed to mod games that were no longer as popular.

That’s just for mods that cost nothing to produce, and are freely available. Once the majority of gamers have moved on to the latest generation of consoles, it makes sense – technically and financially – for developers to leave the previous one behind. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality of the situation. With an annual release like NBA 2K, there’s always the question of how long the previous generation will still be supported. While I don’t have any official word about this – this is absolutely just me speculating – the series’ history and the handling of NBA 2K24’s preview season and post-release support subtly hint at this being the end of the road for PS4 and X1.

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #504 of the NLSC Podcast!

If you can believe it, last Wednesday marked a decade since NBA 2K14’s release on PlayStation 4! As such, this week we’re celebrating the tenth anniversary of a truly iconic game, and a personal favourite. That includes looking back to our first impressions of both versions of NBA 2K14, reminiscing about the countless hours we’ve spent with them right through to today, and reflecting on the PC modding scene. We also read out some memories of NBA 2K14 that the community shared with us. Additionally, we have some fantastic basketball gaming sessions from the past week to catch up on, including a game of NBA Live 16 that makes us wistful about yet another missed opportunity for EA Sports.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:27:40 — 60.6MB)

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!

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 elitist attitudes regarding the Next Gen consoles, and how they’ve been frequently disproven.

So, look. Getting older has its drawbacks. Creaky knees, more responsibilities, and existential dread all come to mind. At the same time, it has its perks! One of them is that you care a lot less about trends than you used to. When high school is rapidly becoming a smaller and smaller speck in the rear view mirror, you don’t really care if you’re not on the cutting edge of fashion, or not completely au fait with the latest slang. Youthful status symbols become increasingly meaningless when you’ve been out of school longer than you were ever in it.

Well…to a point. Not everyone enjoys being completely out of touch, even if you’re still generally comfortable in your own skin. More to the point, if you’re a content creator, then you have to care about trends, algorithms, and current events, at least to some extent. Unless you’re exclusively covering retro gaming, you’re going to need hardware that plays the latest titles. To that end, I do have a gaming PC capable of running new NBA 2K releases, as well as a PlayStation 5. I also have an interest in other genres of games, so it makes sense to invest in those platforms. What doesn’t make sense is the elitism that I see regarding ownership of Next Gen consoles.

Read More »

NBA 2K24 is out now on all platforms! Whether you prefer to go digital or pick up a physical copy from a store, you can now get your hands on this year’s game. As previously mentioned, I’ve launched the appropriate sections in our Forum, as well as added the necessary categories to our Downloads database. I’ve also added pages for the Next Gen and Current Gen update histories to our Wiki.

Speaking of modding, the PC version of NBA 2K24 has an exciting development! While we still don’t have any official modding tools from 2K, this year’s game includes a mods folder by default. This means we don’t need to use an unofficial plugin to have the game load custom files. This is something we haven’t had since NBA Live provided us with CustomArt, and it should definitely make creating and installing mods much easier!

Indeed, we’ve already got our first NBA 2K24 mod release – shout out to SexCurryBeats! – so stay tuned for a separate bulletin after a few more mods have been uploaded. In the meantime, please feel free to share your impressions of the game in the Forum, as well as get into modding if that’s your scene! Once again, we’d appreciate any help keeping our Wiki resources for NBA 2K24 updated, but as long as you’re enjoying our facilities and content, that’s the main thing. We’ll have plenty of post-release coverage and content for NBA 2K24 in the weeks and months to come, so keep it locked to the NLSC, and have a great time on the virtual hardwood!

As you may have seen, the official NBA 2K Twitter/X account – and yes, that branding change is still taking some getting used to! – posted a trailer and some screenshots of The Neighborhood in the Current Gen/PC version of NBA 2K24. After two years on a cruise ship, this year’s iteration of MyCAREER on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One will be keeping the theme of basketball in paradise, albeit in a coastal location.

From the screenshots and trailer, there will be courts right down on the beach, The Rec will be located in a castle, and it seems like 2K Pro-Am will be played in an airship! A personal MyCOURT will still be available, which The City on Next Gen has notably lacked since NBA 2K21. Indeed, the new coastal Neighborhood in NBA 2K24 seems to resemble a scaled down version of The City, rather than the block, town square, or indeed cruise ship from previous games.

You can check out the trailer below, as well as the screenshots that 2K has shared so far. Got any thoughts? Feel free to post them in the comments, as well as join in the discussion in our NBA 2K24 Forum!

Read More »