I think like with most next gen new games, we get an overall bare bones feature set, of course that wasn't the case with the jump from ps1 to ps2. But from the current console to the next ones I see the same kind of set back we had from ps2 to ps3.

Far as graphics go, of course those will be the spotlight, I doubt players will be improved much, because the players in say NBA2k13 don't really need much of an improvement. But I think the big jump will come with the crowd, sidelines, arena, some pregame and half time show kind of things. I could see the jump where people in the crowd look just as detailed as the players do, or at least very close. Plus more detail realistic crowd movements. And thats the biggest thing lacking right now in all major sports games from making them look close to real as possible. Like with Madden you just don't see a realistic looking sideline, players aren't as detailed, they don't have a life, and crowds look extremely dull and at best looking ps2ish.

No idea far as gameplay goes though, I'm sure they would have the room and power to add many more plays with more detail then before, less collision detection problems, that has always been a big issue.

Lets just hope we don't get a Madden 06 teaser that NEVER happened, and still hasn't. We don't need CGI that looks 100% different then what it really is.

They have to improve association.
1) They need to put back in d league. I don't know why they took it out but it was a horrible mistake !
2) insert summer league to develope and find players
3) put 10 day contracts in the game
4) allowed to make assistant coach a head coach
5) fix the potential rating. Take it out completely and do what madden did with you upgrade from your play from last year or make it so players can develop fast.
6) allow player to gain or lose sig skills
7) make trades more realistic
8) make the draft more realistic
9)make free agency more realistic. Players mostly sign for money and teams sign player for ratings instead of needs

1) Fix the playcalling system, so the CPU actually calls ALL the plays of a particular type. That means remove the "run best play" script from the game and keep it simple: The relation of touches tendencies for all 5 players on the floor determines the likelihood of a player having a play called for him, after that the game randomly picks any play.
Actually, 2k13 could look kind of "next gen" already if gameplay worked that way.
Also, give us the option of removing the "coach mode" overlay and allow player names/positions to be shown in coaching mode. You have to use coach mode to see the AI call plays frequently, without it's hit or miss.

2) Change the created draft class scipting to limit high rated prospects. 5 players >70 OVR max per year leads to realistic team strentghs in the long run. Also, finally fix tendencies for generated players.

3) Use the dedicated community to scout realistic player tendencies and playbooks if you're too lazy doing it yourself or don't want to spend time and money on this. I'd be happy to test CPU gameplay for free if it helps to get rid of flaws we've seen in 2k games for a decade.

4) Make the game more friendly to editing, for example allow tendencies to be editable on the fly using the "tendency by team" menu instead of having to scroll to every player individually.

5) Since NBA Live seems dead and all the ****** players are willing customers by now 2k has done enough to establish themselves as an entertainment brand. The kids won't buy another game, so why not focus on realism for next gen?
The current gen gameplay is a great arcade take on basketball, you could keep this for next gen so the 12 year old gamers wearing their Lebron jerseys can drool over 360 dunks without any defense.
But while keeping this crowd happy what about slowly introducing a more sim oriented mode for more mature players?
Just by toning down iso moves and making traffic dunks and lead passes less effectice you could encourage a realistic way of playing even with the current game mechanics.
Even if changing the collision detection system was too difficult, you could easily keep the current system with all the warping and sliding but make spin dunks and self-alleys less effective, and after 3 turnovers in a row people would have to adapt their playstyle.

6) Presentation could be based more on a real experience. I mean come on, 2k1 had already great player introductions and now we get a highly stylized presentation not related to the real thing. Just look at what NFL 2k5 did. Why can't we have that 7 years later again? The game is flashy and shiny right now, and I feel like it's time to go back to simulate real basketball instead of fancy custom shoes.

lynkraid - I agree with everything u said. I really think just trying to get these games as functional as possible on the next gen systems will be the biggest priority because there will be issues in the conversion where they will have to compromise some functionality of some sort in order to get a game to gold status.

Graphics are usually the easiest thing a gaming house can improve, early, although I have to question NBA2K's early graphics this gen. UGLY stuff was going on a plenty. Lol. Took some time for 2K to get the game looking good. And I'm STILL waiting for the nets to look "solid" instead of faint on the PS3.

A spin on what mango said above, PLAY CALLING for us humans need to be more functional. The spots on the floor do not trigger plays properly, still. I'd be happy if they can fix that.

I haven't played my 2K13 in months because my PS3 died...and the game is actually STUCK in it. I've just been too lazy to get it fixed. I get my 2K13 fix @ local Best Buys time to time but haven't done that in a while. Lol. 2K13 IS the GREATEST sports game of all time and I'm kinda glad my PS3 broke to keep me away from it. Lol. I had hard times putting that game down. I'm TOO grown to be playing videogames like I'm 12 with no job, real responsibilities and the like. Lmao!

That said, if 2K14 is dropped on the next gen systems and somehow finds a way to blow 2K13 on current gen, uh-oh...

I need to spend more time with coach mode, but I was on a European podcast talking about basketball a couple weeks ago and they asked me whether there were any kind of basketball video games like the soccer ones where you don't play the games themselves but instead really work from the end of the general manager and coach.

I think something like that would be fantastic, although I'm not sure it can just be a mode within NBA 2K. Again, I need to spend more time with coach mode, but I think if you could build an engine which didn't have to simulate the actual on-court action but which would instead focus all its time on realistic coaching strategies, advanced stats, and realistic GM/front office moves, it could be amazing.

In my honest opinion, I feel like 2K will add even more unnecessary extras with little time being spent on refining what they've brought to the table...

For example.

- Overhaul of CaP mode (Probably the most important for all offline game-modes)
- Re-introduce the previous Dunk Comp controls
- Inject some life into Assoc mode

I could go on, but these were some reasons as to why I didn't buy this years game.

Remember this?

Will there be a noticeable leap in visuals from this gen to the next? I am hopeful.

Eski33: I think lynkraid is probably right in the first comments here in saying that the biggest graphical improvement in the next generation will be the environment of the game, the ambiance. I mean, I'm sure there will be ways in which the player models themselves improve, but from what I've seen generally of the next generation of hardware, the models are going to look better because of improvements in things like lighting and the way space is conveyed. Presumably the crowd will continue to improve, the players on the bench will improve, you'll eventually stop seeing lo-res models take the court during FTs and then suddenly become hi-res.

My additional hope for the next generation is that the race for fidelity to the real world is eventually abandoned in favor of presenting something more interesting. For instance, if you look at the dunk contest in the All-Star DLC, it seeks to replicate the presentation of the real dunk contest and comes off kind of bland. It would be interesting to see them do something more like Sports Science where they give you X-Ray images or measure speeds and forces and overlay them on top of the graphics. Or even something as simple as employing some of the filters you see on the intros to replays during the games.

I for one thought it was really cool how they presented the historical games in NBA 2K12 and hope they will do more with trying to convey the FEEL of the game and maybe a little less of the straight LOOK of the game.

It is time to move to the Next Gen, the New Xbox! I will be buying few new games this year and saving my money for a new fully loaded console.

Aside from graphic and animation refinements, I'm looking at the crowd and bench scene, the immediate surrounding atmosphere, as getting a welcome boost. The way a subbed player immediately takes that graphic hit is something that still irks me. I don't expect the crowd to take some substantial leap in the following year(s), but I would welcome a bit more refinement. We know the atmosphere, the presentation, is already a major selling point, but further additions are naturally expected, I feel. Certain games and certain days having an obviously magnified atmosphere etc

Refined and updated stick controls for offense and defense is something I think we can expect as well. I definitely find myself using the stick significantly more on offense because I'm already using it more overall. It's really starting to feel more natural, where as I personally viewed it as a sluggish and clunky new addition when added control was first being introduced.

Looking forward to the next wave of consoles, also. XD

Question.... We all know that the new generation of consoles are coming but has there been an official by either company?