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NBA 2K14: Next-Gen Details on Gameplay, AI, New Modes and more!


2K Sports today revealed a whole boatload of information about NBA 2K14 on next-gen consoles, which includes a four-tier approach with NBA Today, MyCAREER. MyTEAM and MyGM all receiving a huge imagining for next-generation consoles.

Aholbert32 attended the event and will post what he can, when he can. Follow him on Twitter. Hands-on impressions, etc. are coming soon from the event!

Check out the full details from the presser.

Graphics and New Engine

The first thing you need to know, NBA 2K14 is not a port. It has been built from the ground up for the new hardware with a new engine called "Eco Motion."

The game will feature much improved graphics, with additional details like leg tattoos, new celebrations, hairstyles, and facial hair.

2K will be focusing its efforts on four main pillars of gameplay: NBA Today, MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and MyGM.

NBA Today is brand new, built from the ground up. Video highlights from previous days games will be shown with the menu looking like a scoreboard w/ all games listed.

All your NBA news connected on your console updated daily. This is all driven by Dynamic Living Rosters - which is adjust daily based on how players are performing in the real world.

Points of emphasis has been added to the game, which is a feature last saw in the old College Hoops franchise. No warmup outfit for bench players, but the crowds look much better. There are now less duplicates in the crowd. FYI the gameplay clip we saw was only 4 possessions.

Little imperfections of dirt on the backboard tells you all you need to know about the attention to detail. 2K built a material library. It looks like 2K took each arena and really upgraded them.

Details shown at scorers table. A thumbprint on a monitor is shown. Redid the scoreboards in each arena and the lighting in each arena, it is a small but definitely noticeable improvement.

Now showing off the new LED dynamic lighting system. Just stunning. Scoreboard lights are dynamic and showcase reflections.

2K actually measured the color temperature of lights and count the number of lights and manufacturer of lights.

2K now showcasing Kobe Bryant getting head scanned. Kobe hung around while they built his model and his reaction was "GTFO here"

Watching Lebron face map. Asking him to make intense faces. Can’t lie the game has his and Kobe’s face down. KD’s and Iguodala face maps. Both look great. Even have KD’s bad skin.

The team captured and head scanned constantly working around NBA schedules to capture nearly every player in the NBA. Hundreds of players with thousands of expressions you will see in the game. Showcasing art of those now. This is photo realism.

2K captured nearly every player in the NBA. Parker looks great. Have Amare haircut with brown streak. Ray Allen looks great.

Gameplay

Mike Wang is on and speaking about elevating the game harnessing the tech. Primarily in physics and animations. Foot planting clips shown.

Wang is talking about Ecomotion. Foot planting. No sliding or phantom steps. Showed difference between cur and next gen. It looks great. Really no sliding. Now showing dribbling. Ball actually rotates while dribbling which is not in current gen.

Now speaking to ball handling. Eco Motion allows them to track true physics. Ball spinning when dribbling, ball in hands. Tangible object.

New animation system. Guys will have real life wingspans. New KD shoes look great.

Mike speaks about animation synthesis, Eco Motion - based on physics and situation, animations will change. With animation synthesis, animations will change based on circumstances. If KD takes a shot and D is guarding him tight, anim will change on the fly.

The game feels alive. For example, a shooter won't land the same way two times. Animation will adapt to the situation. Truly incredible stuff here.

AI

Coaches will adapt to what is happening in the game. So game plans will dynamically change based on what other teams are doing.

Rob talks about points of emphasis. Every coach will have its own ai and strategize based on how the game is going.

There are nine different options on offense and defense to strategize how to defend or attack your opponent.

Emotion Plus

Emotion Plus will categorize all the players personalities. For example, Kobe is an Alpha Dog. He wants the ball, he's fierce.

"Human emotions translate into performance. Every player has personality, highs are highs, lows are lows."

Emotion plus is a new feature. Each player has a personality. Personality and game events can affect how a plot performs.

MyGM

My GM is new franchise mode. Lots of RPG elements are in the next-gen game.

MyGM is a cerebral experience. Every decision changes the world around you. GM has attributes and special abilities.

MyGM includes conversations. You have to asses the emotional intelligence of the person you're talking too.

You will get fired from the owner of you don't maintain harmony in your organization, locker room and fan base. Revolutionizes what franchise mode is.

This is the complete evolution of association mode. Decisions and reactions is what this mode is all about.

"We have built a completely new experience for franchise players. All your day to day experiences have no right or wrong answers."

MyPLAYER, MyCAREER

Complete cut scenes in MyCAREER. Team captured hundreds and hundreds of scenes. A rival, agent, buddies and a compete cast of characters.

This mode "will leave you asking, "what will happen next?" Building relationships, making deals, etc..

Over 40 hours of gameplay in your first year alone.

"captured 1000s of cut scenes w actors & whole life of player. Every experience of being NBA player. All you want to see is next path"

When you're not balling in MyCAREER, you can hang out with hundreds of MyPlayers in the Park.

Open field of courts shown with hundreds of MyPlayers playing. Quite a tease.

Jeff: "When MyPlayer isn't balling, he likes to hang with 100 of his friends at The Park."

That was the conclusion of the presentation from 2K. We will have hands-on experiences from the event very soon!


NBA 2K14 Videos
Member Comments
# 241 LakersForLife @ 10/23/13 07:16 PM
Can't wait till Nov 15
 
# 242 spacedog @ 10/23/13 07:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Primo585
I guess I still dont understand what is good about needing to control more then one team?
I've never really played a multi user team franchise before but it isn't necessarily a good look to take out the opportunity for those that do. Some like having control over the league, I don't see how it's bad so why ask what is good about it when there's basically nothing bad about multi team control either.
 
# 243 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 07:17 PM
Damnit I wish they wouldn't have named this MyGM mode, or at least confirmed it's still association mode with a new name and MANY improvements.

People are FREAKING out that there is no "Association mode"

Just because it's not called that, doesn't mean it's not there anymore
 
# 244 bcruise @ 10/23/13 07:17 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Primo585
I guess I still dont understand what is good about needing to control more then one team?
2 big reasons:

1: Some people like to mimic the real-life season in their game. When you can control every team you can do that.

2: At least to this point, CPU front-office AI in sports video games has been....unpredictable at best. A lot of trades and signings happen that people consider "unrealistic" and those people would rather have a choice of allowing those trades to go through or not.
 
# 245 NY State of Mind @ 10/23/13 07:17 PM
Can we swap teams with classic/custom teams in myGM?
 
# 246 Rockie_Fresh88 @ 10/23/13 07:17 PM
Ima miss the simple season mode but GM Mode seems cool. I care more about the emotion , and new gameplay engine.
 
# 247 MarvinOida @ 10/23/13 07:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gosens6
Damnit I wish they wouldn't have named this MyGM mode, or at least confirmed it's still association mode with a new name and MANY improvements.

People are FREAKING out that there is no "Association mode"

Just because it's not called that, doesn't mean it's not there anymore
Ehh.. Some of these "improvements" are ideas from past games I recall.


Tap Taptalking away from my iPhone 5.... C
 
# 248 Primo585 @ 10/23/13 07:18 PM
You guys complain about the silliest stuff lol the game sounds like it looks better and plays smarter then ever... and if I can still take one team, say the heat, and play season after season grinding it out with all these new enhancements and AI ad emotions etc to try and make it to the playoffs to win a ring each year.. the I cant wait for the 15th!! soo cray... one team is all I need
 
# 249 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarvinOida
Ehh.. Some of these "improvements" are ideas from past games I recall.


Tap Taptalking away from my iPhone 5.... C
And? It's obviously not an exact replica. They took cool ideas from previous games and expanded and improved them. What is there to not be happy about?

On top of their improved GM logic, this is going to be a fantastic mode.
 
# 250 Jakeness23 @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
No.... ****ing way. My mind is completely blown, I almost can't believe everything I'm reading. I am too pumped and excited right now. 22 MORE DAYS! Can't come soon enough!
 
# 251 made in eu @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ahuffman
I'm glad your happy, but for me this is a dealbreaker. Multi team control is a must for me. I guess I will be running a manual season in exhibition mode, like in 2k5.
I wonder if "nba league pass" is still in
 
# 252 BluFu @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by RateSports
So disable trades?

You really complain about poor rotations and draft decisions? After hearing all of the adaptive A.I. and coaching tactics?

You people are completely ridiculous.
but i want it to be dynamic..... like the REAL NBA...

adaptive AI and coaching tactics are all IN GAME. the AI hasn't been bad in game the past few releases but during sim, it's horrible.
 
# 253 ahuffman @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by spankdatazz22
Why flip out/assume the worst? It sounds like MyGM and Association would've been somewhat redundant. I get that some people like controlling [as many teams as they want] but the only way I'd see the change being meltdown-worthy was if there was some always-online requirement or something of that nature.
It's not meltdown worthy, but it is a disaster for me. I like controlling all of the teams, that is the only way I play in all sports games. I hate this new trend of merging online and offline franchise type modes, it takes away the features I value most. I fear that the Show could wind up doing the same thing this year, sigh.
 
# 254 djbaker @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sniapeko
NO Season Mode, NO Association = NO Game for me.

MyPlayer and MyTeam could burn in Hell for all I care
And what about MyGM?

SMH

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
# 255 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 07:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBuddyHobbs
I would like this answered also.
MYGM mode has been confirmed as offline playable. They haven't talked about anything online yet.
 
# 256 DamnYanks2 @ 10/23/13 07:20 PM
Pretty blown away from the read, I mean wow, NBA2K know's how to hype like no other.
 
# 257 JHUNT3 @ 10/23/13 07:20 PM
With the new fee on PSN . I don't play online as much because of the lag but do anyone know if we're Reacquired to purchase psn+ just to update our rosters? I know you have to for multiplayer online play
 
# 258 Jujuwebe @ 10/23/13 07:20 PM
I might have to get a ps4 earlier than expected...
 
# 259 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 07:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BluFu
but i want it to be dynamic..... like the REAL NBA...

adaptive AI and coaching tactics are all IN GAME. the AI hasn't been bad in game the past few releases but during sim, it's horrible.
And it will be completely different from current gen. You literally can't take any of the faults from this gen and put it toward the next gen game.

I can gurantee you if you try this mode you will like it. If not, I will eat my hat.
 
# 260 Mr_Riddick @ 10/23/13 07:21 PM
Disconnects Xbox360, inserts in trashcan...
 


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