NBA 2K14: It's Time to Revamp Presentation

Feature Article

Submitted on: 01/06/2014 by Dustin Toms

Despite the struggles that NBA 2K is facing right now, the development team has still hit it home with presentation and commentary the past few years. The team of Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg, with recent additions Steve Kerr and Doris Burke, has become the so-called Holy Grail of sports video game commentary and everyone knows it. But when will 2K set the bar even higher? Even though they’re the best doesn’t mean that they can’t be better, which is exactly what they should do.

In NBA 2K14, the commentary is slowly becoming – dare I say it – stale.

After playing so many games it’s what should be expected, but hearing the same lines over and over, especially when you play quick game on next-gen (andhalf the time it’s all you can do). But my biggest gripe with the commentary lies after the first 82 games – the playoffs.

The NBA Playoffs, to any die-hard hoops junkie, is a three-month long Holiday event. The world’s best athletes on the world’s biggest stage. It reeks of epic. So shouldn’t everything about 2K’s playoffs be just as epic? The stadium crowd and sounds have definitely improved after atmosphere used to be one of the series’ biggest problems, but now it’s safe to say that we need more. That’s where adding more postseason-specific commentary comes into play. Commentary from the season, our season, that just finished.

The announcers don’t make a Game 6 feel like a Game 6. Hell, they don’t even make you feel the pressure of an elimination game. All four of 2K’s broadcasters show great emotion during other moments during the game, but that needs to be ramped up to a brand new level once the postseason stretch begins. As a Game 7 progresses, I want to hear the booth talk about how Miami staved off elimination because of Ray Allen’s gorgeous, career-defining moment. I want to see these storylines that we create in our Association (or My GM) matter when the game is being played. Don’t you want to hear people talk about how you changed the course of the NBA? You're a gamer with stick skills. Be proud of your own career-defining moments.

Take-Two is showing signs of life from a presentation stand point, though. In 2K14 on next-gen, the Real Voices are a nice touch even if it needs a lot of work. And I’ve been told that we can expect major improvements with RV as the series progresses further. Possibly as soon as next year.

The series should also revamp the overall presentation we see so often during games. On the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the integration of the overlays during gameplay become a nuisance and feel laggy. And it gets old when you have to see the same rebounding leaders game after game – switch it up a bit more? I remember a day when skipping through the added tidbits was rarely done. Now, not so much.

What NBA 2K built on the last-gen consoles was created from a solid foundation and turned into the best NBA sports series to date. Now it’s time to take that finished product from last-gen and have it become the foundation of next-gen. And it all starts with the NBA Playoffs, and allowing you to be able to feel the pressures and thrills of a Game 7.

What would you like to see added, or changed, in NBA 2K’s presentation and commentary?

NBA 2K14 Videos

Member Comments

# 61 basehead617 @ 01/16/14 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaidenShipley


	ESPN commentary... Hit a big shot... Mike Breen... BANG

Mike Breen is in Live and he sucks.

# 62 basehead617 @ 01/16/14 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofATL


	[b]One way to liven up the presentation is to have more than one broadcast team. 2K can give us the option to alternate automatically or we can pick and choose what broadcast we want @ the team select screen.

There's like 20 gb of commentary in NBA 2K. One team.

Next idea?

# 63 El_Poopador @ 01/17/14 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealHST


	THIS .. im not sure what they could do to fix it.

if they focus more on seamless play-by-play and less on back stories. then it would actually feel like the commentators are talking about the game and could react appropriately to whats happening. the way it is now they occasionally comment on something thats happening on the court but mostly talk about different stories. thats why it gets stale.

# 64 The 24th Letter @ 01/17/14 02:32 PM

I still say they should hire some professional sounding guys to do commentary for NBA 2k...

You would be paying these guys significantly less than Harlan, Kellogg, Kerr....and they would always be available so you could truly add more commentary throughout the season without having to wait on these network guys schedule..

With that said I still think 2k�s commentary is the best amongst sports games�.but I really feel that would take it to new heights..

# 65 El_Poopador @ 01/17/14 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealHST


	I like the back stories. Gives it a real feel.

im not saying they should do away with the stories. but right now the majority of commentary is from those stories which is not realistic and its part of the reason it becomes stale. the majority of commentary should be based on whats happening on the floor. mlb the shows commentary is a great example. matt vasgersian does the play by play and it is phenomenal. granted their color commentary is bland at best but the play by play is by far the best in the business. (just noticed how many b words were in that last sentence lol).

# 66 jaateloauto @ 01/18/14 11:57 AM

Presentation should be the last thing thing on the list of priorities to fix this mess.

# 67 iLLmatic @ 01/18/14 01:02 PM

Might have been mentioned earlier in the thread but in this day of next gen how about random announcers for games. I like Harlan and the crew but a two man booth would add some variance to the commentary.

Every game is not nationally televised so to add a feel of importance to certain games that's when you bring in the three man booth. This is where the generic announcers would come in. On most non national telecasts you're only getting a 2 man booth with one of the two guys in the booth doing the post game interview(s). So during a random Wednesday night season game against the Bobcats, a team who is rarely involved in national games, I should have a generic announcing booth.

Just an idea because I find myself getting tired of the same voices more than anything else. Also 2K prolly has the ability to get the NBA TV schedule in advance and could possibly use that as a way to distinguish which teams get the most national games and set up announcing according to that.

# 68 reptilexcq @ 01/20/14 02:22 AM

I thought the presentation is one thing that stand out about the game. I am just looking at the presentation of a Quick Game. Before each game, they had a small video clips w/ music playing in the background...i thought that was awesome and i hope they keep that in the next version. I thought the Half Time show is slick as well...you have the stats for both teams in great details and you have highlights of the game w/ commentary that actually know what they're talking about; you have the Assist of the Game...pretty cool and scores around the league...and then Post game w/ Jordan Player of the Game and not to mention, the interviews...everything is pretty slick to me. I hope they don't get rid of it for the next version.

As for commentators....i don't really like Steve Kerr...Keven Harlen is good. I hope next version, they have different commentators like Webber, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith.

# 69 GisherJohn24 @ 01/20/14 10:09 AM

No offense to the people who like Harlen, he's fine, but we just need something fresh and new for a voice in there. Be more involved with the game itself, enough with back stories how a guy made it to the league. We know, we know. new stat screens, please, give us highlights from another game, make it really feel like a game. They need to call on TNT!

# 70 lakers24 @ 02/19/14 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptilexcq


	I thought the presentation is one thing that stand out about the game. I am just looking at the presentation of a Quick Game. Before each game, they had a small video clips w/ music playing in the background...i thought that was awesome and i hope they keep that in the next version. I thought the Half Time show is slick as well...you have the stats for both teams in great details and you have highlights of the game w/ commentary that actually know what they're talking about; you have the Assist of the Game...pretty cool and scores around the league...and then Post game w/ Jordan Player of the Game and not to mention, the interviews...everything is pretty slick to me. I hope they don't get rid of it for the next version. As for commentators....i don't really like Steve Kerr...Keven Harlen is good. I hope next version, they have different commentators like Webber, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith.

It's cool the first time you see it, then it's played out especially since it's the same music over and over. Plus they've been using the music video stuff since 2k12. The player interviews can be improved and expanded upon, but everything really could use a revamp. That includes Half time & Postgame

# 71 23 @ 02/19/14 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GisherJohn24


	No offense to the people who like Harlen, he's fine, but we just need something fresh and new for a voice in there. Be more involved with the game itself, enough with back stories how a guy made it to the league. We know, we know. new stat screens, please, give us highlights from another game, make it really feel like a game. They need to call on TNT!

Maybe I'm not understanding but Kevin Harlan is TNTs main announcer and he's usually doing something with Kerr or Reggie Miller.

Galaxy Note 2

# 72 iLLosophy @ 02/19/14 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 23


	Maybe I'm not understanding but Kevin Harlan is TNTs main announcer and he's usually doing something with Kerr or Reggie Miller. Galaxy Note 2

He wants CHUCK!

# 73 King_B_Mack @ 02/19/14 01:40 PM

I don't know how someone could not be cool with back stories and the side discussions. That's closer to what you'd get in a tv presentation than just hearing stats for the entire game.

# 74 El_Poopador @ 02/19/14 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_B_Mack


	I don't know how someone could not be cool with back stories and the side discussions. That's closer to what you'd get in a tv presentation than just hearing stats for the entire game.

i have nothing against back stories. but it should not be the majority of what they say. the bulk of the commentary should focus on the in-game action. that would be more realistic. the side conversations and back stories generally only come out during breaks in the action irl or when theres something that triggers it. but in the game i would say 80%+ is back story. that is way too much and leads to it becoming incredibly repetitive.

you can go to almost any point in this game and they are talking about whats happening in the game or in the series. when they cut to a replay they discuss what happened on the play. even when theres not a replay they often discuss what happened on the previous possession or score or whatever. in any case the main focus of the commentary remains on the game.

# 75 JSensui @ 02/19/14 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_B_Mack


	I don't know how someone could not be cool with back stories and the side discussions. That's closer to what you'd get in a tv presentation than just hearing stats for the entire game.

Most commentary in real life is play by play, not backstory. Yeah, it's nice to have, but what's really important is having more natural sounding play by play analysis. And that includes stats---especially in an NBA environment that's more aware of metrics than ever before.

# 76 23 @ 02/19/14 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLosophy


	He wants CHUCK!

Barkley is a studio analyst not a game announcer or commentator.

This is just complaining just to complain

Galaxy Note 2

# 77 basehead617 @ 02/19/14 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSensui


	Most commentary in real life is play by play, not backstory. Yeah, it's nice to have, but what's really important is having more natural sounding play by play analysis. And that includes stats---especially in an NBA environment that's more aware of metrics than ever before.

There have been lots of complaints that there's too much stat-talk and stat overlays currently.

# 78 WaddupCouzin @ 02/19/14 09:03 PM

2K has had it share of connection issues and other issues, but presentation issues aint one of them. Like King B was saying the background story gives depth. That's what the "color man" is for to add depth to the commentary.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk

# 79 DJ_Solis @ 02/19/14 09:26 PM

I hear a lot of back story talk in real life too. And Idk what you guys are talking about when you say they don't talk about the game enough. The only problem for me is at the end of a close game they will continue to talk about random stories when they should just focus on the game.
The crowd could use some work too. They just seems to make noise at random. A team will be getting blown out in the 4th then they get a bucket and the crowd goes wild. They're still down by 20 why would the crowd get so loud?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

# 80 El_Poopador @ 02/20/14 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basehead617


	There have been lots of complaints that there's too much stat-talk and stat overlays currently.

for me the issue is more of how its done than the fact that its there. irl when they talk about stats and bring up overlays and things there is a reason. in the game they bring up a random set of statistics just to bring them up. for example dwight howard can get fouled and while hes at the line theyll bring up the current assist leaders. it really has no place in that scenario.

realistically what they need to have is awareness of good play. so if lin makes an amazing pass through traffic to howard that leads to the foul then they should talk about how good of a pass it was and show a few replays. then from there they can bring up assist leaders or how many apg lin has or whatever. there just needs to be more fluidity to the things they talk about.

that is where they need to focus. instead of having a bunch of random back stories that we would hear every time we played with a certain team they need to concentrate on getting the commentators to recognize on-court play and whats happening in the broadcast. when someone gets fouled there are usually a few replays before the free throws. when someone makes a good play they usually talk about how they got into position for that good play or how the defense lapsed enough to let it happen. the focus is mostly on what is happening now vs what happened in the off-season.

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