Earlier this week, NBA 2K14 quietly installed a server-side update that has reduced the amount of virtual currency PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gamers receive for completing owner goals in the My GM game mode.

All season milestones which had previously awarded 200 VC and 250 VC, such as selling out 32 home games or winning the NBA championship, will now yield just 100 VC once they are completed.

It is unclear whether this reduction is a temporary, unintentional bug or a permanent "fix" designed to curb the productivity of virtual currency "farmers."

Forum speculation supports that second theory, as developer Visual Concepts is undoubtedly aware that NBA 2K14's most popular user-created roster file, "Youtube: Doogshere," currently has 356,488 downloads on the PlayStation 4 -- almost twice the amount of the next most popular roster, "Official w/Transactions 3/19" (186,601 downloads).

The latter file's creator, iTofutastic, has been offering up-to-date transactions alongside the 2013-2014 NBA season. His foil, TheDoooogs, has simply placed Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal and Bill Russell onto the Oklahoma City Thunder, while tossing every other team's superstar players into free agency.

Prior to this week, simulating a season with the "Youtube: Doogshere" roster would typically produce 1,850 VC:

• 200 VC -- Sell out 32 home games.
• 200 VC -- Finish first in division.
• 200 VC -- Finish first in conference.
• 200 VC -- Reach top 10 in attendance.
• 200 VC -- Don't let team chemistry drop below 67%.
• 100 VC -- Sweep your playoff opponent.
• 200 VC -- Reach the conference finals.
• 250 VC -- Win the NBA championship.
• 100 VC -- Release or trade Karl Malone.
• 100 VC -- Hire an assistant GM with the recruiter badge.
• 100 VC -- Hire an assistant coach with a "B" or better defense rating.

Now that all goals give 100 VC, regardless of their difficulty, a typical season's earnings have dropped to just 1,100 VC.

This week's My GM changes are not the first time that Visual Concepts has adjusted NBA 2K14's in-game reward systems. What's alarming, is how every change the company has made thus far has negatively impacted the game's fans.

Back in January, Visual Concepts decided to alter My Team's Domination mode so that team card packs could only be earned once. During NBA 2K14's first two months on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, gamers could replay Domination games and continue earning team packs endlessly. That sudden change drew pages of criticism from upset My Team players.

My Team's gold tournament rewards have also declined in value since NBA 2K14 launched, as the 5,200 My Team points you could have earned during the game's opening months have now diminished to 4,500 MT.


Most upsetting, is how Visual Concepts continues to tilt NBA 2K14's economy while ignoring actual game issues like players with no shot feedback, disappearing player contracts and dysfunctional signature skills.

Whereas developers like Turn 10 Studios, makers of Forza Motorsport 5, were quick to pacify the public's outcry that a $60 retail game could employ free-to-play mechanics, unnecessary paywalls and an unbalanced marketplace, Visual Concepts, at least for NBA 2K14, seems content to ignore its critics and continue mining its newfound streams of real currency.

Do you believe that NBA 2K14's reward system is playing fair or committing a foul? Make the call in the comments below.