Three Keys: NBA 2K - Operation Sports

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Three Keys: NBA 2K

Submitted on: 12/04/2014 by Chris Sanner

There is no disputing NBA 2K15 is one of the best sports games of the year. Despite what was a rocky launch period, the game itself weathered the storm nicely and has emerged with a fairly strong effort.

Heading into next year, NBA 2K needs to ensure the launch period is smoother as well as delivering an overall improved experience. Here are three key places the game has to succeed next year:

1. Don’t rely upon shoddy servers. The NBA 2K series has never had the best server experience, especially near launch. Simply put, some modes need to be decoupled from online servers (MyPlayer/Career) and the servers themselves need to get better to allow for a smoother launch period.

2. Team Styles Need to Really Start Being Distinctive. Just as with FIFA, NBA 2K has a problem with many games feeling similar. Team’s don’t necessarily play too distinctively, which results in many games feeling similar. Obviously, having more diversified on-court experiences would make a lot of things feel better.

3. The experience as a whole needs to be more user friendly. There are several nagging issues both with the menus and the experience that make some tasks take entirely too long. One instance is in MyGM where you have to sit through an entire draft with no ability to sim to trade offers/picks. There are small instances like this throughout the game which needs to be cleaned up.

In your opinion, what should NBA 2K do next year to be successful?

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Member Comments

# 1 BellSKA @ 12/04/14 09:54 AM

Make MyCareer and MyPark two completely separate experiences that use the same MyPlayer. I hate being in a MyCareer game, seeing my squad has hopped on, only to tell them to wait for me before they play MyPark.

In the vein of point 1. Don't have every experience driven off the servers. Allow us to play our Careers offline and upload our results. I hate when servers are experiencing issues and I either get kicked during a MyCareer game, or can't play all together.

# 2 GuwopGeezus @ 12/04/14 11:10 AM

I agree with separating MyCareer and MyPark. Also, need to bring back lobbies and get rid of the Got Next system it wasted so much time and is frustrating when you're waiting 15 mins for someone to join your spot. Also, off topic but it looks like they might be scanning body types for next year?! I hope so. (Check the link)

http://instagram.com/p/wFto6iMSV1/

# 3 sticks323 @ 12/04/14 11:10 AM

Change the MyCareer story. Get new voice actors from different parts of the country. It doesn't feel like MyCareer when everyone sounds the same and goes through the same cut scenes. They need to adjust the attribute blocks. No reason for my PG to have a high block rating.

# 4 cmehustle @ 12/04/14 12:15 PM

Gotta say I love 2k. Most of the cheesiness is gone, although I do hate the small delay online. Makes defense truly difficult. Overall though I have to say I am pretty dam happy, and I still cant put this game down. It would be great tho to have more team differential. True defensive stalwarts need to stand out better. Right now everyone just kind of double teams whoever has the ball. That style should get severly punished. Great one on one defenders should not get abused though like guys who are mediocre defenders.

# 5 DEEBOFIOUS @ 12/04/14 12:39 PM

In order to fix team gameplay you have to replace 2kStauffer with yours truly. This season is the hardest he's worked on updates since he has been with 2k. Now if the company didn't demand this type of attention to detail then shame on them. Stauffer is a proffesional 2k player stylist. He changes the clothes of NBA players like no other, but when it comes to signature shots, player ratings, & tendencies, this guy is way off. If players tendencies truly represented each players game, then you get a closer version of nba play. Far too many of the stars have to be adjusted to get a good game vs cpu and user. Players like Al Jefferson should plant his *** on the left block then throw up that facing hook 90% of his attempts & the other 10% should be face up jumpers or half hearted mid-post drives. Stauffer is a youtube posting enthusiast that doesn't know the game or player tendencies. 1st step in the right direction.

# 6 Retropyro @ 12/04/14 01:21 PM

MyCareer and MyPark need to be separated. MyCareer should be a completely offline experience.

# 7 erickonasis @ 12/04/14 02:42 PM

My gm should be offline too...or at the very least if i want to quit a game and play it over from the start i should have close the whole game out and restart again. Yea i know what some will say "oh thats not realistic " . But hell i paid my 60 bucks there should be an option to quit without it autosaving or sim to the end.

# 8 VDusen04 @ 12/04/14 02:44 PM

The #1 key mentioned is very important, in my opinion. Turning the online aspect back into an enhancer instead of a requirement is a must. It makes little sense to allow offline modes the risk of suffering through playability issues when an online component isn't necessary to begin with.

# 9 ballin2k0 @ 12/04/14 04:07 PM

i think everything revolves around vc now they care more about selling you more vc then the game its self.i mean why is there no historic teams quick match online..they made us pay for it in 12 then shut the servers down a couple a months later after buying the dlc to play legends quick match.im just sick of there shoddy ways.can i atleast use the legend teams in quick match please just patch it in.alot of legends look like trash this year just look at bill russell on ps4 if you dont believe me.also tim hardaway and mitch richmond are the same thats just lazy.id fire whoever did the legends this year.

# 10 ballin2k0 @ 12/04/14 04:16 PM

also the game is still broken online all you got to do is spam 3s...the 3 point shot trumps everything no matter how good you are.

# 11 CMFCplaya @ 12/04/14 05:02 PM

Bring back Online Association, not this Online League stuff were u can only play user vs user. So if I have 8 friends and I want to do a league with, then I still play all of them but 22 teams are CPU's and we can do a real full season and have trades and an off-season and all that good old stuff. I don't feel like playing a 8man league and have to play each one 10 times a season, its kinda dumb

# 12 GuwopGeezus @ 12/04/14 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMFCplaya


	Bring back Online Association, not this Online League stuff were u can only play user vs user. So if I have 8 friends and I want to do a league with, then I still play all of them but 22 teams are CPU's and we can do a real full season and have trades and an off-season and all that good old stuff. I don't feel like playing a 8man league and have to play each one 10 times a season, its kinda dumb

Amen. Don't understand to this day why it was taken out.

# 13 schnakenpopanz @ 12/04/14 07:52 PM

Online Input-Lags and Missing Online Associations are a huge set back. Can't understand why everyone is praising this game like it is the best ever. 2k was better before. 2k11 had the best online league in any sports game.

# 14 Taer @ 12/05/14 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VDusen04


	It makes little sense to allow offline modes the risk of suffering through playability issues when an online component isn't necessary to begin with.

This has hit home this week for me. I have a MyCareer I can't access at this very moment because the 2k servers are down.

That is 164+ game campaign I have on hold and that I am unable to access because of problems on the 2K side of things.

The sad thing is the mode worked more smoothly four years ago when this VC bs was non-existent.

I'm very frustrated right now. Only two times I can play this week, the 2k servers are down.

# 15 @marcusjiles @ 12/05/14 12:28 AM

One thing I've noted while diving deep into MyCareer is just how different the game is from the one that's advertised. Those vids that came late before 2k released of the Spurs' offense, the Knicks Triangle? Nowhere to be found. You're playing against the same team every night basically.

The role of having to be a superstar bugs me a bit. This has more to do w/ gameplay. The game doesnt do a good job of establishing role players. Kyle Korver wont hang around the three or look for his own shot, and the drive and kick is so rare. What if I want to be a 3 and D guy? Being a ball-hogging, stat-stuffing 6'9 SF that scores 50 every game isnt everyone's cup of tea nor is it realistic in regards to simulation.

If you're going to give me a story with that many holes in it, that cheesy with awful voice acting (still enjoyable however) then give me more than the binary options of being a bad guy or good guy. Flood me w/ options. Dont give me the choice of just being a good teammate or a jerk.

It was quite lost on me that the game has the most amount of shoes (that are ALL beautiful) ever but still does the generic shoes gimmick. Just make me pay for the shoes I want to wear or restrict me to brands other than Nike/Jordan or instead of it just being Nike/Jordan/Adidas, let me sign with any brand AND pay me for wearing the shoes.

The mode is just lost in a sea of confusion on what it wants to be. It comes off as cartoonish far to often for a 2k title. The other guys have been perfecting that for years.

Oh... and this bugs me only because I love details. All of the equipment available in the game should be options for my player. Not a huge deal at all, might even be nitpicking but it makes me curious as to why it wouldnt be the same by default.

# 16 bumpyface @ 12/05/14 06:14 AM

I'm glad folks are enjoying this game because I'm not. I don't see anything here talking about input delay. Why is the delayed response not an issue? I think everybody is all caught up in the cosmetics and don't care about core gameplay. My little cousin has Nba 2k11 on PS3. I played a full game offline of course and couldn't believe the crisp response on the controller compared to 2k15 on the PS4. The bar definitely has been lowered and no one seems to care.

# 17 DEEBOFIOUS @ 12/06/14 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEEBOFIOUS


	In order to fix team gameplay you have to replace 2kStauffer with yours truly. This season is the hardest he's worked on updates since he has been with 2k. Now if the company didn't demand this type of attention to detail then shame on them. Stauffer is a proffesional 2k player stylist. He changes the clothes of NBA players like no other, but when it comes to signature shots, player ratings, & tendencies, this guy is way off. If players tendencies truly represented each players game, then you get a closer version of nba play. Far too many of the stars have to be adjusted to get a good game vs cpu and user. Players like Al Jefferson should plant his *** on the left block then throw up that facing hook 90% of his attempts & the other 10% should be face up jumpers or half hearted mid-post drives. Stauffer is a youtube posting enthusiast that doesn't know the game or player tendencies. 1st step in the right direction.

Overwhelmingly obvious that 2k put all their eggs in the myplayer cheese baskets. They put the likes of ipodkingcarter an others in the commercials in hopes that more fans would join the money-grab-myplayer-race to 99 overall. Reason being was to "keep fans engaged after purchase." In other words suck the fans dry and dictate their need for more. If 2k listened to fans more than their greedy ideas, they would know that the fan base is split. Group a)offline/online vs user and/or cpu and group b)mode lovers. Too many myplayer upgrades.

# 18 DEEBOFIOUS @ 12/06/14 06:50 PM

Keep the controls simple and the same like Madden. Madden fans KNOW and have KNOWN what to expect from the control pad for years.

#1 Circle should be a left/right/forward/back dribble seperation move depending on left stick direction choice along with double tap for spin jumpers/spin layups or dunks.

#2 Square should remain directional hop step/step back move along with double tap for euro. In the deep post, pre-dribble, speed burst+square should be a power dribble/shoulder into defenders chest on the way to a power dunk or aggressive layup. (Limited to power players only) Ineffective or turned over if a)defender is stronger than offensive player, b)a non power player is attempting the move, or c)move attempted outside the deep post. Examples of players worthy of this move Shaq, Wilt, Dr. J, Chris Webber, Kemp, Blake Griffin, DeAndre jordan, Drummond, Melo, etc. NOT LeBron because he doesn't have a power post game.

#3 Switch play calling back to button choices and not the direction pad. It is way too cumbersome to quickly send a player to the post from the d-pad.

#4 Re-tool the setup dribble moves. 2k obviously added a million different and1 moves for the dumb park play mode. In 2k's earliest stages the iso motions were erratic stick movements that created dope and1 mixtape moves that you couldn't duplicate if your life depended on it. Continue adding useless crap to an NBA game and you get NBA Jam sales.

#5 Shots should be more button pressure sensative. A)Wide open three attempt=longer hold before release to initiate shooters set shot. Example is PG13's shot. His straight up & down sig shot is correct if he only shot set shots. B)Late challenge or quicker shot attempts=shorter hold of button/stick before release to initiate shooters' jump shot. C)Late shot clock attempts or full/half court heaves=short quick tap of button to initiate rushed shot attempt or quick long distance toss. As it stands the computer takes over in the instance of late clock attempts and is sometimes unfair. Also add a forward leaning heave attempt from full/half court.

#6 During the camera pan to start the game before tip, don't allow users to cancel the programmers showing off the details of the jumbotron and arena ads. Instead, give users a choice box similar to the technical foul shooter box, that allows us to choose which starter will jump at the tip. To ensure that NO user gets stuck with a PG jumping against a center, allow a quick are you sure after the selection. 2k has forced us to use centers like Perkins far too long when Ibaka has always jumped at the tip.

#7 Please get the blocked shots, deflections, and steals correct? If myplayer addition were cut in half, these NECESSARY adjustments could have been made in 2k15.

#8 Lastly, get the freaking servers right. It's last on my list because I don't care for the lag infested online play and nor do I care to spend additional funds to by virtual sneakers, jerseys, etc.

# 19 phenom2311 @ 12/06/14 09:25 PM

More accurate player models, not just the faces. More variations with the player models and different uniform fits. Adding more body sliders to the current body length, wingspan, and shoulder width would help. It's weird more body sliders aren't in the game considering they were in the very early editions of NBA 2K.

# 20 NC12 @ 12/07/14 12:26 AM

Be able to shorten quarters to less than 6 min in my career. Also, I agree with dropping the shoe sponsorship deal, just allow us to wear whatever shoe we'd like. After all it is a video game, most of us will never get a shoe deal in our lifetime so why drag it out and make us in the game? Would be a nice added feature to the storyline but should not be necessary to rock kicks other than the "2K" brand

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