NBA 2K16 will be the third basketball title released by 2K Sports on this generation of consoles. The developers will be looking to improve and stabilize this series, and there is no doubt that the hype for NBA 2K16 is very high. With news continuing to release about new modes, improved gameplay, and enhanced visuals, 2K is continuing to boost the hype as we move towards a late-September release. That being said, let's take a look at what I think are the five keys that will ensure NBA 2K16 is a success this season.

1. Servers

Let's get the most obvious one out of the way first. In the previous two editions of the NBA 2K series, online play has been a disgrace, especially immediately after the initial release. Just about all of NBA 2K's game modes require an internet connection (including the new MyLeague online), so therefore servers will have to be up to par with the demand for online play this year. If gamers have to deal with the server issues that have plagued this series in the past, more and more people will have a negative outlook on NBA 2K16, and thus, the franchise as a whole.

2. Pro-Am Needs To Be As Good As Advertised

The Pro-Am game mode that has been revealed for this year's title looks incredible. All basketball fans love the idea of completely customizing a team's court and jerseys. This will give fans of the series an opportunity to create the look of any team, real or fictional, that is not in the NBA. To make it even better, the Pro-Am offers real NBA basketball gameplay, which is music to the ears of those who could not stand the extremely unrealistic gameplay of MyPark last year. 2K claims that games will start quickly, and there won't be waiting times like we experienced in NBA 2K15. All of this sounds great, and if 2K Sports can really deliver on this game mode, it will please all fans of the series.

3. MyCareer Needs To Be Authentic, Not Corny

Anyone who has played MyCareer the last two years knows that the game mode, while showing great potential, has had issues involving the storyline. Often you will hear that it was too scripted, and too cheesy or corny. The plan to have Spike Lee write and direct this year's storyline leaves everyone hopeful that the cheesy scripts will be gone for good this year. With what has been revealed so far, it appears that we will be able to select a college to go to and build our career from there. Hopefully, this means we have multiple options and multiple paths to take throughout our player's career that could significantly affect our player in the long run. If Lee is able to capture authentic emotion, and design realistic cutscenes for our players to be a part of off the court while the gameplay is sound on the court, this game mode will live up to the expectations that fans of the series have had for it since the series moved to new consoles.

4. MyLeague Online

Partly due to the server issues in NBA 2K15, MyLeague became a very popular game mode last year. It was essentially an offline franchise mode that gave you control over the league, and it was a lot of fun to play. This year MyLeague online is looking as though it will be an online franchise type of game mode, which is a mode that has become very popular in other sports titles. If the servers hold up, and this game mode is consistently playable, we will finally have a mode that allows us to build our own version of the NBA with our friends (or fellow OS'ers). If the servers work well, this mode could become a bread and butter feature for NBA 2K.

5. Gameplay

Last, but certainly not least, gameplay has to be good in this game. It really goes without saying, but there have been some complaints about the gameplay on this generation of consoles, especially when compared to some of the last-gen efforts. The biggest concern seems to be in the paint, specifically with post play and rebounding. We have seen tweets from 2K staff members confirming that they have been working on the paint play, so hopefully there will be enough changed to get the gameplay back at its best once again.

NBA 2K16 will be here before we know it, and many sports gamers are excited about its release. Personally, I can't wait either. The game has high expectations, but if we get what we have been promised from 2K, then there is no doubt that NBA 2K16 will be an outstanding game.