One thing I love about NBA 2K8 is the way the game plays on the court. One thing I hate about NBA 2k8 is, the franchise mode. The franchise mode has been stale for years now, which seems to be a trend in most next generation sports games. Companies are so focused on graphics, gameplay, and online play that they neglect an entire sect of their customers who love flying solo. The best way to cater to this group of gamers is to give them a more in-depth franchise mode.

My major gripe with the mode in NBA 2K8 is that it seems to have no drama or story lines. It gives some news updates regarding unhappy players (which essentially means nothing but a couple points off their attributes), injuries, and big wins by certain teams -- but who even really pays attention to that?

What I want is a weekly recap show à la SportsCenter with some key highlights and a review of standings and power rankings. That would give me a better sense of what’s going on around the league. It could include a host and a couple analysts who evaluate trades and players of the week and such, of course using generic dialogue lines -- any dialogue is better than none. I’m sure 2K could throw a bone to the GTA voice-over guys; I hear they’re looking for some extra money these days.

Another thing that needs to be addressed is the morale system. It needs to have a bigger influence on gameplay and franchise decisions than it presently does. The NBA is full of drama; from Kobe wanting out of LA early in the year and now claiming his team is like family, to the phantom migraine escapade from Jason Kidd. 2K should add drama to the franchise and intertwine it with morale on an individual and team basis. What happened to the Association Mode that was introduced in NBA 2K5? It wasn’t perfect, but it was a step in the right direction. Players would enter the GM office and ask questions, and the responses would dictate the player’s attitude after they left. The mode could be revised so that when a player leaves unhappy I could get an e-mail about how he spoke to a media outlet and vented his frustration. Then, as the GM, I would have to approach the player and try to work things out, which if unsuccessful could lead to a trade, head coach firing, or any other sorts of outcomes.

Speaking of coaching change, why is it that the coaching system in general has not changed in years either? Not only is there no incentive to ever change the head coach of my team since it’s expensive to buy some no name coach with the same exact ratings as the one you presently have, but I never even see head coaches fired in the game. It seems about every year in real life there are at least three or four coaches fired, so it would only make sense to have that take place in the franchise mode.

Coaching should also influence the way a team plays. It should not be an option to change sliders and affect crashing the boards or playing more transition offense. That should be dictated by the head coach, which would make the decision as to who to hire based on the personnel. If I want to change the way the team plays I should then have to meet with whoever I have manning the ship and request him to change up the style of play. The better the relationship with the coach, the easier it is to get things done the way I want.

The last thing I would address is the scouting. Not that it’s terrible, in fact it feels pretty good as is, but it still feels like it's missing something. At first, there’s no real indicator in terms of who you should be scouting. I wish there were newspaper clippings, even if just a couple generic headlines to get a sense of what kind of player the kid is. If the team is in need of a big body in the paint who can give some energy and lay down a couple dunks, the scouts could go look at a player with the headline, “Mike dunks home the championship!” It could just be a little something to help differentiate the player early on in addition to the generic letter grades.

NBA 2K8’s franchise mode has tons of potential, and I want to see it blossom in all its glory, but as of now I only think of what could have been. I need more from all franchise modes in all sports games I play. The player needs to feel more immersed in whatever virtual sports world the video game is trying to represent. There needs to be highlights, drama, headlines, firings, and trades out of frustration. So please 2K, I promise I won't berate you for not improving the A.I. of the halftime cheerleaders if it means I get a better experience within the franchise mode.