Reaction to NBA 2K9's Feature List

Feature Article

Submitted on: 07/22/2008 by Jeremy Hartman

The annual E3 Media and Business Summit had come and gone with little to no details about this year’s NBA release from 2K Sports. The sports video gaming community was miffed, to say the least. Everyone was clamoring for some in-depth information on NBA 2K9, especially in light of the EA Sports announcement of NBA 365 with daily updates according to a player’s virtual game-specific DNA.

So what happened? Could it be that NBA 2K9 is coming with something to blow NBA 365 out of the water? Mark Thomas, the VP of sports development at Visual Concepts, made some recent remarks that could hint toward this possibility. The NBA 2K series has always had solid gameplay so the lack of information and the sly remarks must mean that there is something big brewing, right?

It was originally thought that a few more weeks would pass before we had any answers. We were enamored by the screenshots that had been released. The attention to detail was amazing and truly took a leap forward -- though some complained about the glare around the players; but, others argued that the so-called glare adds to the ambiance of the game. Either way, the visuals looked great overall.

Then it happened: The latest features for NBA 2K9 were released, and computer keyboards across the country were smoking! Some posters were happy and felt like kids on Christmas Eve. Others were pleased but wondered where some of the other features were, and also speculated that there were some copycat issues. How were the rest of the announced features received? Let’s take a look.

NBA 2k9 looks to expand it's dominance in terms of quality upon the pro basketball genre.

Gameplay Features

An advanced shot-stick feature was announced, allowing the user to change shots in mid-air. Gamers far and wide were hoping for this one because changing the shot or passing out of the shot in mid-air was sketchy at best -- not to mention this feature used to be in old NBA 2K games. With this feature back intact, the freedom to create has opened up, and now you may just be able to modify your shot and avoid swat city.

Adaptive AI will now allow the CPU to adjust to your tendencies and strategies. The general consensus on this is that most people want to see this in action before passing judgment.

The AI was also revamped to make the game more realistic. Adaptive AI will now allow the CPU to adjust to your tendencies and strategies. The general consensus on this is that most people want to see this in action before passing judgment. Will the AI adjust and shut down the lane on the pick-and-roll now? Will computer-controlled teammates run the floor harder and cut quicker to the basket if the game tempo is faster? Time will tell my friends.

Association 2.0 was almost taken for granted I believe. With no further in-depth information provided on the customizable options and player roles I think the jury is still out. It is always nice to hear that improvements have been made to an already great product, but the general public wants more.

Presentation Features

Clark Kellogg has now been added to the announcing team, which has been greeted by mixed fan reviews. Kellogg replaces Kenny Smith who has apparently moved on to Sony's NBA game. Cheryl Miller has also been added as a sideline reporter. Kellogg is known more for his work in the college hoop ranks, so the addition of his voice to the game piques my interest to say the least.

End-of-quarter highlights displaying the quarter’s best plays have been added as well. This feature adds more of a TV-presentation style to the fold, similar to what you would see during an ESPN or TNT broadcast. The championship celebration is said to be better as well. Do we get cut-scenes of the guys standing on the podium accepting the trophy from the commissioner? How about the presentation of the MVP trophy? And is Cheryl Miller going to have cut-scenes showing her interviewing the top performer of the half?

Online Features

Here is where things get a little hairy. As most of you already know, NBA Live 09 announced that it will have a featured called “365” that will update player tendencies and ratings daily based on current performance. There will also be player-specific DNA that takes into account the different styles of NBA players and that will be reflected in the 365 updates as well.

The community is starting to wonder if the NBA 2K9 development team copied the idea from the NBA Live folks or if it was the other way around.

Now we get a chance to look at the features list for NBA 2K9 and we see that it too has a feature with player-specific DNA. The community is starting to wonder if the NBA 2K9 development team copied the idea from the NBA Live folks or if it was the other way around. Some skeptics think that EA Sports decided to capitalize on the well-known fact that 2K Sports does not release many early details about the upcoming NBA 2K game. So by holding an event and press conference before 2K Sports at E3, NBA Live 09 could announce the feature first and make it appear that NBA 2K9 is copying the idea.

The common theme seems to be that the die-hard NBA 2K fans know the series is light-years ahead of NBA Live so the thinking is that Live is piggy backing off of NBA 2K. The sentiment is that NBA 2K is always the best basketball game on the market so naturally the player-specific DNA was 2K Sports’ idea in the beginning. Some are optimistic and truly feel that NBA 2K9 development team listened to the cries and provided a way to update things daily. In actuality we may never know who came up with the concept first. The only thing that's clear is that NBA Live's DNA feature has a real-life license that feeds the game the real NBA data, whereas 2K's feature probably works via its own engine and doesn't take into account real-life happenings.

There are still users sounding off about what changes they hope to see in the upcoming game. The banter back and forth becomes mundane because 2K Sports has usually done a good job at making the NBA 2K series a thing of beauty. You will always see users complaining about the accuracy of the passes through the lane to cutters or the effectiveness of the pick-and-roll, but for the most part there really isn’t anything gameplay-related that should make you raise a stink.

I too hoped for NBA Live to overthrow the ruler but I have now come to my senses.

The humorous thing about the previous lack of information is found when perusing the message boards at Operation Sports and the forums over at the 2K Sports site. There are always people claiming to love the previous installment of NBA 2K, but those same people are always saying that they heard NBA Live was working to close the gap. I have to laugh when I read those posts because they are reminiscent of my glory days long ago. I too hoped for NBA Live to overthrow the ruler (if you don’t believe me then check my open letter to 2K Sports) but I have now come to my senses.

Everyone has heard the saying that there are no sure things. Most people believe that there are no absolutes in life; and those of us that do, know that when the dust settles and the smoke clears NBA 2K9 will absolutely be the last one standing. I know that regardless of the amount of information that is presented beforehand, there is no need to lose patience and start resigning yourself to only purchasing NBA Live when the season rolls around. I know which game reigns supreme, so stand firm and know that 2K Sports will not let everyone down.

NBA 2K9 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 Pared @ 07/25/08 03:21 PM

Do you mean customer support or board visibility...? B/c they're not the same thing. (I'm just asking)

I see what you mean about those areas. I have no worries that they will address those issues.

On a side note: Think for a second about what you just wrote now though... aren't you holding this game to a higher standard than Live? I know most people just want Live "playable" again while with 2k9 their expecting a representation of the NBA that's even better than the real thing.

I don't think that's fair.

# 42 EWRMETS @ 07/25/08 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	Do you mean customer support or board visibility...? B/c they're not the same thing. (I'm just asking) I see what you mean about those areas. I have no worries that they will address those issues. On a side note: Think for a second about what you just wrote now though... aren't you holding this game to a higher standard than Live? I know most people just want Live "playable" again while with 2k9 their expecting a representation of the NBA that's even better than the real thing. I don't think that's fair.

I think 2k has been pretty bad with board visibility (since Beluba) left AND customer support. The roster updates last year were a joke.

I might be holding 2k to a higher standard than Live but the DNA feature has really sold me on Live. I'll probably buy both games because I'm a basketball junkie. But the problems I mentioned have been on next gen NBA2k games so why should I think they'll be fixed in 2k9?

# 43 Pared @ 07/25/08 07:14 PM

You don't have to think anything... I'm simply telling you put trust in the developers.

Either way, we'll see once the game is released. I still think we're in for a treat yet again this year, despite the early information from Live.

# 44 rdelizo35 @ 07/30/08 06:31 PM

As for me, I'm definitely getting both games this year because I think that NBA 2K9 and NBA Live '09 will have plenty to offer fans and that both games will be fun.

I personally trust the developers, but what I've seen of Live '09 and based on the features list of 2K9, I think that both these games will be killer this year.

# 45 DC @ 07/30/08 11:43 PM

2K Bots frequent this board often. They might not post but they know what WE (sim dudes) want.

# 46 demencia_total @ 07/31/08 12:11 AM

Hasn't SimBaller been around posting in some of these threads? I know they aren't revealing anything as of now, but that to me is a sign that they DO hang around and read what people post in this forum. Maybe Beluba was more "interactive" in the past with the community, but it's not really accurate to assume that they suddenly don't care anymore when it shows that they have been active in the forum reading and responding.

# 47 yungflo @ 07/31/08 09:59 AM

Although, 2k8 has vastly improved I found 2k8 to be a bit of a let down. this game will be better.

# 48 DC @ 07/31/08 10:18 AM

^ Thats because 2K7 was so groundbreaking. 2K8 wasn't as groundbreaking and year for year (pound for pound) 2K7 was the better game. Can't fault 2K8. 2K7 was a special girl........I mean game.

# 49 yungflo @ 07/31/08 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican


	^ Thats because 2K7 was so groundbreaking. 2K8 wasn't as groundbreaking and year for year (pound for pound) 2K7 was the better game. Can't fault 2K8. 2K7 was a special girl........I mean game.

I know, but still. It didn't move me the right way. New features were introduced, but I don't think they were properly implemented the right way. All that being said, I'm still looking forward to see what 2k9 brings the table. Can't say it's my top buy, but it's surely on my list. Will have to try it out this time before I actually buy it.

# 50 trobinson97 @ 07/31/08 09:15 PM

Playing the cpu, I think 2K7 wins. The CPU in 2K8 relies heavily on cheap, unrealistic passes into the key for quick shots. VC should have fixed that, but they didn't.

However, as player vs. player, if you find a good opponent, 2K8 wins as best all time for me.

# 51 demencia_total @ 08/01/08 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trobinson97


	Playing the cpu, I think 2K7 wins.

I disagree with this statement because in my experience, 2k8 is the first basketball ever that the CPU has actually challenged me. Although I do agree with the fact that it does so at times depending on cheap tactics, but its not like the user doesn't have the same advantage; you can abuse the pick & roll and make the insane passes that the CPU makes. It should have been addressed, but in my mind it's the best basketball game ever made, even with its numerous flaws vs the CPU or human opponents.

I still have games where I go to the wire in incredibly exciting and pressure filled situations that end with either making or missing a buzzer beater, which is something that almost never happened since...well, since I started playing bball games a long, long time ago. I found a comfort zones in the sliders I've been using and tweaking myself, plus with the roster and tendency modifications that you can find around the forum. People say that the game should be better out of the box and I completely agree, but if the features are there to modify your game to your liking, why not take advantage of it? 2k8 is the first sports game (along with Fifa 08) that has kept my interest for the whole year since I still play it and find it enjoyable. Frustrating at times of course, but still a great improvement.

I expect 2k9 to keep this going since they've been on a roll since 2k7 and the Choops games (RIP, will be sorely missed). And speaking of excitement, I must say that I found myself interested in what Live is doing for the first time in AGES. If it pans out to be enjoyable, I think I'll be purchasing my first Live game since...well, I think '98. I don't think it's going to be better than 2k9, but it looks that FINALLY they are on the right track as a lot of people have noted.

# 52 trobinson97 @ 08/01/08 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demencia_total


	I disagree with this statement because in my experience, 2k8 is the first basketball ever that the CPU has actually challenged me. Although I do agree with the fact that it does so at times depending on cheap tactics, but its not like the user doesn't have the same advantage; you can abuse the pick & roll and make the insane passes that the CPU makes. It should have been addressed, but in my mind it's the best basketball game ever made, even with its numerous flaws vs the CPU or human opponents.

I got (get) close games against the CPU in 2K7 and 2K8, but the way I get them in 2K8 is significantly cheaper because of the way it comes about. Sure, humans have the same advantages, but if you're a person who refuses to resort to that level of cheapness (like me for example) to stay competitive it puts you at a disadvantage and it's pretty frustrating. It's multiplied by the fact that the majority of my time spent in the game is in my Association, against the computer.

Like I said though, player vs player, I do think it is hands down the best ever. Playing in the OS league and against people in my friends list when I can is an experience not matched by ANY PvP game in my experience. I love it. Playing the CPU however, in my opinion of course, 2K7 did a better job.

Speaking of PvP, if anyone sees me online playing today, shoot me a message (Depotboy) to run a game, I'm always up for one lol. Sim only of course.

# 53 Glucky93 @ 08/08/08 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses Shuttlesworth


	NBA 2K9 > NBA LIVE '11

nba 2k8> nba live 09

# 54 spursfan @ 08/11/08 01:07 AM

Yaeh, the cpu is cheap. I've been playing association alot lately and thd it seems no matter how bad I'm beating the cpu, once I get so far ahead, they slow my players down to catch up. What I mean by that is I start missing wide open threes, gime layups, and post moves. Even on fast breaks, and its a mismatch I get stopped after a certain point. even if its a 2 on 1 or all star caliber offensive player(a.i., melo, j.r. smith)at least in my assoc.U can stop the passes, but thier defensive rotations are much faster, and u will miss the same shots. That and they actually use every 24 second shot clock, andits almost impossible to steal the ball. But, its challening. If u torch them with our star player or the same play, they will asjust or double team to stop u.

# 55 DDO15 @ 08/11/08 02:23 AM

This will be the best basketball game with the features added.

# 56 demencia_total @ 08/11/08 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trobinson97


	I got (get) close games against the CPU in 2K7 and 2K8, but the way I get them in 2K8 is significantly cheaper because of the way it comes about. Sure, humans have the same advantages, but if you're a person who refuses to resort to that level of cheapness (like me for example) to stay competitive it puts you at a disadvantage and it's pretty frustrating. It's multiplied by the fact that the majority of my time spent in the game is in my Association, against the computer. Like I said though, player vs player, I do think it is hands down the best ever. Playing in the OS league and against people in my friends list when I can is an experience not matched by ANY PvP game in my experience. I love it. Playing the CPU however, in my opinion of course, 2K7 did a better job.

At first I had the same perception, but over the year with certain adjustments to the game I have found a happy medium, but I do agree with the fact that the AI takes advantage of certain exploits more than I would like it to and the fact that it feels even worse if you succumb to doing the same. I am sure that playing against guys here is 10x times more awesome (unfortunately, I'm in Australia right now so it's kind of hard to play without major lag online against U.S. peeps), but I still think that there are ways to circumvent the overall cheapness of the AI and get a solid experience even more so than 2k7. But yeah, I agree with everything you said in this post to an extent.

# 57 extraclip @ 08/26/08 10:34 PM

Ive always been a 2K fan since dreamcast. But everyone played live so I kinda caved because I would come over my boys house and get killed. But Ive been scorned since Live 07. They promised so much that I pre-ordered the game just to have it freeze on me EVERYTIME. I harassed the guy at EB so much that he went out of his own pocket to trade the game in for 2K7. Anyway I always keep an eye on the comp. But that youtube video just turned me off. Its the same game play with new bells and whistles. Same thing EA does every year try to mask $#!T with cologne. EA is kind of like Sony. No flamebait I like the PS3 its just expensive.

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