NBA 2K24 Likeness Updates Have Come Up Short This Season

[kxw7340]

Thank you for this article—it couldn’t be any truer. Usually each patch would give us 7+ new player likeness updates, but now we are lucky to even get one, in this case Derrick White.

I know it’s not easy to keep up with players’ appearances, but at the same time, 2K is a multimillion dollar company and can afford to invest more in keeping a decent percentage of the players updated.

For example, Devin Booker has been wearing a headband all season and he has yet to receive one in the game. Same for Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. I think every player should have a headband option so that we don’t have to wait for a patch to have one equipped on certain players.

Don’t even get me started on Ant. As many already stated, I know the player has to come in to get scanned, but even still, the art team is talented enough to craft a cyber face that looks more realistic than the current ones, especially since modders have been doing it for years.

My guess is that 2K is focused on the major money-making parts of the game such as the Park and MyCareer, so player likeness updates may have just been put on the back burner at this point.

[Hounddog146]

I think its dumb that some players have hairstyles models that are locked and unable to access. Like shaq, michael jordan. They have younger models with hair that you cant get to for some reason, whats the point of adding it?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Hey_Rebby]

My two complaints as a Pistons fan...

1) Jaden Ivey hasn't had dreads all season.

2) 1989 Pistons John Salley has a bald held from the '96 Bulls version. I wouldn't complain about it except that, for years HE HAD hair prior to 2K24. Not sure why they would go away from that.

[Real2KInsider]

Quote: Originally Posted by stizz

How? Just because he doesn’t want a scan doesn’t mean they can’t create a decent likeness like the rest of the classic players.

Does anyone know the monetary cost / time investment to design a player w/o face scanning?

Whatever numbers you come up with in your head, multiply that by a couple hundred players (if not thousands, factoring Eras where you definitely can't face scan players).

It likely isn't cost effective. It also takes away from design on the following year's game, which starts almost immediately after the current year's game launches. Art dies with capitalism.

Quote: Originally Posted by kxw7340

My guess is that 2K is focused on the major money-making parts of the game such as the Park and MyCareer, so player likeness updates may have just been put on the back burner at this point.

Correct. 2K's goal isn't to make an NBA game. Their focus has always been getting you to play their parts of the game, because those are the parts they actually understand. The NBA License is a sunk branding cost and gets people to buy the game. It hasn't spiritually been an NBA game in a decade.

20 years ago they implemented "24/7 Mode".... and REMOVED Playbooks to conserve resources (bc who actually uses them!?). Their priorities have never been a secret.

[jeebs9]

Quote: Originally Posted by dom5552

On another note, ever since 2k5 with Ben Wallace bouncing back and forth between cornrows and Afro, I’ve wondered why 2k hasn’t made player hair editable. Get the face right, but make the player appearance totally customizable like a create-a-player, but with a real face. It would require them adding all new hairstyles to the hairstyle list, but it would definitely ease their need for constant scans when the user can update those things freely.

What are you talking about? I see Paolo change hair all the time. Almost like someone didn't get braided lol
With braids
https://x.com/jeebs9/status/1757558825316474904?s=20
without braids
https://x.com/jeebs9/status/1733205544956006728?s=20

[Schnoodle321]

Quote: Originally Posted by Real2KInsider

Does anyone know the monetary cost / time investment to design a player w/o face scanning? Whatever numbers you come up with in your head, multiply that by a couple hundred players (if not thousands, factoring Eras where you definitely can't face scan players). It likely isn't cost effective. It also takes away from design on the following year's game, which starts almost immediately after the current year's game launches. Art dies with capitalism. Correct. 2K's goal isn't to make an NBA game. Their focus has always been getting you to play their parts of the game, because those are the parts they actually understand. The NBA License is a sunk branding cost and gets people to buy the game. It hasn't spiritually been an NBA game in a decade. 20 years ago they implemented "24/7 Mode".... and REMOVED Playbooks to conserve resources (bc who actually uses them!?). Their priorities have never been a secret.

Modders literally do it for free.

2k being the multi million dollar company they are can’t set aside a small cost to have an accurate game they are representing then give us access to the mods from people who do care.

Modders literally have player likeness updates in game hours after a player has a new style in real life.
In contrast we are at 7yrs for players like Robin Lopez who haven’t received one update from 2k.

Unacceptable

[Real2KInsider]

Quote: Originally Posted by Schnoodle321

Modders literally do it for free.

On their own time, as a hobby. Not for a living.

This is where the lines between "fan" and "employee" objectively get blurry for some.

[JKSportsGamer1984]

This whole game has come up short for me this year. Between the dribbling issues, body clipping issues, lack of player updates, etc. I finally gave up & uninstalled the game. I've been a die hard 2K fan since it's inception, but this year just isn't doing it for me.