2k's Game Engine needs changing!

[Bornindamecca]

Or does it?

This discussion erupted in the Live forum and I think it's interesting. 2k obviously has something that works, but we don't want them to turn into Madden. On the other hand, you don't just throw a good thing away because it's getting familiar. You try to improve it to perfection until the limitations force a change.

Who thinks the engine needs to be started over from the ground up?


There are two major changes I'd like to see in 2k, and they both have to do with physics.

-Better ball physics. No more warping, magnetiism and loose balls that land neatly at players' feet. Give us a real ball, with a life of its own and a physics engine, so the randomness of real life basketball can be reflected in the game.

-Better player physics. Right now there is a weird shield around the players when they make contact. If I charge from one side of the screen to the other and run headlong into a player, I should knock him down, and possibly hurt him. Right now that's not even a situation in the game. Defense is based on getting into position without too much contact. We don't have the option for too much contact. There was some semblance of this in College Hoops 2k7. When guys went up for layups, you could turbo into them and knock the hell out of them. Now that's basketball

2k plays a great game right now, but is that game a declining vet, or reaching it's prime?

[SageInfinite]

2k can't afford to change its engine. I for 1 don't think it needs any changing. Just tweaks. Seems like they have so many different animations every year and they just keep adding on. I think its been proven its a pretty flexible engine.

[jewelz1132]

It doesnt need a new engine..but take madden for example, every year it may have something in it that kills the game experience, but it looks and feels completely different every year..

[edubbs]

I think the game engine is fine.

They are able to pack a boat load of new animations into the game every year, that keeps the game fresh 'for me' all the way through the entire NBA season IRL.

I think ALOT of people have grown tired of the visuals though. There were rumors of a new graphics engine last year for 2k8, but that never happened.

The visuals have been probably the part of the game with the less upgrades, for those people with issues with the title getting stale.

However, it's good to hear that everyone who has seen the game (2k9) in motion has been VERY positive about the impovements of the visuals this year with the "2k HD feature".

Significant improvents to the player models and graphics in general, combined with the endless amount of animations they add each year 'could' possibly net the total package this year.

[bateman11]

I do somewhat agree with the OP. Good post. You made two very valid points there.

[USF11]

I dunno a new engine leads to problems somewhere else.

[aholbert32]

NO NEW ENGINE!!! Just tweak it because its damn good.

[Aces15]

Quote: Originally Posted by USF11

I dunno a new engine leads to problems somewhere else.

True, they already have a solid game of basketball, and changing the engine would just cause too many things that they need to tweak to make it work properly. All they have to do is perfect what they already have.