NBA 2K14 News Post

NBA 2K14: It's Time to Revamp Presentation

11:29 AM - January 6, 2014 by RaychelSnr

Despite the struggles that NBA 2K is facing right now, the development team has still hit it home with presentation and commentary the past few years. The team of Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg, with recent additions Steve Kerr and Doris Burke, has become the so-called Holy Grail of sports video game commentary and everyone knows it. But when will 2K set the bar even higher? Even though they�re the best doesn�t mean that they can�t be better, which is exactly what they should do.

In NBA 2K14, the commentary is slowly becoming � dare I say it � stale.

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# 1 Scrooge @ 01/06/14 11:39 AM

i remember a developers diary or w.e. where they said when playing an nba today game and they reference past real life games they would go into more detail like instead of just "the hawks lost to warriors yesterday" theyll "igoudala hit a game winner and bla bla" and go into more detail.

ive yet to hear anything like that

# 2 cmehustle @ 01/06/14 12:08 PM

Not worried so much about the presentation, all though I would agree with you and say yes, there is more they can do to spice it up. But first and foremost they need to get their servers up and running. I mean this has been a ridiculous year for online.

# 3 HustlinOwl @ 01/06/14 12:12 PM

all commentary is stale and just part of the sports genre

# 4 Buddywalker @ 01/06/14 12:41 PM

The NBA 2k series on next gen really needs to improve their replay and highlights system, because it doesn’t work as it should be.

After every match I sit back and enjoy the highlights of the game. I like to watch all the dunks, blocks and key plays of the game in slow motion from different camera angles. Too sad that there is no music playing in the back ground, when we want to see the individual highlights videos. It’s like watching an old silent movie with Charlie Chaplin. But wait, those films had at least some piano music playing.

I also cannot understand that we need to shorten the quarters down to six minutes if we want to see the individual highlights or player of the game videos. It seems to me, that the new generation of consoles can’t handle the videos properly cause of a memory problem.

I also would love to see some random photo shots of the game like in NBA 2k12 with the soundtrack playing in the back ground. And please bring back the mascots and cheerleaders of the NBA!

# 5 csamuelsvt @ 01/06/14 12:52 PM

If this game could get the TNT license or NBA TV (don't think they can get ESPN since Live has that) that would really help the presentation etc.

# 6 mwolchock @ 01/06/14 01:03 PM

I wish they would bring back player intros like they did back in the ESPN NBA 2k Days

# 7 turty11 @ 01/06/14 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxJustAguessxX


	If 2k was ever able to get a licensed deal like ESPN, that would really help.

they cant and wont as long as EA is still attempting to make a basketball game

# 8 Goffs @ 01/06/14 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxJustAguessxX


	If 2k was ever able to get a licensed deal like ESPN, that would really help.

I'd rather that they get the TNT license over ESPN....

# 9 mt8732 @ 01/06/14 01:35 PM

We need marv albert. Yes!

# 10 VDusen04 @ 01/06/14 01:43 PM

I'd love to see a more realistic replay system. I'm not so much of a fan of action replays sponsored by Nike that occur in the heat of the game. It'd be nice to see replays pushed to breaks in the action.

I've also been talking about this for years, but I'd like to see better buzzer beater/game-winner presentation. I've seen hints that the moment a game-winner is hit on next gen, there's an immediate camera wipe, a short cut scene and possibly not an opportunity to replay what'd just occurred. I wrote a detailed post of what I'd like to see out of end-of-game buzzer beaters here: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-shot-yet.html

And as mentioned by buddywalker earlier in the thread, I really would like to see all the post-game wrap-up things cleaned up. It seemed there was a time around 2K9-2K11 where we had a really sharp post-game, featuring Top 3 Plays, clean custom player highlights, a photo album, and access to ReelMaker to remember our best plays as we saw fit. But slowly, things started glitching out a little bit (or removed altogether). Now the post-game presentation still exists, but almost as an afterthought.

Altogether, 2K's presentation can be a tough topic to broach, simply because they have done a fine job with their presentation in comparison to their competition over the years. That said, it's not perfect. So additional suggestions aren't necessarily condemnations, as much as they just... ideas for betterment.

# 11 The 24th Letter @ 01/06/14 01:49 PM

2k9 actually did game winner presentation well...they would acknowledge and replay it, and even replay it before overtime if it was a game tier...the actual celebration wasnt great, but I loved the presentation..made the moment seem big..

as a matter of fact 2k9's cuts to replays were pretty awesome overall..

# 12 RipCityAndy @ 01/06/14 02:03 PM

I would be interested to see statistics on how often players view replays, halftime reports, pre-game intros, etc. I heard somewhere that EA has data hooks in Live's halftime reports so they can measure how many players just click through and how many watch the halftime show (and for how long).

# 13 The 24th Letter @ 01/06/14 02:16 PM

Well 2k has a dedicated signature highlights guy here....I hope they dont do away with them and I am still upset they dont work in next gen

# 14 Saviour @ 01/06/14 02:56 PM

How about resolving the gameplay and online issues first...then maybe they can concentrate on implementing presentation enhancements.

# 15 videobastard @ 01/06/14 03:07 PM

I would rather there be more emphasis on the crowd sound atmosphere.

# 16 El_Poopador @ 01/06/14 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishwhiskey119


	This is the most ridiculous blog/article i've ever read. Of ALL games to criticize you go after one of the 2 best game? lol 2k's presentation is incredible! The fact that you are spoiled by constantly experiencing new images and video and entertainment all over the internet shouldn't mask you from having realistic expectations in quality. But apparently it does. You asking for 2k to step up it's game is selfish and wrong. I can understand you not wanting to see a Madden scenario of the same game being thrown out there w/ a couple new features every year but 2k jumped ahead so far in presentation and overall gameplay a couple years ago that i think if anyone deserves a pass it's them. The Show and 2k are fantastic games and i will not critique them when every other studio and sporting franchise is so flawed.

so youre saying they can get a pass for re-releasing the same thing for the next few years at full price until the other games catch up?

back on topic: i personally feel that 2k needs to step up when it comes to play-by-play commentary. there is very little dead air in the game which is good but the only reason for that is that they talk too much about back stories and who the stat leaders are etc. they dont focus much on whats happening on the court. after a while especially if youre playing with the same team (association mode or my career) it becomes incredibly repetitive because you hear the same stories over and over.

# 17 CookNBA03 @ 01/06/14 03:18 PM

TNT!! Have the pre-game shows and the half time shows with highlights. I heard a rumor that 2K15 will have TNT somewhere though, I just don't remember.

# 18 spankdatazz22 @ 01/06/14 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishwhiskey119


	2k's presentation is incredible! The fact that you are spoiled by constantly experiencing new images and video and entertainment all over the internet shouldn't mask you from having realistic expectations in quality. But apparently it does.

I do think singling 2K's presentation out as stale is people being somewhat spoiled by what they've had most of last generation. The game's always going to pale in comparison to real life, and that's pretty much what the author seemed to be comparing the game to in terms of expectations. As far as 2K needing to "revamp" their presentation all together, if the next gen experience is any indicator this forum has shown precious little patience in 2K revamping anything. When 2K tried to integrate Clark Kellogg into the game it took a few years before they got rid of the fluctuations in tone and the commentary flowed seamlessly.

When Kerr was integrated it went more smoothly, but it shouldn't be assumed any revamp would occur without issues. As it is now it sounds like all of the guys are in the same room commenting on the action occurring on the court, which imo is pretty remarkable not only from a front-facing presentation standpoint but also from a technological standpoint. Even the integration of the halftime commentary is really well done imo, in the way he comments on what's occurred in the first half and also comments on games either in progress or that have finished. AND it's integrated into NBA Today games, where you get updates during each half.

I haven't seen the Real Voice stuff they added with next gen but with that implementation 2K's shown they aren't resting on their laurels. Hell, a few years ago 2K went the extra mile (I'd say several miles) and added era-specific presentation which was well done - and has been largely forgotten/ignored by this board.

And they're the ones being singled out for presentation having grown stale? I get wanting to see improvement, which we all do. But singling them out as having stale presentation feels a bit like saying I'm tired of my team winning the Super Bowl every year

imo

# 19 VDusen04 @ 01/06/14 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spankdatazz22


	Hell, a few years ago 2K went the extra mile (I'd say several miles) and added era-specific* presentation which was well done - and has been largely forgotten/ignored by this board.*

Man, I loved the era presentation. It was wonderfully done. The same can be said for the Jordan Challenge presentation. Watching MJ shrug on-court after hitting that sixth three was an incredible video game moment (amongst numerous other examples). Those were two absolutely wonderful and realistic odes to the NBA and its authentic history. I was actually very disappointed to not see that presentation added upon, or even maintained, but rather scrapped altogether. I thought they caught lightning in a bottle there, but it was abandoned.

That said, I understand maybe there were difficulties in sustaining the filters (or figuring out how to implement era-specific rules as an option for quick games between old teams) but I thought it would have been worth the effort. Those are the types of real life, detail-oriented NBA innovations I've really dug over the years from 2K.

# 20 Sundown @ 01/06/14 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrooge


	i remember a developers diary or w.e. where they said when playing an nba today game and they reference past real life games they would go into more detail like instead of just "the hawks lost to warriors yesterday" theyll "igoudala hit a game winner and bla bla" and go into more detail. ive yet to hear anything like that

Yeah, me neither. This was disappointing because I was hoping for that exact analysis for the Hawks game. In fact, game winners was the specific example a dev used.

I really don't hear much more detail in the commentary than CG, though they do comment on incredible late game runs which I'm not sure was in CG.

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