The Curious Case of NBA2k 14

The NBA season had my craving another 2k myplayer season. I hadn't gotten a new edition for a couple years and figured I would pull the trigger for the ps3 version. Check the reviews, and as usual, glowing. Lowest on Metacritic doesn't even dip below a 70.

Except somewhere along the line, these games have been getting worse with every year. The menus are confusing, the graphics look 5+ years out of date, the controls feel stiff, AI is horrid and best of all - 2k seems to have stripped out most of the customization options in MyPlayer and tied it to their microtransaction "Virtual Currency". So to get a sleeve for my character to wear is going to be $1.99

On top of that, you have to go through a crazy amount of registration just to have the privilege of paying them for stuff.

The entire product feels like a frankenstein monster of old tech, microtransactions and tacked on nonsense to try and justify a yearly upgrade. I remember last year they had Jay Z pick some music and made it a selling point on the box. I wrapped up a couple hours with the game with a somewhat sick feeling, and a deep desire to return it and get my money back.

Despite all this, the next gen versions seem really slick. Is this just a case of a series limping across the finish line and ready for a reboot, or do we have nothing but a future of stripped out features and extra charges ahead? I understand some of the Madden ultimate team stuff, but this seems... Way overboard.

I played NBA 2K13 when I got it on PS+. While I didn't really like the game itself (basketball isn't my thing), I thought the commentary was some of the best I've heard in a sports game. Stuff like the main commentator and colour guy have realistic sounding conversations about the game, going to a third person for added coverage. Even them not commentating on everything that's happening like real sports commentary.

However, the trend that seems to be in every sports game where they ask for email addresses and other personal info is a real turn off. The direction games are going in general is pretty off putting, with micro transaction, ridiculously overpriced digital prices compared to store prices (in Britain anyways) and stuff in games that were fun unlocks to being bought stuff .

Hmm, sort of went all over the place there. Yeah, the commentary was really good.

Despite NBA Live 14's poor reception, I can see EA improving on it with next year's game. Unless 2k wants to be caught with their pants down, they'll try to replicate the "2k11 situation" and bury EA once more.

Step #1: Bring back customization in MyCareer.

Step #2: Make it a bit easier to get VC and/or lower the amount of VC it takes to buy packs in MyTeam. That shit is ridiculous.

Step #3: Fix the online. The most recent batch of MyTeam games that I played ended prematurely due to "The session was lost" or some ish like that. Stop burning my contracts!