I made this thread before, but it was lost when BBW went through downtime, but there's some new info out:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/817/817122p1.htmlIt begins with the rebuilt AI. The new AI is deadly against those who have zero hoops knowledge. If your idea of a basketball game is constantly driving to the hole, no matter who's handling the rock and who's standing in their way, then you're in for a rude awakening. NBA 2K8 will punish those who make foolish plays. The AI takes advantage of aggressiveness. Dribble too much and the AI will strip you. Drive down the lane every possession and you'll find a big man will start stepping up to take the charge and knock you on your ass.
Play smart hoops and you will be rewarded. The defense properly collapses when Shaq gets the ball in deep. And the AI, now often seen moving without the ball, will likely set Dwyane Wade behind the arc. Pass out of the triple-team and Wade is left wide open. Players such as Wade and Nash, who rarely miss those open shots, aren't going to miss them in 2K8. Think about it. How often have you seen Nash find spacing and drain a wide-open shot? All the time. He's almost automatic. But in most hoops games, soulless mathematics are used to determine an artificial probability of that little orange ball going through the hoop. And too often that ball clanks. I've seen first hand that if Nash pulls up and no one is around him, in 2K8, he's banging that home.
At the same time, the 2K team realized that there are some players who can drive into traffic and will the ball into the hoops. Kobe, KG, Agent Zero. Whether it's pushing through and slamming a dunk over a defender or finding a way to teardrop the ball through the hoop, some players just have a knack for draining clutch shots in traffic. Those players now have a specific rating in NBA 2K8, so that once impossible shots can sometimes be possible. That isn't to say you won't see harsh rejections of even the most dominant players, but no longer is every player treated as equal with a defender's hand in his face.
I like the sound of everything in these 3 paragraphs.
Things are a little more sophisticated away from the paint as well. Each player now has a rating judging how good they are shooting off the dribble. Kobe may just be one of the very best in this category. How often do we see an awkward jumpshot off a dribble drained by Kobe? NBA 2K8 recognizes there are some players better at setting their feet and shooting and others that have a gift for dropping shots on the move. Again, all of this is meant to better individuate NBA players. You want Tony Parker to play differently than Leandro Barbosa. You want Nash and Dirk to both be highly-skilled but different to control. From the game I played of NBA 2K8, that dream is closer to reality than it has been in a long time for Visual Concepts.
Nice addition, good to see that they're adding more in-depth rating scales.
In hopes to add even more realism to its sim franchise, Visual Concepts implemented new footplanting technology. The new animation and physics system requires that every crossover and post move have the necessary footwork to make it real. In the past you could use the Isomotion system to break from a crossover and then instantly hit a spin move. While it looked cool, some of the animations were physically impossible. Now, players must plant their foot to properly push off. It makes some of the moves slower to respond, but it also makes NBA 2K8 feel a touch more grounded than its predecessors. Movement and momentum were a major focus for VC this year and its shows.
Thank God.
While your or I might have called it a day with all these improvements, VC soldiered on. Next on the hit list is the post game. Let's face it, post play has never been as perimeter play. NBA 2K8 hopes to change that with a more refined post option. The biggest change in the post are your options. Players have a far greater range of shot options and moves. And the post doesn't feel as artificial, as if it's some mini-game within a game. While after one game I can't say it's the greatest thing since jelly on toast, it's certainly faster and more exhilarating than in 2K7.
I like this as well, I want more versatility in the post. I hope we can up-fake deep in the post now, as well.
When the buzzer rings and the crowd begins filing out of the arena, you still have reason to avoid quitting to the main menu. The post game show starts with the Jordan Player of the Game. You'll see the player's stats and their highlight reel. It even shows their hot zones and how well they shot around the court. Then comes the top 3 plays of the game. If that's not enough, you get signature highlights for every player. Let's say you play Celtics vs. Suns. You can click on Kevin Garnett and see his highlight reel. Then check out all of Nash's dope dishes. And Barbosa's sweet jumpers. If that isn't enough, you can go through a catalogue of every single play in the entire game and choose any replay you want to watch. That's hot.
The post-game show sounds pretty sick, and I really like Top 3 Plays of the Game.
Then you guys already know about the Lock-on D and hot zones (if not, just read page 2 of this article). In the last article (don't feel like digging it up), it also mentioned that the off-ball controls are much better.
Alright remember how the first batch of NBA 2k8 pictures made Chris Paul look like a glazed doughnut? Well, let's just say they fixed it, and the player models/graphics are RIDICULOUSLY on-point. Here are 7 new pics:
http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/866/866314/imgs_1.htmlI am
SO PUMPED for this game, just 32 days away baby. In the mean time, I hope we get more info (especially on Association mode) and possibly a couple 5-on-5 gameplay vids.
Topic: Official NBA 2k8 Information/General 2k8 stuff Thread (Read 43893 times)