NBA 2K9

[bdm860]

LarBrd33 I'm definitely with you.  I love building dynasties but always find it way too easy.  I love re-drafting the whole league, and I try to give myself as much of handicap as possible by picking last, but I'm still always able to come out with a playoff team that first year and a championship team by year 2 or 3.  Too easy to manipulate the computer, and what you said above was a perfect example.

Another thing I never liked was teams/GMs don't get reputations.  Like with the example you gave with Chris Webber, you can sign an aging veteran for cheap because he wants to win, then screw him over by immmediately trading him to a bad team for a young stud.  Do this once in real life and no veteran will probably ever sign with you again.  Also in real life, if a team makes tons of trades with constant roster turnover, immediately trades older players for younger ones, no player is ever going to want to re-sign or sign with that team.  Teams in real life get reputations, you can't continually screw players then expect everyone to happily play for your team.  I think this would help the realiness in these types of games, it could help curb some of the ease of manipulating the AI.

[CelticBalla32]

You guys need to check out the new NBA 2k9 trailer, which was released about five hours ago.

Amazing.

[shookones99]

You guys need to check out the new NBA 2k9 trailer, which was released about five hours ago.

Amazing.

WOW   That really was amazing.  The Pierce layups were perfect.  And the Kobe dunk were he went under the hoop was amazing too.  And Chauncey's crossover.   I should stop now because the whole thing was pretty perfect.

[Mean Gerald Green]

You guys need to check out the new NBA 2k9 trailer, which was released about five hours ago.

Amazing.

My god I can't wait...haven't been this excited for a game since...NBA2k8

[Andy Jick]

ray ray behind the back layup (near the end) was really cool...

on a side note: i don't know how many of you guys are into the classic rosters, but there's a guy at operationsports.com (username: portlandblazer) that has put together the playoff teams (only) from 1980 to current.  he has done a ton of research on player models and the ratings are spot-on.  you can get endless gameplay from these.  i'm not trading in 2k8 for this reason, but he has stated that he'll be doing the same roster project for 2k9 as well.

all you need is a 360 transfer kit (memory card and the Datel Xchange software)...download the roster file onto your pc and then onto your 360 hard drive.

[CelticBalla32]

Operation Sports just released two gameplay videos for us, and they are terrific.

Lakers @ Celtics (the first video)

Here are my notes/thoughts:

• That passing animation where Rondo threw it up-court to Pierce, looked exactly like Rondo. They got Rondo's jumper down beautifully, as well. Very life-like.

• I loved Boston's first offensive set in this video. Rondo cut through the paint and went around a screen from KG. Once the ball was dumped down to Perk in the post, Ray Allen immediately shifted over to passing territory. The result? Fisher comes down to double Perk in the post, Perk kicks it out to Ray for a wide open 3 - splash.

• My only complaint is that the AI still sometimes walks through a set play. However, the reason Pierce walked through that last play (towards the top of the key) was because Bynum cut him off and bumped him as he was moving towards the top. That threw him off. When that doesn't happen, it's fine.

Now the second video is one that you all really need to watch... even if you only watch the first 20 seconds. The new game intros are insane (in a good way).

Nuggets @ Suns (the second video down from the left, with the Harlan/Kellog picture)

• Once again, the pre-game intro is absolutely insane. I love it. I love the TV feel of the end-of-quarter highlights, as well. 2k really stepped it up in the presentation department this year, and I'm pumped.

• I watched the Celtics/Lakers gameplay video first, and I noticed drastic difference in the game speed between that game and this Suns/Nuggets game.... that's beautiful. That's exactly how it should be. The Suns and Nuggets are certainly going to play at a faster tempo than the Celtics and Lakers, so I was very happy to visually grasp that right off the bat.

• Both videos definitely back up what the 2k developers have been saying about the defense this year - it has really tightened up, especially on the interior. Can't bring much weak sauce inside this year.

[bdm860]

I love basketball games.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to hate, but there are just certain parts of the games where it is so completely unrealistic.  AI has always had it's problems, and one of things I hate is players not even looking at the ball always making perfect catches.

Suns/Nuggets
At 1:18 it doesn't look like Carter is ever looking at the ball, but catches it perfectly.

At 1:28 Nene magically turns around as soon as Martin steals the ball.  Nene who's not looking at the play and is starting to run down court, instantly stops running down court once Martin tips the ball but stands still facing his basket, then instantly turns around when Martin passes him the ball. 

At 4:52 I guess Shaq has eyes on the back of his head when he catches the pass from Nash.

Now some AI concerns on the Celtics/Lakers games

Look how the defense switches on Pierce at 0:28, Pierce is wide open at the top of the key with the ball, and Bynum just leaves him so Kobe can guard him.  I understand switching, but they would never switch like that, and Pierce just wouldn't remain in the triple threat position while they do it.  And if the defenders are smart enough to switch up who they're guarding why would Bynum leave Pierce to cover Rondo!

At 2:00, is Kobe really going to make a bounce pass to Fisher when they are standing about a foot apart?

In the possesion starting around 2:08, has there ever been a possesion where Rondo held the ball for about 21 seconds.  Like CelticBalla said the AI seems to walk through the play really slow, I think you'd see the players hurry up a little more once there gets to be about 5-6 seconds left in the shot clock.  I think a human was controlling Rondo here, but Pierce should show a little more desperation hustling out to get the ball, when he's not in position and there is less than 5 seconds on the shot clock.

And what NBA universe is this?  Not one foul during either of the Celtics/Lakers or Nuggets/Suns games.  No real turnovers, except for I think 3 steals, don't players ever travel or throw the ball out of bounds anymore?  Of course I know no one really wants to play a game where teams shoot 45% from the floor and average 20 turnovers a game, but if we want realness...

[BigAlTheFuture]

This may be a dumb question, but I've always gotten NBA Live in the past and was going to give 2K a shot this year.  You can trade players and create new players right?

Of course.

Thanks!  I'm gonna give it a shot this year instead of Live.

It won't disappoint you. 2k is 10x better than Live.

[celticmaestro]

I was quite disappointed with those vids, especially with the commentary.

I'll be getting the game regardless though, and hopefully when I'm playing it and not watching it it will be better.

[jackson_34]

I saw another gameplay video featuring the bulls and hornets yesterday... I thought the graphics and atmosphere that 2k have put together are the best there's been, BUT the gameplay seemed unfortunatley very jerky and robotic. Strange since i thought 2k8 was pretty smooth.

[CelticBalla32]

You think 2k is jerky and robotic?

Go play Live, then get back to me.

[StartOrien]

Just one small change I'm hoping for in 2k9;
What's with no serpentine draft in the association?

[jgod213]

I love basketball games.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to hate, but there are just certain parts of the games where it is so completely unrealistic.  AI has always had it's problems, and one of things I hate is players not even looking at the ball always making perfect catches.

Suns/Nuggets
At 1:18 it doesn't look like Carter is ever looking at the ball, but catches it perfectly.

At 1:28 Nene magically turns around as soon as Martin steals the ball.  Nene who's not looking at the play and is starting to run down court, instantly stops running down court once Martin tips the ball but stands still facing his basket, then instantly turns around when Martin passes him the ball. 

At 4:52 I guess Shaq has eyes on the back of his head when he catches the pass from Nash.

Now some AI concerns on the Celtics/Lakers games

Look how the defense switches on Pierce at 0:28, Pierce is wide open at the top of the key with the ball, and Bynum just leaves him so Kobe can guard him.  I understand switching, but they would never switch like that, and Pierce just wouldn't remain in the triple threat position while they do it.  And if the defenders are smart enough to switch up who they're guarding why would Bynum leave Pierce to cover Rondo!

At 2:00, is Kobe really going to make a bounce pass to Fisher when they are standing about a foot apart?

In the possesion starting around 2:08, has there ever been a possesion where Rondo held the ball for about 21 seconds.  Like CelticBalla said the AI seems to walk through the play really slow, I think you'd see the players hurry up a little more once there gets to be about 5-6 seconds left in the shot clock.  I think a human was controlling Rondo here, but Pierce should show a little more desperation hustling out to get the ball, when he's not in position and there is less than 5 seconds on the shot clock.

And what NBA universe is this?  Not one foul during either of the Celtics/Lakers or Nuggets/Suns games.  No real turnovers, except for I think 3 steals, don't players ever travel or throw the ball out of bounds anymore?  Of course I know no one really wants to play a game where teams shoot 45% from the floor and average 20 turnovers a game, but if we want realness...

Hate to break it to ya, man - but you are in fact hating, or at least being far too nit-picky.

You're just not going to find a sports game, particularly a basketball game, that is near perfect.  Any good gamer will find a flaw in any sports game, it's inevidable.  The thing about 2k is that you really have to go out of your way to complain about something - the glaring weaknesses (i.e. Live) just aren't there anymore.

If you were to tell me that the biggest flaws of the game are....
a) sometimes players don't look at the ball when they recieve a pass
b) sometimes players turn around when they shouldn't
c) players off the ball don't show desperation when the shot clock winds down

....I'll tell you that this game should be even better than i expected.

Sure i had some issues with 2k8, but those issues did not keep me from playing the game non-stop and rating it as easily one of my top few sports games ever played.

[Greenwood]

Just one small change I'm hoping for in 2k9;
What's with no serpentine draft in the association?

That was something that always bothered me, It does not make sense to have it only as a fixed fantasy draft. 

[celticpride07]

so i was at gamestop today..and the guy told me that they already have nba 2k9 in stock...they just cant legally sell it until october 7..i tried to convince him to give it to me but he wouldn't....i guess i can wait a week.