NBA 2K13 Thread

[Apathy]

Handstands?

 

[mvp_status]

if they add my crib or something like that, im coppin at midnight

Damn I forgot about that shyt. My Crib was that piff. I remember copping the air hockey table then being when I realized you could actually play it lol

 

[thaKEAF]

MyPlayer is gonna be the shyt this year.

 

[dabestkeptsecret]

Damn I forgot about that shyt. My Crib was that piff. I remember copping the air hockey table then being when I realized you could actually play it lol

lol i was playing that air hockey game more than the actual game at one point

- but pre game rituals could be the shyt. I'm sure they'll have someone doing the dougie confirming that dance is dead.

 

[Optimus Prime]

2K has put pre-game routines in the last few years, atleast dwights and lbj's but if i finally see MJ doing his powder routine before games

 

[thaKEAF]

 

[Sam Peel]

NBA 2K13 Gameplay - Lakers vs. Heat - YouTube

 

[William Bassington]

Damn the gameplay looks amazing, probably plays even better

 

[McPiff]

NBA 2K13 Has Everything and the Kitchen Sink - IGN

Has the NBA 2K series become too successful?

Two years ago, the stars all aligned for the long-running basketball sim. Michael Jordan signed on. Their competition crashed and burned spectacularly. And most importantly, independent of all that, the gameplay itself was the best we'd ever seen in a pro basketball game up to that point. 2K's party continued last year, with Jordan returning, EA keeping NBA Live on the bench again, and 2K12 offering up more hoops goodness.

So what of this year -- 2K13? His Airness is back -- and this time he's bringing a certain Round Mound of Rebound who'd long since stayed out of the video game world -- and the game will once more be the only basketball sim you can buy on a disc. As for the game itself? It's packed to the rafters with goodness, from a playable fantasy match-up of the 1992 and 2012 Dream Teams to an all-new, NBA Live Freestyle stick-esque control scheme. But it's also got a whole slew of features that you're probably not expecting. So that takes us back to a version of the original question: has Visual Concepts gone nuts?

The answer for gamers is a resounding yes, but in the best of ways.

First, there's the whole Jay-Z thing. Visual Concepts proudly puts him forward as an "executive producer" on the game, but until now they've never explained what the hell that means. Besides giving him credit for getting Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley to sign on and be playable in the game (no, really; they claim Jay picked up the phone, said, "Get me Barkley and Pippen," and they called him back ASAP and reached an agreement to be included), Hova curated the entire soundtrack, which includes himself (duh), Kanye West, and U2, among many others. Better, before each game tips off, a music video by Jay-Z or one of the other featured artists plays to get you fired up for the game, mixed together with gameplay footage. A number of these are included, and they definitely spice up the presentation. Finally, he also requested that the background menus pulse in rhythm to whatever song is playing at a given time. I've seen this and...yep, it does that. Thanks Jay!

"Please, Mr. GM, will you fire Stan Van Gundy for me? PLEEEEEEEEASE?"

Second is the new Virtual Currency (VC...get it?) system. Like many other modern games, you'll get what amount to experience points for everything you do -- even quick-play games. Your VC is spent on upgrading your MyPlayer, which returns from last year but has now been blown-out. Buy suits for your created baller that you'll see during post-game press conferences. Pick up official, real-life team gear by adidas to don in blacktop pickup games. And in the Accessory Shop, grab gear like the adiZero Speedwrap ankle brace that has stat-modifying bonuses; in this case, a +2 boost to your on-ball defense.

In MyCareer mode, you'll be able to simulate Dwight Howard's life, from meeting with the GM to demand your coach be fired to taking your teammates out to dinner in order to receive a team chemistry/popularity boost. You can even do NBA Cares charity functions in order to win over more fans.

"Damn, I make this look good."

Visual Concepts spent perhaps the most amount of time during my demo showing me their craziest feature yet: the Shoe Creator. Yes, they've had a basic version of this before, but the ends of the earth they've gone to on this smack of a studio that clearly has no competition to worry about and is free to pursue flights of fancy like this (again, I mean that in a nice way!). 2K13's Shoe Creator is, essentially, the virtual shoe equivalent of Forza Motorsport 4's livery system. Except in that game, you can't click a button when you're done and order the car you just designed, complete with that custom paint job.

Yes, you can build your own kicks using different materials, colors, patterns, and more. Dozens of layers (45 of them, to be exact) let you highlight every detail you like. You can then upload those to the web, where other users can rate them. Want to go a step farther? Get this: the game syncs with the NikeID website and you can actually have your virtual shoe made real and shipped to your door. Perhaps Visual Concepts will let us try out that particular feature next time...

In case you were wondering: yes, there is a basketball game in here too.

What you should and probably do care most about, however, is the new Control Stick. Simply wiggle the right thumbstick and use the momentum of your body to fake guys out of their shoes (don't worry, it's far easier said than done; I don't expect it to be exploitable), and then pull LT/R2 in order to flip the Control Stick into the Shot Stick and put up your look. I only got to play a couple quarters as the '92 Dream Team against this summer's Team USA -- hardly enough time to really get comfortable with the controls -- but it feels like a natural, simulation-friendly evolution of its implementation back in the last-gen NBA Live days. It should prove to be NBA 2K13's most important new feature, along with the return of Michael Jordan and the Legends teams (including a new crew: Allen Iverson's '01 76ers)...

...What, you thought I was going to say it'd be the Shoe Creator?

a shoe creator breh....

 

[NoMayo15]

No major updates to Association then?

 

[McPiff]

Games radar preview

NBA 2K13 preview - Stepping into the arena | GamesRadar

Where can you go after bringing His Airness back? Where can you go after legends like Magic Johnson are revived on-court with contemporary gameplay flourishes? The NBA 2K series has dominated the court for several years. With NBA 2K13, some big changes are afoot. We got first hands-on a few weeks ago, but were told that the team wasn't ready to talk about career mode. Now they are.
(Fake) Money in the Bank

At the root of NBA 2K13 is the Virtual Currency, or VC, system. It's not explicitly named as experience points, but it has the same functionality. It turns nearly every element of 2K13 into a metagame, from the time you spend in online games to single-player seasons. You can use it for character customization, or for other elements.
Welcome to My Career

My Player mode has been a staple of NBA 2K for several years. And while the team has tweaked and modulated different elements over its numerous annual updates--your created player's life off the court, for example--the new My Career lets your customize your player on three tiers. You can use earned VC to buy different items, from the latest shoes to wear for street ball games to suits for your press conferences. All of your tweaks will show up in cutscenes throughout the game.

Customization doesn't just extend to what clothes you put on your virtual athlete's back. There are a variety of custom animations, from how he enters the arena to how he celebrates after an especially standout scoring moment. Those unique moves also extend to real-life player's trademark traits, such as LeBron James' chalk toss-up. Plus, the new Signature Skills moves (which were unveiled during our prior hands-on) extend into your player. The triple-tiered perk system ranges from having a sharper eye for three-pointers all the way up to a player/coach role that lets you completely dictate the play of the team based on your whims.

There's also an incorporation of Twitter-like social media elements (without the Twitter branding) that offer feedback on your performance from fans, celebrities (Pauly D, among others, will fist pump his support for you), and real-life sports journalists, like Zach Harper. Your popularity among fans and in regard to team chemistry holds a great deal of weight throughout your career.

Popularity has a strong influence on your ability to sway the locker room. We got a glimpse at the Meet with GM minigame, and according to your fanbase and team chemistry, you can have more clout when it comes to demanding coaching changes or getting good teammates more playtime. And if you're having problems enhancing your popularity and pull, you can always cash in some VC points to buy yourself social media boosters.
His Name Is Hov...

Career mode isn't the only overhaul in NBA 2K13. 2K Sports has heavily promoted Jay-Z's involvement as executive producer of the game. It's immediately evident from the presentation that his thumbprints are all over this title. The flashing lights and marquees in the main menu throb and pulsate in sync with the soundtrack. When you start a Quick Game, you'll sometimes be treated to a highlight reel of the team's last encounter, interspersed with footage from Jay-Z videos (we saw footage of Lakers vs. Heat spliced with "Onto the Next One"), not unlike the drama you see before televised big NBA showdowns. It won't happen every time you play (nor is the soundtrack solely his discography), but it adds an authentic-feeling touch to the ambience.

A Mean Shoe Game

Speaking of authenticity, NBA 2K13 touts a fan-requested create-a-shoe feature. Gameplay producer Rob Jones walked us through the plethora of options, from brands (Nike, Adidas, Converse, Under Armour, Spalding) to types (from low-tops to retro hi-tops) and the number of possible layers (up to eight). You can shift the layering, not unlike working in Photoshop, to create different styles, and ultimately upload them to the official game's site. Plus, if you use 2K13's Nike ID integration, you can create a shoe in-game, send the blueprint to the Nike ID website, and order real-life shoes that both you and your custom avatar can wear.
Get Acquainted with Association

Finally, this year's Association Mode will have some new wrinkles. It's updated with the same real-world contract refinements that came out of last year's post-lockout collective bargaining agreement. There's also a new feature called Total Sim Control that gives you far more sway over the games you choose to simulate over the course of a long season. Want Steve Nash to shoot more than Kobe? Want to ensure that your team plays the defense they would if you were playing a full game yourself? Now you can program those choices into the process. And, arguably the biggest addition? If you're not picking the game up on launch day, you can download all of the real-world statistics and injury data up to the day you start playing.

Overall, between the depth of My Career, its level of customization, and the Jay-Z-curated presentation, there's plenty to be excited about with NBA 2K13. Plus, that's all on top of the revamped dribbling and shooting mechanics that the Visual Concepts team has unveiled. It'd be bold to set your expectations somewhere around "Lakers Fan," but there's a great deal to be excited about from this year's installment.

 

[McPiff]

No major updates to Association then?

Get Acquainted with Association

Finally, this year's Association Mode will have some new wrinkles. It's updated with the same real-world contract refinements that came out of last year's post-lockout collective bargaining agreement. There's also a new feature called Total Sim Control that gives you far more sway over the games you choose to simulate over the course of a long season. Want Steve Nash to shoot more than Kobe? Want to ensure that your team plays the defense they would if you were playing a full game yourself? Now you can program those choices into the process. And, arguably the biggest addition? If you're not picking the game up on launch day, you can download all of the real-world statistics and injury data up to the day you start playing.

 

[Gifted one]

Create your own shoe? Breh Oct 2 needs to come now, I'm going to spend so much time on my player

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

 

[Gifted one]

I'm fiending right now brehs