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NBA 2K14: Next-Gen Details on Gameplay, AI, New Modes and more!


2K Sports today revealed a whole boatload of information about NBA 2K14 on next-gen consoles, which includes a four-tier approach with NBA Today, MyCAREER. MyTEAM and MyGM all receiving a huge imagining for next-generation consoles.

Aholbert32 attended the event and will post what he can, when he can. Follow him on Twitter. Hands-on impressions, etc. are coming soon from the event!

Check out the full details from the presser.

Graphics and New Engine

The first thing you need to know, NBA 2K14 is not a port. It has been built from the ground up for the new hardware with a new engine called "Eco Motion."

The game will feature much improved graphics, with additional details like leg tattoos, new celebrations, hairstyles, and facial hair.

2K will be focusing its efforts on four main pillars of gameplay: NBA Today, MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and MyGM.

NBA Today is brand new, built from the ground up. Video highlights from previous days games will be shown with the menu looking like a scoreboard w/ all games listed.

All your NBA news connected on your console updated daily. This is all driven by Dynamic Living Rosters - which is adjust daily based on how players are performing in the real world.

Points of emphasis has been added to the game, which is a feature last saw in the old College Hoops franchise. No warmup outfit for bench players, but the crowds look much better. There are now less duplicates in the crowd. FYI the gameplay clip we saw was only 4 possessions.

Little imperfections of dirt on the backboard tells you all you need to know about the attention to detail. 2K built a material library. It looks like 2K took each arena and really upgraded them.

Details shown at scorers table. A thumbprint on a monitor is shown. Redid the scoreboards in each arena and the lighting in each arena, it is a small but definitely noticeable improvement.

Now showing off the new LED dynamic lighting system. Just stunning. Scoreboard lights are dynamic and showcase reflections.

2K actually measured the color temperature of lights and count the number of lights and manufacturer of lights.

2K now showcasing Kobe Bryant getting head scanned. Kobe hung around while they built his model and his reaction was "GTFO here"

Watching Lebron face map. Asking him to make intense faces. Can’t lie the game has his and Kobe’s face down. KD’s and Iguodala face maps. Both look great. Even have KD’s bad skin.

The team captured and head scanned constantly working around NBA schedules to capture nearly every player in the NBA. Hundreds of players with thousands of expressions you will see in the game. Showcasing art of those now. This is photo realism.

2K captured nearly every player in the NBA. Parker looks great. Have Amare haircut with brown streak. Ray Allen looks great.

Gameplay

Mike Wang is on and speaking about elevating the game harnessing the tech. Primarily in physics and animations. Foot planting clips shown.

Wang is talking about Ecomotion. Foot planting. No sliding or phantom steps. Showed difference between cur and next gen. It looks great. Really no sliding. Now showing dribbling. Ball actually rotates while dribbling which is not in current gen.

Now speaking to ball handling. Eco Motion allows them to track true physics. Ball spinning when dribbling, ball in hands. Tangible object.

New animation system. Guys will have real life wingspans. New KD shoes look great.

Mike speaks about animation synthesis, Eco Motion - based on physics and situation, animations will change. With animation synthesis, animations will change based on circumstances. If KD takes a shot and D is guarding him tight, anim will change on the fly.

The game feels alive. For example, a shooter won't land the same way two times. Animation will adapt to the situation. Truly incredible stuff here.

AI

Coaches will adapt to what is happening in the game. So game plans will dynamically change based on what other teams are doing.

Rob talks about points of emphasis. Every coach will have its own ai and strategize based on how the game is going.

There are nine different options on offense and defense to strategize how to defend or attack your opponent.

Emotion Plus

Emotion Plus will categorize all the players personalities. For example, Kobe is an Alpha Dog. He wants the ball, he's fierce.

"Human emotions translate into performance. Every player has personality, highs are highs, lows are lows."

Emotion plus is a new feature. Each player has a personality. Personality and game events can affect how a plot performs.

MyGM

My GM is new franchise mode. Lots of RPG elements are in the next-gen game.

MyGM is a cerebral experience. Every decision changes the world around you. GM has attributes and special abilities.

MyGM includes conversations. You have to asses the emotional intelligence of the person you're talking too.

You will get fired from the owner of you don't maintain harmony in your organization, locker room and fan base. Revolutionizes what franchise mode is.

This is the complete evolution of association mode. Decisions and reactions is what this mode is all about.

"We have built a completely new experience for franchise players. All your day to day experiences have no right or wrong answers."

MyPLAYER, MyCAREER

Complete cut scenes in MyCAREER. Team captured hundreds and hundreds of scenes. A rival, agent, buddies and a compete cast of characters.

This mode "will leave you asking, "what will happen next?" Building relationships, making deals, etc..

Over 40 hours of gameplay in your first year alone.

"captured 1000s of cut scenes w actors & whole life of player. Every experience of being NBA player. All you want to see is next path"

When you're not balling in MyCAREER, you can hang out with hundreds of MyPlayers in the Park.

Open field of courts shown with hundreds of MyPlayers playing. Quite a tease.

Jeff: "When MyPlayer isn't balling, he likes to hang with 100 of his friends at The Park."

That was the conclusion of the presentation from 2K. We will have hands-on experiences from the event very soon!


NBA 2K14 Videos
Member Comments
# 161 VDusen04 @ 10/23/13 05:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by spankdatazz22
It would be disappointing, but given they don't have the ability to do head scans/capture the classic players the drop in graphic fidelity between today's NBA and the Legends could be a little too jarring to make sense to try to incorporate in the game. And I could picture people complaining more about that than having an understanding that some things are physically impossible to do. Either way, no one should be leaping to conclusions regardless.
Yep, I was thinking about that aspect when I learned of the head scans as well. And you're right, no need to jump to conclusions at this point, but I surely would have preferred to hear something about classics than to not hear something. I'm hoping there's a way for 2K to include faces they're not able to physically scan firsthand.
 
# 162 bigeastbumrush @ 10/23/13 05:47 PM
I really liked hearing about the Emotion+, the different arena lighting, wing spans and coaching adjustments. Would have liked to hear more about gameplay though especially player tendencies.

I have no interest in My Player or Crew modes.

Still waiting on any footage to be shown.
 
# 163 eko718 @ 10/23/13 05:48 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by VDusen04
Would you happen to know where he said this or what it was he said exactly? Somehow I missed that confirmation. Was he confirming all teams carrying over? Or just that like, MJ would be there?
I don't remember his exact words, but he said that classic teams are in basically. It didn't sound like there would be any subtractions.
 
# 164 bigball12 @ 10/23/13 05:49 PM
All I took away from this was:

"..No warmup outfit for bench players.."

Disappointment!
 
# 165 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 05:49 PM
Ahem, still waiting to hear from all those people who guaranteed it would just be a port with minimal improvements and bare game modes.

Are we allowed to say I told you so to them yet? This is about to be the longest 22 days of waiting I have ever experienced.
 
# 166 green225 @ 10/23/13 05:49 PM
looks like the game will be great, but they're screwing the crew fans over again, so i won't be buying it. all this work into my player, that's cool, but at the end of the day, we still gotta play against the computer. that's not any fun.
 
# 167 sk @ 10/23/13 05:50 PM
At this point what I REALLLLY want to know is, can me and my friend use different teams in this mygm mode?

We loved to use two teams on franchise mode.
 
# 168 MoultonHawk @ 10/23/13 05:50 PM
Where's the My Team info that is teased in the first few sentences ?
 
# 169 cavs25 @ 10/23/13 05:50 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigeastbumrush
I really liked hearing about the Emotion+, the different arena lighting, wing spans and coaching adjustments. Would have liked to hear more about gameplay though especially player tendencies.

I have no interest in My Player or Crew modes.

Still waiting on any footage to be shown.
There won't be any footage today. So don't waste your time if that's what you are waiting for.
 
# 170 VDusen04 @ 10/23/13 05:51 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mreyes930
But that's the only negative. I'd assume plenty of guys who use Association picture themselves as the GM anyway, why not make it so? Another thing would be full control, as in 30 Controlled Teams. Albert is looking into that.
Strangely, I've never really pictured myself as the GM when I played Association in the past. In fact, I didn't really picture a GM at all. I try to keep a feel of it being an extension of a real life NBA team. So I guess if I were to picture anyone (with my Pistons franchise), it'd be Joe D.

I don't want my GM looking like Louie's agent



But I'm assuming that's not what it's really going to be like anyway.
 
# 171 LingeringRegime @ 10/23/13 05:52 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigball12
All I took away from this was:

"..No warmup outfit for bench players.."

Disappointment!

Attachment 67852

It's all good man.
 
# 172 BenGerman @ 10/23/13 05:53 PM
Now we know why this game is a 50+ GB download. Holy ****.
 
# 173 23 @ 10/23/13 05:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by green225
looks like the game will be great, but they're screwing the crew fans over again, so i won't be buying it. all this work into my player, that's cool, but at the end of the day, we still gotta play against the computer. that's not any fun.
 
# 174 icicle22 @ 10/23/13 05:54 PM
Did anybody consider that by this not being a port, that the gameplay might be different? And not in a good way? I realize that are adding a ton of features and that is good.....but let's hope it still feels like 2k. I was completely ignoring NBA Live since I don't know what to expect and with 2k I know exactly what I am getting. Now I am not so sure.

Again....I'm not trying to suggest it will be bad....but not every change is for the better. Madden changed their engine going from original Xbox to Xbox 360 and it was not for the better....

Now I am crossing my fingers and hoping to hear some positive words about the gameplay.

Peace.
 
# 175 sk @ 10/23/13 05:55 PM
Any news on whether we can use two teams in the mygm mode?
 
# 176 bigeastbumrush @ 10/23/13 05:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by cavs25
There won't be any footage today. So don't waste your time if that's what you are waiting for.
Then that's pretty ridiculous IMO.

Amazing graphically which everyone acknowledges but we can't even see a snippet of actual gameplay at this point? Nothing?

The game can look great visually but what will be telling is how it plays.

We're just supposed to keep going on assumptions?
 
# 177 RayDog253 @ 10/23/13 05:55 PM
I think this just saved my PS4 preorder from getting canceled. Because I don't think I can wait a week for XBOX one to play this.
 
# 178 VDusen04 @ 10/23/13 05:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by icicle22
Did anybody consider that by this not being a port, that the gameplay might be different? And not in a good way? I realize that are adding a ton of features and that is good.....but let's hope it still feels like 2k. I was completely ignoring NBA Live since I don't know what to expect and with 2k I know exactly what I am getting. Now I am not so sure.

Again....I'm not trying to suggest it will be bad....but not every change is for the better. Madden changed their engine going from original Xbox to Xbox 360 and it was not for the better....

Now I am crossing my fingers and hoping to hear some positive words about the gameplay.

Peace.
I considered that thought the other day as well but my follow up thought was perhaps their knowledge of how to get the game to play how they liked would allow them to carry that gameplay on over, even if it's not a true port. Does it work like that? I'm tech development knowledge deficient, so I could be off on that thought.
 
# 179 bateman11 @ 10/23/13 05:57 PM
The current 2K engine is suffering from some of the same bugs since the early 2000s. Thank God they have finally created a new engine.
 
# 180 Gosens6 @ 10/23/13 05:58 PM
Just let a friend of mine read the features list. He's not a sports fan AT ALL, he's never even touched a basketball game, let alone watched one. All he said to me was, "Wow man, these features make me want to become a basketball fan"

2K has succeeded.
 


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