
Are we still talking about video games?
Directly on topic, one of my perceived pros of 2K's rise to basketball dominance has been knowing they're alive and thriving. As a 2K fan since 2K2, I often wondered if they'd suffer the same fate as other 2K games through the years (NHL 2K, NFL 2K, NCAA 2K). NBA 2K seemed to make the game of what I viewed to be the highest quality but I wondered for a while if the established popularity of NBA Live would be enough to slowly smother out the high level of realism and simulation from 2K.
I also know virtually nothing about 2K's funding intake and distribution, but I imagine their success has allowed them to dip into extra-curricular content that furthers the simulation experience. For instance, I'm wondering if NBA 2K in its mid-2000's form would have had the ability and resources to develop classic teams and sign their biggest stars. That's been a huge benefit. On the flip side, I tend to favor the fresh and original soundtracks of years past, and it seems 2K's popularity has allowed for more popular songs so personally, I guess the uptick in sales has also been a selfish bummer in some respects too.
Moreover, 2K's basketball dominance, partly by their game-making abilities and partly by Live's completely and suddenly inept game-making abilities, seems to have drawn all basketball game fans into a single market. As a result, once again selfishly, at times I've felt 2K has veered from why I preferred their product 13 years ago (steadfast commitment to simulation, realism, and authenticity). I understand why 2K made moves to to cater all audiences, but for a moment it seemed they almost forgot about their original base. The information released thus far for 2K15 seems suggest they're getting back on track.
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