VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

[Mweemwee]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I've been wanting to write an extended post called something like "The Psychology of Grinding in Video Games: Why do we have to not have fun first, in order to have fun?" that sums up to me what the root problem of VC and "grinding" in NBA2K has become but I just haven't had time.

Suffice to say it's not just how expensive the VC ratio had gotten, but the fact that we can't just buy the game for $60 and instantly enjoy the game modes some of us like most (Pro Am and Park in many cases) without doing a bunch of tedious and unenjoyable **** first to be on a level playing field.

It's like if you had to spend 30 hours jumping up and down in Mario Bros in order to be able to unlock power up mushrooms or something... Games are supposed to be instantly fun and an ESCAPE from grinding and boredom of real life (job, study, loneliness or whatever) and not another one on top of them.

The way 2K go out of their way to make it artificially slow and boring is what's insulting to me. If it was just cosmetic items as people have said then that would be fine, but when you're put at a disadvantage to other players just because you haven't forked out extra cash then it's taking things too far.

Keep that kind of **** limited to MyTeam (card collecting mode) and cosmetic items in other modes and I guarantee people wouldn't be nearly as pissed off as they are.

Exactly how I feel.

[cablexdeadpool]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I've been wanting to write an extended post called something like "The Psychology of Grinding in Video Games: Why do we have to not have fun first, in order to have fun?" that sums up to me what the root problem of VC and "grinding" in NBA2K has become but I just haven't had time.

It's really weird how gamers have exalted the idea of grinding and "working" at a game.

It's like we have put the Puritan Work Ethic into videogames.

I play games to have fun...not to work. If I have to work to get to the fun stuff, then I might as well go and be productive with time and actually do something that gets me paid.

[newhere]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I found this to sum up a lot of problems with the game itself while not exclusively focusing on VC and also not going of on a temper tantrum like Jim Sterling : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjD2im2TjaY

[Barncore]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Have they crossed a line of acceptability? You could say so. Could they take away VC and have JUST THE GRIND AS IS? Yes, why yes they could. But that wouldn't help now would it? Because those that "don't have time to do anything but post their complaints on OS wouldn't be able to keep up with 'those that don't have lives outside of the game' - it isn't fair'"

I don't want them to remove buying VC, i just want them to increase the earning potential that actually playing NBA games has.

I.e. in the first 5-10 games you can earn about 600-800 VC per game, depending on how well you play. Then you can update maybe 1 or 2 o 3 attributes, depending on how expensive it is, and you will likely stay at 60 overall.

It's just too slow to grind it out. It doesn't feel worth investing time into. I just want to be able to earn more VC without spending real life money. I already bought the damn game.

[Barncore]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

On the whole, these days the 2K company is starting to feel like Apple iPhones now, metaphorically:

a) They initially became popular based on the quality of their advanced technology and usability/experience (2k11).
b) There's a new version out every year which is unquestionably better but only marginally overall.
c) You have to pay to stay updated (upgraded) to be able to run all of the latest & best apps (or moves/abilities). If you don't pay you fall behind.
d) The core technology is still the best around and keeps you coming back.
e) Now that everybody's addicted they have the power to really siphon big money, even if it means taking away from the innovation (experience) of the actual product.
f) The company has an aura of corporate aggression rather than passion for the user experience/product.

That said, Mike Wang and the gameplay devs are clearly very passionate and dedicated to what they do. I don't want to take away from their work. But 2K's business decisions have really affected my perception of the company this year.

[MrWrestling3]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I've been wanting to write an extended post called something like "The Psychology of Grinding in Video Games: Why do we have to not have fun first, in order to have fun?" that sums up to me what the root problem of VC and "grinding" in NBA2K has become but I just haven't had time.

Suffice to say it's not just how expensive the VC ratio had gotten, but the fact that we can't just buy the game for $60 and instantly enjoy the game modes some of us like most (Pro Am and Park in many cases) without doing a bunch of tedious and unenjoyable **** first to be on a level playing field.

It's like if you had to spend 30 hours jumping up and down in Mario Bros in order to be able to unlock power up mushrooms or something... Games are supposed to be instantly fun and an ESCAPE from grinding and boredom of real life (job, study, loneliness or whatever) and not another one on top of them.

The way 2K go out of their way to make it artificially slow and boring is what's insulting to me. If it was just cosmetic items as people have said then that would be fine, but when you're put at a disadvantage to other players just because you haven't forked out extra cash then it's taking things too far.

Keep that kind of **** limited to MyTeam (card collecting mode) and cosmetic items in other modes and I guarantee people wouldn't be nearly as pissed off as they are.

Pretty well spot on...artificially slow is exactly what it is,and by design.Honestly I don't think people mind a little bit of "grind" to their games, as long as you feel you are still doing something useful, and goal feels attainable.This just feels like endless repetitive and artificial busy work.

It is the classic example of a freemium model built to cater specifically to the demographic who will only ever play 1 or 2 games and nothing else.Not surprisingly this is also the same demographic who will consistently spend into the hundreds and thousands of dollars in game via microtransactions, be it for better attributes,cosmetics,packs or whatever.

This sort of addiction fueled business model is bad enough (as well as pretty manipulative,unethical, and predatory) in F2P mobile games; the inclusion of such elements into full priced titles is simply unacceptable.

[trandoanhung1991]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

The grind in this game only feels extremely slow because there's an extremely fast option.

Let's say you get 600VC/30 mins game time, averaged out between your beginning OVR til 85OVR. The VC cost to get 85OVR is around 190k-200k. Let's be real sweet to 2K and say it's 190k. Heck, let's even make it 180k just to prove a point (nah, just easier to calculate since no decimal points lel).

It'll take you 300 matches to accumulate 180k VC. That's 9000 minutes, or 150 hours. That's at least a month if you play pretty hardcore (over 4 hours a day). If you can manage 2 hours/day that's 2 over two months.

Compared to the whooping 2 minutes it takes to buy VC.

If they left in the difficulty multiplier, it would've helped a lot. x2 for HoF would cut that down to 75hours, which is more comparable to previous titles.

TL;DR just bring back the HoF bonus multiplier for VC. Bring VC gains back to around 2K16 levels would be adequate for the kind of customization cost they're expecting us to pay.

[ELPAGA]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

The grind in this game only feels extremely slow because there's an extremely fast option.

Let's say you get 600VC/30 mins game time, averaged out between your beginning OVR til 85OVR. The VC cost to get 85OVR is around 190k-200k. Let's be real sweet to 2K and say it's 190k. Heck, let's even make it 180k just to prove a point (nah, just easier to calculate since no decimal points lel).

It'll take you 300 matches to accumulate 180k VC. That's 9000 minutes, or 150 hours. That's at least a month if you play pretty hardcore (over 4 hours a day). If you can manage 2 hours/day that's 2 over two months.

Compared to the whooping 2 minutes it takes to buy VC.

If they left in the difficulty multiplier, it would've helped a lot. x2 for HoF would cut that down to 75hours, which is more comparable to previous titles.

TL;DR just bring back the HoF bonus multiplier for VC. Bring VC gains back to around 2K16 levels would be adequate for the kind of customization cost they're expecting us to pay.

Exactly how I feel. The grind isnt bad at all. I love the grind. But its the lack of compensation for VC. No multipliers and everything costs more. Its unbalanced

[Mweemwee]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Chris Smoove going HAM on 2K regarding the VC this year and the state of the game in genral. It means a lot coming from him because he is the face of the 2K community IMO

https://youtu.be/rOOf866Un48

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[BOSsTOwN]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Its a bad game play model. VC/skill points whatever.

play games to earn currency. Buy better jump shot stats. !?!?!?


Whats that.

-Why not start our player as a normally rated rookie (70-73) and allow us to play games and practice to get better.

Want better jump shot stats, do Shooting drills. want better handle, do dribbling drills. etc...

[Hustle Westbrook]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

That's true too. the amount of vc you earn from endorsements cant even get you an accessory at the nba store.

At one point in 2K17 I remember getting VC in the thousands from endorsements, even 5,000 VC from Jordan endorsements sometimes, then somewhere along the line they patched it out to where you only made VC in the hundreds.

[geezy]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

they should have just kept things how they were in 2K17, even if u started a new MyCareer ur clothes shoes and gear where all there because u had bought them already on another save, and they weren’t tied 2 u being an 85 overall.

2K has got way 2 greedy this year and sucked the fun out of a great game mode I really thought they would only improve on, instead they turned it in2 MyVCareer!

[nddot]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

The telling thing is... again go figure it's hardly mentioned, is that this is actually the developers discussing whether or not VC has crossed the line.... THAT is incredibly telling on the character of those employed by 2k. Instead of the "corporate sinister greed it'll never stop they'll just keep increasing this and lowering the yield that", instead here in front of our face is that actual topic discussed by the devs.



Great step forward don't you think? But nah, let's not acknowledge anything positive.

Link ?




Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[nddot]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Chris Smoove going HAM on 2K regarding the VC this year and the state of the game in genral. It means a lot coming from him because he is the face of the 2K community IMO

https://youtu.be/rOOf866Un48

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Good,

We need these other dudes to call them out as well.

Its a shame because the gameplay is really great this year but they had to go out of their way to mess everything up


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[newhere]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Chris Smoove going HAM on 2K regarding the VC this year and the state of the game in genral. It means a lot coming from him because he is the face of the 2K community IMO

https://youtu.be/rOOf866Un48

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Same here. A whole review about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjD2im2TjaY