Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

[jd@os]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

We do in EA's FC 24.
Not getting "defensive"; just sayin.

[zello144]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

People can be pretty toxic when it comes to women’s sports. Especially when it comes to the WNBA which has been treated as a punching bag in many jokes. You already know how toxic the NBA 2K community is now imagine 2K promoting the WNBA.

[jeebs9]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

We do in EA's FC 24.
Not getting "defensive"; just sayin.

EXACTLY!!!!

People can be pretty toxic when it comes to women’s sports. Especially when it comes to the WNBA which has been treated as a punching bag in many jokes. You already know how toxic the NBA 2K community is now imagine 2K promoting the WNBA.

That's for sure. I saw one person complaining that they couldn't dunk. Stupid stupid stupid.

[vetmin]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

WNBA players vs NBA players would be a disadvantage to the WNBA players in Myteam.

How? This is an arcade mode where advantages or disadvantages are totally artificial. Have you seen some of the real-life bums who dominate this mode?

I get it because I'm a W fan too but not conducive to winning or profit.

I’m actually not a WNBA fan at all. Virtually everything I know about the WNBA and its players is second-hand from following NBA-related accounts on social media. I just recognize the disconnect between the game and the way it’s marketed, as well as 2K’s poor effort to cross-promote certain modes/features within the game itself.

I have an inside source. The rest of my views are opinion. This part is factual.

I'll take your word for it, but for all you know, your guy is one of the 4 devs who hated the idea of bringing in the WNBA, whereas the other 16 thought it was a great move and unbeknownst to all of them it was even such-and-such 2K executive who first had the idea over drinks with the company’s main NBA liaison. You just can’t know. I’ve had legit 2K sources too and they’ve been wrong / in the dark on the rollout of certain features that they thought they were informed about. It’s impossible to have a real understanding of what’s going on in an org without being there in some executive-adjacent capacity or having very open, consultant-type access, and I doubt your source has that or else they wouldn’t have risked their job gossiping about it to you (no offense).

I doubt the women (or league) would be in favor of this. These are PEOPLE, not video game characters. You're not really sensitive to the perceptions that would create either.

It's ultimately why they're kept separate. WNBA players don't need to get dunked on and have misogynists pulling Too-Small taunts etc. Or the vice versa of using WNBA players specifically to emasculate other gamers.

Sure, maybe that idea's a dud, but Liz Cambage is 6'8", same height as TMac, who was apparently a beast in a 2K23 MyTeam. A quick gander at https://2kdb.net/ shows an Otis Birdsong on the front page. He is 6'3". A'ja Wilson is 6'4". Height is no excuse. No one's saying they have to drop MyTeam cards for the entire WNBA.

I assume we don't have mixed-gender competition in any other sports titles.

Well first of all, how many of the major sports game franchises are even based on a sport that has a female, professional equivalent? There is no WNFL or WMLB. There are female divisions of the combat sports, but that’s a different beast altogether given the obvious domestic-violence overtones of ‘intergender combat’.

Really it’s just football/soccer, which does have mixed-gender competition in what seems to be EA FC’s MyTeam-equivalent mode, as a user above pointed out. Here's an article, and it addresses some of the issues you have expressed re: integrating the WNBA into MyTeam -> https://www.ign.com/articles/eas-mes...is-right-there

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

Why doesn't NBA 2K push... WNBA playoffs?

Probably the same reason MLB The Show doesn"t promote the AAA or AA playoffs: its a minor league.

[zello144]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

Well first of all, how many of the major sports game franchises are even based on a sport that has a female, professional equivalent? There is no WNFL or WMLB. There are female divisions of the combat sports, but that’s a different beast altogether given the obvious domestic-violence overtones of ‘intergender combat’.

One of the old UFC games in the early 2000s that came out on the PS2 did it. Around like 2004. But there was only one female fighter that you could fight. Went under the radar because all the games before THQ were ***.

https://youtu.be/7ynMhND7ud0?si=9dXdZA9knjtfNecl

UFC Sudden impact

[loso_34]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

People can be pretty toxic when it comes to women’s sports. Especially when it comes to the WNBA which has been treated as a punching bag in many jokes. You already know how toxic the NBA 2K community is now imagine 2K promoting the WNBA.

The wnba has failed cause women havent supported the league. Don’t make this about the 2k community who frankly paid for the NBA portion or men.

I recall when members were lambasted on here for saying the wnba mode was a waste of resources. Not going to say we were right but the data in terms of how many people played the wnba mode is out there lol

[jeebs9]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

The wnba has failed cause women havent supported the league. Don’t make this about the 2k community who frankly paid for the NBA portion or men.

I recall when members were lambasted on here for saying the wnba mode was a waste of resources. Not going to say we were right but the data in terms of how many people played the wnba mode is out there lol

All that doesn't really answer the question of why they are not in my team. It's very simple. Even from a game design. It's literally an arcade mode. I hate this excuse of women not supporting women. Bill Burr right? This isn't the same thing. I'm not talking about real life basketball arenas. I'm talking about in 2K. The W players should be My Team and WNBA PNO should be a thing. I think that's simple as ****. It's not about women supporting a game they don't play. Come on man.

It's like someone said people chase players cards. Players they don't even ****ing know lol. That's hilarious!! Why can't the W players be in that part of the game? You would easily promote them that way.

[zello144]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

The wnba has failed cause women havent supported the league. Don’t make this about the 2k community who frankly paid for the NBA portion or men.

I recall when members were lambasted on here for saying the wnba mode was a waste of resources. Not going to say we were right but the data in terms of how many people played the wnba mode is out there lol

Personally I'd rather see Euroleague, NBL, and maybe some Chinese teams added instead of the WNBA but even when they had the Euroleague teams barely anybody used them and 2K didn't do anything with them in the modes.

I'd like to see female Myplayers in regular park/city but that will never happen.

[Real2KInsider]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

I'll take your word for it, but for all you know, your guy is one of the 4 devs who hated the idea of bringing in the WNBA, whereas the other 16 thought it was a great move and unbeknownst to all of them it was even such-and-such 2K executive who first had the idea over drinks with the company’s main NBA liaison. You just can’t know. I’ve had legit 2K sources too and they’ve been wrong / in the dark on the rollout of certain features that they thought they were informed about. It’s impossible to have a real understanding of what’s going on in an org without being there in some executive-adjacent capacity or having very open, consultant-type access, and I doubt your source has that or else they wouldn’t have risked their job gossiping about it to you (no offense).

I was a consultant. And gave training to the WNBA roster editor.

Lol but sure keep spitting theories about what I know / don't know.


(A crazy deadline like build a WNBA roster from scratch in six weeks is par for the course in the video game industry, FWIW. Nobody was crying about it. This is what we need done by X date).

[vetmin]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

I was a consultant. And gave training to the WNBA roster editor.

Lol but sure keep spitting theories about what I know / don't know.


(A crazy deadline like build a WNBA roster from scratch in six weeks is par for the course in the video game industry, FWIW. Nobody was crying about it. This is what we need done by X date).

So what you’re saying is that you had exactly the sort of rank-and-file access that I was suggesting may not give you a full understanding of a company’s strategic decision-making (and how the people who matter feel about it). By ‘consultant’ I meant like a “here’s everything about us, now help us downsize”-type of consultant, not a “get our new guy up to speed with what all these tendencies do” sort of a role (though it’s genuinely cool you got to have some influence in this area; I know you put a lot of effort into ratings).

Even if you’re secretly the CEO’s burner account though, I’ll reiterate what I said in my initial response to you: It doesn’t matter how much 2K really cares about the WNBA in their heart of hearts—whether they’re optimistic about its inclusion or have been brought along kicking and screaming—the point is that it’s a big fact of life for the game now and the company is failing to make the most of it (i.e., by forgoing utterly painless, zero
-risk, zero-additional-resource-requiring promotional opportunities).

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

THEY didn't decide it. The NBA did. This was something that was forced upon 2K (with extremely short notice the year it was implemented - like 2 months).

As such they're going to do the bare minimum until otherwise forced to. You're now asking the marketing etc team to do two jobs for the price of one. Because they're not going to hire additional staff until the numbers warrant it.




Just to re-iterate, 2K didn't invest a dime into the WNBA, the NBA required them to SPEND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES to add it per the Licensing agreement (the 160 million they already spend per year)

MyTeam is a money mode. They are going to cater to the crowd that spends money on packs. It's a Gacha game that literally hits the reset button once a year and people actually continue to participate.

The marketing data has clearly shown them that people will buy packs for Fantasy characters like Shooting Shaq, etc. Even someone like Bol Bol is known way more than a WNBA star. That's just how it is until the NBA itself can get more people invested.



You'd better believe those young males will tune out if the best players are ones they don't recognize. It's the same reason they never added Euroleague players when they had the Euroleague.



Growing familiarity isn't going to grow their wallet. It would likely lose them millions in the short-term.



If MyTeam were what it was in the initial years (pre-VC) then sure.

Facts over feelings.

[Real2KInsider]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

i.e., by forgoing utterly painless, zero
-risk, zero-additional-resource-requiring promotional opportunities).

And just to re-iterate, these are things they barely do for the NBA. Few if any in the company have a pulse on the modern NBA. How many do you think have one for the WNBA?

(What I just told you - that they had to bring in an OUTSIDE roster editor - and someone OUTSIDE the company gave them roster editing advice - should give us a pretty good idea)

Time is a finite resource. It's not zero additional resources when they likely have one marketing guy for two leagues (who also likely wears 2-3 other hats as well). There is always a give and take. Social media posts aren't a snap your fingers *voila* content. They do actually require time & investment to craft.

I'm pro-WNBA and support the growth of basketball worldwide. At the end of the day this is a business. If the NBA wants 2K to use their platform to grow their league for them, they should foot the bill.

Marketing the WNBA on 2K's platform certainly isn't growing 2K or generating purchases - it actually risks devaluing their platform by forcing undesirable content down the average fan's throat.

It is already a ginormous gift & promotion that the WNBA even exists in 2K.

[jd@os]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

I don’t watch the WNBA (more so NCAAW) but jeebs, vetmin—you bring up some good points for consideration. Good food for thought.


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[jeebs9]

Re: Why doesn't NBA 2K push or promote the WNBA playoffs?

I don’t watch the WNBA (more so NCAAW) but jeebs, vetmin—you bring up some good points for consideration. Good food for thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I play the WNBA mode during this time of the year. I usually play a friend locally. When he comes over. We're always like why can't we play this online?

I know someone mentioned the Euro teams. I think I played that maybe once when they had them. That was to play with Luka or was it KP. I've logged way more hours playing WNBA since they added it.