Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

[dkrause1971]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

Do people honestly buy NBA 2k13 just to play quick games with the Legends?

Its all i have done so far. I assume they can be used in association, but i don't know. I can flat out say that last year when i heard the 84-85 Bucks were on the game (the Monday before release) i got it that night. Some people only play with their favorite team on the game, why should it seem odd if your favorite team is a historical?. Historical teams sell this game to me on day 1. Otherwise it was a 50/50 shot if i buy it at all.

[RH3NewOrleans]

By far my favorite legend to use has been Allen Iverson. Plays like the answer of the olden days. Breaking ankles, throwing up shot after shot after shot with the occasional steal leading to a fast break dunk. Good times. Glad they included him this year.

~Three Said That~

[dkrause1971]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

You bring up valid points, but my reply to the money issue is that while it is true what you say about sales, the sales come after development of the game. Maybe the presence of legends boost sales for that year and that leads to a bigger budget the next year (which is a reasonable assumption), but the issue still is that it does take a sizeable portion of the budget.

I don't necessarily want to see legends eliminated per se, I just will not be unhappy if this is the last year they are present. But I should clarify, it's not the presence of legends that I am speaking of; classic teams should be included. what I am speaking of is making the inclusion of legends be a main feature or selling point of the game. To put it simply, we could have classic teams without the classic courts, uniforms, presentation, commentary etc.

Finally I will say that even though I am arguing against legends, the argument is almost just for fun. I don't exactly dislike their inclusion nor do I blame it for lack of improvements in association. More or less I am indifferent towards them. Their presence one way or the other in next year's title will not have any impact on whether or not I buy the game.
and on a related if slightly off topic point, I am unhappy with some aspects of the direction of this years game. I kid about Beiber but that is not a big deal. I don't like the "VC" and the changes to myplayer (buying a wardrobe? DLC jewelry that boost your stats? uye). I hope this does not represent a new direction in the series.

This is what I'll say about your financial comments. We have no idea what portion of the budget legends takes up. Nor do we know what portion of sales are legend driven. 2K in their revenues/cost analysis must feel the additional cost is bringing in a fair return (financial or in branding). 2K themselves are likely having the same debate. Can we keep the same (or close enough) sales without legends? Or do we just need Jordan, etc, etc. They definitely have had a sales increase in the "legends era" but they also lost competition during the same period. Bottomline, i don't think pro or con legend backers can site financials as a reason to keep or dump them which leaves disk space, development time as reasons. Of that topic i go back too my last post about art department intensive and that you could site the other features as removable as well.

The rest of your post i think others covered. The historic teams were an afterthought this year other than having editing from the beginning. I frankly would have no problem with a separate NBA classics game if they decided that was a better route to go.

[Josh Knight]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

I don't care. I don't use them, and won't. I buy this game for the NBA of now, not of 20 years ago.

[Rasco11]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

Dont fully understand the logistics, but Konami's Pro Evo Soccer, currently and in the past, allows for option files ("modding") where you can download updated/created faces, uniforms, stadiums, balls, shoes, etc to replace generic "unlicensed" teams......and this is possible on PS3, of all systems!?! I f they can do it, why not 2K?

If 2K had 30 vacant team slots and we could apply edits like PES, (and similar to the current PC community), then they could not only not have to pay these NBA legends, but they could also probably save money on their car insurance. It would be sweet to upload teams from a specific season to replay, or to just pick a collection of your favorites from shared uploads!

Again, I dont understand the variance or restrictions between games and if it is a matter of compatable file types, locked or unlocked, or whatever? Heck maybe it's a legal thing? think the create/edit a player feature would perhaps have to be improved by 2K for it to work optimally? No idea?

Sorry for the long-windedness. In short, if this "technique" is possible it might be a win/win for both 2K and us.

[2kfan83]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

i think its fun putting the 95 bulls in association mode and play against all of tadays teams and see who wins that championship......

[VDusen04]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

Do people honestly buy NBA 2k13 just to play quick games with the Legends?

I wouldn't say I buy NBA 2K just for classics, but it's one heck of a driving force. In NBA 2K12, I'm pretty sure I spent virtually all my 2K time between April and September exclusively playing with classic teams in quick play.

It's weird, I bought 2K before 2K had really classic teams but now, if 2K were to remove them, I'm not entirely sure I'd go back, particularly in combination with the funky direction they're headed in terms of the forced online with offline modes, micro-transactions, and mandatory auto-saves.

[Sellaz32]

I don't care. I don't use them, and won't. I buy this game for the NBA of now, not of 20 years ago.

Yes...and 20 years from now there are going to be guys dying to play with Lebron, Kobe, Rose, etc. Its cyclical. The point isn't which is better or more relevant...(which I would definitely say current is more relevant by far even as a old school guy). The point is why move away from it when it appears to have brought in a whole new base of fans...of course, I don't think anyone on here gets exactly the is and outs of getting to use old players, arenas, jerseys etc, but from playing this years game, I have yet to see the gain from the less old school from last year mindset.

[Sellaz32]

I wouldn't say I buy NBA 2K just for classics, but it's one heck of a driving force. In NBA 2K12, I'm pretty sure I spent virtually all my 2K time between April and September exclusively playing with classic teams in quick play.

It's weird, I bought 2K before 2K had really classic teams but now, if 2K were to remove them, I'm not entirely sure I'd go back, particularly in combination with the funky direction they're headed in terms of the forced online with offline modes, micro-transactions, and mandatory auto-saves.

For me, I would say the ability to play with and fully customize/recreate the old school NBA experience is what drove me to play it year round, instead of turning it off when the season was over. Of course the lack of ease with customization this year is another topic all together...

[youvalss]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

I don't think they will completely disappear, more like floating around in the future, at least some of them. But 2K is smart, making the transition towards more of a current-NBA era (marketing wise). 2K11 and 2K12 will always be there (well, for some time, at least) for anyone who cares about legends more than anything else. But if they want to sell their game to the masses (remember, younger fans keep coming and coming, more and more, new generation), they had to let it go.

I think their sales won't get hit by not making the legends that special anymore as much as it would if they kept this legend thing as the biggest thing marketing-wise. It's a smart decision.

[VDusen04]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

For me, I would say the ability to play with and fully customize/recreate the old school NBA experience is what drove me to play it year round, instead of turning it off when the season was over. Of course the lack of ease with customization this year is another topic all together...

Yep, NBA 2K usually lost its luster with me once the playoffs ended. The classic teams extended the re-play possibilities all the way up to the next year's release.

[GisherJohn24]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

I think we'll have the Legends for awhile. If not, as long as we have a roster share and a deep player creation, we can always have classic rosters, people will just have to take time to make them.

[jmarcguy]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

I bought the game before classic teams & I'll buy it after. I LOVE having the teams in though!!! I think anybody who played games on the older systems has to appreciate seeing those teams represented on the current gen systems. I've played associations with my 3 favorite teams from back in the day. Magic's Lakers, Ewing's Knicks, & Wilkins Hawks. To have those players look like themselves, with their moves is such a treat!! You had to rely so much on imagination when you were playIng with stick figures. Don't put the classic teams up front but keep them as an option.

[scottyp180]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

I would Love for 2k to keep the teams and players they have plus add more but I know this is unlikely. If I had to guess I would say that 2k will try to keep some of the more popular teams (mj bulls, 90s Knicks, 80s celtics/lakers) and maybe start introducing some more recent "classic" teams (looking at the 00-01 slicers as a hint). The number of players and teams they managed to put in the game for the past 3 years is quite impressive and was no easy or cheap task. It would be a hassle for 2k to acquire and maintain the rights for all of these players and more. It would however be easier for them to get teams from the past ten years or so considering a lot o players still play and the rest of only just recently retired.

Either way as fans we need to appreciate what 2k did these past 3 years. I was thinking about it today and no other sports game has had the number of classic teams that 2k11, 12, and 13 have. NHL has just started adding legends and I believe that they only have players and no teams, same goes for madden. 2k has done something that no other game has given us the ability to do and thats relive history, play classic matchups, create dream matchups, and take control of some of the leagues greatest players in their prime on their appropriate teams. I hope that this isnt the end but if so it was the best 3 years in basketball video game history.

[siouxredskins]

Re: Could this be the last NBA 2K with Legends?

well, I dont have the game yet so I want to ask..what all is in the game this year ? a bunch of classic teams like last year or just a few players or what ?

did I read right like theres a collecting cards mode too now ?

thanks for answer