Is the NBA license less important today?

[VDusen04]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vic_Clancy

Yes it is and it'd be extremely risky to let a competitor be the sole entity with that license. Look at FIFA and PES. Or look at NFL 2k5 (yes, i kow, 13 years ago). It's my sense that the majority will prefer to see names that they recognize and official clubs when they play the game. I wouldn't downplay the NBA brand. The NBA is an extremely well-known and marketable brand, which is growing.

To add on to this, the NFL 2K brand made a brief comeback a few years after losing the NFL license with All-Pro Football 2K8. Same great gameplay but fictional teams and zero NFL rights. But the game just wasn't sustainable while an NFL branded alternative existed.

Subsequently, I don't really see a time in the near future where either EA or 2K would voluntarily part with the NBA just to see if they could make their product float on generic head-to-head online play alone. Even if there's a lot of guys who focus on advancing their individual careers while playing in the park, having access to everything associated with the NBA (teams, players, courts, legends, etc) still matters to the majority of them.

[ksuttonjr76]

A non-license NBA game is NOT going to sell 10M+ copies....My Player is not THAT popular where people stop caring about the NBA attachment.

[wrestlinggod1]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

To add on to this, the NFL 2K brand made a brief comeback a few years after losing the NFL license with All-Pro Football 2K8. Same great gameplay but fictional teams and zero NFL rights. But the game just wasn't sustainable while an NFL branded alternative existed. Subsequently, I don't really see a time in the near future where either EA or 2K would voluntarily part with the NBA just to see if they could make their product float on generic head-to-head online play alone. Even if there's a lot of guys who focus on advancing their individual careers while playing in the park, having access to everything associated with the NBA (teams, players, courts, legends, etc) still matters to the majority of them.

Ehhhhhhhhh, I kinda get where you're coming from with the APF2K8 comparison but I don't think it's fair. At the end of the day, it was just another football game. I think if they made a MyPlayer based basketball game, it wouldn't be the same thing as a regular basketball game. The experience offered would be different IMO. APF2K8 and Madden are both "play football." A MyPlayer game would be "Create your own player and have him play against others" whereas a regular basketball game is "Play basketball." I'm really terrible at trying to explain things, but hopefully you guys understand what I'm trying to say.


As a matter of fact, I think this can be solved with a poll on here and Twitter.

[VDusen04]

Quote: Originally Posted by wrestlinggod1

Ehhhhhhhhh, I kinda get where you're coming from with the APF2K8 comparison but I don't think it's fair. At the end of the day, it was just another football game. I think if they made a MyPlayer based basketball game, it wouldn't be the same thing as a regular basketball game. The experience offered would be different IMO. APF2K8 and Madden are both "play football." A MyPlayer game would be "Create your own player and have him play against others" whereas a regular basketball game is "Play basketball." I'm really terrible at trying to explain things, but hopefully you guys understand what I'm trying to say. As a matter of fact, I think this can be solved with a poll on here and Twitter.

I can pick up what you're throwing down.

For the sake of brevity, I opted not to delve into all the differences between APF and a MyPlayer-centric basketball game, though the intent of my second paragraph was to convey my opinion that a generic basketball game that included making your own player to play against other still wouldn't be enough to justify a company's decision to intentionally drop the NBA license.

And not to split hairs, but I'm typically not a fan of online polls as a means for settling debates, simply because they're so readily skewed and incomplete, depending upon where they're posted and who's actually participating.

[The Gym Reaper]

Offline guys being a bit overdramatic again.

They aren't going to separate the games. Not in a million years.

[CaseIH]

Quote: Originally Posted by wrestlinggod1

Honestly, you bring up a great point and it's pretty scary. I think it's safe to say that most of the money generated from 2K comes from micro-transactions to upgrade customized players. I wouldn't be surprised if 2K did decide to release a standalone game just for MyPlayer, but I think they would either have to dedicate a whole studio to it or not call it NBA2K anymore. It might take up too many resources to make two separate games for MyPlayer and regular NBA team play. Someone did bring this up last year, IIRC.

Sadly that is the truth, since the whole MyPlayer creation and the addition of VC, its truly changed the dynamics of the sports gaming business. More and more each yr we see more effort being put into the online side of games, and thats not just with NBA2k. The 1 sports game I never thought would leave the hardcore sim fan base was MLBTS, and they now have started putting more effort into the online side, and a lack of focus on Franchise, so I didnt buy MLBTS this yr.
Now I will give NBA2k credit, they still do put effort into the Association, more so than what you see with Madden and MLBTS. So while there are a few things that do hold it back, that they seem to neglect once the game comes out, it is the best Franchise in console gaming.


Money talks, and after all while we look at it as just a video game, those who make it look at it as a business and the goal of any business is to make money and maximize profits.

So even though I have no real desire to play online, mainly due to my old age, I doubt it would be fun for me getting my rear kicked each game, or for those online players who actually want a good challenge,lol.
Although after watching the finals of the NBA2k Esports league, maybe Im not as bad as I think, if those are the best players in the world

[coach422001]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Gym Reaper

Offline guys being a bit overdramatic again. They aren't going to separate the games. Not in a million years.

I'll take that bet. If by the end of the year 1,002,019 they are still only releasing one game pack of NBA (or G-BA for Galactic Basketball Association), I'll owe you a coke.

[wrestlinggod1]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Gym Reaper

Offline guys being a bit overdramatic again. They aren't going to separate the games. Not in a million years.

Was the first sentence necessary? Why does it have to be "offline guys being overdramatic?" OP brought up a good point and asked for our opinions. It's not that deep...