NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

[Jamin23]

Game Informer has posted an interview with lead feature designer Erick Boenisch and lead gameplay producer Rob Jones, as they talk about NBA 2K10.

GI: "The graphics have always been a standout feature of the 2K series. How are they changing this year?"

EB: "On the technical side we have a new player model this year. The biggest thing that you’ll notice—look at the player lighting on the guys. Go into an arena like Boston or Orlando and look at the lighting in the environment and how that lighting is affecting the players. You can see the specular maps on their faces and normal maps. They really stand out and look a lot more humanlike, where last year they were kind of dull, they didn’t have any shine on the skin. It’s not one of those things where you turn the game on and you’re immediately blown away, because I thought our graphics were really good last year, but we were just missing the human touch element to making the graphics look a little more realistic. We have a deal with Image Metrics this year—those are the guys who did the heads for Grand Theft Auto IV, our company has a relationship with them—so we brought them on board to do our facial expressions and kind of bring the players to life."

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

You’ll see Kobe’s scowl, where he jets his lower chin out

I know some people are going to hate playing the Lakers even more because of that, lol.

[Goffs]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

good read!

Boenisch: Obviously with the draft sequence, when you continue with the combine, you will see that we’re in Madison Square Garden, we’re in the authentic draft environment, so you’re getting drafted there.

hmm does that mean we actually have MSG for the Knicks?!?!

[Parasight]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

Haha, they have the Kobe "he looks mean" stare from the Finals.

[tha1nonly]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

See now that scowl is going to be overdone because he did it a grand total of twice in his entire career and we'll see it damn near every game.

[thereginator28]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

You’ll see a lot of players doing their signature things like when LeBron does a big dunk and he’s running back down the court you’ll see his cheeks kind of puff out.

Lol every time I see this mentioned I think of this:

<object height="340" width="560">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_N2f-8Hgvc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></object>

All in all, good read and I'm looking forward to part 2 on Monday.

[Rockafella2x]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

I wonder if there will be commentary during MyPlayer games

[deetoman]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

If you make the team, only then do you advance to the NBA, where you’re likely going to start off at the end of the bench because you’re a low-rated rookie. If you don’t perform well, we also do the NBA Development League this year, which you’ll get sent down to. You’ll get called back and forth, or teams will cut you, waive you, or trade you

I'm hoping that's true!

[Eman5805]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

Oh God...they got that annoying Kobe jaw thing where he looks like Bubba from Forrest Gump?

Meh, I guess it's authentic.

[bigballa21]

Re: NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

I love the commentary news to me commentary is a big part of the experience so hearing that it's better than mlb the show and it talks about real time stuff instead of being time specific is big for me

[XpEeRuHmEnT]

Re: NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OtfIbOa-sPg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OtfIbOa-sPg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

[Dalsanto0026]

Re: NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

That was an interesting interview. Everything is sounding great so far. Looking forward to part 2.

[TreyIM2]

Re: Game Informer NBA 2k10 preview

See now that scowl is going to be overdone because he did it a grand total of twice in his entire career and we'll see it damn near every game.

Lol. Now, I'm trying not to go there since we haven't played the game, yet, but when I read it, I was thinking the same thing about the amount of times we've actually seen it in his career.

Now, what I did like reading was " I actually have NBA Today fully integrated into franchise, except it’s using data from your franchise rather than the real-world data." - Good. That was my biggest concern about this new data feed they're using and I've posted about it a few times. I didn't want real time NBA info in my association because that makes NO sense and I'm glad 2K agrees...but I gotta say, that interview, once again, made me feel like they will not be receiving my dough because they are starting to sound like "EA of old" (I know that's debatable to some)and NOT addressing the real probs with their game. I've only heard from them that they are fixing the post game.

Maybe some of the googamillion animations they're adding this year may resolve some other issues, as well, but if playing the DC is any indication of what to look forward to in the actual 2K10 game, I am very concerned because there are a bunch of old issues with the DC like how the animations and controls still can take u out of position and even make it hard for you to get BACK in the right direction and the unnecessary bounce pass issue in traffic and on pick and rolls unless there is a way to choose my pass type in that poorly put together "instruction manual" in the game. I DO like the new turbo button fatigue with the meter below the player. NICE!

2K really seems content on adding features and, as usual, animations, this year instead of fixing probs but gimme a demo to really see what's what, 2K (I am such a lobbyist, sometimes. Ha...).

[malky]

Re: NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

The commentary sounds hella good, still want to hear more about association/franchise. Sounds like one of the developers really put in work for it, so can't wait for Monday's part 2

[Court_vision]

Re: NBA 2K10 Interview (Game Informer)

The whole Beluba thing makes it into a major story

Game Informer: First and foremost, we were all surprised when Mike Wang jumped ship and went over to NBA Live. Were you guys surprised by the move?
Jones: I can’t say that we were prepared. Nobody’s ever prepared for someone just leaving and going to a direct competitor. But when all was said and done he needed to do something for his family, he wanted to try something different. For us, he was part of our team, he wasn’t our team. The NBA 2K franchise continues just like it did before he got here. We were saddened, because he’s a really good guy, but at the same time it was time for him and we moved on.
Boenisch: We have a team of 80 people, and Mike was just one of those people. The development team here, there is a number of us who are huge fans, and Mike was just one of us. He didn’t engineer the game, he didn’t put content into the game—he was just a producer.
GI: Obviously Mike was very intimate with the ideas being thrown about at Visual Concepts in regards to the NBA series. Have you had to take that into account now that he’s leading the competition?
Jones: I think that the best answer for that is, if you ever look at two games in the same genre the kind of evolve in the same way anyway. What he knew at the time was only through what we did in 2K9. NBA 2K10 is all stuff that he had no idea what we were going to move to. From a standpoint of what’s being implemented up there [in EA Canada], I think he’s taken a lot of concepts that we had already developed here, whether in unison with them or before he was there, and try to bring that flavor that they have been lacking so long. Let me put it this way, I know they have capable guys up there outside of Mike, and we have capable guys here that picked up from where he was with the same type of ingenuity for coming up with new, good stuff.