You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

[takki]

All I see is negative impressions about the new presentation when, IMO, it's one of the most amazing presentations ever in a sports game.

All this complaining is going to make 2k throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's fine that you hate Jay-Z's music. It's fine that you hate the wonderful thing which is rap and want the flashy bling gone from the menus and want to go back to the same boring menus.

But you also are going to make 2k think you want the good stuff gone. The music videos before each game. The real city footage they show before games. The interesting and varied replay cameras (although I wish you got AND 1s for good three point shots, it seems they only care about flashy dunks).

It seems you want these things gone as well, just because it has Jay-Z's name on it.

[Po0hd1n1]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

i dont have a problem with it

the soundtrack has got a little old tho

[JerzeyReign]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

Not everyone hates it -- I actually like it. I prefer them to just highjack TNT's presentation like Madden kind of does with CBS but ehh, it is what it is.

I love the soundtrack - I hate hearing those garage band type songs that really doesn't flow with a real basketball atmosphere.

[TeeDogg]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

I think its very well done! Best I've seen. The only thing I would ditch is the live audio, use various artist, and make the backgrounds less cheesy and more ummmm....impressive (regardless of the theme) but other than that the griping has overshadowed a milestone in presentation. Awesome job 2k . Turn momentous loose with the art guys that got you to this point and you're good!

[SteelerSpartan]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

The music is fine with me but the obnoxious use of so much gold on the overlays make it hard to take the broadcast seriously.

Great Broadcast packages are best when they highlight the players and the game, not dominate the eye and take away from that

[VDusen04]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

All I see is negative impressions about the new presentation when, IMO, it's one of the most amazing presentations ever in a sports game.

All this complaining is going to make 2k throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's fine that you hate Jay-Z's music. It's fine that you hate the wonderful thing which is rap and want the flashy bling gone from the menus and want to go back to the same boring menus.

But you also are going to make 2k think you want the good stuff gone. The music videos before each game. The real city footage they show before games. The interesting and varied replay cameras (although I wish you got AND 1s for good three point shots, it seems they only care about flashy dunks).

It seems you want these things gone as well, just because it has Jay-Z's name on it.

I think this is why it's most effective when people detail exactly what it is they do not like about the presentation, instead of just flatly saying it all sucks. I think a lot of us are on record of explaining exactly what portions of the presentation we do not care for and which portions we like.

For me personally, to go right down the line, I don't care for Jay-Z's music. To be clear, that doesn't mean I don't like rap or hip-hop though. And clearly, that also doesn't mean I think I have the right to make an executive decision to have Jay's music pulled. But I just felt 2K's soundtrack was lacking the fresh variety they've normally displayed during most of their other soundtracks. While games such as 2K10 seemed to offer a wide variety of music from 2008 on forward, from artists across all genres and popularity, 2K13 seems to offer an over-abundance of one specific type of a single genre (the Jay-Z/Kanye/B.I.G faction of hip-hop) combined with very aged super-popular, overplayed (in my opinion) pop rock tracks (U2, Coldplay, Daft Punk) with what feels like two or three newer indie-sounding tracks I hadn't heard before.

In some cases, I actually did like some of the songs 2K included at one point, but to be honest, I've already heard the likes of "Around the World" and "Shook Ones Pt. II" enough times in my life to make my head explode. That is why I'm not a fan of having one specific artist build a track list to his liking and including mega hits that are often 10, 15, and 20 years old. Even if I liked them, I'm probably tired of them by now.

The menu graphics are a mess, in my opinion. I mean, I think the menus function well and I'm glad I can read everything clearly (I was worried pre-release) but I do not favor the graphical design at all. I've seen many folks label it as you did ("flashy bling") but I don't get that feel. I think I'd like the right design of flashy bling. 2K13's design just feels like a tacky movie theatre lobby.

Further, using a non-basketball theme for in-game overlays is counter-intuitive in my opinion. Why are there equalizer bars on the overlay every time I score a bucket? Why are their swords, chains and speakerboxes on the replay wipe? I think there's a place for musical symbols in basketball and that place is not "everywhere". For instance, remember how the Gatorade icon pops up when a player's tired? That actually makes sense. It ties into the game cleanly. We don't have Gatorade cups filling up on the overlay everytime we score and replays don't feature players sweating blue Gatorade like the commercials. That's because the Gatorade bottles complement the game more than trying to take it over.

I've also been clear that I've enjoyed the pre-game intros in years past. However, I object to two things in this years pre-game video presentation: 1) the "musical artist-to-actual basketball footage" ratio is way too high (am I preparing for a basketball game or concert?) and 2) all the basketball footage comes from the exact matchup with the exact jerseys on the exact floor of the game that's about to be played (example of why this is a problem: the pre-game highlights for Jeremy Lin's first return to New York during an Association or NBA Today game is clips of Lin playing against New York in New York, something he could not have possibly done yet). Otherwise, I like the idea of pre-game montages. I just don't know why they'd go away from the "varied game" highlights they utilized last year.

Finally, I definitely love the city overlooks. I've never hid the fact that there's nothing I'd change about it (aside from being okay if they added more footage). Awesome addition.

I don't despise Jay-Z, I just happen to not be a fan of a lot of the directions taken by 2K in his vain. There was a classier or more subtle way of having someone like Jay-Z complement an NBA basketball video game in my opinion. Instead, it feels more like 2K's saying to consumers, "Hey guys, doesn't this look like something Jay-Z would do? He influenced us. We have him. Look, he's everywhere."

I'm hopeful 2K can recognize which additions they made that best represent the NBA basketball experience and those that maybe bordered on (or fully crossed over into) gimmick.

[MVP9072]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

It gets old sometimes but i don't really care for the music in a game

bought it to play MyCareer not listen to tracks of Jay Z

[Phobia]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

Everything in the presentation is top notch! Except the Music is sorely lacking any variety and quantity.

Positive

• Menu Look
• Pre-Game music video are fantastic
• Between quarter cut scenes
• Other game scores and stats between quarters
• You pick em game is a cool interactive addition
• Play of the game new graphics are good
• Pre-game highlight of lineup is cool

Negative

• Music is lacking variety & quantity
• More cut scenes needed between quarters such as locker room scenes and such

[MrWise33]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

I think this is why it's most effective when people detail exactly what it is they do not like about the presentation, instead of just flatly saying it all sucks. I think a lot of us are on record of explaining exactly what portions of the presentation we do not care for and which portions we like.

For me personally, to go right down the line, I don't care for Jay-Z's music. To be clear, that doesn't mean I don't like rap or hip-hop though. And clearly, that also doesn't mean I think I have the right to make an executive decision to have Jay's music pulled. But I just felt 2K's soundtrack was lacking the fresh variety they've normally displayed during most of their other soundtracks. While games such as 2K10 seemed to offer a wide variety of music from 2008 on forward, from artists across all genres and popularity, 2K13 seems to offer an over-abundance of one specific type of a single genre (the Jay-Z/Kanye/B.I.G faction of hip-hop) combined with very aged super-popular, overplayed (in my opinion) pop rock tracks (U2, Coldplay, Daft Punk) with what feels like two or three newer indie-sounding tracks I hadn't heard before.

In some cases, I actually did like some of the songs 2K included at one point, but to be honest, I've already heard the likes of "Around the World" and "Shook Ones Pt. II" enough times in my life to make my head explode. That is why I'm not a fan of having one specific artist build a track list to his liking and including mega hits that are often 10, 15, and 20 years old. Even if I liked them, I'm probably tired of them by now.

The menu graphics are a mess, in my opinion. I mean, I think the menus function well and I'm glad I can read everything clearly (I was worried pre-release) but I do not favor the graphical design at all. I've seen many folks label it as you did ("flashy bling") but I don't get that feel. I think I'd like the right design of flashy bling. 2K13's design just feels like a tacky movie theatre lobby.

Further, using a non-basketball theme for in-game overlays is counter-intuitive in my opinion. Why are there equalizer bars on the overlay every time I score a bucket? Why are their swords, chains and speakerboxes on the replay wipe? I think there's a place for musical symbols in basketball and that place is not "everywhere". For instance, remember how the Gatorade icon pops up when a player's tired? That actually makes sense. It ties into the game cleanly. We don't have Gatorade cups filling up on the overlay everytime we score and replays don't feature players sweating blue Gatorade like the commercials. That's because the Gatorade bottles complement the game more than trying to take it over.

I've also been clear that I've enjoyed the pre-game intros in years past. However, I object to two things in this years pre-game video presentation: 1) the "musical artist-to-actual basketball footage" ratio is way too high (am I preparing for a basketball game or concert?) and 2) all the basketball footage comes from the exact matchup with the exact jerseys on the exact floor of the game that's about to be played (example of why this is a problem: the pre-game highlights for Jeremy Lin's first return to New York during an Association or NBA Today game is clips of Lin playing against New York in New York, something he could not have possibly done yet). Otherwise, I like the idea of pre-game montages. I just don't know why they'd go away from the "varied game" highlights they utilized last year.

Finally, I definitely love the city overlooks. I've never hid the fact that there's nothing I'd change about it (aside from being okay if they added more footage). Awesome addition.

I don't despise Jay-Z, I just happen to not be a fan of a lot of the directions taken by 2K in his vain. There was a classier or more subtle way of having someone like Jay-Z complement an NBA basketball video game in my opinion. Instead, it feels more like 2K's saying to consumers, "Hey guys, doesn't this look like something Jay-Z would do? He influenced us. We have him. Look, he's everywhere."

I'm hopeful 2K can recognize which additions they made that best represent the NBA basketball experience and those that maybe bordered on (or fully crossed over into) gimmick.

I Have no problem with anything you said. Alot of great points raised here. And even tho I liked the Overall presentation I now noticed a few things that need to be changed

[daveberg]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

Truly awful. I wouldn't even spare a thought for it, if it was removed. I don't like rap or hip hop and the gold menus are enough to make Mr T blush. I'd rather them lose the game intros all together - 2k said you'd never see the same thing twice....Really? I record most of my games, and I can tell you I've seen the same old stuff over and over again. The money 2k spent on JZ and half assed 'celebs' could've gone into something else like the Jordan mode/legends mode - they could have used that money and expanded to a greatest games of all time mode or something to that effect. But instead i'll guess i'll have to settle to the droll sound of 'the world is yours' over and over again...

*Ears begin to bleed*

Basketball seems to have a nasty stereotype of going hand in hand with hip hop and rap - sorry, but not everyone who loves the sport loves that kind of music. 2k should give us the option to be able to use our own soundtrack, instead of having to mute the whole thing. Give us options instead of force feeding us stuff that you assume we identify with just because we're hoop fans.

[s_dot8701]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

iHATE THAT STUPID SANTIAGOLD SONG. Sounds like a song I pipe the missus down with. Still upset they didnt put Young Jeezy f/ lil wayne- Ballin'

[Humdinger80]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

Meh, I don't even like Jay-Z but I love hip-hop so I think it's ok. But if you ask me I'd love it if it they removed all that and just made it look as much like a NBA game on TNT you'd watch on T.V. from the pregame presentations to the in-game action replays and camera cuts. I really don't like the spider web like tribal tatt B.S. border designs on the overlays during the game that displays last seasons stats, leading free throw shooters, etc... and in the menus.

[Bobhead]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

The thing is Jay-Z's like one of the most successful artists of all time. EVERYBODY's heard his stuff before, even non-hip-hop fans. It'd be more interesting if they used some obscure rapper and piled his music on. But hearing 8 different mainstream tracks (not even mixtape stuff!) all from the same mainstream artist? Tracks I already OWN on album, AND hear on the radio AND on TV? No thanks.

I love some of the presentational stuff, I just mainly dislike the actual choice in songs that you are stuck with on the main menu and whatnot.

[mango_prom]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

I love hiphop and dont hate on Jay-Z, but come on, the only reason he's prominently featured in this game is because he's a global brand kids care about.
You don't need him to create a playlist or change menu graphics at all. But he brings in sales, so they go with it.
I'd rather have a TV-like presentation, but just look at how the game is played online, do you think these children care about anything realistic?
And 2k absolutely did the right and smart thing, focusing on marketing and flashy stuff to impress the kids who actually care about one of their idols being featured in a basketball videogame.

[harvs28]

Re: You guys are hurting my feelings, hating on the Jay-Z presentation.

Personally, I hate the presentation in this game. It's like I'm watching MTV. Too much gold for my liking, I'd prefer that they take a more "professional" looking presentation next time. Preferably one that an actual sports network would probably use (ESPN, NBA TV, TNT, etc.) or whatever, not this graffiti/tribal like presentation. This kind of presentation would be more suitable for a streetball game or if 2K just put it Blacktop mode menu. And the score overlay during the game keep it simple, we don't care for those moving bars everytime a team scores, just keep the presentation clean. And take out those pre-game music videos. And what the hell is up with the voice over in the pre-game montages in playoff games. It keeps saying the wrong conference (West when I'm on Eastern Team and vice versa).