NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

[El_Poopador]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

ITS NOT THAT BAD! Its like in madden you have to get a certain amunt of points to get boost and and unlock discount and other packages this is how 2k is doing the new gm mode. hey should probably do a regular association mode for the fans who dont want the added challenge of earning VC to open things but i think its perfect for the gm mode. I like that i cant immediately do what i want like in current gen 2K.. just my opinion.

the difference is that in madden you dont need to unlock the ability to do menial tasks like set your depth chart. you also dont get fired if you cant afford to upgrade your weight room. now if you were earning enough to do the upgrades and just opted not to because youre stingy then yes by all means you should be penalized. but being penalized because you are financially (in the game) unable to do something is not the way it should be.

[El_Poopador]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

In regards to the coach upgrading abilities, I agree with how it's implemented in myGM. The fact that you're the GM and not the coach means you shouldn't have a say on the rotation unless you "earn" that right. So having that be an upgrade is ok with me.

if youre the gm you also shouldnt be controlling the players on the court. you shouldnt be allowed to call plays. there are a lot of things that a gm cant do that you have to in this game. how are those any different?

vc is fine if its used for things to enhance the experience (such as upgrading facilities or advertising to increase fan support). but it should not be necessary to perform basic functions that should not require any sort of money like setting rotations or firing someone.

[bludevilchief]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

Most of the stuff in myGM is pretty cheap from my experience and you get about 900 VC a game. By mid season, you should have a pretty competitive GM if you're playing the games.

I don't want to play the games. I want to manage the team and sim the games.

[yankeesgiants]

First off, I have no issue with VC. BUT, I have huge issues with how VC is structured in this game.

[kadzier]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

I've had issues with VC ever since they put it in My Career and made basic headbands and arm sleeve accessories, things that should be freely available, things that WERE freely available in previous versions, actually cost a significant part of your "yearly" salary. How can anyone see that as less than a shameless money grab?

[poloelite]

if youre the gm you also shouldnt be controlling the players on the court. you shouldnt be allowed to call plays. there are a lot of things that a gm cant do that you have to in this game. how are those any different?

vc is fine if its used for things to enhance the experience (such as upgrading facilities or advertising to increase fan support). but it should not be necessary to perform basic functions that should not require any sort of money like setting rotations or firing someone.

I hear your argument man and agree, but I see where they were going with it as well. You're a bum GM and you're trying to get access to all levels of the organization and have to "progress" to get there. The fact that it's an actual video game, they have to let you do things on the court. Setting rotations takes one game to unlock. Is it the best idea, obviously not by the community's reaction. But I would be lying if I said I didn't get it and understand what they're trying to do. I personally don't have an issue with it. Now if setting rotations was 7,500 VC, I would definitely have an issue.

[poloelite]

I don't want to play the games. I want to manage the team and sim the games.

Nothing I can say to this but they didn't build the game for people who like to simulate games unfortunately. In an effort to probably stop the amount of VC spam they would get with more given to simulating games, they sacrificed this option. Once again, I don't agree, but I do think they can tweak VC in the future so there's a better pricing model and reward system.

[LorenzoDC]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

Most of the stuff in myGM is pretty cheap from my experience and you get about 900 VC a game. By mid season, you should have a pretty competitive GM if you're playing the games.

I play 12 minute quarters. So your solution to me is to play half a season to rack up about 36,000 VC points to spend (win some lose some, average 900 VC points per game). That's 40 hours of in game gameplay, plus maybe 30% additional time to manage the mode in the main screen and sub menus. So, call it 52 hours.

52 hours for 36,000 VC. That's not fun gameplay, that's game grinding to be able to have the mode just function. Why is that? Because if I don't pay stuff to keep the morale of role players up, their morale tanks and I win fewer games (fun!). Or my coach may quit because I didn't buy a weight room (MOAR FUN!). Etc.

Meanwhile, embedded in every screen is a link for me to pay an extra $10 to buy 35,000 VC points. So, for an additional $10 I can free myself of the need to grind 52 hours of games (19 cents/hour), and instead, I can play the games that interest me, the ones I want to play, and take more time engaging the pure franchise management portion of the game. Maybe I can even have time to use the practice mode. Now I can have fun!

Once you start grinding games because you feel like you have to just to make the franchise management mode playable, it's stops being "play" and it becomes "work." It's like the feeling of trying to get out from under a debt. That's not entertainment, and they are selling an entertainment product.

There's a reason open world games are so popular: they maximize player choice. Do what you want, when you want. Explore! There are no negative gameplay repercussions for doing this, except maybe getting killed and resurrected. Because you do whatever you feel like at any moment, it's fun. It's not the role playing or story line alone that's fun, it's the freedom to roam, to choose, to explore, depending on your mood.

NBA 2k14 NG has taken choice away from the gamer. Customization is severely curtailed. Events in MyPlayer are more scripted and linear. Stories in general can be fun when done right, but even Mass Effect allowed for a lot of optional open world exploring, and choice about what mission to do when, until the end game sequence.

The implementation of VC in this game is, aside from everything else, just really bad game design. It's a pay to win game that forces people to play the game in a very narrowly defined way. So you get less fun, unless you give in and pay more than you thought you would when you paid your $60.

At that point it's less fun because you're probably pissed off and resentful. Not everyone will feel that way, but a lot will, including casual gamers. Would it affect half the game's buyers? Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Will that affect future sales? What do you think? Keep in mind the people playing now are the ones who could afford to buy a NG box at release. Later on, less wealthy gamers will be getting their hands on it, and they will be more pissed.

To escape grinding completely for a 12 minute quarter player, it would cost you a lot more than $10. I haven't tallied it up, but my wild guess is it could take at least 100,000 VC points to max out your MyGM without ever touching the other big bucket of VC store items under the Facilities and Game Pricing menus. That's easily another 75,000 VC points, off the top of my head. Two 80,000 (total 160,000) VC packs would cost you an additional $40. With all that, why would anyone buy a virtual suit and clothes for their MyGM? To earn 160,000 VC a 12 minute quarter player would have to play about 230 hours!

C'mon, man. Be serious. I can't believe some developer(s) at 2k didn't look at this when they were writing this code and say to themselves, man, this s**t is f****d up.

PS - I didn't even add in hours you lose because your game was booted from the 2k servers in the third quarter. There goes 45 minutes of your time! No VC for you! Grind again! Have a nice day!

[youalreadknowwhoitis]

2k14 I have to say as far as vc goes is terrible I have gone through this issue 3-4 times already and the company also is bad when it comes to customer service they phone operators are very rude and they know nothing at least from whom I have talked to they don't wanna fix anything not alone refund the money to those who have purchased vc. this is sick they knew millions would log on this should never happen these are things they are suppose to know and fix when they drop they very first game. I think no one should buy their product until they can fix their screw ups i am not supporting this game or maker ever again

[zasbury25]

Re: NBA 2K14 VC Shows Its Ugly Side

VC is pure profit for 2K, minus whatever fee/tax they have to pay MS/Sony to post it on their respective marketplaces. There are no features or modes added when you purchase VC...you are paying for the ability to unlock things already in the game stuck behind a virtual pay wall. They are in the game merely as a vehicle to squeeze more money out of you. They leave you the choice to either grind for the coins in-game or spend additional money to unlock items or attributes. They have tipped the scales in their favor to double-dip everyone; do I spend X hours of my precious time to buy that accessory or with the quick press of a few buttons, spend a few bucks to get it now? It is to the point where I have to make the choice of do I waste my time or pay extra money to get the experience I should already have and did have in the past.

Accessories and such were free or relatively attainable before...what changed that made them so expensive now? Why do gold packs in NG cost more VC than CG? Don't you get the same amount of items? If you want to sell MyTeam Gold packs, sell them for whatever you want them to be...Madden has no problems selling the UT packs for real dollar amounts.

In a sense, grinding for attributes or accessories has been in sports games for a while and I think most people would be OK with that. For example, in Tiger Woods Golf, you needed to achieve a certain level to unlock the best clubs or the Nike shoes. But, I feel, it was never to a point where something wasn't attainable through normal play of the game. To me, the economy in NBA 2K14 NG has been unbalanced to the point where I have to decide what mode I need to focus my attention on and not play the others because I feel I won't have the experience I deserve...unless I cut corners and go the easy way out and spend some real money for the fake coins.

A single currency (VC) that is tied to every mode in the game is just wrong. I shouldn't have to make the choice on which mode do I neglect, or not play at all, in order to purchase an attribute in MyGM, buy a gold pack in MyTeam, or max out my shoot in traffic rating in MyCareer. Also, any single-player experience should not be tied to a currency you can spend real money on...unless it is a F2P game, there is no place for it in a game I already spent money on.

2K got my money this go-around...if things don't change with the next iteration, I will seriously have to consider not buying the game new. I have always been a day-one purchaser of the series, but I know they don't get money directly from me if I buy it used. I know I can't not buy the game, but they won't be able to count me as a retail sale...at least I can take some satisfaction with that.

[RipCityAndy]

The last 2k I purchased was 2k13. I refused to buy it this year (next gen or current gen). I really really dislike how VC has been implemented. I can't speak to 2014 (like I said - never bought it), but it ruined MyPlayer and MyTeam for me in 2k13. I spent more time spamming the VC glitch than playing the game. It is baffling that anyone would spend real money on VC given a clearly exploitable glitch, by the way.

The problem isn't VC (or coins, or whatever other in game currency) though. The problem is how frustratingly imbalanced it is. It is IMPOSSIBLE for a person with only a few daily hours (max) of video games to enjoy 2k with the current version of VC balance. That is, unless you want to purchase a ton of VC with your real money.

I'm voicing my frustration this year with my money - it's staying in my pocket. Sorry 2k. Fix it.

[KayOtic723]

people complaining about not having enough time to play just want things for free….you have an option buy vc with real money….I love the grind that vc makes you have to go through but i also play mlb the show and finish 162 game seasons only problem with vc is it cost a little to much for apparel but you really don't need that stuff

[KayOtic723]

people complaining about not having enough time to play just want things for free….you have an option buy vc with real money….I love the grind that vc makes you have to go through but i also play mlb the show and finish 162 game seasons only problem with vc is it cost a little to much for apparel but you really don't need that stuff

people would have real problems if they gave you everything free and charged $120 for the game

[poloelite]

I play 12 minute quarters. So your solution to me is to play half a season to rack up about 36,000 VC points to spend (win some lose some, average 900 VC points per game). That's 40 hours of in game gameplay, plus maybe 30% additional time to manage the mode in the main screen and sub menus. So, call it 52 hours.

52 hours for 36,000 VC. That's not fun gameplay, that's game grinding to be able to have the mode just function. Why is that? Because if I don't pay stuff to keep the morale of role players up, their morale tanks and I win fewer games (fun!). Or my coach may quit because I didn't buy a weight room (MOAR FUN!). Etc.

Meanwhile, embedded in every screen is a link for me to pay an extra $10 to buy 35,000 VC points. So, for an additional $10 I can free myself of the need to grind 52 hours of games (19 cents/hour), and instead, I can play the games that interest me, the ones I want to play, and take more time engaging the pure franchise management portion of the game. Maybe I can even have time to use the practice mode. Now I can have fun!

Once you start grinding games because you feel like you have to just to make the franchise management mode playable, it's stops being "play" and it becomes "work." It's like the feeling of trying to get out from under a debt. That's not entertainment, and they are selling an entertainment product.

There's a reason open world games are so popular: they maximize player choice. Do what you want, when you want. Explore! There are no negative gameplay repercussions for doing this, except maybe getting killed and resurrected. Because you do whatever you feel like at any moment, it's fun. It's not the role playing or story line alone that's fun, it's the freedom to roam, to choose, to explore, depending on your mood.

NBA 2k14 NG has taken choice away from the gamer. Customization is severely curtailed. Events in MyPlayer are more scripted and linear. Stories in general can be fun when done right, but even Mass Effect allowed for a lot of optional open world exploring, and choice about what mission to do when, until the end game sequence.

The implementation of VC in this game is, aside from everything else, just really bad game design. It's a pay to win game that forces people to play the game in a very narrowly defined way. So you get less fun, unless you give in and pay more than you thought you would when you paid your $60.

At that point it's less fun because you're probably pissed off and resentful. Not everyone will feel that way, but a lot will, including casual gamers. Would it affect half the game's buyers? Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Will that affect future sales? What do you think? Keep in mind the people playing now are the ones who could afford to buy a NG box at release. Later on, less wealthy gamers will be getting their hands on it, and they will be more pissed.

To escape grinding completely for a 12 minute quarter player, it would cost you a lot more than $10. I haven't tallied it up, but my wild guess is it could take at least 100,000 VC points to max out your MyGM without ever touching the other big bucket of VC store items under the Facilities and Game Pricing menus. That's easily another 75,000 VC points, off the top of my head. Two 80,000 (total 160,000) VC packs would cost you an additional $40. With all that, why would anyone buy a virtual suit and clothes for their MyGM? To earn 160,000 VC a 12 minute quarter player would have to play about 230 hours!

C'mon, man. Be serious. I can't believe some developer(s) at 2k didn't look at this when they were writing this code and say to themselves, man, this s**t is f****d up.

PS - I didn't even add in hours you lose because your game was booted from the 2k servers in the third quarter. There goes 45 minutes of your time! No VC for you! Grind again! Have a nice day!

My dude your write up was insightful and I hear your gripes, but I think the point is to not max out your GM. Most GMs aren't maxed out and they have specific strong suits. I can't tell you what's entertaining to you or not, but myGM has been pretty entertaining to me besides the injury glitch. I wouldn't play the mode thinking somehow I should have a maxed out GM in the middle of year 1. That should take years to achieve. Because of what I'm reading here, do I think they need to balance the game better going forward? Yes!! But I just don't think VC is a terrible idea all the way around. I think there is a way to better balance it so both sides can be happy.

[poloelite]

Man I hear everybody's gripes, I really do, but I can't say I feel them 100%. People who play myGM and actually play the game, will make enough VC to build a respectable GM. People who play myCareer will do the same. I do agree the price of packs in myTeam are ridiculous, but it seems the Domination mode will give you specific team packs that could yield Gold Players.

The wack side I'm noticing is 2K is making it so you have to build from being a scrub to the top and if you want to bypass that, then you have to buy VC. This sucks for online gamers because you will build regularly and some other guy may buy VC, I get that. But to the guys who want to play the game and mainly the offline portions (myGM and myCareer) how is VC stopping that? What if they called it XP, eliminated the price tag but had the same progression levels?

To me it seems like the best of both worlds because you can act as if VC doesn't exist (call it XP), play the game (which is why we bought it) and unlock things as you go along. Or, you can buy VC and play the game that you want to play it. The only thing that has seem to change to me is you can't max out your myPlayer or myGM in year 1 and dominate the league, which is realistic. I think this debate needs to go on and better balancing is needed, but the option to pay more and play the game the way you want to instead of how the developer wants you to, is a great option.