NBA 2k12

First off, to the people who enjoy my NFL picks, I'm sorry. I don't really have the time and even though I'm good at it I'm not sure if I'm as good at writing those articles. Outside of that, NBA 2k12 has been on my mind and its important to me to get some thoughts off my chest.

First, I'm a huge fan of the 2k brand and the NBA 2k series. I owned NBA 2k in December of 1999. Its a great game series. Its been pretty good or great for years. I feel that 2k11 was a standout game.

Because I remember playing basketball games on the Dreamcast (and Sega Genesis for that matter), the additions are amazing. The way the improvements have allowed the video game to look like the game on TNT is important to me. Post-up improvements, the reduction of center dribbling effectiveness, the difference in shot types, the customization of created players. Its been a long time since my 7'7 center on the Dallas Mavericks with Dirk and Finley.

My favorite feature has been the aptly named "my player" mode. It allowed people to create and customize players. This was a mode that made nba 2k10 worth buying by itself. It allowed me to appreciate the moment to moment grind of being an NBA Center. In 2k10, I wasn't drafted, and I was kicked off a practice squad. I had to grind on a D-League squad (Iowa Energy). As I improved I was called to the NBA to play for the Hornets, I endured a rough year with the clippers followed by a Defensive Player of the Year award followed by a series of championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I was heavily invested in my players career. 

In 2k11, I enjoyed this mode enough to go through the process with 3 maxed out players. I enjoyed the my crew mode. The mode allowed my friends and me to play against other crews with our customized players. We created a dominating team, eventually. It, much like my 2k10 my player, didn't start off well, with a running joke about the road to .500, i.e. winning as many games as we lost. Eventually we became a better squad. More importantly it was incredible fun and a completely worthwhile experience. 

Now it seems that NBA 2k12 has improved the my player experience, yet again. The problem? They apparently eradicated the my crew feature.  I love doing my player ,but without my crew then its just like the superstar mode in Madden 12. Useless.  Truly useless. Maybe it reflects my stance on gaming more than it reflects on the merits of the game. My favorite experiences are those found in Co-op gameplay. This is especially true when those co-op experiences are buoyed by a great single player element. This seems like a good idea when executed as well as it was in 2k11. But now the dream is dead.

If it is true that there will be no my crew, I might buy it anyway, sadly. I'm a fan of My Player. The mode is enough to keep me interested in the game especially considering that there aren't a lot of games that I'm interested in buying at this point. Unlike Madden I don't feel it to be a neccessity that I purchase the game. It seems completely unneccesary.