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NBA 2K14 (next-gen) patched in Always Online requirement
- Thread starter Mr. Luchador
- Start date
They took out car gifting and trading. Plus the game has always been a bit of a grind.. so even if nothing changed its still a perfect storm for microtransactions.
Finally people are waking up to the scam that is NBA 2K14 microtransactions.
They are actually worse than what people were saying about Forza 5 and GT6 (didn't play neither so far). The VC currency is forced into you in every mode of the game, the only way to avoid is if you do Quick Game.
MyGM is a typical Dynasty Mode with a nice RPG-lite structure, but you have to spend VC currency to unlock upgrades. But even better, upgrades give you extra abilities. Want to use those extra abilities that you unlocked with VC coins? Not so fast, you have to spend VC coins to use them too.
It's incredible. You can play the game without them but the design of the mode was built towards forcing people to buy that stuff to truly enjoy it. It's exactly like a F2P but the game costs 60$/€.
About the "Always Online", I only noticed it when I was connected to my Wifi router but I had no internet service, so the console thought I had connection but couldn't connect to the servers so I was stuck on a black screen forever. Had to disable network on the console to play the game and could use every mode except "MyTeam", which is an online mode.
FIFA 14 also does the same thing btw. If the console can't connect to the servers but you are connected to wifi router, it just stucks on a black screen forever.
If anything this whole experience just reinforced my opinion against a Always Online future. It sucks. Period.
They are actually worse than what people were saying about Forza 5 and GT6 (didn't play neither so far). The VC currency is forced into you in every mode of the game, the only way to avoid is if you do Quick Game.
MyGM is a typical Dynasty Mode with a nice RPG-lite structure, but you have to spend VC currency to unlock upgrades. But even better, upgrades give you extra abilities. Want to use those extra abilities that you unlocked with VC coins? Not so fast, you have to spend VC coins to use them too.
It's incredible. You can play the game without them but the design of the mode was built towards forcing people to buy that stuff to truly enjoy it. It's exactly like a F2P but the game costs 60$/€.
About the "Always Online", I only noticed it when I was connected to my Wifi router but I had no internet service, so the console thought I had connection but couldn't connect to the servers so I was stuck on a black screen forever. Had to disable network on the console to play the game and could use every mode except "MyTeam", which is an online mode.
FIFA 14 also does the same thing btw. If the console can't connect to the servers but you are connected to wifi router, it just stucks on a black screen forever.
If anything this whole experience just reinforced my opinion against a Always Online future. It sucks. Period.
The idea of online only single player games scares the shit out of me. Well, scare is not the right word, but it certainly makes me fearful of the future. I haven't personally played NBA2K14 yet as I don't have a PS4/XB1. I had no idea micro-transactions and now, patched in online only was in this game. Either way, right now this is an inconvenience, at best.
Sports games? Not a big deal, since newer ones will come out that will hopefully improve on the future. I don't have the urge to go back and play NFL Gameday 2001, for example. Other games though, when the activation/authentication servers are down, it would suck not being able to play them. A few months ago I played through the Crash Bandicoot series, and would have been pissed not to be able to play them because the servers are down.
Single player online only, IAP infested games is what will make me want to stop buying new systems. I have enough of that on Android, and would rather it not tamper with the real games that are on console/PC.
Sports games? Not a big deal, since newer ones will come out that will hopefully improve on the future. I don't have the urge to go back and play NFL Gameday 2001, for example. Other games though, when the activation/authentication servers are down, it would suck not being able to play them. A few months ago I played through the Crash Bandicoot series, and would have been pissed not to be able to play them because the servers are down.
Single player online only, IAP infested games is what will make me want to stop buying new systems. I have enough of that on Android, and would rather it not tamper with the real games that are on console/PC.
RagingAvatar
Member
Has he patched it though?
Aquamarine
Member
And now the game becomes an instant no-buy for me.
There should ALWAYS be an offline option for games that allow you to play single-player.
There should ALWAYS be an offline option for games that allow you to play single-player.
TonkuySlon
Banned
Wow, this is some shady crap...and I say this as a poster who is always on-line and don't really care about DRM...but you can't put this in AFTER people bought it. Amazing!
They should at least mentioned on the splash screen that it tries to connect to the 2k servers. I started the game today and wondered why it always kept hanging at the splash screen. So I twice deleted and reinstalled twice, thinking the 2k14 files on the drive got corrupted, but that didn't help so I gave up. After trying again now, I can get into the menu, but only because PSN is down for maintenance and it won't even try to authenticate.
TonkuySlon
Banned
I had this problem last week...there is no indication of why it's not working...it just sits there...at least tell the people we couldn't get on-line so you can't play.
There was a thread in Operation Sports that seem to have a few people saying that it does work offline under certain conditions :
edit : GAF --> OS --> GAF circle of life is complete!
From the sounds of it, you can play Quick Game offline if you get past the MyCareer loading when the game boots up. If the game doesn't detect an internet connection it should still load but with most feature disabled except Quick Game.
I'll test my own copy some more later today, but this seems like it has something to do with 2k server integration and MyCareer being tightly integrated into the core of the game, and a poorly designed menu system that does not make certain features immediately apparent.
What should happen when you boot up NBA 2k (or any game) :
NBA 2k should get you to the menu as fast as possible, with no online integration on the front end :
Game should then load the basics, plays the intro, shows a basic menu :
Quick Game
NBA Today
MY Career
Settings
But instead, it loads a bunch of online integrated stuff before hand, it also has two different menus with all modes not exposed on the first menu.
What NBA 2k currently does :
Game attempts to connect to a server first, loading/connecting the online related features that pulls data from 2k servers (NBA today info, integration of certain dynamic commentary lines ( like how the in game commentators would talk about how "The Lakers lost to the Raptors last night") :
It also attempts to load certain aspects of MyCareer before it loads the menu (IIRC, this was why it always prompted to accept the online term of use, create a character, before it even got to the menu when the game launched with so many connection problems. )
Then it gets you to the first menu ( Quick Game, MyGM, My Career,My Team, Features etc..etc). Which if memory serves will disable certain features if it doesn't detect a connection)
There is no option on the first menu to reach Practice/Tutorial, Blacktop, Roster Creator, Online Games, Online leagues - those are on a second menu that scrolls horizontally for some odd reason.
NBA 2k is a combination of a heavily integrated online system tied into a poorly designed menu system - combined with modes that are traditionally offline being converted to online only without it being clear,
edit : GAF --> OS --> GAF circle of life is complete!
From the sounds of it, you can play Quick Game offline if you get past the MyCareer loading when the game boots up. If the game doesn't detect an internet connection it should still load but with most feature disabled except Quick Game.
I'll test my own copy some more later today, but this seems like it has something to do with 2k server integration and MyCareer being tightly integrated into the core of the game, and a poorly designed menu system that does not make certain features immediately apparent.
What should happen when you boot up NBA 2k (or any game) :
NBA 2k should get you to the menu as fast as possible, with no online integration on the front end :
Game should then load the basics, plays the intro, shows a basic menu :
Quick Game
NBA Today
MY Career
Settings
But instead, it loads a bunch of online integrated stuff before hand, it also has two different menus with all modes not exposed on the first menu.
What NBA 2k currently does :
Game attempts to connect to a server first, loading/connecting the online related features that pulls data from 2k servers (NBA today info, integration of certain dynamic commentary lines ( like how the in game commentators would talk about how "The Lakers lost to the Raptors last night") :
It also attempts to load certain aspects of MyCareer before it loads the menu (IIRC, this was why it always prompted to accept the online term of use, create a character, before it even got to the menu when the game launched with so many connection problems. )
Then it gets you to the first menu ( Quick Game, MyGM, My Career,My Team, Features etc..etc). Which if memory serves will disable certain features if it doesn't detect a connection)
There is no option on the first menu to reach Practice/Tutorial, Blacktop, Roster Creator, Online Games, Online leagues - those are on a second menu that scrolls horizontally for some odd reason.
NBA 2k is a combination of a heavily integrated online system tied into a poorly designed menu system - combined with modes that are traditionally offline being converted to online only without it being clear,
I don't know about not allowing you to play the game offline (pretty sure I've done it recently), but the game straight up has the worst menus of any game I've ever played. Not only is it ugly as hell but it is extremely difficult to find what you're looking for.
This shit right here is bonkers. It's like they were going for a minimalist look with the main screen menu, but it looks like complete horse shit. My little brother thought I was playing a flash game when I first booted the game up on the TV.
Bob Dobalina
Member
What I've played of 2K14 has been extremely disappointing. Can;t believe 2K would shit up their game like this as well.
Muppet of a Man
Member
Fuck this shit....seriously. These dudes can't be serious with trying to patch in Always Online and/or limit the offline functionality after the fact.
BlackClouds
Member
I'm still getting NBA2k14. From what I have seen, and played, it's a lot of fun. Folks talking about some modes are a grind but how else would the game be worth $60 if a game is not 40 hours or longer to beat? Ofcourse currency needs to be validated, especially when you can pay real money to get some. I don't have much empathy for most of these complaints. I have to laugh at the complaining about the rpg mode. I have seen laymen folks praise that mode anyways.
Anyways, just worst fears, not going to get hysterical about it.
Anyways, just worst fears, not going to get hysterical about it.
Storm Chamber
Banned
Guess I'm not buying this when I get my PS4 then
Storm Chamber
Banned
Hell of a dream. The money has already been deposited and processed.
I don't know about not allowing you to play the game offline (pretty sure I've done it recently), but the game straight up has the worst menus of any game I've ever played. Not only is it ugly as hell but it is extremely difficult to find what you're looking for.
This shit right here is bonkers. It's like they were going for a minimalist look with the main screen menu, but it looks like complete horse shit. My little brother thought I was playing a flash game when I first booted the game up on the TV.
To be fair though their menu design on last gen was shit as well.
hope you're getting it when the price drops a lot. The game is a buggy glitch fest of a game and the game play is horrible. CPU getting cheap rebounds, makes everything in the paint, runs your men over to get to the rim.
This happened with the Wii U version last year. I'm pretty sure you cannot receive Virtual Currency coins if you are not online in last years Wii U version. This led to a frequent game breaking bug where you'd finish a game and the game would try to connect to the 2K servers to update how much VC you recieved and the game would never connect causing the game to hang with an on-screen popup saying "Connecting to the 2K Sports Servers..." until you turned the game off, restart the game and you had to play the game you just played over again. If you played off line you could play perfectly fine, but wouldn't earn Virtual Currency for your MyPLAYER development. Pretty much made it a run of the mill basketball game not being able to connect.
FloatingDivider
Member
So they lock you out of everything but menu stuff and exhibition play?
there is, but 2K doesn't give a shit about PC because that VC stuff doesn't work as well as they intended.
Maybe the next-gen version is different than 2K14 on PC, but there's ways to get infinite VC on PC.
pastapadre
Neo Member
2K14 was like this one day one. There was nothing "patched in" that changed it. I noted it in impressions/review and we talked about it in the podcasts. If you don't have a connection to the 2K server (whether internet is down, PSN down, 2K server down) you'll be unable to continue playing your MyCareer or MyGM saves. Of course anything online related like NBA Today and MyTeam goes away too then. With the frequency that 2K servers are down that is always a concern. However if you start a MyCareer or MyGM offline you would be able to continue it offline. You just can't continue an online one because the saves are stored and they have the VC system tied into their servers. It's a mess of a setup regardless.
when I first got the game and PSN was down I was able to connect to the game modes you mentioned, and was able to get to the menu screen pretty fast. This is not the case now. When I turned off my router and PS4 and booted it up and clicked on the NBA 2K14 game it set on the Lebron screen for 5 mins before I gave up and decided the OP must be correct. I did see that others said it took 10+ mins before the menus popped up but who the hell is going to wait that long? Defiantly not some new user who just bought the game and don't know he has to wait that long to get into the menus. Regardless the game is a hot mess if it didn't have this problem.
pastapadre
Neo Member
It's bizarre that different people are finding different things under similar circumstances. That part of it definitely hasn't changed since release. Even when I wrote an article about it on November 18th there were those who said they could access stuff while others said they were unable to. No one really has a clear understanding of how things work or are supposed to work because 2K won't comment on it.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
Are they legally allowed to do this?
What if you bought the game as an offline experience and now you can't play it because its online only?
That is changing the criteria for use AFTER release!
Its like a cell phone company changing the usage requirements AFTER the contract is signed.
That is really loathesome..
What if you bought the game as an offline experience and now you can't play it because its online only?
That is changing the criteria for use AFTER release!
Its like a cell phone company changing the usage requirements AFTER the contract is signed.
That is really loathesome..
I think in this case you're technically capable of uninstalling the patch and returning the software to it's vanilla state.
richprice79
Neo Member
I have an always on internet connection so this doesn't bother me as long as 2K keeps their servers up 24/7. I do however hate the incorporation of VC as My team is over run with people who have all gold players on the starting lineup and bench since launch. I hate to admit it but I spent 10 bucks on VC to be competitive. So I guess you could say this tactic worked on me.
On a side note and I the only one seeing bouncing jerseys during timeouts? It looks ridiculous.
On a side note and I the only one seeing bouncing jerseys during timeouts? It looks ridiculous.
Wow, this is complete bullshit. A sleazy tactic that will guarantee I return any game that pulls shit shit on me. Waiting until you have someone's money before you lock them into this bull is just low. I'm going to wind up waiting for months before buying a next gen title, or simply leaving my console offline.
Why isn't there more noise being made about this? It's something that should be on the back of the box (like some games released now).
Why isn't there more noise being made about this? It's something that should be on the back of the box (like some games released now).
There was one Quick/offline game I played on 2k14 on PS4 that had tremendous framerate problems - game would studder every minute or so. It turns out this was because the game was pulling data/info from a server somewhere : so instead of a flat out "We cannot connect to the server - do you want to start the game in offline mode?" the game still tries to pull data in the background while the game was playing.
This half baked online integration into just about everything is tremendously puzzling from the same developers who had the foresight to allow people to play a quick game between the Spurs and the Heat while the rest of the game was installing in the background - which I thought was a great idea. It certainly beat watching an install progress meter for 20 some odd minutes on a screen.
This online integration also comes at a heavy price in storage space as well - there is a huge 400mb save game sitting on my PS4 that I think is related to MyCareer/MyGM/MyTeam or whatever persistent online mode that I'll never use. I just enjoy the game for the actual NBA rosters and historical teams. The create a player online modes always seem comically bad/glitchy in every release anyway.
2k game desperately needs a QUICK dedicated offline mode that starts up without even trying to connect to any 2k Online services. If the game cannot connect to 2k servers it needs to clearly present an option to disable online functionality for the session without having it constantly automatically reconnect in the background.
While it's cute to have Harlan and Kellogg talk about what happened in the real NBA during a Quick Game session, I can totally live without it if it doesn't interfere with my ability to just jump into a quick offline game.
This half baked online integration into just about everything is tremendously puzzling from the same developers who had the foresight to allow people to play a quick game between the Spurs and the Heat while the rest of the game was installing in the background - which I thought was a great idea. It certainly beat watching an install progress meter for 20 some odd minutes on a screen.
This online integration also comes at a heavy price in storage space as well - there is a huge 400mb save game sitting on my PS4 that I think is related to MyCareer/MyGM/MyTeam or whatever persistent online mode that I'll never use. I just enjoy the game for the actual NBA rosters and historical teams. The create a player online modes always seem comically bad/glitchy in every release anyway.
2k game desperately needs a QUICK dedicated offline mode that starts up without even trying to connect to any 2k Online services. If the game cannot connect to 2k servers it needs to clearly present an option to disable online functionality for the session without having it constantly automatically reconnect in the background.
While it's cute to have Harlan and Kellogg talk about what happened in the real NBA during a Quick Game session, I can totally live without it if it doesn't interfere with my ability to just jump into a quick offline game.
thechristoph
Sir!
This garbage is why we still need Nintendo.
I was just thinking the same. And it's a shame 2K doesn't clarify on their end. Always Online is a hot phrase around here, and that's not exactly what this is.
bigboss370
Member
when my wifi wasn't working for a day I couldn't play my season mode. they're never gonna fix that. Its total bullshit is what it is.
if they don't stop with this virtual currency crap i'm not gonna support them anymore.
if they don't stop with this virtual currency crap i'm not gonna support them anymore.
SmoothRunningGun
Member
Patching shit in like this is bs. I wish I hadn't bought it. Let me see how much Amazon will give me for it.
Is there some platform it hasn't been released on?
iJudged
Banned
Holy shit, they want VC for every damn thing in the game? What the fuck, can't adjust lineups, have to spend currency to unlock to be able to do that hat? tattoos on my player cost? What else? EVERYTHING, oh my lord, I can't believe I fell for this, I spent $60 on this? Someone do something! This is what happens when there is no competition. Fml
Totaly a Duder
Banned
I hope EA & NBA Live kick the shit out of NBA2K next year.
FloatingDivider
Member
It's even funnier when you play mycareer and realize your player is getting paid less than it costs to buy a pair of shorts and a shirt for a 2 year contract. Sweet Nike shoe deal? It would be, but it pays less than the cost of a team branded headband. You're basically forced to be Hobo Jordan willing to put up triple doubles for a sandwich.