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Kotaku rips NBA 2K22 a new one: "A shakedown disguised as a basketball game that is growing as tired as it is exploitative"

SJRB

SJRB

Gold Member
kotaku.com

NBA 2K22: The Kotaku Review

A shakedown disguised as a basketball game that is growing as tired as it is exploitative
kotaku.com kotaku.com

42985af1e86a07d7d1238f8ebe4d3361.jpg


It is exhausting being around this game. If it’s not asking you to spend real money it’s asking you to relentlessly grind the most basic and joyless tasks, like the worst aspects of MMO and mobile game design found each other and thought, “Let’s launch an exciting new startup venture in the AAA gaming space.” Firing it up every day felt like work, like I was grabbing a helmet and lamp and putting in a shift in a virtual currency mine, chipping away at inert slabs of menus and advertisements, the prospect of this simply being a fun game about basketball being little more than a distant memory.
Click to expand...


Kotaku is not holding back with this one, and rightfully so. Game sounds absolutely terrible.
 
Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Gold Member
I wonder when sports will finally drop in popularity significantly. The most exploitative NCAA set up for the athletes. The most exploitative cable TV set up for fans. The most exploitative video game set up for fans. I wouldn't be surprised if half of the new generation doesn't even watch it without having regular access to cable TV.

It's held on a lot longer than I thought honestly.
 
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Dthomp

Dthomp

Member
Interesting, I just bought this last night on a whim cause I haven't picked up a 2k in a few years and I miss just playing some basketball. If Kotaku hates it, maybe it's actually good, since I don't think these duds would know a basketball if it rolled into their moms basements and smacked them in the face. When will game review places learn not to let non sports fans review sports games?
 
StreetsofBeige

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Thats 2K for ya.

Remember way back when everyone said EA Sports are run of the mill cash grabs and 2k was this fresh franchise all about gameplay?

That disappeared long time ago.

Only reason 2k had a different vibe was because it was a new franchise of sports and they had to get fans. EA was already established with all their popular sports games since the Genesis days.

Going by what 2k does with NBA it's 10x worse than EA. At least EA focuses on UT cards as their cash cow mtx. If you dont do UT, the rest of the game feels fine. Their games dont have as much weird shit NBA has.
 
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CitizenZ

CitizenZ

Banned
You notice none of these urinalist have the balls, like Upper Ecelon, to attack all pubs in the same manner. Its always, Blizzard, Ubisoft and EA and you are telling me the others are perfect? Fck me, worthless.
 
T

Termite

Member
Completely agree with him.

Sports games used to be by far my favourite genre (as I love playing and watching sports) but these days I barely play any. They're all money-grubbing wastes of your time, where the gameplay has barely advanced in the past decade. Even the beloved MLB The Show ruined the Road to the Show mode by linking it to microtransactions. Everybody's Golf on PS4 was utterly ruined by microtransactions. It's a fucking blight.

My favourite sports game series (The Golf Club) has been bought out by 2k and I live in absolute terror at what they're going to do to it.

Worst of all, my autistic cousin used to get loans off me every so often. Because of his situation I'd do it, and he was usually pretty good about getting me back, but not always. In the end I found out that he was spending literally all his money on V-bucks (or whatever) in NBA 2k in an attempt to win some games online. These are the kinds of people they prey upon - whales, addicts and those not mentally developed enough to make good decisions. Makes me sick.
 
M

MrA

Member
Termite said:
Completely agree with him.

Sports games used to be by far my favourite genre (as I love playing and watching sports) but these days I barely play any. They're all money-grubbing wastes of your time, where the gameplay has barely advanced in the past decade. Even the beloved MLB The Show ruined the Road to the Show mode by linking it to microtransactions. Everybody's Golf on PS4 was utterly ruined by microtransactions. It's a fucking blight.

My favourite sports game series (The Golf Club) has been bought out by 2k and I live in absolute terror at what they're going to do to it.

Worst of all, my autistic cousin used to get loans off me every so often. Because of his situation I'd do it, and he was usually pretty good about getting me back, but not always. In the end I found out that he was spending literally all his money on V-bucks (or whatever) in NBA 2k in an attempt to win some games online. These are the kinds of people they prey upon - whales, addicts and those not mentally developed enough to make good decisions. Makes me sick.
Click to expand...
You can pay for mulligans online, how cool will that be? Right ?
 
SJRB

SJRB

Gold Member
Dthomp said:
Interesting, I just bought this last night on a whim cause I haven't picked up a 2k in a few years and I miss just playing some basketball. If Kotaku hates it, maybe it's actually good, since I don't think these duds would know a basketball if it rolled into their moms basements and smacked them in the face. When will game review places learn not to let non sports fans review sports games?
Click to expand...

...did you, you know... Read the review?
 
TheThreadsThatBindUs

TheThreadsThatBindUs

Member
CitizenZ said:
So Nintendo, MS and Sony who are also in the business, never do anything wrong, ok.
Click to expand...

Err.... not nearly as often nor as egregious as the aforementioned? Stop leaning so hard into whatabboutism.

There's nothing wrong with pointing out that the three worst pubs in the business are the three worst, without having to mention all the misdeeds of all the rest.

It's not a competition.
 
Orpheum

Orpheum

Member
Yeah they are right about this one...

I watch a lot of chris smoove videos but the 2k shit has gotten boring over the years. Even he's buying a ridiculous amount of VC to skip the grind
 
zeorhymer

zeorhymer

Member
So did Kotaku say it was a good game or a bad game? All I read in the article is how mad they are and not actual gameplay.
 
Salty Popsicle

Salty Popsicle

Banned
The moment random player card packs became a feature with the option to buy using real currency is the moment all these once great franchises (FIFA, NBA2K, Madden, etc.) went down in quality and became little more than casino simulators with sport-themed skins.
 
Fare thee well

Fare thee well

Neophyte
Would have more meaning if it came from anywhere else. Shame. I'd love to see these type of sports games get squashed, but isn't the realm problem the people who will always just fork over money for it? They probably don't even read these things.
 
S

Syphon Filter

Member
About time someone called out this pos franchise. No one with a working brain would waste their money on these games that have been bad for years.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Member
Sports games are the wet dream of every publishers. They can seemingly push all these grindy microtransaction shit as far as possible and most players don't give a crap.
 
Catphish

Catphish

Member
It's fucking shameful the direction all the major sports video game franchises have gone, and all because of MTX.

Yes, yes, games are a business and companies should maximize their profits bleh bleh bleh. But what about craftsmanship? What about taking those fucking millions in profits and reinvesting in your own product so that it shines as an example of what it could be when you really try to make it the best it can be? Meh, fuck integrity.

On the positive side, I've been fed up with all their bullshit for a few years now so I've saved up to $250 annually by switching to Fuck You Bitch Ass Clowns I'll Play Something Else. (y)
 
theHFIC

theHFIC

Member
The Apple Arcade version of NBA 2K22 is set to be the definitive version of the game with all the microtransactions stripped from it.

Finally us Mac users getting a good port for once :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
M

michaelius

Banned
It's not just games it's everywhere in sports. I was at few volleyball matches recently and they threat you like cow to be milked on every little shit.
 
Gp1

Gp1

Member
Epic bought it for me last year.

Let Kotaku, 2k and EA fight a little bit more...
 
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M

Metnut

Member
Best piece of journalism put out by Kotaku in years! You know what they say… even a broken clock is right twice a day.
 
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Derktron

Derktron

Banned
Not a damn thing will be done by these companies because believe it or not these companies can get away with it due to the fact that the casuals who buy these types of games will still support it. Articles and gamers online can bitch and moan but in reality, nothing can be done as of yet when they still get support from the causals
 
Oddvintagechap

Oddvintagechap

Member
Idk, but I never heard anything bad about MLB The Show. So I dont think its all sports games. Its just EA vs T2. I always wanted Sony to do sport games. Only way I would buy a soccer/football game.
 
E

emilegc

Member
Well, for people that have played the series for years, that like a more sim like experience, and play the offline franchise mode (Myleague on some previous 2Ks and MyNBA on 2K22), the game is pretty good compared to 2K21. I don't care about the online modes which are filled with MTX.

*EDIT:. I'm not defending 2K, or any other company with their predatory tactics, and I'm actually tired of what sport games have become, but I must admit that gameplay wise, this 2K has been the best in a long long time for me.
 
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Artistic

Artistic

Member
Not taking any reviews on sports games seriously, seems like there's been a turn to shit on them in recent years.

Bought 2K22 day 1 and first since 2K19. Enjoying every minute of it though. Only spent $20 on VC as well.
 
Brofist

Brofist

Member
Forget 2K22, TIL from the comment section of that review that there is a website that still updates the roster of the old Tecmo Bowl games
 
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