Official NBA 2k15 Thread

[h2]  [/h2]
[h2]NBA 2K15 Hands-On Impressions from Gamescom (Xbox One)[/h2]
bullet.gif
  Submitted on: 08/14/2014 by Guest Post
image.jpg
OSer DaWolf had the opportunity to attend Gaescom, and was able to get his hands on the sticks with NBA 2K15 for a solid amount of time. With plenty of game time, and a chance to speak with Senior Prodcer Rob Jones, DaWolf put together an impressions piece for Operation Sports as we get closer to the October 7 release date of the next NBA 2K iteration.

Impressions

As a typical 2K demo, NBA 2K15 started off right at tipoff without any added presentation of lineups and player information. The first thing noticed was how much smoother the players felt as they ran the floor – on offense as well as defense. Overall the game felt less chaotic than in last year’s version. The off-ball movement of the A.I. felt cleaner and more focused. Other than that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed with how similar the game felt to NBA 2K14 (shooting, passing, rim physics, etc.).

I saw a lot of improvements in the core gameplay which became much more apparent the more time I had with the sticks. Rob Jones kept reiterating the word “polish” during our discussion, and I would agree “polish” fits the mold of 2K15 perfectly. Here are a few specific areas of “polish” that I noticed:

Movement: This has to be one of the biggest improvement this year. No more sliding on defense (it’s gone!) which gives an overall smoother dribbling and movement system on offense. The improved movement made defense more rewarding as you were able to stay in front of your opponent without being pulled out of position.

Spacing/Defensive Rotations: Yes! This was a huge point for me and I can say that spacing and defensive rotations are a lot better this year. Jones explained they have rewritten underlying defensive A.I. mechanics for better awareness about various situations. I was able to rout the Heat with Ginobli/Parker and Duncan pick-and-rolls by kicking the ball out to a wide open Kawhi Leonard or Danny Green when Duncan slipped to the paint. I would have liked to see more help-for-the-helper defense which would give the opportunity to play a fun cat-and-mouse game with the defense. If 2K could implement more help defense and double rotations, it could rival NBA Live 10´s great spacing.

Rebounding: Jones said the team put in plenty of hours fixing the rebounding, which in turn is noticeable in the gameplay. Bigger players would win the battle most of the time, though I would have liked to see more diversity with rebounding animations.

Contact Animations: This is one of the more defining areas of the game that has improved significantly, and it showed each time players interacted during drives to the paint. Jones mentioned it was a huge point of emphasis this year. Also defensive bump animations had a very realistic feel to it. Overall, defense was much better than last year.

The Little Things
  • Heat check on the D-Pad has returned.
  • Defensive settings have returned.
  • Signature size-ups have returned (right stick towards the basket).
  • The added shot meter under your player was added to reduce the luck factor in wide open shots. If you hit the sweet spot, the ball will go in (most of the time). The meter varies depending on the position, player and situation.
  • FIBA games have a different feel to them (It just felt different and reminded me of College Hoops 2K8 for some strange reason).
  • Online net code was a main focus this year. Two of their best engineers worked on the coding.
  • A lot more and-1s.
     
What I Didn’t Like
  • NBA 2K15 feels like another year of refinements and “polish” rather than a fresh experience. I would have loved to see some radical changes to some of the game’s core elements as I can imagine the casual gamer will have a hard time noticing the differences in the gameplay. But I understand that taking risks with a franchise that sells over 7 million units is not necessarily a smart business move.
  • Lack of help defense and defensive rotations. On one occasion I was posting up Norris Cole with Tim Duncan and backed down deep into the paint. I didn’t see any double team coming over. This is even more frustrating because it happened in NBA 2K14 as well.
  • The transition and responsiveness of the jump shot is an issue when your playing is not facing the rim. There is a slight delay on the button input where the player positions himself to face the rim. Jones said the team would look into the issue.
  •  
Overall, most of the issues of next-gen NBA 2K have been fixed and several key improvements will definitely please the hardcore 2ers. NBA 2K15 at this stage is a very strong and polished version of a familiar game.
Click to expand...
 
Details about new shot meter in the game.

Directly from Mike Wang (Senior Game Designer for 2k15)

Info courtesy of Operation Sports.
Let me clarify up the design of the shot meter. In previous 2K's, shot timing was just another factor within a huge list of other things that spit out a final shot % which we then rolled dice against. So really, it was Real Player % with a bit of help from the user. But the skill of the user had a minimal impact.

In 2K15, all factors that make up a good vs. bad shot get rolled up into a value that then scales the timing window for your jump shooter. So now, timing is a much more crucial factor in whether you make or miss. This puts the onus on the user to execute with more precision and separates the skilled users from the lucky ones. It's actually very similar to the design of Free Throw shooting. You can make the shot if you manage to get perfect timing but your % falls the further you are from the ideal release point. If you're way off, it's a guaranteed miss.

It's also a much more useful feedback system. If you're unfamiliar with your players, it's much easier to get a sense of their timing by glancing at the meter. Also, it's much easier to see how close or off you were with your timing after the fact to help you learn... much more useful than the letter grade system (which is still an option btw.)

My intention was never to make shooting a "meter game." The most successful people in the office are the ones who still watch the shot animations for visual cues of when to release, using the meter only for feedback or for occasional guidance.

I knew there would be some concerns, so let me try to address those now:

- No, you cannot "master" the meter and hit every shot you take
- Yes, you can turn it off in the options menu
- Yes, Real FG% is still an option
- Yes, it is very difficult to get "perfect timing," especially on the higher levels

Hopefully that clears some things up. IMO, shooting is much more engaging now and I think you guys will like the feature.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
toine2983 said:
Details about new shot meter in the game.

Directly from Mike Wang (Senior Game Designer for 2k15)

Info courtesy of Operation Sports.


 
Let me clarify up the design of the shot meter. In previous 2K's, shot timing was just another factor within a huge list of other things that spit out a final shot % which we then rolled dice against. So really, it was Real Player % with a bit of help from the user. But the skill of the user had a minimal impact.

In 2K15, all factors that make up a good vs. bad shot get rolled up into a value that then scales the timing window for your jump shooter. So now, timing is a much more crucial factor in whether you make or miss. This puts the onus on the user to execute with more precision and separates the skilled users from the lucky ones. It's actually very similar to the design of Free Throw shooting. You can make the shot if you manage to get perfect timing but your % falls the further you are from the ideal release point. If you're way off, it's a guaranteed miss.

It's also a much more useful feedback system. If you're unfamiliar with your players, it's much easier to get a sense of their timing by glancing at the meter. Also, it's much easier to see how close or off you were with your timing after the fact to help you learn... much more useful than the letter grade system (which is still an option btw.)
My intention was never to make shooting a "meter game." The most successful people in the office are the ones who still watch the shot animations for visual cues of when to release, using the meter only for feedback or for occasional guidance.

I knew there would be some concerns, so let me try to address those now:

- No, you cannot "master" the meter and hit every shot you take

- Yes, you can turn it off in the options menu

- Yes, Real FG% is still an option

- Yes, it is very difficult to get "perfect timing," especially on the higher levels

Hopefully that clears some things up. IMO, shooting is much more engaging now and I think you guys will like the feature.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

great i cant even explain the anger from playing my boy with the cavs(on hall of fame) & he's hitting every fade into the crowd,one leg,falling sideways 3 pointers with waiters & hotsauce even when heavily guarded
 
Freeze said:
Son that 2k15 sounds track is wild *** cheeks.


and game looks foo foo. KD don't sweat like that.
Click to expand...
The last one sucked too.  I always turn off the sound for 2K games anyway because the soundtrack and commentary easily get played out if you play a lot.
 
ColdCity said:
great i cant even explain the anger from playing my boy with the cavs(on hall of fame) & he's hitting every fade into the crowd,one leg,falling sideways 3 pointers with waiters & hotsauce even when heavily guarded
Click to expand...

That's a glitch that they've had since 2k13. He's basically cheating.
 
Last edited:
Ernie and Shaq are in it somehow. No Inside The NBA though since CB is not in it.

Everyone hoping this means a TNT graphics package presentation :wow: :x finally. Please be true.
 
Drones said:
Are there going to be any new retro teams? Or just more useless Euro teams nobody picks.
Click to expand...
Euro teams have been confirmed, I think retro teams are still in as well, but not confirmed as of yet.
 
They need to have USA Basketball in this if there are Euro teams. They dropped the ball on that last year.
 
So Shaq and Ernie and commentating games or are they just doing Half-Time and/or misc. stuff? I honestly couldn't stand the commentators in 2k14.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

crumps brother
What’s your move? Ordering on fast food apps
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
wayniac211
wayniac211
marikomorose
Y’all Interested in a Summit ?
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
marikomorose
marikomorose
R
Entrepreneurs Thread
Replies
7
Views
324
TSCQ
TSCQ
B
Remember 2024 thread
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
1995
1995
tr1ll
I propose a new SPOILER rule for media in NT's Terms and Rules.
Replies
20
Views
744
TSCQ
TSCQ

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom