NBA 2K10 New Demo and Features

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Hey NBA 2K fans,

My name is Ronnie and I am the Community Manager here at 2K Sports. Many of you know me as Ronnie2K. I am the guy that gets to take part in the ridiculous stunts that we pull off here at 2K Sports. I attend all the athlete motion capture sessions (my buddy Andre Iguodala), put on events for fans across the country (Alex Ovechkin greeting fans from a Zamboni in the heart of Manhattan), interview the brightest stars that represent our company (shout out to James White, expecting a big year out of you sir!), and bring together and distribute the most exclusive 2K Sports swag. Being a huge basketball player in my time and getting to work for the best NBA simulation on this planet is truly out of this world. Do I really get paid for this stuff? But don’t get me wrong, I am the guy that’s just like any of you: a huge fan of our video games and our company and I want to give you guys a voice here at 2K Sports. Feel free at anytime to drop me a line, ask a question, or challenge me to a game. I am a pretty challenging NBA 2K10 match-up if I do say so myself.

I wanted to discuss why NBA 2K10 is going to be the most realistic, simulation basketball experience to date. Our team has added all-new gameplay components, out-of-this-world graphics, even more realistic Signature Style animations, all-new presentation elements, and an unrivalled online system. The demo for PlayStation 3 will be out October 8th 15th. It will feature a one quarter match-up between last year’s NBA Finals opponents: pitting the Orlando Magic at the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA 2K10 Kobe

You will get four of the most intense game play minutes to become familiar with the game and get a taste of why NBA 2K10 will be unrivaled in the basketball arena. It still amazes me how all ten of the players on the court match their real life counterparts, both physically and in their tendencies. I probably shouldn’t be surprised after watching all the development team’s motion capture efforts from the past few months. It is no surprise that the game’s artificial intelligence is more intelligent than ever and will give you the freedom to have complete control of the actual outcome and actions of your player and match-up. This season you won’t just play the NBA, you’ll TAKE OVER.

I also want to take the opportunity to explain modes that you won’t see in the demo, but are among the finest features within the full game that hits stores everywhere October 6th. My favorite one is the new NBA Today integration. My biggest gripe over the years is that when it came to commentary, presentation, and overlays, a regular exhibition game was happening in a vacuum. There was nothing “real” about it. It was a fantasy matchup that had no real-world context and no impact. I had the pleasure of meeting both Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg and talked to them about this issue. It amazed me how deep their knowledge of the game was and how we didn’t capture that fully before. They could talk about what was happening in that particular game and they could talk about what happened last season. That was pretty much it.

NBA 2K10 Eastern Conf


Now that your game and the NBA are in sync, the door is thrown open for dynamic commentary that’s based on what’s really happening in the real NBA. During the action, the play-by-play commentary is interspersed with real-life facts that touch on how the players and teams are doing during the season and how they played in their last outing. We spent hours recording thousands of lines of audio with Kevin & Clark, so that in game they can discuss a team’s previous real life win or loss, and what the determining factors were in that game. The commentary and presentation will constantly be changing throughout the season to coincide with the real league and transition from pre-season to regular season, and finally, to the postseason based on what is happening in real life.

Obviously with no previous game context going into the demo game, there is no audio in the demo, but something that you should look for in the full version of NBA 2K10 that will bring your experience to a new level. Another great mode is My Player. You will get to build a budding NBA player and make a ton of decisions in his career that will influence him in his transformation to potential star. You will get to create and customize your player, both in terms of looks and play style, put him through intense drills to increase his skills and attributes, and play in games where he must fit within the team flow, while completing both Offensive and Defensive objectives and achieving career milestones. Doing so will put him on course to becoming the next icon in the NBA. In brief, My Player brings role-playing to basketball and allows you to create any type of player at any position. Should be great fun to see what you guys come up with!

NBA 2K10 Vitals

I am looking forward to how impressive I can make my 6’7” Athletic Small Forward that I built in the pre-release NBA 2K10: Draft Combine. I hope many of you got an early start on your career by grabbing the Draft Combine SKU. You will only get to take part in the NBA Draft if you work hard and go through the Combine. It’s available to download from the PlayStation Store if you want that early boost. I am partial to those two features because a career mode and realistic commentary/presentation have been my biggest gripes over my ten years playing NBA 2K basketball, but there are so many more cool features I didn’t even get into in NBA 2K10. Feel free to drop a question if you have one below. But grab the demo on October 8th 15th and make sure to get your copy of NBA 2K10!

– Ronnie

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108 Comments

71 Author Replies

  • 360 pays just to be supported.
    Microsoft just copies everybody and wants to start a monopoly.
    They copy apple with pc software
    copied ipods with zune
    copied ipod touch with zune hd
    copied japan video game market
    copied a pc inside and put it in an xbox so it can have online play.
    copied almost everything that they have.
    They need a life and needs to get original.
    I know this why, because I’m on my 2nd 360.
    MS needs to leave, they want everybody to buy from them and let other companies go out of business, cutting people’s jobs and making the economy go down.
    Microsoft..
    MAKING A MONOPOLY!!!

    new commercial add

  • in nba 2k11 or a 2k10 patch, can you guys fix the ball in mid-air, and the jersey folding glitches and the in-the-post slow down.

    • The ball in mid-air? Can you expand further?

      I want you to know that a full patch feedback thread (so we get all headband stuff right, just kidding, I couldn\’t resist) will open as every year when I am able to. You can throw that in there, I promise to get it in front of my buddies in dev.

  • Sorry, forgot a question :)

    I was at the NBA Europe Live Event last night in London and EA Sports had NBA Live 10 advertised everywhere with a special UK cover with Luol Deng on it (great move), shame that the best basketball event was being being sponsored by the second best basketball game ;)

    In coming years do you think that 2K could do different cover athletes for different countries, Kobe was a great choice this year (my favourite player since I was 9 yrs old) but in the future please take Luol Deng into consideration as a possible cover athlete, he has such a wide appeal over here and is loved by the British market as he does so much community work over here :)

    Thanks again

    • Oh this is something that we have done year after year, athletes on different covers in countries (I want to say Jose Calderon was on the cover in Spain last year, but I could be mistaken). However, when you have Kobe Bryant, and the franchise that is him, you have to get him everywhere.

      As far as Luol, he\’s a great athlete and someone we should consider. I\’ll keep it in mind for next year to bring up.

  • Ok just wanna say first I really really love NBA 2k series since the Dreamcast thru to the PS3. Only gripe is the last years was the worst with glitches. Its awful when my most favorite game is also my most hated game. Major clipping issues (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTl1gtyuWh4). It didn’t happen all the time but when it did it screwed up my flow. Some times a clip would go right throw the court had to quit and restart the game. Just hope this years better.

  • Hey Ron. Speaking of the game (the rapper) the players that won tha 2k tournament from 2k9 to make it on tha 2k team are they in 2k10? And is the rapper (the game) in 2k10 also??

    • Absolutely. Team 2K is in the game, guys that were among our best players in the world, including the second highest rated PS3 player, The Game. They should be fun to play with.

  • I have no interest in sports games, but just wanted to say you are doing a GREAT job of replying to these comments.

    I wish more posters took the time to answer questions and address issues.

    Hats off to ya Ronnie!

    • Why thanks Kid! :-) It\’s my pleasure, I do this on our own communities and everywhere I can get to. I love our product and want to get the word out everywhere.

      You should become a 2K Sports gamer. Trust me, you\’ll enjoy it :-). I had to try!

  • It’ll be only widescreen like NBA 2k9? I have a SDTV and that was really annoying.

  • I bought nba 2k7 when that was released and it was more aggravating that fun. Obviously this is years later but it left a stale taste in my mouth.

  • Why’s the demo so late… been waiting on this to compare to the Live demo which I’ve been playing alot… and why only 1 qtr, Live gives you 2

    • It\’s not something we enjoy (in terms of timing). It\’s just one of those freak occurrences this year. Last year, the demo was out 3 weeks in advance so…

      I have been thinking about discussing with the team a new demo format, starting as soon as MLB 2K10. I think demo\’s as they are now don\’t give a full story of our game. Let\’s see what happens.

  • Ronny,

    I personally dont like paying $60 for a game that loses %90 of its value in 11 months and then pay $60 every single year for a couple of improvements.

    I would suggest making it $29.99 so that I can keep up with your annual updates.

    As a developer myself, I cannot justify the full price when it is clear that you spent only 11 months to develop it.

    I personally buy your game every three-four years to justify my purchase. I do the exact same thing for Madden and other sport games, but if they were cheaper I would have probably bought them every year.

    Can you explain your rationality on this beside milking poor gamers money like there is no tomorrow?

    • I would agree with you if it wasn\’t for the amount of features we here at 2K Sports add EACH AND EVERY year. It\’s quite amazing in the development cycle you talk about. Here are just a few big ones:

      NBA Today – All the real world matchups, news and stats are automatically streamed right into your game providing dynamic commentary and presentation elements based upon what is happening in the real NBA.

      My Player Mode – Create the ultimate NBA player and guide his every career move. Start as an undrafted rookie in the Summer Circuit; work hard enough and you may get an invite to participate in an NBA team’s training camp, or you may end up in the D-League. The road to being an NBA star is a long and hard battle.

      Crews – Round up your friends and build the ultimate squad, using either your created players from My Player mode or an actual NBA team, then go online and battle other Crews for bragging rights and progression points as you try to climb your way to the top of the Crew leaderboard rankings.

      Living Rosters – The 2K Insider and his team of NBA analysts continue to keep NBA 2K10 fresh with up-to-date team and player information, including roster and lineup moves, trades, injuries and player ratings. Now track all of the changes through the season with interactive menus and analysis.

      Seamless Online Experience – Forget the past, with NBA2K10 online play is fully incorporated into every mode of the game. Now you can play the AI, challenge the friend sitting next to you or play your buddy across town anytime, from anywhere in the game.

      Signature Play – Signature Play pulls together all of NBA 2K’s player Signature Styles and adds in all-new Signature Tendencies and facial expressions, creating NBA 2K10 teams that play and react like their real life counterparts for an unbelievably realistic NBA experience.

      NEW Intuitive Offensive Controls – All-new easy-to-use dribbling and post game controls allow you to pull off ankle breaking Iso-Motion moves and dominate like Kobe from the perimeter to the paint.

      Shut Down D – Shut down teams down like never before with innovative defensive controls that allow you to shadow your opponent’s every move, deny position off-ball, and even select how you want to contest shots.

      This doesn\’t even speak to the small tweaks in gameplay, etc that our hardcore fans love. The defense plays completely different this year. Last year, it was too easy to score in the post. Now, it\’s dramatically more difficult to \”cheese\” to those hardcore fans. It\’s a completely different game than last year!

  • How about early PSN codes for the demo? hehe.

  • 1st of all fk 2k10!! live10 Dan did it this year..
    2nd u guys can’t even drop the demo on ps3 b4 the game comes out?? Wtf?
    Microsoft drop a free extra cash and u guys make a mess with the ps3 version?wow tha cold!!! Good luck gettin my Canadian 70 bucks plus tax!!

  • Hey Ronnie,

    I don’t know if you’re still here answering questions. But is this feature implemented in the game. I just got the game and haven’t been able to play. Create a play/playbook feature. This hasn’t been in any 2k series that I can think of. I think it would be awesome to design my own plays. Can this be patched or looked at as a possible feature for the future?

    • I think that\’s an awesome idea. Something that should go in that idea doc for next year.

      We did do something you may be interested in though. First of all, we wanted to give the user more plays to access during the game. The old play-calling system felt very limited since we only allowed a maximum of 8 plays to choose from: 4 Quick Plays and 4 Set Plays by default. With the majority of the default plays designed for your star player(s) like Kobe, it left you with little or no plays to call for the other players on the court. This is no longer a problem in NBA 2K10 as you now have access to 4 plays per position during game play. Include the 4 Quick Plays and you have a total of 24 plays available to you.

      The new play-calling system doesn’t end there. You can now assign any play to each and every position. If you like a particular Pick & Roll play, you can assign the same play to both your Center and Power Forward if you want. If you have a 3-point shooting Point Guard and Center, you can give them the same play as well. With the help of the in-game play diagram – PlayVision – you can now execute plays in NBA 2K10 like never before.

  • why no reply for statement number 45.

  • are there put back dunks in this game. because i have nba2k9 and the entire year i had it and played i never saw a missed shot caught and slammed dunk back in(a put back dunk)

    • Yes, the most amazing thing you\’ll see when it happens the first time! We added several dozen putbacks of all types: big man dunks, small man dunks, moving dunks, standing dunks, low catches, high catches, lay-ups, lay-ins, etc. We hit all necessary angles to ensure great coverage. Like alley-oops, players can only pull these off if they have the necessary ability or size thresholds, which change per animation. On top of this, players can miss these putbacks or completely whiff on the ball altogether. It’s a well-balanced mechanism and truly needed feature that really adds a “wow” factor to the game.

  • You can do the dunk contest during Association Mode?!?!

    • Sorry I misread the question earlier. That\’s what I get for typing up page long answers! No, the dunk contest is not in Assocation. Sure that\’s something that\’s on their radar for future years.

  • PEOPLE you don’t need to play this demo. JUST BUY THE GAME. THE BEST SPORTS GAME EVER. Thanks for making such an awesome game!!!!

  • I’m a little disappointed that the wonky targetting system for passing the ball from last year is still prevalent (in the demo at least). I still throw the ball out of bounds or otherwise throw to an area I wasn’t even trying to too often. I also see a lot more blown uncontested layups than I ever see in the NBA. I assume these aren’t going to be addressed with this year’s version via a patch?

    • Cherry picking will be punished. I love that change in last year\’s patch and I am glad it is in retail here.

      Blown lay-up or contested being punished? I think it\’s the latter this year.

  • I hope the patch that fixes the frame rate issue comes out.

  • Is 24/7 mode ever coming back. I enjoyed it very much

  • How can I work for 2k as a tester or something. I’ll even be a janitor to start, I don’t care as long as my feet ate thru tha door

  • Hey Ronnie, I have always wondered how is life in a studio developing a videogame, I mean how much time does it take you guys to complete a game, how many hours you guys spend working daily?

    • I mean, these guys put their blood, sweat, and tears in the game. It really is a huge exchange of ideas and thoughts about how to continue to expand the franchise. The design doc for NBA 2K11 is well under way I imagine. It is really a year round thing, those 80 hour (at least) weeks pile up. But at the end of the day they\’re creating something fantastic which is so admirable. I am sure they sacrifice a lot to bring you these amazing games.

  • big deal, what about the pspgo’s? they don’t play UMD’s and i got a bunch of them

  • Does anyone know how the psp version turned out? I haven’t heard anything about it or even seen a screenshot. Does it even exist?

  • “Anyone have questions about what life is like in the marketing department of a video game company? Any of you dreamed of working for us?”

    So after I get a B.S. degree in Business, and I send my resume to you guys, you’ll be sure to hook me up right Ronnie? lol

    • I\’ll put in a good word! I think why our company does so well is that it is made up of a great array of video game and sports fans and we continue to look at people with this background. I mean, literally in my interview way back when, I was asked Are you a gamer (and follow up questions) and what is your experience in sports? Doesn\’t sound like a big deal on the surface, but I think it really is in the long run.

  • Where’s the custom soundtracks feature? I’m not getting a game which doesn’t incorporate features my PS3 is capable of doing!

  • Hey Ronnie, just wanted to say that this is a great game and as a true basketball player/fan; the offline experience is as good as it can get!! But..

    What is up the online experience? I mean it is good when the server is up, but right now as i am typing this, everytime i attempt to access the online servers it says there are not online; and when they are online my ps3 freezes when i attempt a ranked online match.

    Like i said i love the game, i honestly do, i am just dissapointed in the fact that i am not able to enjoy this game online. Online is a main reason of me buying the game.

    Thanks for your post and all your responses!

    • Yeah the first 48 hours are always a little interesting when it comes to online servers, especially when we add the amount of features we do. We had a good 12 hour stretch this morning where it worked without a hiccup but yes they are down currently. I imagine this will be dandy in a couple days and I do appreciate the intelligence behind your post and patience.

  • Game looks sweet, i’m definately picking it up!

  • Looks awesome!

  • Yea always good to have people who have such a background vs people who’ve never picked up a game controller. See you in like 2-3 years once I finally do get it haha (gotta love bouncing around different majors!)

    Now lets see if you’ll remember me! lol

    • I have a good memory. Look at all things I have answered in this blog!

      But I hear you on the change in majors. I musta switched up a few hundred times. I mean, what major really works for a marketing guy? Especially one who focuses on such a new field such as social media! Do you think http://www.2ktakeover.com, the website we\’re plugging in our TV commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ_jXp1KOHI and one I had a hand in putting together, when I was in college a mere 5 years ago?

  • Why did you guys switch the post up button from trigger to button?

  • Hey Ronnie! I didn’t know you were answering all these questions….I would love to work for 2K Sports! What would I have to do? Also I have a question about RANKED GAMES, and the GOLD ROOM….If I have a buddy on my list, can I play him RANKED? I try to find RANKD game to play someone I really know, but I cant seem to find it…..Also I got the Anniversary Edition that comes with the GOLD ROOM. So far I have only seen I person in there. How BIG is the GOLD ROOM going to be? Will I really face stars of the NBA, or of Hollywood, or is it just something you guys over hyped?

    • Good question. No you can\’t play your friends ranked. We didn\’t want, like 2K8 and before, where some guy could just play his friend non-stop and work up on the leaderboard. Not when we give great prizes like trips to the NBA All-Star game, etc. It wouldn\’t be right.

      We made sure to give Anniversary editions to celebrities and NBA players. We made sure some of them were among our highest players. I don\’t mean to keep mentioning the same example, but based on the fact that he was #2 in the whole PS3 world last year, I am sure you\’ll see The Game in there all the time!

  • So you guys are not going to release a patch for in-game music, but might implement it for 2K11?
    Well, I guess I will wait for 2K11 then. You guys know gamers want this base on feedback for 2k9, but nothing. Sorry, I don’t support developers like you guys.

  • Sweet, ill most likely get it. Ever since NBA 2k came to next gen consoles, i bought ’em.

    Have you guys over there ever thought about Implementing NATAL or Ps3 Motion Controller in the game?

    PS: Not really an important aspect to the game but, I freaking love the cloth physics for the jerseys! Its so realistic.

    • Lots of time spent on the physics of the jersey\’s no doubt. They flap perfectly!

      There\’s always discussion about new technology out there. Ya never know down the road…

  • Greetings Ronnie,

    I hope you will continue to monitor these comments! You have been doing a great job thus far; fantastic feedback. I don’t normally comment on the PS Blog posts but after having read YOUR question posed to us, the consumers, I felt it was only right to provide you with some thoughts as well.

    My answer is a resounding YES, what IS it like to work in the marketing department of a video game company? More importantly, what did you study and how did your career path land yourself a position like the one you currently have? I am an ’07 graduate of Carnegie Mellon and have been gaming since the Mario Bros. title. Unlike you and the 2K team (likely working your butts off in an entertaining industry you are passionate about) I wound up in IT at a corporate bank. It pays the bills but it’s far from working on the medium of video games, the future of consumer entertainment. So Ronnie, spill the beans, how’d you do it?! I’m in Manhattan as well, how about a sit-down? =)

    • From my blog, you can see some of the fun stuff I get to do, and from my comments, I hope you can see my passion for the company and our products. I get to be on the inside of the behind the scenes, which is so extensive. It\’s amazing, when I first started here, I had no idea the extent of things that go into making a video game. It\’s an intense practice.

      I was a Management Science (ECON) major in school. Not what you would think. But I have always been creative and had a wide array of skills. One of my jobs shortly after getting out of school was running a minor league baseball team. Also, know what you\’d think. But that\’s what I think it takes. A weird road, but bringing a lot of skills to the table!

      I am in CA! If either of us are in the neighborhood, maybe we can make it happen. I have met many of our fans in the bay area at the various community events we run, so I am there. Keep in touch by twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Ronnie2K/.

  • thanks for the reply…

  • No, I’m talking about UN contested layups…like you’re on the break by yourself and you miss the layup. This ain’t NCAA. And I still think the passing is wonky. I’m talking about trying to pass to a specific team mate and the ball goes somewhere completely different–not a pick off a bad pass or throwing in traffic and someone getting a hand on it, I’m talking about the AI deliberately passing the ball out of bounds or somewhere I’m not even aiming at.

    • Ahhh… now this sounds like a fatigue thing. If you\’re seriously tired, stuff like this is going to happen. People are used to playing our game and holding turbo. That doesn\’t work anymore to your benefit and I think the game is dramatically better for it. Lay off the gas, speed demon.

  • Was the games ID L-A-X because when I was looking at win/loss the guy already has 85 wins, and I can barely get one win because the ranked games are not up and running smooth. One more thing…let’s say I am blowing out a player that is ranked, and he decides to pull the plug, turn off system, or quit. Do I still get the win?

    Thanks for taking time and answering these questions!

    • We have done everything we can to make sure ranked games are safe-guarded in the way you speak of. It\’s not a perfect system, but it\’s probably one of the better ones in the industry. We take our leaderboards very seriously.

  • Thanks for the response.

  • “Ronnie Singh replied on October 7, 2009 at 2:54 pm

    You can change the resolution in your display settings on your console I am quite sure.”

    Yeah, but is really annoying for only one game. Thanks for the answer.

  • How will I know if I am playing NBA Stars, Hollywood stars, or rappers in GOLD ROOM? Will they have a special ID NAME? Will there be events or days where 2K announces, so and so will be on PS3 Gold Rooom, go play him on-line?

  • Alright everyone, I must set off. I will continue to monitor this here and there. But if you need to catch me, track me down on the 2K Sports Forums or, even better, on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Ronnie2K/. Look forward to hearing from you all again, and make sure you go out and grab the demo and the game!

  • BTW, please do me a favor and make sure to rate your experience with this blog up above! It’ll help for us to know if this live chat type of this is helpful!

  • Thanks for the quick responses, Ronnie.

    I don’t hold down the turbo button unless I need to. I know it’s just a demo, but please tell me guards don’t get fatigued playing less than 4 minutes. >_<

    • Yeah, it\’s not that bad if you\’re not holding turbo. But turbo is a tricky thing. If you\’re holding turbo and you\’re out of it, you\’ll tire really, really quick.

  • Hey Ronnie! So what is life like in the marketing department of a video game company? It’s something that I’ve always thought would be fun and (for someone who loves video games) really wouldn’t seem like “work” at all.

  • Ronnie,

    In response to your @60 answer, To me, it doesn’t matter how many features you add to your annual update, it is still one year’s worth of development. Its not like you have your development team working 24/7.

    When most of the games out there take at least two years in development compared to sports titles, it really makes you wonder the kind of unethical greediness the video game sports industry is applying out there.

  • I love how you avoid every comment except the stupid ones Freakin hate when people like you come here and dont answer the REAL questions.

  • Picking this game up this week. NBA2K all the way from now on. I made the mistake buying The Inside 09 and they shut down the servers.

  • Also, kudos for have Kobe on the cover. He’s the new Jordan baby!

  • Hi Ronnie!

    First of all, i would like to thank you for the interaction you have with the 2k fans! this is great!

    I’m a fan since 2k2, so quite a while, and it made me always so happy inserting the disc. Btw, i’m from belgium, so it’s harder because you have to wait a few weeks longer for the european release! ; ) but it’s worth it!

    I got a few questions and remarks!

    1. seems like the presentation is great this year, but what i am looking for each year, is a PLAYER INTRODUCTION !! Announcing the starting lineup in combination with this year’s presentation would be sooooo GREAT !!

    2. since i’m an association player, i really like the summerleague, NBDL etc.. but what we also need is a great allstar WEEKEND !! i always skip the allstar game, because it’s just another game. in real life, this isn’t that way, so please, a dunk contest, three point shootout, skills,… you know what i mean :)

    3. remark: make the jerseys more shiny! two years ago, I really liked those nuggets jerseys!! the way they looked, man, that was nice! just like in REAL life! A lot of teams got those shiny uniforms!

    • Player Intros, All-Star Weekend, and halftime show. I agree, we gotta make that happen! At least we have the 24 signature intros, like Dwight Howard shimmying. Check out the new gameplay video which has Wade\’s intro. http://www.facebook.com/NBA2K/ (go to video\’s tab)

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