NBA 2K15: Release Date Info and Notable Upgrades to Upcoming Video Game
With reigning MVP Kevin Durant on the cover, NBA 2K15 is back and ready to take the world of sports video games by storm.
From its perch atop the mountain that is sports video games, 2K Sports has gone all out as the era of next-generation consoles rages forward, implementing a bevy of upgrades to its annual release that is sure to make this year's edition a must-own commodity.
NBA 2K15 comes at fans on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 on October 7. To whet the appetite of fans, 2K Sports released the following trailer:
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That is far from the only thing the studio is doing to hype the upcoming release. Here are a few nuggets of info from the steady flow of details that continue to emerge as the release date nears.
Revamped Player Ratings
This doesn't sound like much, right?
Ratings always cause a frenzy, but their impact behind the scenes during gameplay cannot be overstated. In previous iterations of the NBA 2K series, high ratings were given out to plenty of players, diluting the virtual talent pool.
Not anymore. Ronnie 2K recently revealed that only four current players have a rating over 90:
That is a huge change to the virtual landscape. No longer is the bar set at 99, which allows plenty of players to be in the range of 90. Now, the bar for borderline elite players seems to be 90, which means the truly great players will finally stand out alone on the court.
Now, players such as Durant and LeBron James are truly heads and shoulders above the rest of the field, as they are in real life. It's yet another step toward the best sports simulation to date, and one fans will appreciate right out of the box.
Game Mode Tweaks
As arguably the most popular game mode the annual release has to offer, it should come as no surprise MyLEAGUE, an offspring of past MyGM modes, is getting major upgrades.
For those fans who want to run their own league down to every last little detail, it sounds as if they will be able to do just that thanks to the MyLEAGUE mode, which will remind fans of the series of the superb Association mode from NBA 2K13.
While strictly an offline mode, players will be able to take control of one to 30 teams of their choosing and run a league for up to 80 years, as Ronnie notes:
Steve Noah of Operation Sports broke the news first after a chat with 2K Sports, and he passed word along that the deeply customizable mode was birthed due to the studio's desire to please its dedicated fans:
"Well, we heard the community loud and clear about wanting a mode that could be fully customizable. A mode that is more of a sandbox of options without limitations. That is what MyLEAGUE is all about. MyLEAGUE gives users the flexibility to do what they want at the pace they wish to do it.
"
It's no exaggeration. Players can run a fantasy draft, customize the roster, edit trade difficulty settings, edit how the computer pursues free agents and even edit the length of postseason series, to name a few noticeable things.
Players who will get this year's game on last-gen consoles should not feel left out, either. Remember the highly popular Crew Mode from year's past? It's getting an overhaul and making a hotly anticipated return in order to balance out the generational differences between consoles.
In all, it is quite apparent that 2K Sports has not simply rested on its laurels during its offseason. In order to remain the best, the studio understands that a continued strive for greatness is necessary. The effort will shine through in this year's edition of the series.
Get ready for those 80-season campaigns, folks.
Stats and information via 2K.com unless otherwise specified.
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