NBA 2K15: Latest News and Information Leading Up to Release

In just 25 days, NBA 2K15 will release for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC. With each passing day new tidbits of information, media and content surface to whet fans' appetites for the game.

Based on the information we've received on the game thus far, NBA 2K15 sounds like it will contain the most community-requested features in sports video game history.

What am I talking about? Take a gander at some of the things we've already heard about.

MyLeague

For gamers who love as much customization as possible in their sports games, it's hard to imagine a mode more appealing than what MyLeague promises to be.

Per Steve Noah of Operation Sports, take a look at some of the things you'll be able to customize in this seemingly ultimate version of the franchise mode concept:

• Rosters
• Season Lengths
• Postseason Series Lengths
• Salary Cap with Hard Cap Functionality
• Trade Logic, Frequency and Negotiation Settings
• Blockbuster Trade Frequency
• Settings for Team Chemistry, Chemistry Difficulty, Lineup Management and Prospect Scouting
• Difficulty Settings
• Free-Agent and Extension Contract Negotiation Settings
• CPU Re-signing Aggressiveness
• Player Signing Priorities
• Morale Difficulty and Effects
• Draft Class Quality
• Player-Progression Rate

That's a ton to play with. Gamers like myself may spend more time constructing leagues and teams than actually playing the game.

Modes like this perfectly blend the fun of virtual on-court action with the enjoyment of being a cyber general manager, commissioner and head coach.

If those details weren't enough, there's even more.

• Fantasy Draft Option with the Ability to Include Classic Teams and Players
• Players Can Manage or Play for All Teams
• Injuries to 16 Different Body Parts
• Players Can Have Career-Ending and Deteriorating Injuries
• In-Season Training Effects
• Custom Draft Classes

Injuries to various body parts is perhaps the most exciting and new feature in that list. The fact that a knee or ankle can progressively get worse and then cause retirement is awesome...in a virtually morbid kind of way.

Crew Mode and Unknown Mode for PS4 and Xbox One

Although it was promised last year, Crew mode as people remembered it from 2010 really wasn't delivered. This year, the folks at 2K Sports are assuring longtime fans of the feature that it is indeed back in all its glory for last-generation consoles.

For those who don't know what Crew is, it's a mode that allows gamers to team up online in three-on-three, four-on-four, and five-on-five games against other human opponents.

Per Chris Manning, aka LD2K the NBA 2K community manager, something with elements of the Crew concept will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One:

It's being saved for last in the list of features to be revealed to the public, so there's a considerable amount of hype surrounding this unknown mode. 

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

2K Heroes

This mode is also exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version. 2K Heroes takes eight current stars and legends from the past and has them put together their ideal starting five. Each real-life star and legend was asked to pick a charity their team would represent.

The squads are made available to gamers and can be chosen to play with online against others. The wins and losses for each team will be tracked. Every time a starting five wins a game, it will have donations made to the chosen charity. The representative’s team that wins the most games by All-Star weekend will receive the largest donation.

While this may not be a major selling point for some gamers, it's cool on two points. First and foremost, it allows gamers to play for good causes. Playing games for charity is awesome. It builds upon the concepts popularized by companies like Extra Life.

Secondly, 2K Sports is adding yet another unique feature to the last-gen version of the title to set it apart from the PS4 and Xbox One versions.

image from NBA 2K15, provided by 2K sports

My GM

Those who liked the conversation and personality of MyGM last year and feel as if they might miss that element in MyLeague, have no fear, the flawed but ambitious mode is returning this year. From the sounds of the details revealed by Matt Bertz of Game Informer, it could fill in any potential gaps left by MyLeague.

Gamers can play up to 80 seasons, and there's a new conversation system to make the communication—which is what sets it apart from MyLeague—more interactive and layered.

Hopefully, MyGM is going to clean up some of the issues it had last year while adding depth to the scouting and team management aspects.

All of these options already add up to a verbose feature set, but there's still more to come. We're going to hear about MyTeam this week, per Ronnie Singh aka Ronnie 2K the social media manager, MyCareer sometime in the next few weeks and the unknown mode with Crew elements closer to release on Oct. 7.

It's hard not be impressed with what we've learned thus far. If this game is as good as it sounds, it's going to occupy a ton of virtual gamers' time through the end of the year and beyond.

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist