STACK #155 Sep 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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NBA 2K is back for 2018, and of course there are a few improvements on the original.Wouter VanVugt, 2K games head of international communications, has everything he thinks we need to know. Words Alesha Kolbe

Can you talk about what improvements have been made on the MyPlayer and MyCareer systems? We’d need a few more pages to explain all the new features for MyPlayer and MyCareer, and we have some surprises up our sleeve. One of the bigger changes is what we call “The Road to 99”, which entails that you can now upgrade your player and earn VC in every game mode you play with your MyPlayer, including online modes such as Pro Am and MyPark. How do ensure that the series remains accessible for newcomers? Last year we’ve introduced 2KU, where newcomers can learn about the basics of

How much work has been put into improving the player visuals for 2K18? WouterVanVugt: As with every iteration of NBA 2K, we take realism very seriously. Not only do we have the possibility to do full body scans for the first time this year, meaning that players look like their real life counterpart even more, we’ve also worked with Nike to fully scan the new outfits, making NBA 2K18 the most realistic version of the series yet. What kind of involvement does that mean for the players as far as scanning/etc is concerned? Nowadays we have a mobile scanning and motion capture set-up, meaning we can go around the different NBA teams and scan their players relatively quickly. Our main mo-cap studio is in North California and throughout the year we’re scanning players who are in the area there.

basketball. This mode makes a welcome return in NBA 2K18. You’ll also find that in the menus, there are a lot more explanations around more in-depth basketball tactics and plays. Why was it important to revamp the body type system? It’s all about realism. Having realistic body types doesn’t just allow us to make players look more realistic, but react more realistically as well.

What changes can we expect from multiplayer?

Amongst other things, the “Road to 99” will change things up drastically, as players can now build their character up in every mode, including online modes.

NBA The series has released a new game every year since 1999, making 19 games all up. The 2K series was published by Sega until 2004, but has since been released by 2K Sports. ESPN NBA Basketball, the fourth game in the series, was the first to feature a career mode. All games in the series were developed by Visual Concepts. The MyTeam mode was introduced in NBA 2K13 and allows players to construct their own teams and compete against others online. Kyrie Irving appears on the cover of NBA 2K18 in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform, however has since been traded to the Boston Celtics.

Did you know?

The Legend Edition features Shaquille O’Neal as cover athlete

Did you know?

LeBron James is the highest rated player in NBA 2K18, with a player rating of 97

• NBA 2K18 is out Sept 15

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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