Upgrades in Store for NBA 2K7
More features? In a next-gen basketball game? Surely we jest!
Published: September 13, 2006
Okay, so maybe it's getting a little old that we keep bringing this stuff up every time we do a sports game news story, but we can't help it. Transition years (you know, the ones where we go from one generation of console hardware to the next), are when most sports game developers really pull out all the stops. They beef up the graphics engine, incorporate more animation, touch up the gameplay, and so on.
Think it's pointless to spend so much time and effort on a new engine? Consider this: at the end of the original PS one era, many gamers and critics alike were hailing Sony's own GameDay series as superior to Madden NFL, but when the PlayStation 2 arrived and the team at 989 Sports couldn't get their stuff together. Madden soared, becoming the best selling game across all platforms (especially the 100 million console-strong PS2) every single year a Grand Theft Auto release didn't hit. GameDay... well, when was the last time you saw a copy of GameDay on store shelves?
Not wanting to fall victim to the same problem, 2K Sports and in particular their Visual Concepts development house, are working tirelessly to throw new features into NBA 2K7. The latest round of announced additions add another trio of enhancements: Signature Style, a ton of new animations and improved camera angles. The latter is fairly self explanatory, but with a whopping thirty-plus new angles, from a coach cam on the floor to a cheap seat simulation.
The former two additions are where the meat of the improvements to the visuals will come in. Signature Style is, like the new cameras, fairly self-explanatory, giving highlight reel-worthy players fuel for those cameras with moves lifted right from the real life courts; Allen Iverson's crossover, Steve Nash's dribble, Gilbert Arenas' around-the-waist free throw move, Shaq's two-handed drop step dunk, Shawn Marion's fadeaway jumper -- even Richard Hamilton's occasional face mask adjustment. Better lighting and more crowd reactions should ensure that all these new moves look that much lifelike too.
“Gamers will appreciate the attention to detail to all NBA players in NBA 2K7,” urged Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts. “Utilizing the power of next generation systems, 2K Sports is taking the first steps in bringing the details that sports fans have been looking for in their sports video games. In NBA 2K7, NBA players are recognizable by sight, and through Signature Style, gamers will be able to distinguish NBA players by their movement, positioning, shooting animations, and behavior. 2K Sports is setting the standard with NBA 2K7.”
To get a peek at just what that standard is, feel free to take a look at the very first PlayStation 3 shot to your left there. Purdy Shaq...
Think it's pointless to spend so much time and effort on a new engine? Consider this: at the end of the original PS one era, many gamers and critics alike were hailing Sony's own GameDay series as superior to Madden NFL, but when the PlayStation 2 arrived and the team at 989 Sports couldn't get their stuff together. Madden soared, becoming the best selling game across all platforms (especially the 100 million console-strong PS2) every single year a Grand Theft Auto release didn't hit. GameDay... well, when was the last time you saw a copy of GameDay on store shelves?
Not wanting to fall victim to the same problem, 2K Sports and in particular their Visual Concepts development house, are working tirelessly to throw new features into NBA 2K7. The latest round of announced additions add another trio of enhancements: Signature Style, a ton of new animations and improved camera angles. The latter is fairly self explanatory, but with a whopping thirty-plus new angles, from a coach cam on the floor to a cheap seat simulation.
The former two additions are where the meat of the improvements to the visuals will come in. Signature Style is, like the new cameras, fairly self-explanatory, giving highlight reel-worthy players fuel for those cameras with moves lifted right from the real life courts; Allen Iverson's crossover, Steve Nash's dribble, Gilbert Arenas' around-the-waist free throw move, Shaq's two-handed drop step dunk, Shawn Marion's fadeaway jumper -- even Richard Hamilton's occasional face mask adjustment. Better lighting and more crowd reactions should ensure that all these new moves look that much lifelike too.
“Gamers will appreciate the attention to detail to all NBA players in NBA 2K7,” urged Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts. “Utilizing the power of next generation systems, 2K Sports is taking the first steps in bringing the details that sports fans have been looking for in their sports video games. In NBA 2K7, NBA players are recognizable by sight, and through Signature Style, gamers will be able to distinguish NBA players by their movement, positioning, shooting animations, and behavior. 2K Sports is setting the standard with NBA 2K7.”
To get a peek at just what that standard is, feel free to take a look at the very first PlayStation 3 shot to your left there. Purdy Shaq...
