5 NBA 2K13 Changes You Can Thank Jay-Z For!
It's been arguably the biggest sports-debate question of the past 10 years: Who is the best basketball game—NBA Live or NBA 2K? Many would say that 2K has won that discussion, with 2K Games and Take-Two Interactive's high-ranking meta-game offering gamers a title that any basketball fan has to pick up. After shooting past the mountaintop with a classic Michael Jordan cover in NBA 2K11, 2K Sports' award-winning franchise has begun to consistently show a plume in outdoing itself.
NBA 2K13 is no exception. For the first time, rap impresario Jay-Z has entered into the digital playing field by serving as the executive producer for the game. His inclusion in the project, much like his lauded Made In America film project with Ron Howard, means that both Hova and 2K are about creating memorable experiences. The biggest draw for NBA 2K13, outside of the otherworldly gameplay and foundation, is its customization. Gamers can now intuitively feel apart of the game as they decide what they want to wear to the game, acquire their own pre-game rituals, and use Virtual Currency to purchase all-new casual clothing and equipment.
The fact that the team at 2K Sports has brought Jay-Z in as an executive producer is enough to be thankful for. His presence is overwhelming in the game, and that's a great thing, too. Sadly, you have to wait until October 2nd to experience the electrifying opening sequence Hova has put together—but don't worry we got you covered. Below are 5 NBA 2K13 Changes You Can Thank Jay-Z For... just make sure he sends those Brooklyn Nets season tickets to us.
NBA 2K13 is no exception. For the first time, rap impresario Jay-Z has entered into the digital playing field by serving as the executive producer for the game. His inclusion in the project, much like his lauded Made In America film project with Ron Howard, means that both Hova and 2K are about creating memorable experiences. The biggest draw for NBA 2K13, outside of the otherworldly gameplay and foundation, is its customization. Gamers can now intuitively feel apart of the game as they decide what they want to wear to the game, acquire their own pre-game rituals, and use Virtual Currency to purchase all-new casual clothing and equipment.
The fact that the team at 2K Sports has brought Jay-Z in as an executive producer is enough to be thankful for. His presence is overwhelming in the game, and that's a great thing, too. Sadly, you have to wait until October 2nd to experience the electrifying opening sequence Hova has put together—but don't worry we got you covered. Below are 5 NBA 2K13 Changes You Can Thank Jay-Z For... just make sure he sends those Brooklyn Nets season tickets to us.
Changes 2 Da Game —
In a bid of making NBA 2K13 more fluid, the developers allowed Jay-Z to get first hands-on experience to make a proper assessment of the build. Haters would think that the Brooklyn-born baller wouldn't know how to handle the rock, let alone a controller, but he surprised all with a very keen observation.
Make the dribbling controls more fluid.
The control stick for NBA 2K13 has changed. Instead of holding down the left trigger and wiggling the R3 stick, gamers now can use just the R3 to maneuver around defenders. The R3 will be used for dribbling independently, and while it may take a bit to get used to, you'll enjoy crossing up players D-Rose style very true to form. You'll see how fluid the dribbling controls are with the NBA's best ball-handlers.
Get a peek at some of the gameplay for yourself in the video below:
Empire State of Gaming —
The Brooklyn Nets co-owner selected a pretty flagrant soundtrack. Gamers will have to hear a lot of "bleep, bleeps" and edits while navigating NBA 2K13's menu. Thank goodness the FCC isn't involved or else there would be fines that David Stern would even have to pay! The NBA 2K-EP, which includes songs by Jigga himself, will also feature cuts by Kanye West, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., U2, Dirty Projectors, Santigold, and many more.
Are you not entertained?!
The game's soundtrack is phenomenal—even if he didn't take our input—and Jay-Z's fingerprints are all over it. As you navigate the game's menus, gorgeous gamers will feel the pulsating levels and bars react to the bass and other musical elements from the soundtrack. And the presentation and musical aspects aren't the only areas where Brooklyn's own influence changed the game.
Hear a song featured from the soundtrack below:
Gold Magic —
Kobe fired the first shot, LeBron added the cover fire, and now, Jay-Z provides the battlefield. In NBA 2K13, the 1992 Dream Team and 2012 Team USA collide in a debate 20 years in the making. Larry, Magic and Michael, or Kobe, KD and LeBron? The young gunners, or the wise wingmen? Who would win in a four quarter battle for the ages?
Thanks to Gloria's baby boy, you can provide an answer.
The resulting back-and-forth between members from both teams sparked an idea from Jay-Z, which will allow fans to interact, play the game, and add onto the "Who's The Best Team?!" discussion. Now, if only we can get Michael Jordan and the Mike Jordan of Recordin' to actually sit-down and duke it out on the sticks one time!
Who would you want on your team? Tune into the discussion for yourself in the video below:
Jay Called Chuck —
When's the last time you played as Sir Charles in a video game? Don't worry, we'll wait... It seems like the NBA Hall of Famer hasn't been in a triple-A-fest since NBA Jam. 2K Games wanted the Round Mound of Rebound to be a part of the Legends Mode in NBA 2K12, but they couldn't get the deal done.
That's when Young Hov steps onto the floor.
During 2K Games initial meeting with the Roc Nation CEO, Jay-Z picked up the phone and called Charles Barkley and convinced him that being in this year's edition would be a smart idea. It's been quick-thinking like this that has kept William H. ahead of the curve, and consistently entertaining audiences within any genre.
You can check out the last time the former Phoenix Sun dunked in a video game in the clip below:
My Player Becomes Legend —
NBA 2K12's MyPLAYER was appreciated for all the new nuances you could you could do, but it also had its fair share of flaws. Information is being released little by little about the renamed and revamped MyCAREER mode in NBA 2K13 with Ronnie 2K most recently releasing the image, which you can see above. With improvements in the AI's trade logic, your team's roster and much of the league will see a huge turnover in productivity, and you can unlock your inner fantasy sports freak to be unleashed upon the hoops world.
But there's a logical step that only Jay-Z can solve. One that we'd be forever thankful for.
Brooklyn's finest should be escorted in the Maybach back to 2K Games' offices to talk with developers about creating a MyPLAYER port. Real gamers, and even casual ones, would appreciate giving their character a real shot at being a true Hall of Famer by letting them grow their player as the triple-A franchise continues to evolve annually. No one wants to start over after winning two or three championships in NBA 2K12, right?! So without having to use his dead presidents to represent us, Shawn Carter's best change could be done without using any change. You can't knock the hustle on that one!
