Is Online Play holding 2K back?

It's been debated for years, but is it a fair question? Sometimes what the competition does can really affect how you're viewed. While we would NEVER compare Madden to NBA 2K in regards to realism, gameplay and overall quality, Tiburon's inclusion of Online Communities this year was nothing short of Game-Changing.


Recently it seems like fans of Online Play are really starting to show their frustration with the lack of what many people feel like are basic features.The questions range from "What happened to Online Lobbies?" and "Why can't I set my double-team settings online?" to the ever-popular "Why don't I have an online profile where I can save my Playbooks/Rotation/Minutes?" we understand, we really do. Here's the thing; The best comment we've seen regarding this recently was by Da_Czar "Sometimes you have to take steps backwards before you take steps forward." Many people won't realize how forthcoming 2K has been with the fact that some of their online features actually were the reason their back-end didn't have the stability it should have. Believe us, we hear you regarding wanting an online system that WORKS (we want one too) but the lack of information doesn't necessarily equal bad information. Let's keep in mind that these are the same people that LET you save playbooks, change sliders, difficulty levels, had lobbies before and GAVE you wins the instant cheesers decided you weren't an easy mark and quit pre-2K9. They have the capability to do all of that again.

1. No Lobbies - 2K's explanation here is that lobbies were too cheat-friendly and allow some players to prey on less skilled opponents. The funny thing is, they've been proved RIGHT and even EA Sports has adopted a model where lobby games are unranked while a "smart" Play Now system searches for opponents on your skill level. You just don't want to wait 15 minutes/change your time zone to get a game, right? WE HEAR YOU.
2. No Crews - While we never really did the Crew thing, apparently it was really popular with many. It was also super CHEAT friendly. This probably means it needs to be "cleaned up" before we can see it return in its full glory. Let's wait for official word before listening to message board rumors about its cancellation.
3. Classic Teams - While nothing has been confirmed yet, the "current" rumor here is that you'll be able to use classic teams online if you pay for the DLC. Will we be disappointed if this is the case? Sure. We've got a buddy in Los Angeles who can't wait to get his tail kicked with the Frobe Lakers team by by CWebb and The Kings. Us playing in Times Square on blacktop isn't an option. We'll save our money if this is the case--but here again, let's wait for official word before listening to the internet streets.
4. Offline Features - This is another common gripe regarding NBA 2K Online. That the lack of features makes it "feel" like a completely different game. We hear that (and agreed here) let's see what 2K12 offers before passing judgement. Understand we'll lead the "fix online play" charge as much as anyone if it's the "same old, same old" this year but 2K has built up enough goodwill the last two years to deserve an optimistic view. But we agree, this is the LAST time they'll get a mulligan--even from us.

We've defended 2K for years, and will continue to as critical acclaim does not always equal monetary success. The sad and simple truth might be that 2K11 was the first year the series has reaped major financial rewards. While we don't know this to be the truth, we doubt it will matter to fans. As many have commented, If there's one aspect EA Sports titles have mastered its Online Play. While they have never been 2K's gameplay equal, a competitor might be able to compete with an inferior product that offers solid, but not poor gameplay but Outstanding online features.

And given the effort and quality 2K has shown their NBA series over the past few years, that would be a real shame. Common sense tells us though, that 2K has seen the sales of games like COD and KNOWS that online is the future. They aren't gonna wait until now to blow it.