The NBA and the incredibly popular video game that represents the league are teaming up for a new initiative with the hope of creating the next big eSport.
The NBA 2K eLeague will begin in 2018 and in time is expected to feature a team with ties to every NBA franchise. Five players will form each squad as selected through a draft, and will utilize their personal created players in the game rather than actual NBA players. There will be a full regular season followed by a postseason and championship series.
“We believe we have a unique opportunity to develop something truly special for our fans and the young and growing eSports community,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA sports team operators with Take-Two’s competitive gaming expertise to create a brand new league experience.”
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The process to try out for consideration will certainly be fascinating considering that sustained involvement will be up for grabs. Unlike other eSport attempts with games such as "Madden" and "FIFA," "NBA 2K" will be reliant not just on individual skill but also on that of teammates and chemistry between the five on each squad. That could make for a more intriguing product, but logistically will make it even more difficult to both coordinate and sustain.
Besides the general reasons why eSports haven't taken off for sports video games — most notably that the main viewing attraction for fans is the real sports and that the games are played in a fashion that doesn't always look like the sports they are supposed to represent — "NBA 2K" has some other big questions that surround its potential to grow in the competitive arena.
Competitions in the most recent "NBA 2K17" and previously "NBA 2K16" have been poorly planned and structured. Cheating has been rampant in qualification rounds and exploits utilized heavily. There has also been a lack of an even playing field because of the advantages granted to participants who paid money to upgrade their characters over those who chose not to do so. Some element of customization must remain for strategic purposes, but there will have to be a system in place to ensure competitive balance.
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Arguably the biggest concern related to the "NBA 2K" series is the online reliability of the game. "2K" has struggled mightily over the years to simply bring the online play up to basic standards. Those issues have mostly been met, but server issues still remain frequent and problematic. Even in "NBA 2K17," the online Pro-Am mode, which has been utilized for the game's eSports events thus far and is likely what will be played in the NBA 2K eLeague, has failed in many respects. Competitors are often kicked out of games, leaving their spot on the roster to be controlled by an inferior CPU.
The league concept for eSports definitely has a great deal of promise should those issues be worked out. Not only would it be far more interesting to follow an actual league, with the stories that will naturally develop over the course of a full season, but having the "NBA 2K" teams tied to actual professional clubs could help create a rooting interest and reason for the events to be followed — which has been completely lacking from sports video games that have been involved in eSports.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.