It took until practically a third of the NBA season was complete, and pressure from outside sources, but EA Sports has finally met their obligation to provide at least one roster update for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition after advertising it as a feature. An update arrived today and can be grabbed by going to the ‘Online Arena’ section of the game.

Don’t expect much out of this roster update though. Players have been moved around – the Chris Paul and Blake Griffin tandem is now available – but as anticipated it’s all the same players and no new ones (such as any rookies) have been added to the mix.

This season the Toronto Raptors added what comes across on television as a 3D graphic to the baseline of their court. While it has drawn mixed reviews it presented itself as a very visible and publicized alteration and as such 2K Sports could take advantage of the feature brought in for NBA 2K12 that provides the ability to dynamically make art updates for elements of the game such as player models and courts.

Having been criticized for not utilizing the feature much (really only the slimming down of Kendrick Perkins has been of note) since the start of the season a month ago the latest update from 2K has added the unique baseline image for the Raptors.

Keep in mind that the 3D effect comes through only in broadcast camera style views and any others that are situated on the side of the court. The other angles (drive, wire, high, iso) give it a flat and/or distorted and ugly look which can be a distraction. That is how it should appear from those perspectives however as it is painted on the court specifically for how it will come across on TV and is not a dynamically added graphic along the lines of those that show up behind home plate for MLB games.

It may have taken until an entire quarter of the NBA season was complete but now NBA 2K12 has every rookie included in the game that should be in. The latest roster update arrived this morning and delivered names like Isaiah Thomas, E’Twaun Moore, and Charles Jenkins that had been missing. With the “Living Rosters” feature turned on and the console connected online the update will download automatically upon starting 2K12.

The most significant move of note in the update is Nate Robinson to the Warriors. Ratings changes have started to be made as well – one that stands out is Ricky Rubio jumping to 78 overall which inexplicably includes an 85 in 3PT shooting. Injuries resulting in a severe drop have been instituted for Kwame Brown, Al Horford, and some ohers. Several players are still missing from the new roster though that should have long since been added such as Larry Hughes, Jeremy Pargo, Mike James, Chris Johnson, Sean Williams, Gustavo Ayon, and more.

As noted yet again in the article from earlier today EA Sports had notably been avoiding the topic of roster updates for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition since first announcing it as a feature way back in July. At all costs they ignored consumer and media inquiries into the matter. It seemed as though they hoped the topic would fade out of relevance and thus refused to respond to requests for comment not just from here but other prominent media outlets including Kotaku.

Putting the pressure on the company over the last month finally paid off as just now they have chosen to inform Kotaku that roster updates will be coming for the digital-download title. Though the statement is vague and offers no apologies or prospective time frame at least now the company has determined they need to deliver on an advertised feature that may have been simply swept under the rug without the spotlight being placed on them for the failure to provide it.

The anticipation and excitement of a returning NBA stretched from fans to game publishers as EA Sports and 2K Sports hoped to capitalize on a quasi re-release period and make up for some of the losses that had been incurred due to the league lockout. The extent to which they have been successful though has been limited. NBA 2K12 was able to get a decent sales bump out of it but in terms of support have come up short while EA flat out misled consumers by advertising a feature that has not been delivered. 

In terms of authenticity it was NBA 2K12 that felt the brunt of the impact from the lockout. The lack of roster movement from the previous season and no ability to add rookies became incredibly damaging – while even features like NBA Today were negated completely without a season to track alongside of – and a drastic drop in consumer interest was the result.

2K did an admirable job at first in trying to play catch-up with a series of roster updates that rolled out over a short period of time. Since opening day though there has only been a single roster update provided. Now over three weeks into the season and there are still several second round draft picks (including the likes of Isaiah Thomas) missing and other players not in the game that long ago should have been. That has also led to injured or suspended players remaining so in the roster long past their return date and those who have since gotten hurt who are still operating at full strength. Another feature advertised for 2K12 was how just about anything art-related in the game could, and would, be updated regularly – but that feature has yet to be capitalized on.

There really is no excuse for having just a single update over the first 23 days of the NBA season – especially when the feature is said to be “living rosters” and meant to represent the league on a day-to-day basis. There are those out there who have waited for fully up-to-date rosters to start their Association and still can’t even do that in mid-January and no one would have predicted that would be the case.

Meanwhile EA Sports made it their marketing campaign for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition to tout added features which were anticipated due to their absence from the earlier NBA Jam reboot. Among those were the introduction of roster updates. EA has not only failed to provide an update but have actively avoided the topic at all costs – a clear sign that they have no intention to actually deliver on their promise and hope the topic just fades away. That isn’t acceptable and I’ll continue to shine a spotlight on the topic at every opportunity possible and can’t recommend any digital-downloads from the company until support and communication in regards to them improves. Though not directly related the return of EA’s sim series in fall 2012 isn’t getting much help here from NBA Jam in terms of rebuilding trust in EA within the basketball gaming universe.

Both companies seemed to take a minimalist approach to the return of the NBA. 2K tried to take advantage of it marketing wise and the early string of roster updates brought about additional attention to the product – but since then they have clearly lost the motivation that drove the push of early support. EA on the other hand has decided to abandon NBA Jam hoping that consumers won’t care that they didn’t come through on an advertised feature presumably because the game was just $15. Regardless both sides have been a disappointment or worse and that is something that shouldn’t be forgotten come next time they start with the marketing spin.

Just about two weeks removed from the start of the season 2K Sports has finally delivered a follow-up roster update for NBA 2K12. A number of second rounders have been added – however not all that should be are in yet and some included aren’t even usable online – while some other players inexplicably continue to be missing despite officially being on teams for quite a while.

The update does bring Andrew Bynum back into the Lakers lineup which was long overdue because of the extended break, executes the trade of Quincy Pondexter to Memphis with Greivis Vasquez to New Orleans, Mickael Pietrus is added to the Celtics, Michael Redd to the Suns, and Jeremy Lin to the Knicks.

Based on the results of the poll posted last week regarding purchase plans for NFL Blitz – which releases tomorrow on XBLA and PSN for $15 – enthusiasm has dropped considerably since the original announcement of the game. Only 13% plan to buy Blitz and 59% are dead set against it. The remaining chunk is in wait and see mode and may base a decision on the trial version. Considering the only unedited gameplay video generated pure indifference it might be tough to hook those people who are on the fence with a few minutes of game time.

There are a number of reasons why Blitz isn’t drawing much excitement from consumers. The removal of late hits as dictated by the league was the first big blow and that was then followed up by outdated rosters. The latest factor though seems to be a lack of confidence in EA Sports relating to their second-tier titles following the handling of NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. That game, which promised roster updates, still has not delivered one and the company still hasn’t even commented on the subject. That is probably telling – the only reason to ignore inquires would be to try and avoid any backlash that would come with a negative response.

Blitz hasn’t promised any roster updates (notably avoiding the topic completely along the way) but the lack of support towards Jam – which is produced out of the same studio and has similar relevance and publisher backing – has to be a consideration when setting expectations. The blunders made with Jam, from the console version to the direct-download version, are certainly influencing some level of trepidation in how Blitz is being viewed.

EA Sports made the addition of roster updates for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition a big selling-point considering the original reboot from the company the year prior was not supported post-release. They used the disappointment and frustration with that title to market OFE with everything from roster updates to “Team Fire” and “Tag Mode” touted as hype-worthy additions given the disappointment over their omission from the original. 

The season has been underway for a few days now and no roster update for On Fire Edition has been provided. The top players for each team aren’t changing due to signings right now, and the trade market has settled down, so one should certainly already be out. Marketing mentions of roster updates in particular can be found in the original announcement blog and trailer but it has become notable the lack of reference to updates ever since.

Inquiries directed to EA regarding roster updates for OFE have gone unanswered – typically an indication that a response would not be a positive one. It definitely is not a good sign that the company is avoiding the topic for this game as well as the upcoming NFL Blitz – though to be fair the promise of roster updates for Blitz has never been made. That should only be taken into consideration when evaluating whether or not to purchase Blitz. Regardless the actions taken with Jam will reflect on Blitz considering the timing and perceived lack of dedication.

In the case of OFE an advertised feature has not materialized and EA needs to be held accountable for that until they follow through on it. If they dont eventually – and really it should be soon – then consumers who bought it will have a right to demand some form of compensation and certainly the company will take another a hit to credibility in the process.

When I went to the extent of warning about what message buying OFE would send that was with the assumption that EA would follow through on their advertised features. Should they fail to provide at least one roster update it might be smart to avoid any second-tier titles from the company until they prove over time that they will actually deliver on their respective promises.

Following the remarkable NBA 2K11 (which took home top game honors) was never going to be easy and the NBA lockout compounded on that by severely damaging the value of NBA 2K12. Now that the season is underway the product has surged in terms of relevance. Extreme online problems and removal of Crew, bugs afflicting modes like My Player, and poor communication did the damage that even the lockout couldn’t enact – but the primary area 2K12 really delivered on was still quite an accomplishment.

The ranking of games in the best of 2011 list is based on number of factors including the personal amount of enjoyment had with a particular title, whether advertised features were fully delivered, post-release support, community interaction and communication, overall gameplay experience, feature set, and online play performance. Again this is largely a personal take and one with the advantage of tracking the games beyond just the release frame and does not act as some sort of recap of those with the highest scores on Metacritic. The analysis is weighted heavily towards those high in fun factor while considering them as a whole and compared relatively to the field.

Related:  Hits and Misses Review – Online Impressions – My Player Impressions – NBA’s Greatest Impressions – Online Association Impressions - Website partially launches after 6 weeks – Online issues persist - 2K addresses online troubles - 2K12′s 30 authentic broadcast cameras

NBA 2K12 is a game that struggled due to arguably unreachable expectations, outside factors, and internal design decisions. Like NCAA Football 12 it may be remembered more for its problems – and the circumstances that surrounded them – than what it excelled at.

Where NBA 2K12 showed some brilliance was with the NBA’s Greatest mode. That presents 15 different historical matchups to play through with presentation and rule sets authentic to their time. Not only is it a unique way to play but a great way to learn a lot about the league’s past. Even fans of the NBA will have probably noted different rules and restrictions back then that were unrealized until now. One unfortunate omission was the ability to take the time-period presentation and apply them to Quick Games or Online but other than that there would be few gripes about the mode which was a true achievement in concept and execution.

Past areas of strength in the NBA 2K series continued to be so – those primarily fall within the presentation and gameplay categories. The commentary benefited by the inclusion of Steve Kerr to the broadcast team, new broadcast camera angles and on-screen graphics were well done, and the atmosphere was enhanced by elements such as “Playoff crowds”. Gameplay remained stellar, with additions such as a new post-up mechanic, but the number of complaints about deficient areas (especially the passing game) and faults such as the CPU never double teaming and high 3pt percentages were increased this year.

However beyond those areas (at least for the first two months) there was little reason to exclaim that 2K12 was a better product than 2K11 – especially in relative terms to when they released. The lack of roster movement and rookies was probably the biggest factor in that and even features such as NBA Today were negated due to the lockout and played a part. Many could argue that the series had even taken a step back though with a number of popular online modes completely removed. Crew mode was gone and online leagues were stripped out in favor of Online Association which turned out to be a complete disaster.

Online was problematic from the start not just in the reduced number of modes but in performance and any semblance of consistency – and still to this day remains best described as unreliable. That 2K Sports was silent on the problems for nearly a month only stirred up consumer frustration. They were deceptive about the removal of popular online modes never even acknowledging them until that point and the explanations didn’t completely hold water.

Online Association, which was the big addition for the year outside of NBA’s Greatest, was designed in a manner that makes it practically useless to most people even if it worked properly. 2K never actually even explained the OA advancement process – it may very well be that they don’t even know how it works! Having removed the standard online leagues made things worse because there was no alternative for those who had enjoyed competing in seasons online. NBA 2K12′s website which was advertised to house features didn’t launch until six weeks after release and the Online Association section is still apparently “coming soon”. It’s practically January now so even if it does come about the delay has been unacceptable and embarrassing.

My Player mode was plagued by some of the worst trade logic in the history of sports gaming and winning the championship led to a freeze. For what was touted as having huge advancements that mode was definitely a trial of patience and ability to overlook a distinct lack of realism. Introducing paid DLC for the first time came with the worst possible timing as it was discovered and announced during the height of the lockout pessimism and with all sorts of other problems in the game still present. It rolled out though only days after the announcement of the CBA deal which was very lucky for 2K – though it didn’t end up selling well it certainly did better than it would have if no season had come about.

While an expanded legends and historic team presence was capitalized on well the novelty has just about worn off and 2K Sports will need to come up with a new hook for 2K13. Facing competition for the first time in two years from EA will mean the areas of weakness, particularly online, will come under even more scrutiny should performance falter and options continue to be limited. They’ll have plenty of motivation to try and put the dagger in EA right away though.

The problems with NBA 2K12 were amplified due to the lockout but also because it came under the microscope that other titles tend to when they are that high profile and especially when they don’t face a direct competitor. 2K stumbled with this iteration in the series but they shouldn’t be counted out from returning next year with an especially strong offering in the face of current doubts and oncoming challenges in the marketplace.

Earlier Year-in-Review Pieces
#5: NBA 2K12
#6: WWE All-Stars
#7: NCAA Football 12
•#8: NHL 12
•#9: Fight Night Champion
•#10: MLB Bobblehead Pros
•Vote for the Community Choice Awards

The NBA season is now underway and with that comes a brand new roster update for NBA 2K12. The changes include the removal of Jeff Green who is out for the year, Samuel Dalembert signing with the Rockets, DeShawn Stevenson joining the Nets, Mehmet Okur traded to the Nets, Brook Lopez injured (-10 to rating), and Mickael Pietrus released but not yet with the Celtics. The Quincy Pondexter for Greivis Vasquez trade has not been put through yet. The most disappointing thing is no second rounders have been added with the update.

Additional uniforms have been unlocked today which includes numerous secondary ones and Christmas editions for those teams playing today. Some of these very jerseys were leaked back in October (since they’ve always been hidden on the disc) and now they are available to choose from the team select screen after downloading the latest roster update.