The official NPD sales numbers for September were released today providing an opportunity to look for results from the two hockey titles as well as how Madden 10 has been performing and its long-term outlook. NCAA Football 10 saw a more pronounced loss of sales its first month and followed that up by a heavier than usual drop in the second month. After faring relatively well with its first month’s take how did Madden do in September?

As discussed in the August sales article Madden 10 saw a drop of 3% from last year which was marginal considering the circumstances. With the price drops for the 360 and PS3 there would be potential for the sales to be stronger than usual in the coming months. The first opportunity to gauge that presented itself in September.

The sales last September for Madden 09 were 224,000 for the 360 and approximately 141,000 for the PS3. Those numbers represented a drop of 78% from its launch month. The average drop seen for yearly sports titles is right in that 75-80% range. It comes as no surprise that the majority of sports gamers want to pick it up right away as the excitement for the coming seasons is peaking. The longer waiting on the game the less fresh and relevant it becomes.

Madden 10 opened in August with 928,000 on the 360 and 665,000 on the PS3. September brought 289,600 for the 360 and 246,500 for the PS3 placing it in 3rd and 6th respectively. That represents a drop of just 66% which is outstanding for such a highly anticipated yearly title. As the PS3 had an especially good month due to the introduction of the PS3 Slim you can see the affect that was had with its version only dropping only 63% while the 360 still fell only 69%.

For comparisons sake NCAA Football 10 dropped 83% in its second month. This stronger than normal September for Madden shows it is a top consideration when consumers are building up a library with a new console and that the gamer response and reviews for Madden 10 have positively affected its sales. NCAA Football can’t lay claim to those factors.

This is especially encouraging for EA given the state of the economy. That first month sales only were down the 3% from last year but this follow-up month has been much stronger than we’ve seen in previous years.  The low declines show that the game has even more potential over the holiday months and should perform better than last year.

NHL 10 did not place in the top 10, hockey games traditionally have never been strong sellers and would not nearly reach the 200,000+ on one platform needed to chart. However EA had the benefit of all praise it received, great word-of-mouth, and awards that 09 won. As such launch month sales for NHL 10 certainly will have seen an increase as many latched onto the series post-release last year. It will likely make an appearance once the top 20 is posted. (UPDATE) NHL 10 came in 14th for the 360 selling right around 180,000 copies which is a great result. The PS3 did not chart in the top 20 meaning it sold less than 130,000.

NHL 2K10’s sales are believed insignificant and no where near the top 20. It once again raises the question whether the franchise will be shut down in the same manner that 2K Sports ended College Hoops. In that case there was simply not enough potential sales to support two college basketball titles and it appears the same predicament is faced here with hockey. It could also see focus shift and the company develop solely for the Wii.

Overall it was a good month for the video game industry. Console sales were up due to the price drops and Madden 10 was a clear beneficiary of that.

As the popularity of the NBA 2K franchise has risen the online performance has taken a sharp decline in its wake. Last year the Team Up mode was introduced however it was never able to consistently handle the load of multiple users being connected into one online game. With NBA 2K10 it has now been five days and online is still completely unreliable and some modes aren’t even functional.

If there is one thing I’ve always pushed for on the site it is companies living up to their promises and delivering on advertised features. That has been the case in the past with articles on MLB The Show’s terrible online performance, Tiger Woods “Photo Face” not working at launch, and Madden touting “Maddenoliday” only to have unplayable online on that very day.

Not delivering with the online play certainly qualifies as such. I’ve had difficulty building these online impressions because of the inability to get games in. However after providing ample time to fix what could have been early hiccups and knowing last year’s was never completely addressed online is what it is and that is important to discuss.

Over the last 6 days I have been able to complete two ranked games and one Team-Up game. Other attempts have resulted in “refer to the FAQ” or “network conditions too poor” or “network problem prevents continuing”. The servers have been completely down in many instances and there is a decent chance they would be even be as you read this.

2K did change up the way you can get into online games, either through the menu system or right from the game match-up screen. It’s probably more convenient but also has led to some confusion since there is no one central area for all online activities.

There have been some reports of immense lag when actually being able to play in the online games. In my handful of experiences the lag has been slight. Noticeable but not debilitating to gameplay. The Team-Up game was with six online users lag was at least manageable unlike most that I tried with 2K9. With such a limited sample it’s difficult to fully judge performance especially given the inconsistency of the servers.

Specifically on the PS3 the server seems to be freezing the consoles for some when searching for games or when being dropped out of them. Not sure how widespread this is but multiple reports out there of it happening.

The framerate problems seen prominently offline are also felt online. Not only do you have to account for the lag, but any time the action gets cluttered such as in the paint going for a rebound there is noticeable slowdown.

From what I’ve been able to gather, when the servers are actually up and running the Team-Up games seem to be maxed out at six or seven users. Eight or above attempting to play will cause the game to disconnect right at the start. This is a feature that is most enjoyable when every player is user-controlled but that was not possible last year nor does it appear it will be this year.

Team-Up feels a lot like My Player mode because it uses the same grading system, which as everyone knows has its good points and bad. At one point I was randomly hit with like five excessive calling for the ball when I had never even pressed the button once. It also basically prevents your team from playing zone because no one wants to leave their guy for any reason when they could score and that results in the detraction for allowing it.

It seems that in Team-Up/Pick-Up games only the point guard has the ability to make substitutions. This can be a big problem. With turbo affecting stamina so harshly if you don’t have someone at PG on the mic or willing to make smart subs then you’re stuck.

The stamina does appear to run down a little too quickly. I have consciously been very conservative with the turbo yet find my player drained. Subs would have to be done multiple times in a game which may not happen due to only the PG being able to and even if they were it interrupts the flow of the game when people just want to play. It should probably be toned down a little in an upcoming patch.

There is a known glitch, previously reported over on OS, that affects the Team-Up games. I don’t know if this has been seen since as I’ve yet to come across anyone has been able to play a full Team-Up game.

Most disappointing all this is I actually find the gameplay of NBA 2K10 to be ideally suited to the Team-Up experience. The slower pace and turbo limitations lend itself well to that.

So while those modes online have not been working it does seem that regular ranked games are becoming more available for people to compete in. Certainly it isn’t as consistent as it needs to be though.

In NBA 2K10 there have been a few additions to the online feature set. That includes creating “Crews” for Team-Up games and track the records and stats. There is also the ability to take your My Player online and play Pick-Up games using them or NBA players. Sadly no one has yet been able to do these things because of the server issues.

The leagues appear to be similarly structured with the fantastic website which is a shining example of how they should be done. Last year there were some problems with leagues but right now with the server issues they have not been functional so it’s unknown how 2K10’s have shaped up. They aren’t online dynasties which is the natural evolution that really needs to be made soon as leagues are feeling like a thing of the past.

When your opponent pauses you’ll see their menu screen before being blocked from seeing what changes they make. They still haven’t made it possible for both sides to make changes at the same time which is frustrating. Changes must be made for each game, so if you prefer a certain camera angle you can’t set that to be your default and have that carry over.

The NBA Today feature also seems to be affected by the online problems and has not been working at times. Even uploading screenshots and highlight videos have been a crapshoot as they may never actually appear. You’ll see some other oddities from offline that happen online, such as the refs never getting the ball set for play. May have to burn a timeout to get past that or wait it out and maybe they’ll stop passing back and forth with the inbounder or whatever the situation is.

As to the two ranked games I completed, the wins still have not registered and at this point I’m thinking they never will. It seems that many wins are not being recorded for people which again seems to be tied to the servers.

There are no replays or highlights available after the game which is a disappointment. I always enjoy watching them after games and there will always be cool events that you want to see again or save from the online games but won’t be able to.

One has to wonder if the rate that 2K10 contacts the servers is creating some of the problems. When you start up 2K10 it attempts to find updates to the Living Rosters, player progression and NBA Today. After every My Player mode game or drill it contacts the server to update your information. That must be taxing in some regard and adds an annoyance in constant failure messages when the server goes down.

Consumers are showing dissatisfaction over the matter in the 2K forum, on Twitter, and elsewhere. Whether it results in a loss of sales this year or (more likely) next year we won’t know for some time. Unfortunately it just appears that 2K Sports does not have the resources to provide the proper online experience for such a popular game.

The last few years have brought strong online support from EA Canada. The titles out of there such as FIFA, NHL, and NBA Live have received new online modes while simultaneously improving the online performance despite the surging number of users to handle. NBA Live 10 continues that trend with excellent online play.

I have yet to experience any lag, whether it be in one-on-one games or in the completely full with 10 users Live Run or Online Team Play. Not enough can be said about that. Response and consistency is very near like playing offline.

It is awesome being able to choose the atmosphere of the games when setting them up. Ranked games are set to “Playoffs” atmosphere which is a lot of fun to have. It really adds to the sense that the game is important, and an online ranked game is a one-off everything on the line experience so it fits. I hope that the feeling doesn’t wear off over time because of how often it’ll be played with though.

I have previously written about Adidas Live Run and you can check out those impressions here. After having played with the Pastapadre squad I’ve found that it tracks all the games that have been completed and you can even pull that up and see the gamertags involved and their points, assists, and blocks for that particular game. There is also the area where you can view your own personal stats for the Live Run mode which displays a whole lot more. You can see all of this on the website as well which is great. Though I’m confused at the links next to each game for “videos” since there is no replay or highlight functionality included in the mode.

Live Run is a lot of fun even though the environment is somewhat dry. The ability to change camera angles and a Teambuilder type system for the logo and jerseys would be the next step. The more customization offered the more people will get into the squad concept. The best part is that you’re able to play a full game in about 15 minutes and it becomes addictive.

Regular Online Team Play returns but just as unranked. The sqauds are only used for Live Run.

Live 10 has what is called “Online Leagues” but as far as I can tell it hasn’t changed much if at all from last year. There is no web support and with it ending after a single run through its more of an online season. Most leagues would not go to completion cause there is no incentive to keep playing once out of the running.

Also there are “Fantasy Teams” which lets you play an unranked game with a team you can build by selecting from all the players in the NBA. Against friends this could be enjoyable but for people just looking to play they’ll probably pass it over and from my time going through it didn’t seem like it was being used very often.

It appears that there is no fatigue in ranked online play. I’d like to at least see some, though keeping it minimal in the games with five minute quarters. It is understandable that most people want to play with the starters but a teams bench should at least be a factor.

There are no replays saved from the online games which is a disappointment. It would be nice to have them stored for when the game is completed in case there was a highlight worthy of saving. Hopefully this is something that can be added next year. (Update) Been informed on Twitter that the PS3 has the replays and that it may be added into the 360 via patch.

Overall a great experience is being had with NBA Live 10 online. The new Live Run mode is a lot of fun when groups of people get together to play. All the games run very smooth and consistent whether it is a standard game or one with multiple people involved which is essential, and that provides a great environment to enjoy the various modes.

For those of you who may have missed any of the prerelease coverage for NBA Live 10 over the last several days the direct links to the content can be found below. Full online impressions will come later this week once the online play can be completely evaluated.

• Full Live 10 Initial Impressions

• Live Run Impressions

• Second Set of Videos (Various)

• Full Game Video Pistons @ Heat

• Player Ratings

• 360 Hard Drive Evaluation

For those of you who may have missed any of the prerelease coverage for NBA 2K10 over the last week the direct links to the content can be found below. Full online impressions will come in a few days once the online play can be completely evaluated.

• Full 2K10 Initial Impressions

• My Player Mode Impressions

• Full Game Video of NBA Finals GM 7

• Second Set of Videos (Various)

• Full Game Video Spurs @ Jazz

• Requested Screenshots

• 360 Hard Drive Evaluation

The NBA Live series comes into this year with increased expectations after primarily concentrating efforts on improving the gameplay experience rather than adding in new modes. While EA has built out a good feature set the last few years, the primary focus of gameplay was necessary and appears to have paid off if gamer response and early reviews are to be believed.

Continue on for my observations from playing NBA Live 10 over the last few days. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

It quickly became apparent that the way to be successful in Live 10 is to play the game in a sim manner. 12 minute quarters are probably going to be necessary to consistently get realistic scores and stats. The game rewards playing basketball the right way. Certainly there will be some things found that aren’t balanced properly, but I’ve yet to come across anything that is overly effective on offense. Running plays, using dribble moves to break down the defense, and creating space to get open shots is a very satisfying feeling.

I had a lot of issues with the demo as I detailed in my impressions of it. In general the game felt sloppy despite the obvious improvements that had been made. The full game is a lot cleaner, but not just in some adjustments that were made following the demo build but also from the personal side of getting acclimated to the controls and comfortable with the way the game plays as to what works and what doesn’t.

Still there can be quite a lot of turnovers. Some passes that I sense are safe get stolen or tipped away. When backing down or trying to make a move down low the ball is often knocked away. You really have to concentrate while playing the game or the defense will make you pay for that. Something I really appreciate is being able to affect passes while playing defense. I like putting my hands up manually with the right stick, and I’ve had a couple times where I’ve been able to deflect passes that way.

The contact that is felt especially when driving into traffic is great, it prevents too many easy layups or dunks from happening. At the same time it can also be frustrating. I now hesitate to drive to the hoop because while I may believe I’m in a position to have a high percentage attempt I end up in a contact animation. Most of the time that results in a missed shot. Fouls are rarely called, if ever, on these animations which is somewhat odd. For some reason the CPU can make more of these than I can which has bothered me also.

Last year I didn’t find the Synergy effect on gameplay to be all that significant. In Live 10 though it is very apparent. Players act like themselves on the court. As many people pointed out in the full game video I posted, Dwayne Wade was relentless attacking the rim and took charge offensively. It isn’t perfect, though certainly the best a game has represented tendency of players and teams. Going against the Cavs there were times where Lebron James seemed to disappear, but then he’d come back and dominate a stretch of a few minutes. It was during that period where he wasn’t having a big affect on the games that Shaq seemed to take over.

I really like the hustle plays that are seen. They make sense in the context of the situations and don’t happen too often. There are occasions where a lack of aggressiveness towards the ball are seen, sometimes after a rebound or even after a hustle play as the ball is loose. While it may not look right as long as the result feels right it doesn’t bother me too much.

Rebounding is much improved and for the most part proper positioning and timing will see the correct player come down with the board. It is just those occasions, which don’t happen all that often, where the ball will hit the ground or maybe the player won’t even jump but still pulls it in that look awkward.

The CPU also seems more likely to get offensive rebounds than I am. I’ve found that the best idea is to switch over and control someone under the hoop so you can manually position him to box out. Otherwise the CPU has a good chance at getting the board. The stats don’t necessarily show a huge discrepancy between the two sides but it definitely feels like they’re more apt to get the offensive boards. Not only that but when I do get an offensive rebound I usually end up getting stripped or my put back blocked or missed.

Fast breaks are rare and I think it’s because the defenses all get back so quickly. I think I’ve only had a few successful fast breaks and those came from steals on the perimeter and it has just been the one guy going all the way. I don’t believe I’ve seen any 2-1, 3-2 type fast breaks from either myself or the CPU let alone successful ones.

I’m looking forward to the patching in of the manual back down mechanic. I just don’t feel completely comfortable with the contextual take on it so I haven’t spent much time attempting moves in the low post. Since the ball gets knocked away often when making a move I’ve been avoiding the potential turnovers.

While the player control and momentum are represented well, I find that I’m getting pulled into some types of shots I didn’t intend. I have to stop a player completely before pulling up for a three, otherwise they’ll take a couple steps over the line and go for a long distance leaner. The game should be able to recognize a little better the situation and what someone would likely be wanting to do. I’m starting to adjust to this some more, but I still have a bunch of shots in every game that were not what I was anticipating when I started to take them.

The CPU players seem to force shots randomly, almost like they have determined they have to take a shot and must find a way to get it off. It doesn’t make sense in the context of the situations either. It could be early in the shot clock and a player, which could be anyone not just a superstar, will have the ball and do something like a turnaround fadeaway or shoot through a double team.

Shooting percentages are excellent right out of the box for both the user and CPU. I feel like the 3pt % may be a little on the low side though. Most games I’m seeing about 10-30% combined between the two sides.

The CPU can be a little slow to start the offense and actually at times it feels like they’re just standing there with the ball waiting for you to move in on them before they do anything. This was an issue in the demo also. It may not be as blatant as the demo but I still get a little antsy when the CPU is standing out there and not running the offense.

Blocks often look really awkward. I know they worked on making the blocks realistic but they still don’t look right. Sometimes I’ll go up for a jumpshot and have it blocked, not really understanding how it happened and the ball just getting knocked away instantly.

I would like to run plays more often in the game but it’s another thing I don’t fully trust or understand. The A icon comes up and even if its lit up there will be times where I hit A and it passes to someone else completely. I just can’t afford to risk turnovers like that.

The atmosphere of the games is absolutely the best I’ve ever experienced in a sports title.  The crowd goes nuts in playoff games and it feels so intense because of it. I’ve never felt pressure playing a road game in any sports title no matter how “loud” they have presented them. That is until now, where the crowd legitimately unnerves and intimidates me. Great job by EA here and it really accents how the other sports games aren’t living up to fully representing the atmosphere found in their respective sports.

It isn’t just the atmosphere but also the unique authentic touches that are seen. Whether it is the personal pre-game rituals, arena specific sounds or the wide array of jerseys to choose from, the overall experience is completely immersive. In the videos I’ve posted you can hear things like Vince Carter getting booed every time he touches the ball in Toronto or the Ric Flair “Woo” in New Orleans after Chris Paul scores. There are different things like these seen across the league. The attention to detail is great and hopefully they just continue to expand on this going forward to offer unique authentic feels for every team and arena.

I was glad to see that not every game has that awkward starting lineup introduction that has been seen in the videos and in the demo. That is only for playoff games and it doesn’t feel completely out of place there. I prefer the other intros with players warming up but they’ll need more variety in the future.

The overall presentation is not great but it’s decent. I like that the replays and featured highlights don’t affect the flow of the games since they only play at dead ball situations. I don’t particularly care for the post score reaction cut-ins though. There also needs to be something better than just game stats and the top player’s stats displayed during halftime in the future.

I really like the feel of the freestyle passing method but I don’t feel like I can trust it. By holding down the LT instead of just having the icons to pass to you can now use the right stick to send it to a player in a general direction. There have been times where I’ve been able to use it for a quick pass on a fast breaks or to open players nearby. However there have also been instances where I’ve thought it would go to one player and it went somewhere completely else. In one situation I recall it was a fast break and I tried to flick it over to a trailing player off to the side and instead the pass went all the way to someone in the back court for a turnover.

One of the problems I seem to have is playing one-on-one defense. There is no mechanic to stay with your check, and when you make movements they can be sharp and take you out of position. Because of that lots of times I have guys drive right by me as I’m just standing there not sure how to react. That has probably been evident in the videos that except for the times where it contextually brings my player into a bumping animation with the ball handler I feel like I’m out on an island and more comfortable playing off-ball defense.

After simming through Dynasty mode and playing several games throughout the season there doesn’t seem to be much that differentiates the games in dynasty compared to the standard ones. There is supposedly dynamic commentary based on the events of your dynasty but I didn’t hear anything that stood out. About the only difference seen is with some on-screen displays that show up at different times. I noticed ones for the upcoming schedule, conference standings, and up-to-date seasons stats or stats from the last game for specific players.

Dynamic Season can’t begin until the regular season actually starts but it is an intriguing concept that a lot of people will probably enjoy. I had initial reservations considering whether or not people would be playing on regular basis and keeping up with the real season, but there is enough flexibility that you can play “rewind games” or play only the games you want to. It’ll be interesting to see how this develops over the course of the season. Last year the DNA updates kept interest in the game alive longer and Dynamic Season should strengthen the replayability to an even greater extent.

While I like the flow of the commentary and the pairing of Marv Albert and Steve Kerr it is definitely getting stale for people who have played the game the last few years. The supposed addition of dynamic commentary in Dynasty mode was not apparent in the games I played which was disappointing in that regard.

I really like the graphical style, the vibrancy of the colors and environments. Players faces are generally good, though the players do have a bit too much of a shine to them that give them a slightly manufactured rather than natural look.

The push for refining and increasing the impact of the Synergy data will pay dividends, though I wish it also took into account defensive tendencies. While the daily roster updates and rewind games are great benefits of the service, it does appear to have also really affected how the players act on the court and how well the team styles are represented.

I was a little disappointed that the NBA Academy had been removed, but it is actually there in Dynasty mode for training. However they are all the same drills from last year. Unfortunately no new ones have been added.

As detailed in my analysis of the performance installing to the 360 hard drive, loading time into different parts of the game are quite long. This is probably due to “The Hangar” loading up in some instances but it also takes a while to get into areas such as Dynasty. Loading times are significantly improved by installing but they are still on the long side of things.

In-game saves should be a necessary addition for next year. Having to play what is extended games for most people at 12 minute quarters, that can be a time commitment that will create problems for some.

Following the end of the game you can access what has been determined as the top plays from the game. They can be sorted and browsed through a few different categories such as dunks, layups, or emotion. The problem is the replays are cropped early and at the end. So if you were looking to save the replay there is little you can do in the editing stage because the replays begin right before the event and end right after it. So my suggestion is to take care of that immediately during the games which isn’t ideal since it breaks up the flow and pace of playing naturally.

Online play impressions will come this week once the wave of people hit following release. Online performance and options have been a strength of Live the past couple years. If you missed it check out the Live Run online impressions posted earlier.

Overall while I still have a number of issues with NBA Live 10 I’m taken aback by the sim nature and the unbelievable atmosphere. I came out of the demo with very mixed feelings but many of those concerns have been put to rest with the full game. The most important thing to me with any game will always the fun factor and the elements contributing to that have been more prevalent than any frustration stemming from the flaws.

Adidas Live Run enters NBA Live 10 as an evolution of the Online Team Play that has been so successful the last two years. 10 people connect into a single online game with each controlling their own player. With Live Run instead of  OTP taking place in a standard game each person gets to select their position and then player of choice in a game of 21.

Live Run has EA Sports World integration which gives each squad their own page. Here is the page for the Pastapadre squad. The site shows record, stats, results, awards, and members. The ability to join or send requests is also offered from the website. Feel free to send a request if you’d like to be a part of the squad as I’ll be setting up some nights to meet up in the near future.

When creating the squad there are a few options to select from including the logo. Hopefully in the future they let you design your own. A Teambuilder like feature for use in Live Run for logos and jerseys would be very welcome. The limited number of logos that are offered are all fairly generic.

Rooms have been added from within your Live Run squad so that you can filter participants into more than one team if necessary. So if you have nine people ready to play, five could go to one room and four to the other so multiple games can go on at once and allows for everyone to decide who they want to play with too.

At the start of the game each member of the team selects their position, a list of players at that particular position then pops up to choose from. Once the player has been determined then comes the selection of what shoes and what practice jersey they’ll wear. I don’t really understand the need for picking shoes here. There are no replays or close-ups in Live Run so you never really see them during gameplay anyway.

The gameplay experience can feel a little dry given the isolated nature of the pick-up game in the empty gym. I like that they have the soundtrack playing during the games but if you’re on the mics you probably won’t pay much attention to it.  As always the case in OTP type games it can get a little sloppy so communication with teammates is essential.

The rules for Live Run games have been adjusted to keep the flow throughout. There are no fouls, so you won’t see any hard foul animations either. Rather than passing the ball in if it goes out of bounds you’ll start with a check situation at the top. There is still a 24 second shot clock and three seconds in the key will be called though that is sometimes inconsistent.

One thing that seemed to be overly effective in Live Run is a cherry-picking strategy. If someone hangs back a bit they can usually beat the other team back once they get the pass for an easy score. Also Yao Ming is dominant. Our group determined if the other team has Yao then we had to counter with a Yao of our own.

In the games I played in there were between 7-10 users connected in. There was only a very slight delay that took a minute to adjust to after having been playing offline. After that point it was consistently smooth. Not a surprise given how well the online performance has been the last two years.

Something I always found with OTP was a sense of responsibility primarily when playing with people you’re familiar with. You don’t want to be seen as a ball hog, you want to avoid taking crap from your teammates because of poor play. At the same time the sense of satisfaction is magnified when making a good play and contributing. That continues here even though the environment of a pick-up game is less intense. Once the squads are formed and competition picks up I think it’ll hold more weight.

Unfortunately you are limited to being a part of one squad. You can’t be in two or run a squad and just be a member in another. For some people it will be a dilemma as to what squad they want to participate in. It would be much better even if they kept a limit but let people commit to two squads. More chances to play that way since you’re always going to be relying on at least a few others to show up.

The idea behind Live Run was to reduce some of the problems that arose naturally from the OTP environment. Instead of people getting stuck with players they have no interest in controlling, now everyone gets to pick the guy they want to run with. And rather than be stuck in what could be a poor experience for 35+ minutes in a standard game, with Live Run the commitment is more like 20 minutes. It’s a more compact offering and I feel that every game should have some sort of abbreviated online mode.

I have a love-hate relationship with career modes in sports titles. I appreciate the ability to control a single player which in turn simplifies the games and presents clear objectives and measurements of success. At the same time I’ve always come across certain aspects that have soured the overall experience. Those conflicting feelings continue with NBA 2K10’s My Player mode.

My first thought after spending time with My Player is that it’s obviously vastly superior to what was offered with the Draft Combine. Not only is the gameplay slightly improved but there are various elements that come with the full mode that make it much more fun and interesting unlike the bore that was DC. However some fundamental flaws have definitely hurt my opinion of the mode. At the moment those things are discouraging but at least they would appear to be potentially fixable server side or via patch.

Starting in the Summer Circuit (unless you had DC and uploaded to the draft) you are given a handful of games and drills to complete. This is all very similar to what was found in DC just without the possibility of being drafted. In all likelihood, and it might be unavoidable, the player will be cut after those are completed and signed by an NBDL team. This is where the biggest problem presents itself.

The framerate once the NBDL is reached and the NBA takes a serious hit. While it does not make the game unplayable it is definitely annoying and very noticeable compared to the smooth play in the Summer Circuit. It would seem that the arenas packed with fans, addition of cheerleaders and PA announcer, spotlights, and everything else that comes with the move up have caused the inconsistent framerate. It doesn’t come across as evident in the videos but is more about the feel when playing with is jerky and slugglish. Not only does that make it visually annoying but it affects play in that it can screw with anything that depends on timing or reactionary moves.

The atmosphere, which could very well be what is causing the framerate slowdown, does make playing the game even without announcers much more enjoyable than playing in an empty gym. The crowd gets into the games, there is music from the soundtrack during time outs, there are spotlights used in the arena, and there is variety in that you’ll be playing different teams with their own unique colors and logos. I had suspected missing all that in the Draft Combine was a big part of why I didn’t enjoy it.

The other thing I have grown quite frustrated with is the positive or negative grading system. Originally I created a SF, and after scrapping that a SG, but had trouble getting opportunities to raise my grade in games. The player ratings are just so poor at the start that it becomes more about avoiding the things that might get you negative grades than trying to play naturally. After scrapping those positions I started up as a PG and have done much better. Having the ball in your hands consistently provides for more opportunities. I suspect big men also have that since they would have better chances at rebounds, boxing out, and higher shot percentages.

But it isn’t just a sense of imbalance in the positions but also in what counts as a positive and what registers as a negative. Frequently I find that one mistake can wipe out a lot more good that had been done previously. And it becomes especially frustrating when you get knocked for things that are either out of your control or just part of the game of basketball. I’m sorry, but committing a foul does not make you a bad teammate. Taking a subjectively “difficult” shot does not make you a bad teammate. Another totally subjective thing in “holding the ball too long” is usually bogus because I’m trying to run a play. The guy you’re assigned to is probably going to score over the course of a game, that they did does not make you a bad teammate. There should be a buffer, so that if those things occur too many times THEN you’re responsible and should take a hit.

As frustrating as all of that can be there is a genuine sense of achievement when you do something well. I hit a three to put the team up by one point with 11 seconds to go in a game. Not only was that a thrilling moment but I received a bonus for putting the team ahead in the last minute. I also like getting credit for boxing out, making good passes, getting assists, scoring on fast breaks, and so on. Clearly there are good things that come with the grading also. It just seems like the good can be wiped out in an instant because of determinations that are completely subjective or unfair.

Each game you get the three objectives which I’ve found to be more reasonable than in the Draft Combine. That might just be due to the new position I’m playing but they aren’t changing my strategy for how to play which is what had bothered me about it first. Given that you only get 100 points for each objective its not the end of the world if you don’t complete them. I usually worry about my grade and my stats before going for something specific mentioned in an objective.

Also an issue of much discussion is that the mode is locked in with five minute quarters. While I find this just about right in how long the games are taking to complete, it definitely does not result in accurate statistics. Scores are going to be low, minutes played are going to be low. Now since you’re generally playing to get your stats instead of just win the game naturally, you’re player will be in decent shape. He just won’t have spectacular sounding stats and players across the league will have anemic averages as well.

After having arrived in the NBDL you get 10 more drills that can be completed to earn more skill points and use them to increase your attributes. I’m not sure if there is a limit on the number of NBDL games you can play before they just decide that you’re not going to be NBA caliber, but I’m through nine games at this point. There is also no progress indicator to give you an idea of how well you are progressing towards the NBA.

As a PG I’ve found that I don’t always play the position. Much of the time I’ve been playing SG and even in a few cases SF. This is probably because I’m classified as a “3pt Specialist”. I like that you can get some variety and have some different goals over the course of a game.

The XBL status while you’re playing the mode shows some neat information. It displays the quarter and how many points, assists, and rebounds your player has at that very moment.

One of the things that really breaks up the monotony found in Draft Combine, is with My Player you’ll have substitutions and spend time on the bench. You can sim though the parts of the game when you’re on the bench or you’re able to watch the game from a sideline perspective. I would’ve preferred a way to just skip those parts entirely without having to go through the same process multiple times during a single game.

This also means your player gets a chance to rest and recover some turbo. In DC there was too much emphasis on drained turbo to the point where you would avoid doing some things just to conserve turbo. One example could be running down the court on a fast break to back up which was something that you didn’t want to waste turbo on. There is a pretty good balance in My Player that you don’t want to overuse turbo but you feel comfortable playing realistically.

While I do like that they’ve made it so you have to really work your way up, starting rated so low is just a little discouraging. I can definitely see some people getting tired of missing layups or open shots or getting harsh ratings and giving up on the mode because of it. At the same time it is nice to have a challenge and be able to build your player up over time.

The substitution patterns can be somewhat odd. While in the Summer Circuit I would notice times where I was taken out of the game, simmed ahead, and was put back in the game at the next dead ball. There were also instances where I’d start the second half on the bench and be subbed back in and only like seven seconds had elapsed. This seems to be less noticeable now that I’m in the NBDL and playing more minutes.

I’ve yet to determine whether this is a problem just in My Player or if it is the same with the regular games in 2K10, but I haven’t noted it in those games so far. In My Player it seems like any advantage fast breaks my teammates don’t cut to the basket. They all flare out to the three point line and simply aren’t aggressive which forces me to pull the ball back out.

I don’t know why it bugs me but why is only one player allowed to inbound the ball after a made basket? I may come down with the ball, or some other player may come across it first. Instead of any of us just throwing it in to the PG, it goes to one specific player (I haven’t looked to see what position it is) with a hard chest pass that sometimes is thrown while standing the opposite direction even. It just gives it a real mechanical feel that only one position inbounds the ball.

I’d like to have a way to pump up the crowd in the future. While playing home games I always have the urge to pump up the crowd in particular situations. It would be a neat feel to be able to do that and have the crowd react.

Overall I think My Player has some good potential and it has been built out well for a first attempt. Unfortunately a few major issues are hampering the experience. The framerate after having reached the NBDL needs to be addressed, and the grading criteria should be adjusted to be more fair. If just those two things are taken care of I would see this mode as a significant addition in the value and variety it adds to NBA 2K10.

Having spent a significant amount of time with NBA 2K10 over the last few days it felt like a good time to post some of my general impressions of the game thus far. Of course make sure to watch the videos I’ve posted to make your own judgments on some of the strengths and weaknesses. The demo will be out tomorrow for the 360 exclusively with the Magic @ Lakers in a single four minute quarter. From the way things have been explained it sounds like the PS3 won’t see it until next Thursday. At least some of you will get a chance to form your own first hand opinions and see how that compares to what I’ve experienced.

Continue on for my observations from playing NBA 2K10 and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Overall the game isn’t going to really surprise anyone, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the series has been highly regarded. There are certainly improvements that have been made over 2K9 however for most people who just pick up and play the game it will have a very familiar feel. What you liked from last year will almost certainly still be there so I’m not going to reiterate those in this write-up, just the things that stood out to me while playing. The biggest addition comes with My Player mode which adds depth to a feature set that had been lacking and provides some real variety to how to play a basketball game.

While I’ll be saving a full article to cover My Player mode I have stumbled across one issue that has really detracted from the enjoyment. After being cut from the Summer Circuit I was picked up by an NBDL team. The games in the NBDL are played in a sold out arena with additions such as cheerleaders which may be the culprit for a drop in the framerate. While it is not unplayable it is quite annoying (jumpy, sluggish) almost to the point where I don’t want to play the mode anymore. The framerate does drop slightly in normal games when using camera angles closer to the court (2K, Action) but isn’t nearly as pronounced as seen in My Player. I’ll continue on to see if the framerate problem occurs in NBA games as well given that is where people will spend most of their time.

There is a completely new menu system which is a welcome change from the old one which was terrible. Unfortunately I don’t like this one much either. I’ve always navigated menus with the D-Pad but it is difficult to do that with this menu system because you have to hold the direction and then press A at the same time. So options in the corners require pushing to the side and the top or bottom at the same time. I’ve found myself slipping off what I wanted pretty frequently. If you played the Draft Combine it is the same format for the full game.

With the gameplay one positive is the off-ball movement. You don’t necessarily need to run a play to make something happen. Court spacing is a little better than last year but I’ve still found it relatively difficult to get open mid-range shots.

I really like the effect that the limit on turbo provides. Unlike in Draft Combine where you started to adjust and play unrealistically to conserve turbo (why trail on a fast break when it would cost you?) here the real players have much more stamina. So you don’t want to misuse turbo, but you don’t feel discouraged from using it in the right situations. It makes for a nice balance.

Shot percentages are very high all around on the default settings. I’ll have up videos of a full game (GM 7 of the NBA Finals) on All-Star tomorrow and I’m sure the shot percentages will be a big topic of discussion coming out of it. This is something that can be adjusted with sliders although when venturing online you’ll be stuck with the defaults. Open shots are so rarely missed, while obviously understanding that they should be more likely to go in, you know the shot is going to be good before it’s even released.

For whatever reason I’ve found All Star to be easier than Pro. Shot percentages remain high, CPU seems a little sloppier with the ball, Pick and Roll is maybe not quite as effective but general player movement allows for more scoring opportunities. I didn’t start winning games until I moved the difficulty up from Pro to All Star which is bizarre.

The AI makes some questionable decisions. I’ve found this to be especially the case defensively. Zone defense seems to be useless because your teammates play their areas in such lackadaisical fashion allowing for wide open shots. The AI also has difficulty defending the Pick and Roll which is the most effective offensive tactic I’ve come across. Help defense in general is not very good. It appears that once a player makes a move for the basket it has almost been scripted that they’ll be getting the shot off and rarely is it properly contested.

I have seen some cool instances of hustle plays. You don’t have control over them (similar to how you don’t control put back dunks) but they haven’t occurred an inordinate amount of times and have made sense in the context of the situations.

One of the things that bothers me the most is I can’t seem to take any leaners or momentum based shots. I can be running using turbo and holding the stick a direction and the player will stop immediately as soon as I go for the shot and go straight up with a jump shot. I’d probably feel better about creating your own shots if they didn’t allow for the defender to be right there and contest it because you can’t be more creative with the shots. It also doesn’t seem possible to take quick shots since you either get a pump fake or they go through their entire shot motion.

I’m not a big fan of the post-score replays, reaction scenes, and “G Moments”. It just interrupts the flow and pace of the game. What bothers me most is that the replays seemingly allow the defense to get down the court while you’re stuck waiting to inbound the ball. If it was stopping the action completely I’d be okay with it. Despite that the overall presentation is nicely done with the highlights in between the quarters and the post game setup that provides numerous options to view highlights even down to reels for each specific player.

The atmosphere of the games is better but still doesn’t quite live up to what I would hope for. Crowd reactions are inconsistent. You’ll get a roar from the home crowd for hitting a three, but then the next time you hit three there may be no cheering at all for it. You’ll see in the Finals game seven videos the crowd doesn’t really even get into the game until the 4th quarter. I was especially hoping there would be playoff crowds wearing the team colors but that has not been included. I didn’t really get a special feel from the playoffs or Finals which was disappointing.

Graphically the game looks a lot like last year with improved lighting but the player faces are all over the board. Take a look at my earlier posting of screenshots for good examples. Some players look decent and others look horrendous. This can’t be all due to the emotion that has been added in because they look odd even when not making an expression. It is also a little distracting in the post-score reaction scenes how the players look bug-eyed running back down the court.

One thing that really annoys me is the slowness of the refs. This is something that was seen in Draft Combine as well. They take their time to get into position and hold onto the ball for a while before handing it over. If you are unlucky enough to throw the ball down the court on an inbounds and it goes out, it’ll be well over 30 seconds before the ref collects the ball, runs it cross court, gives it to the other ref, gets in position, and the ball is handed over to start play.

Also be careful when inbounding at the start of a quarter. In many cases I’m finding that my point guard is down at the other end of the court for some reason. This has led to hitting A, expecting a normal inbound to the PG, only to see the ball get launched and result in a turnover.

Just a couple random things I have noted was a case where the mascot was break dancing on the court during play and how frustrating it is that you get sent back to the original start screen if you are inactive for about 20 seconds in the menus/team select screens and when you return everything has been reset.

I have yet to do do anything with online play as there are still only a handful of people out there with copies, but it’ll be something I jump into when the opportunity presents itself. Coming off 2K9 which had a poor online experience, including a mode in Team Up that never properly worked, this is an important area to see improvement. Unfortunately a few serious problems have already been discovered that need to be addressed.

To wrap up my feelings on the game so far it has been fun for the most part but some issues are present that will need to be accommodated to or adjusted. My Player mode has been much more compelling than the bore that was the Draft Combine but the framerate drop when reaching the NBDL is a concern. You pretty much have a good idea of what you’re going to get out of NBA 2K10. That is a good thing if you’ve enjoyed the series in the past but may not be enough if you’re looking for a fresher experience.

After combing through some of the original requests I’ve put together a handful of screenshots from NBA 2K10. Continue leaving your requests for future screenshots and videos. The first full game video featuring the matchup that won the poll (Spurs @ Jazz) will be up in the morning. I have been dropping some thoughts during the play-throughs on Twitter and even had a live broadcast earlier today so make sure to keep an eye there for the latest.

Some of the players look quite good (Durant, Beasley) and others look horrendously bad (Gasol, Nash). Continue on to check out the screens and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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