While a big draw of video game sports sims is putting yourself in the game as a real-life athlete in your standard career mode, Visual Concepts is doing something completely new with "The Neighborhood," where players are put in a "fully-immersive" basketball environment where they can explorem socialize and compete.
Confused? Don’t be. Think of it as being able to navigate around your neighborhood and get a haircut, shop for new kicks at Foot Locker, attend training camps and do all the things to be able to make it into the NBA! Check the trailer below to see how you can run your own neighborhood.
2K today unveiled the evolution of the NBA 2K franchise with the introduction of the first live world inside NBA 2K18. The team is bringing the most loved elements of NBA 2K – MyPARK, Pro-Am and the popular MyCAREER experience – together into a shared world for players to truly experience the life of an NBA athlete, both on the court and off.
The Neighborhood is unlike anything ever seen in NBA 2K or any other sports career mode before. MyPLAYERs live in a neighborhood environment with several locations in the city blocks to visit, flush with other MyPLAYERS and characters with whom to interact. Experiences and ratings revolve around player actions, whether it’s running into Kyrie Irving while getting a shave at the barbershop, competing on the courts in The Playground, getting inked at the tattoo parlour, listening to the latest beats or showing off the latest gear to friends while strolling the block. A user’s experience is entirely shaped by how they compete, allowing them to reap the rewards of playing NBA 2K18 the way they enjoy it most.
Aside from the revamped career mode, NBA 2K18 is also introducing the "Road to 99" which Visual Concepts calls the "overarching meta-game that rewards users for improving their MyPlayer’s overall rating." This applies to any mode players partake in, and there will be a featured badge system across Pro-Am, Park and their NBA career to highlight this.
Lastly, on September 8, basketball freaks can get a taste of NBA 2K18 with "The Prelude," a free, downloadable experience (demo) that begins a player’s career in The Neighborhood. Kicking off on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, whatever progress players earn during The Prelude, it will carry over if they decide to purchase the retail release.
NBA 2K18 shoots out to the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch and PC this September 15.