NBA2K19 sold 12 million copies, and you can bet Take-Two Interactive has targeted even bigger numbers this year. That doesn't even touch the
revenue that will be earned from microtransactions.
The madness has already begun with pre-orders, an expansive demo. This year's release cycle has been boosted by an extremely engaging
development team led by gameplay producer Mike Wang, Robby Haught, Nino
Samuel, Scott O'Gallagher, Zach Timmerman and Jerson Sapida.
The entire development team is communicating with the community more this year than I can remember previously. I've scoured every developer
diary, and I've had the opportunity to play a near-final build for eight
hours. I'm waiting on the retail copy to complete my review ahead of
the September 6 release date on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
For now, here is a list of the 50 most important things to know about NBA 2K20 ahead of its release. I've broken them down into five
categories.
Speed Kills Again - Finally, speed is again a major weapon. This return to realistic gameplay has helped to allow guards to have an
advantage against bigger defenders. In recent versions of 2K, bigs have
been able to guard smalls on the perimeter far too easily.
However, Ease Up on Turbo - While speed is more of a factor again, don't get too enamored with the turbo button. In my experience, it was
easier to gas your player out by spamming turbo than in the past. A
gassed-out player doesn't have access to all of their animations, and
they move around the court more labored.
Contrary to Popular Opinion, Dribblers Aren't Nerfed - I heard a lot of early chatter about advanced dribbling being nerfed, but that's not
the case. I'm not exactly Kyrie Irving on the sticks. I'm better with
bigs, but I haven't had an issue performing dribble moves or chaining
them once I head into 2KU. The mechanic feels slightly different, but
the moves most 2K fans love to perform are still very feasible.
Bigs Feel Heavier and Stronger - When dribbling and sprinting with a frontcourt player, your controls should feel different and a little
less free than they do with guards. Thankfully, that difference is
present, and the distinction is more noticeable in 2K20 than I can
remember in previous versions.
The WNBA Plays Appropriately Different - I'm thrilled to see the WNBA integrated into the game. Moreover, I love how much differently the
game plays than the NBA experience. The players move differently, and
in some ways, the action flows even smoother than it does with NBA
players. It's not necessarily better, it's just different in a good way.
The Shot Meter Grew, But Then it Shrunk Again - When the demo was released, and during the early preview, the size of the shot meter was
increased. However, at some points, members of the 2K community
complained. Per Wang, the size of the shot meter was reduced back to the
size it was for 2K19.
Tons of New Badges - There are more than 50 new badges in the game, and it's a welcomed addition to the game. The new badges help in almost
every mode in helping to individualize each player.
Off-Ball Movement Is Far More Important - This is arguably the biggest change in gameplay. It's probably equal to the speed threshold.
Playing off the ball will be a real skill, especially in Pro-Am and
other team-up modes. Badges like Slippery Offball and Off-Ball Pest will
be very important.
Shot Contest Rules Have Changed - 2K has removed the Shot Contest rating. Now players have to be closer to an opponent to generate a
contest of any kind. With the rating gone, the level of the contest is
dictated by the interior or perimeter defense rating.Read More
