NBA 2K13 Preview: Controls, Real-Time Physics, Sig Skills

The Verge has a nice detailed preview of many aspects of NBA 2K13 gameplay, getting into more detail for things that were (and weren't shown) in Developer Video #1.

Main Points:

• Right stick is now Control Stick, will serve as the "hands" part of the players movement, while LS is his feet. Allows everyone to use variety in their dribbling and isomotion to get past their defender. Easy to learn and use right-away, hard and satisfying to master.
• Post moves work the same way as face-up moves, using combination of LS and RS this year
• Shot Stick isn't gone, it will be on the Control/Right Stick, most probably triggered by LT
• Passing had its own gameplay engineer on it this year. Passing was slow on purpose in past years, so that the animations worked right, because that was their focus, a nice transition between pass and catch. They've decoupled them this year, worked on them separately, they still transition nicely but passes will be much faster and effective.
• BOUNCE PASSING ON DEMAND! FUCK YEAH! LT + A! 2K actually listened!
• Real-Time Physics on player collisions, no more canned 2-player animations; it will all be based on both players movement, which will allow for much more variety on what happens on collisions while dribbling or driving to the hoop
• Old control scheme "most probably not in 2K13 as an alternative"
• More loose balls, better targeting on passes
• Hop-step move is back, replaces Fake Pass on B/Circle (Fake Pass could still be in)
• Signature Skills introduced, like special passive skills one has in RPGs, increasing the probability of a successful move. Examples given are "Brick Wall" for Perkins, "Floor General" for Rose.
• Up to 5 Signature Skills per-player, all have their own icon.

My Notes


"mapped all dribble moves onto the right stick in NBA 2K13, and Jones insists the new setup is the way of the future" (or the past i.e. Live?)

"When asked if the old system would still be available, Jones said that Visual Concepts discussed it, but he doesn't think that will be the case in the final game."

"new real-time physics system for collisions" "aren't canned animations for contact"

"plus a new control option for user-initiated bounce passes (holding the left trigger and pressing the pass button)"

"The Control Stick isn't the only streamlining the team has done; this year, calling for a pick is as simple as holding down the left bumper. And the hop step move, which the developers removed for NBA 2K12 — much to the chagrin of many fans — is back, on the B/circle button."

"NBA 2K13 incorporates 2K Sports' Signature Skills tags"

"Signature Skills affect probability rather than ratings"

"Brick Wall" gives players like Kendrick Perkins a better chance of knocking down a player with a pick. Derrick Rose is a "Floor General," a Skill that increases his team's offensive awareness. Each player can have up to five Signature Skills, and they all have recognizable icons to let gamers know which ones a player possesses.

All sounds very promising to me. Again, I'm thinking I'll be able to adapt to the new controls fairly quickly as they certainly do seem reminiscent of Freestyle.

I wouldn't mind if they kept the fake pass ability in there, perhaps by using a modifier and the pass button. It probably is overkill to give it a whole button all to itself, but it has its uses.

Glad to see they are improving the passing.However I am waiting for a video to see how much is it improved.

I think the demo will give a much better impression of that than any video can.

Love the latest video so far. Bounce-pass feature and especially bringing back the hopstep button.

On paper, all is dandy but I'm still curious in seeing the new physics engine.

2k13 gets better while Live 13 gets cancelled lmfao

They've done it again, got me drooling all over the keyboard with their first developer's insight

Improved passing, bounce pass hell yeah, total control dribbling, having a guy with sick handles like Jennings is gonna be awesome, hopstep is back, can't wait till this gets out..

shutupandtakemymoney.jpg

2k13 gets better while Live 13 gets cancelled lmfao

It hasn't been cancelled.

All sounds very promising to me. Again, I'm thinking I'll be able to adapt to the new controls fairly quickly as they certainly do seem reminiscent of Freestyle.

I wouldn't mind if they kept the fake pass ability in there, perhaps by using a modifier and the pass button. It probably is overkill to give it a whole button all to itself, but it has its uses.

I'd really like to keep a fake pass button as long as passes are so easily to intercept as they are in 2k12.
But I really like the idea of having a dribble stick (back) despite I got used to have a shot stick for years... See some nice dribble moves on the open perimeter happen.

It's probably more useful in user vs user games, but it's definitely handy to have.

It hasn't been cancelled.

I know. I was just being sarcastic. Since a rumor did get out