http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/899/899384p1.html
For starters, there's now five-on-five online play. That means that every player on the court is now controlled by another human. I know what you're thinking, "How much fun can it be when you don't have the ball?" Well, 2K Sports put the time in to try and make sure that there is plenty to do. Players can use deny defense, but run the risk of having the player they're guarding push by them in a quick cut in the opposite direction. The push and the deny defense are totally user controlled and need to be used wisely.
When the player on offense makes that cut the man on defense can tug on his jersey to slow him down. Do it too long and the refs will spot it and whistle you for a foul. How well you play your position and synergize with the rest of your team determines your Team 2K rating. The game uses the values to let people know what kind of player you are online. Play like a jackass and you'll have to invest some time to earn back respect.
2K Share is a new element to 2K9 that allows players to upload and download the created players that they or others have made. Using a mechanic called Player DNA (no relation to NBA Live's DNA system), users can actually rate the player models that appear online. If you're looking for the most authentic Dr. J around, just look for the highest rated rendition.
The shot stick has also been reconfigured a bit and now offers a wider range of shots for different situations. Things like step thru shots and layups that require a series of adjustments to avoid a block are extremely fluid and natural without looking canned or planned in advance. The same IsoMotion controls govern the dribbling, so not a whole lot has changed there.
While this was our first real look at NBA 2K9, the game is already 90 percent complete. And it showed. Animations were tight, the crowd looked better than it ever has for the series, and the basketball actually felt like the genuine article. There's apparently a "big online innovation" announcement coming in the next few months, but online 5-on-5 play was big enough to please those in the room.
