Seat at the table

Whats good family ?

I know some of you are eagerly awaiting my preview of NBA 2K12. But there is a reason for my silence. 2K gave the Sim Nation a powerful gift this year. After retiring from Operation Sports I was allowed an inside view into the development of NBA 2K12. While I am not the first to have the opportunity it has certainly never been done to this degree. That is a credit not to me of course, but to the good folks over at 2kSports.

While I have had unique looks at both EA and 2K in the past. This... was entirely different. I was allowed to not only watch their process, but interject, suggest, and haggle (rarely successful) for changes that benefit our community.

Before I left for 2K I combed though OS and 2K's forums and read , started or inquired into already established threads about what the Nation was interested in. It was fun as well as challenging to solicit feedback from those who had no idea they might end up contributing directly to the making of NBA 2K12.

Some leaped at the chance unknowingly, to their own benefit. While others, amazingly, passed on the opportunity like Rondo does open jumpers at crunch time.

While I can’t and won’t say what all has been added or adjusted to the game as a direct result of your input and analysis. I will say this. Practically everything I had on my list was either already worked on, fixed on the spot, or improved upon as much as was possible at that stage in the development cycle.

It was an amazing experience to witness the translation of community feedback into tangible improvements in the game. To say 2k does not care or listen to its fans is not only a fallacy. It's almost offensive.

2k was more than generous with their time and human resources and never made me feel like I should just shut up and go stand in the corner. Although Mr Lee, an incredible lead engineer might prefer that.

The standing internal motto at 2k was simply this. Does it make the game better ? If it did and the resources were available they went at it with reckless abandon.

Far from a one way exchange I received an edumacation (Jethro) on the trials and challenges that face a team as they translate thought into action, action into math, and math into code.

When I check back in with you. I will talk a bit about the process and maybe even diagram a play or two for you.

We all know that we are a passionate but admittedly niche community. What does it say then about 2k that in a year with no competition, they would pull out all the stops and give our community, THE Sim Nation a seat at the table ?