The NBA 2K series of Visual Concepts and Publisher 2K is remarkable in their way. If you look at the action on the court alone – with the great graphics, the buttery animations and the TV-mature staging – then there was probably never another video game that could capture the fascination of a sport so realistic and concise. And we can do this compliment almost every series offshoot from the last decade.
At the same time, each NBA 2K part of recent years caught lousy user ratings on platforms such as metacritic or steam, and in many cases, the negative reviews are based on microstransaktions to build the 2K for several years some of the most important game modes. It was particularly questionable in our view of the 20s year, which has gambling with Lootboxes and mini-game machines in the casino style. But even with the other series parts were all too often: who is getting money into the Ingame currency VC, is pleased about handproof benefits. If you do not want to invest money away from the purchase price, you have to torment yourself by a tough grind.
The Krux: The criticism is not noticeable in the sales figures and revenue. 2K earns a golden nose with the NBA simulation every year and can generate record sales here and there. 2020 alone, the Publisher with NBA 2K21 is expected to take about 889 million US dollars and NBA 2K20 around $ 771 million . Among the premium games with purchase price were only GTA V (991 million), FIFA 20 (1.083 billion) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (1,913 billion) more successful in the year
NBA 2K22: VC you can earn or buy – you have the choice. Source: PC Games
USK classifies NBA 2K22 for the first time with from 12 years
Let s hold: So far, 2K simply had no reason to shut down the degree of microtransactions. The new guidelines of the entertainment software self-control (USK) will probably also change the NBA 2K22 (now € 51.39) for the first time in this millennium with a released from 12 years .
As a reason, the USK shared with: In the mentioned game, the body, which is responsible for the decision on old-age release, did not exclude habituation of gambling due to the design for children under 12 years. Only from an age of For 12 years, the necessary maturity was given to perceive the gambling elements built in NBA 2K22 as a fictitious game component.
NBA 2K22: Baller, which keep something on, stuck VC not only in values, but also in cool clothes. Source: PC Games NBA 2K22 rises from the Lootbox-Esken playing cards from FIFA 22, because in the recent basketball simulation of 2K again gives a number of mini-games, which have mechanics and characteristics of classic gambling, which in younger children become a habituation or / and can lead to a gambling gambling.
Microtransactions in the my career mode
NBA 2K22 now also has a quest system over which you can earn the Ingame currency VC among other things. Source: PC Games Despite the higher age rating this year, we must hold on to our playback round: Visual Concepts no longer does with NBA 2K22 (but no less) to earn money away from the purchase price with the new NBA 2K part as in recent years too. In plain text, this means that in the game modes myteam and my career the Ingame currency VC plays an important role again, and exactly this currency can you earn or buy for real money.
In my career , for example, everything revolves around the eponymous career of your self-created avatars, which you can develop from the rookie to the NBA legend. And how does you increase the attributes of your baller? Of course, by investing your VC, not too tight. VC is in 2K22 not only through completed lots, through daily mini-game rewards or your sponsors. In the new part, a quest system awaits you, as in a role-playing game, and plenty of potential quests and quests that distribute across the whole city (Playstation 5, Xbox Series) or a large cruise ship (PS4, Xbox One, PC).
NBA 2K22: In the Open World of my career there are even halls where you can play with other teams around large VC sums (and thus also money). Source: PC Games
Despite this additional source of revenue, the first career months feel like hard work, if you only play VC. Your values are mow and that, of course, also applies to your hit chance or the assist numbers. With proper money-mission, however, you can tinker to a rookie on franchise player format and destroy your opponent. If the my career mode would be a pure offline story: no problem!
However, the plot around your emerging STAR is closely linked to all online content of the Open-World, and these also include a lot of multiplayer challenges and quests. A player who does not buys VC has little chance against counterparties with thick purse – especially in the first few weeks. Especially on the PC, there are also a lot of cheater and bot users in the multiplayer matches to do it. The problem already know NBA2K veterans from the last few years.
NBA 2K22: Anyone who wants to increase the values of the freshly created avatars in the my career mode on allstar level needs a lot of VC. Source: PC Games
Microtransaktions in MyTeam mode
NBA 2K22: Yeah! We were able to commit Lebron James as a free agent. Now we just have to ran enough contract extensions. Source: PC Games Even much more significant are the microstransaktions in the myTeam mode in the foreground. Similar to Fifa s Ultimate Team Mode, this is about creating a team with players cards, with which you can rock in myteam integrated game modes and dominate other players.
The own card collection is expanded, similar to the TCG classic Magic: The Gathering, with card packs, where you never know exactly what you get for the VC (or MT) currency or the money. Say: You have to do here with true Lootboxes whose contents are determined by the factor random. And similar to gambling, the brain also suggests these card packs when achieving the main profit (read: the particularly rare card of a superstar struggles).
NBA 2K22: Every time a tingling moment: a card packet is opened. Source: PC Games Already very early in the myteam structure Fix one game, with well-known free agents like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Lebron James, which then only have a contract for a few games. If you want to commit these players longer, you need contract renewals that you can buy or find in card packs. The player cards are also available in different quality levels, some cards can be developed, and otherwise you can unlock all sorts of stuff, such as coaches, logos or historical arenas.
And how are the prices? Well, 5,000 VC is already available for 1.99 euros. 15,000 VC is obtained for 4.99 euros, 35,000 VC for 9.99 euros and 75,000 VC for 19.99 euros. The largest packages (200,000 and 450,000 VC) finally beat 49.99 euros or 99.99 euros to beech. So that the confusion is as high as possible, there are very different card packs in myteam mode: Deluxe packs with 5 cards for 5.625 VC (about 2.24 euros), special premiere packs for 22,500 VC (about 7.50 euros) As well as primetime or colossal packs, which are significantly more expensive than the deluxe pack (7,500 VC or 11,250 VC for one pack), but also a random primetime or colossal player guarantee. Newcomers are likely to have no plan in such an offer, how exactly the equivalent value for the money looks.
NBA 2K22: In myteam mode you can invest your money in very different card packs. Source: PC Games
Which content comes without micro transactions?
Before we come to a final conclusion, we still want to point out that there are a number of game modes in NBA 2K22 – as in the previous years, which can do without the virtual currency VC. In my NBA you have always been able to determine the fate of a whole franchise and your favorite team to the champion – current squad included. Alternatively, you crashes you in Streetball Matches, challenges other players online or tie up current NBA lots. In addition, the once-noticeable WNBA area that turns to the best women s basketball league in the world.
With the franchise modes for NBA and WNBA, you can spend hundreds of hours without thinking of the purchase of VC only once. But even here we see a problem: In most cases, these modes have been in almost unchanged form for many years. And if you look at the areas of the developer year after year the most energy in the year, then you end up with the VC formats myteam and my career .
NBA 2K22: In the Open World of my career there are even halls where you can play with other teams around large VC sums (and thus also money). Source: PC Games
Butter with the fish: has 2K learned from the last shitstorm?
The answer is a very clear no. In the two most important modes of NBA 2K22 – myteam and my career – the Ingame currency VC continues to be omnipresent. Why should 2k learn from criticism when the ruble is still rolling and winning record sales with the strategy of recent years?
From our point of view, it does not help that the casino rail is no longer so offensive as it is still in NBA 2K20 or that the quests have now introduced another VC source. Or that there are individual game modes in which one remains spared the VC. Anyone who has already criticized the microstransaktions of the NBA-2K series in recent years, is not happy with the latest offshoot. All parents we can only advise to take the USK-12 classification seriously and look exactly what game modes of the offspring.
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