I’m not sure that I’ve ever released a roster for NBA Live PC that didn’t have at least one small oversight. With over 400 active players along with historical content, it’s very easy to overlook a detail here and there, no matter how meticulous you are. There’s no chance of pleasing everyone when it comes to player ratings, especially given the overinflated importance that Overall Ratings are often ascribed. No matter whether you’re a developer working on the official rosters or a gamer who’s making unofficial updates for the community, it can often be a thankless job. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the state of official rosters in basketball games, particularly NBA 2K. We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Start your week here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games. With so many questionably inflated Overall Ratings in NBA 2K9, it’s worth taking a look back…way back… Now that I’ve gone through the rosters, I would agree that there are some weirdly overrated players, considering their performance during the 2009 season, and the way that Overall Ratings above 90 are usually treated (or at least were, several years ago). Once it was brought up, however, I figured I had to check it out and perhaps discuss it further in Wayback Wednesday. NBA 2K9 isn’t a game that I’ve spent too much time with over the years, and when I have fired it up, I haven’t paid too much attention to the Overall Ratings. Derek brought up the Overall Ratings in NBA 2K9, which is an example I wasn’t too familiar with. There are plenty of examples, from odd ratings in NBA Jam Tournament Edition, to the new ratings scale in NBA Live 2004 producing some weird results.
In the mailbag segment of Episode #354 of the NLSC Podcast, Dee4Three and I talked about bad ratings in basketball video games throughout the years. This week, I’m taking a look back at some of the unusual Overall Ratings in NBA 2K9. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia.