IGN: NBA 2K12 Should get Redunkulous

[Andrew]

IGN feature on adding the dunk contest/All-Star Weekend in NBA 2K12: NBA 2K12 Should get Redunkulous

Rather than controlling the player during the dunk contest, instead have gamers plan out the dunk in detail. You set where the player starts, how they receive the ball, the path to the basket, whatever combination of dunks to pull off. Add a teammate? Sure. Place them on the court and select how they interact (there really are only a few ways they can be involved, right?). Provide a large selection of props – let the fans tell 2K in advance what they want in the game – and give them the ability to place and use them as needed. You are the choreographer.

Every dunker has a rating and every dunk design has a difficulty level, which increases as you add in more complexity to the slam. As the difficulty rating rises towards equaling the dunker's rating, the chances for success diminish. The safer the dunk, the more likely the execution will be perfect. But safe doesn't win dunk contests. Can you find the balance between the right level of difficulty and your dunker's prowess?

Now you might wonder how the other competitors' dunks would be created. Some will need be pre-made by 2K Sports. But why not allow other players to create dunks and upload them to be shared and used by all? Now your creativity as a dunk designer is being matched against others. Suddenly the dunk contest is a battle of one-upsmanship just like the real deal.

It might seem crazy to remove direct control of the dunker from players, but it makes sense. The dunk contest is more about the creativity than the execution. Give the planning side to gamers and let NBA 2K12 play out the scenarios for you. After all, isn't the All-Star break about sitting back and enjoying some glorious hoops?

It's an interesting idea but personally, I'd rather leave control in the player's hands. Maybe you could limit the kind of dunks that can be attempted based on a player's ratings but ultimately I think it has to come down to the player. If you're just setting up the dunk by specifying the particulars as far as props, tricks with the ball and take-off points are concerned then watching it unfold, I think you're going to end up feeling cheated by the CPU when you don't win and a CPU opponent gets their dunk down for a high score more often than not. If you're in control, you've only got yourself to blame if the timing is messed up and you can't pull something off.

[Boothy]

This is the worst idea ever. How is this supposed to be fun?

If you want more dunking, play NBA Jam.

IMHO, after such an awesome year, 2K12 should be a minor update with lots of interface/option tweaks like:
- An option to turn off real life injuries [not for online multi though]
- An option to have the CPU use fatigue for subs
- An option to turn off 'Garbage time subs' for the CPU and Auto subs
- Better fast breaks
- The ability to create teams/players and NOT have them deleted when you update the roster.
- More custom sound bites
- More custom animations
- A mode like Live10 had, where you can play a season through 2012, and your stats are merged with real life stats.

[anastasis16]

This is the worst idea ever. How is this supposed to be fun?

If you want more dunking, play NBA Jam.

IMHO, after such an awesome year, 2K12 should be a minor update with lots of interface/option tweaks like:
- An option to turn off real life injuries [not for online multi though]
- An option to have the CPU use fatigue for subs
- An option to turn off 'Garbage time subs' for the CPU and Auto subs
- Better fast breaks
- The ability to create teams/players and NOT have them deleted when you update the roster.
- More custom sound bites
- More custom animations
- A mode like Live10 had, where you can play a season through 2012, and your stats are merged with real life stats.

uummm... aren't we supposed to discuss about All-Star break here? and why are u throwing salt to a great idea?

@ IGN: I should give u props for that love it!!!

[fjccommish]

When the game has bugs such as players remaining in the game or returning after fouling out, I'd rather not have dev time spent on a mode where the gamer watches a dunk contest.

[Patr1ck]

I agree. I actually like the one they have now with the analog sticks and the props to jump over. Just needs a bit better presentation, a few more creative ways to dunk, and keep the control for the user and I think it will be fine.

[Dovydass]

personally, this idea is perfect for ME, I know if 2k would implement such a feature ppl would start roid raging and stuff. that's way more realistic, it takes time to actually prepare for it, find effective combos and such, and you wont win with Earl Boykins as you would. So as I said, I'd be pleased if this actually happens, I'm more of a sim guy so yeah, you understand why I would love this, but I hope they will focus on association and especially My Player (to make it as detailed as Road to the Show is) and fix all the bugs. Gameplay is pretty much perfect right now, theres no need for real life physics engine or whatever that is right now

[shadowgrin]

That article is probably a knee jerk reaction by someone who enjoyed the dunk contest.

that's way more realistic, it takes time to actually prepare for it, find effective combos and such

I play the dunk contest in blacktop mode and I do find myself preparing for it by thinking what sort of dunks I want to pull of for each round or thinking on the fly if the cpu just pulled off a dunk that I intended to do and not do the same thing as not to get a lower score.
Same thing with props, I do it first in dunk practice and then execute it in the actual contest. I also plan during dunk practice what dunks I'm comfortable in doing since I'm not that particularly effective in rotating the RS clockwise.

Like Pdub said...

I actually like the one they have now with the analog sticks and the props to jump over. Just needs a bit better presentation, a few more creative ways to dunk, and keep the control for the user and I think it will be fine.

[Patr1ck]

It would get old quick unless they mocapped thousands of dunk combinations.

Like shadow said, knee jerk reaction from their enjoyment of this years dunk content.

[Andrew]

Pastapadre posted a reaction to the piece on Twitter, mentioning that EA has exclusive rights to the dunk contest/three point shootout in the All-Star Weekend setting. I must admit I wasn't aware of that.

[[Q]]

Pastapadre posted a reaction to the piece on Twitter, mentioning that EA has exclusive rights to the dunk contest/three point shootout in the All-Star Weekend setting. I must admit I wasn't aware of that.

would be nice if they kept it in the game... they might as well add the shooting stars & skills comp if they're going to put it back in eventually

[Andrew]

Indeed, they took it out because they felt it had flaws which is true but it still worked well enough and fleshed out the game with some extra modes.

[deihatein]

So only the dunk contest is returning? More of a fan of the 3-point shootout back in Live since I suck at the dunk contest.

[Patr1ck]

Yes only the dunk contest. No more 5 on 5 or association mode. There just going to have a big dunk contest while they improve on their technology.

[Andrew]

So only the dunk contest is returning? More of a fan of the 3-point shootout back in Live since I suck at the dunk contest.

Nothing is being confirmed as returning or debuting at this point. It's just a feature article about something the author would like to see in NBA 2K12, based on their enjoyment of this year's dunk contest.

[DVocShoeBox]

Yes only the dunk contest. No more 5 on 5 or association mode. There just going to have a big dunk contest while they improve on their technology.

I wonder how many people is going to say "I'm going to buy NBA Live Dunk Contest 12 because I just can't get into 2k"......lol

[SkyLine03LT]

I like the idea of creating dunks of your own, but not so much the controlling idea. If they'll be willing to do that, they should leave basic control over dunkers to player, like having to run the desired way, pressing a button to take-off and pressing one again to throw it down, with limited timing window depending on dunk difficulty and dunker's ability. In my mind, I think that would suit lots of players' needs, as the dunk contest can be quite hard, some dunks are very difficult to pull off because of having to press a combination of numbers of buttons and what not. In a real dunk contest, you already know what you wanna do, and it's just a matter of getting things like elevation, jump start, hang time etc. right, which is what the user should be in control.

I also think they should remove or at least make it blake-griffin hard to do dunks of near impossible caliber, I am sick of seeing that literally anyone with a dunk rating high enough to be in the dunk contest to be able to do a 360, behind the back with between the legs also putting their elbow in the rim, which is crazy stuff that only J-Rich would try back in his days. Those space-jam dunks also look very awkward. They shouldn't forget to change the rules, to match it to the all star weekend.

While the idea of dunk contest in association seems fun, I would much rather play 3 point shootout, but if they decide to bring in the dunking they probably will bring the 3 pointers as well, and if they brought skills challenge with that... oh my...

[Patr1ck]

So I tried the slam dunk showdown in 2K11 for the first time. It's so much worse than the 2K10 version. I was having a hard time even getting off the ground because I couldn't find the timing to start the dunk after my initial right stick move. Not to mention the long animation that happens when you fail to take off, losing control of your player for two seconds.

You have a good point, skyline. Although, every dunk contest mode in any game has basically been an arcade mode style, with every player being able to perform any dunk.

Always loved falling over the car for the lulz.

[karlsanada10]

^I tried it last year, and I was like "How the heck should I fly here?"

So I like the idea. I suck at free controlling the player. So watching it is a bit okay for me.

[Andrew]

A logical compromise would be to allow both. Let the user control the whole dunk if they want to be responsible for the timing and the success of the dunk, or let them set it up and watch the CPU attempt it for them, each option carrying their own risk and reward.