With legislators and the FTC keeping close watching on video game monetization practices one might think publishers would dampen their brashness around promoting loot boxes and other gambling-like mechanics. Take Two, the parent company of 2K Sports, however has gone the other way. They have brought the conservation back to the forefront by releasing an incredibly audacious trailer for MyTeam mode in NBA 2K20.

Major websites and Youtubers have naturally jumped all over this and made it a top story and representative of everything wrong with the industry right now, and should it eventually be used as additional evidence against the claims of Take Two and other publishers they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. Read more

Only a few hours had passed after the arrival of the demo for NBA 2K20 before developers began announcing changes that were being made for release of the game. Though not a beta the limited offerings in the 2K20 demo do provide for an opportunity for 2K to collect feedback on gameplay and that is being done primarily through social media and boards like Reddit.

What appears on the surface to be a rush to make changes has led to many to question what appears to be the complete reversal of some design decisions along with other adjustments being made based on initial reactions from vocal fans who may or may not represent the majority. There were certainly reasons for things to be implemented and balanced the way they were heading into the demo so at the very least the decision to revert or modify so suddenly makes it seem like the devs aren’t sure themselves of what they really want.

That doesn’t mean though that the changes being made ultimately aren’t for the good of the game. Reaction however has been decidedly mixed and trending toward negative in the discussion that has followed.

The demo for NBA 2K20 has gone live on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. In recent years 2K Sports has referred to the early start with the upcoming 2K title as the “Prologue” but it appears that moniker has been dropped as the story mode no longer plays a role.

Unlike previous years you won’t be able to begin the narrative-driven MyCareer mode and have all the progress made (in an abbreviated beginning segment) carry over to the full game if purchased. This year’s story stars Idris Elba and Rosario Dawson along with a number of NBA player cameos and is being held back for the game’s release.

Instead the demo features the new character builder and ability to test out multiple builds in a full game by joining the Raptors against the Warriors. Also included is the 2KU shootaround controlling Klay Thompson.