Monday Tip-Off: On to the Next One
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how online play encourages a mindset of “on to the next one”.
During our discussion of the presentation developer blog for NBA 2K26 in Episode #592 of the NLSC Podcast, we once again broached the idea of 2K bringing back the Pressbook in a future game. While it isn’t absolutely essential for offline gamers who can easily pause to use instant replay and Photo Moments, it’d still be handy to have. It would be even more useful in online play, since it would provide cinematic replays and stills that would otherwise be impossible to capture. While we both like the idea, Dee made a very important point about the mentality of many online gamers.
He pointed out that when it comes to online play, a lot of people take the approach of – to quote a Jay-Z song from the NBA 2K13 soundtrack – on to the next one. In other words, there’s no waiting around to reflect on your last game and to view screenshots and highlights from it, as is often the case in offline gameplay. As someone who did play online for several years, Dee is absolutely right here! Even though I’m still in favour of it returning, there’s no question that the Pressbook might not be very popular with online gamers, despite how fun and useful it could be for content creation. When it’s all about moving on to the next one though, the sentimentality just isn’t there.
Of course, there’s also a practical reason to be immediately looking ahead to the next game when you’re playing online. Although it’s certainly possible to jump online and just play the one game, I’d suggest that most people are looking to partake in at least a few games when they settle in for a session. This is particularly true of quicker games such as Park matches. Not only can a night on the sticks easily involve more than ten games, but winning results in your squad holding court until you’re defeated. When you’re trying to pack in as much gameplay as possible, or heading into the next match almost immediately, there’s no time to bask in the victory with screenshots or replays.
Sure, an updated take on the Pressbook could save some top replays and a handful of screenshots that online gamers can view when they’re done with a session, and I’d be all for that idea. To Dee’s point though, what percentage of online gamers would care enough to take the time to do that? Content creators would certainly be more likely to use it, and there definitely would be some online gamers who’d check it out at least every now and again, but I can’t deny that it would be frequently ignored. In fact, I can’t argue that it’d probably be underutilised by offline gamers as well! As Dee also pointed out on the show, Photo Moments is an amazing feature that gets overlooked.
Even if a post-game Pressbook following games in the connected modes would be relatively easy to implement, the general disinterest from online gamers – along with lukewarm enthusiasm from offline gamers – would make it a tough sell. Additionally, there are more important aspects of the game to focus on. As much as I like the idea of the Pressbook and would welcome its return, there are more pressing matters that I’d like to see addressed first, from gameplay and modes to rosters and content. Again, I’ll still advocate for the concept, but between offline gamers having other solutions and online gamers not clamouring for it, it’s difficult to make a compelling case here.
However, the “on to the next one” mentality isn’t just about whether or not NBA 2K should bring back the Pressbook. As I said, there’s a reason why gamers have that approach to online play, and as someone who played MyCAREER’s connected modes for a number of years, I had a similar view. Granted, I was capturing screenshots and highlights for both posterity and content creation purposes, but when one game ended, I was absolutely keen to get on to the next one. That’s not to say that it wasn’t fun to chat with the guys on NLSC THRILLHO as we shot around in the team arena, but the longer the wait between games, the clearer it was that there was a lack of opponents.
That wasn’t what we wanted to see! For a year, we spent many a Friday night talking hoops and cracking jokes as we played Pro-Am. It was a great way to catch up and unwind at the end of the week, which meant settling in for at least three or four games on a good night. This naturally required a steady stream of opponents with minimal waiting, particularly when a couple of us were in different time zones. We wanted to maintain momentum from a win, and go on a streak. We also wanted to quickly put any losses behind us, and turn things around with a satisfying victory. And so, we hit Ready Up in 2K Pro-Am or stepped up to Got Next in the Park as soon as possible.
With that being said, there is a drawback to that mindset. After an enjoyable game in a franchise or career mode – or even just an exhibition game – it is nice to be able to sit with it for a while. It’s gratifying to watch the top highlights, or check the news, box scores, leaders, and other stats and standings from around the league. I understand that not everyone is about those modes these days, but for those of us who are, it’s all part of the immersion. To that point though, I believe these elements aren’t appreciated as much nowadays, owing to the increased focus on the online scene. As such, the “on to the next one” mentality represents a change in attitudes and demographics over time.
Indeed, because features such as the Pressbook or activities such as checking stats and standings aren’t integral to the competitive scene, they fall victim to elitist rhetoric. It goes back to an issue that I’ve discussed before. Somehow, the hardcore sim heads that have been playing basketball games for decades and champion authenticity and detail are now being called the casuals! Realism has become a dirty word; something only cared about by gamers who are (allegedly) too unskilled and too scared to play online. One could point out that many gamers making those allegations oppose proper matchmaking because they want easy competition, but that’s an issue for another day.
Look, it might seem like a reach, but I think the mindset of “on to the next one” also undermines competitive spirit. The lack of sportsmanship and a willingness to try to overcome adversity are major factors too, but when gamers have been conditioned to constantly move on without a care, it makes it easier to quit games that had a rough start. So many times in The Rec, I’d see people quit in the first minute when the other team has a 4-0 lead. To be fair, I can understand that mentality if you find yourself on a squad of randoms that clearly has no idea what they’re doing and is messing around. I speak from experience when I say that isn’t much fun at all for a competitive player!
Mind you, part of being a competitive player is not giving up just because of a slightly shaky start with plenty of time left on the clock. There’ll always be some miscues and a short period of feeling each other out when you play with randoms, so a couple of early mistakes from people who are clearly trying shouldn’t be reason to quit a game. Once again though, if you’ve been conditioned to swiftly move “on to the next one” and not get invested in the results or the experience of competition, it makes it easier to balk at the slightest challenge. If I may be blunt, someone who only wants to play games that they can definitely, easily win is in no way, shape, or form a competitor.
Moreover, I’d suggest that this mentality has also made it easier for people to buy into the concept of disposable games. When it’s always about moving on, there’s no room or respect for nostalgia and reflecting on the good times. There’s no going back to old favourites, or wishing they still had online support. “On to the next one” encourages moving on to the latest and (purportedly) undeniably greatest release, because new is (supposedly) always better. In turn, this rationale – combined with making what you like far too much of your personality – contributes to shouting down valid criticisms and comparisons to older games. “We’ve moved on, and everyone else should, too.”
You might say that I’m reading too much into this. Perhaps it’s not that deep, as folks like to say these days. Not everyone cares about the same things when it comes to basketball video games, and fortunately modern releases can cater to a variety of tastes. I can also understand noping out of a game where your random teammates aren’t willing to pull their weight or play properly. Still, I think there’s a myopic and even toxic aspect to the “on to the next one” mindset, at least whenever we employ it beyond a practical approach to taking part in a lengthy online session. Taken to the extreme, it conditions us not to care, as well as be comfortable with disposable games.
It’s a shame to see such indifference and lack of competitive fire, not to mention little support for awesome features that contribute depth and authenticity. I won’t lie: it’s a bummer to think that philosophy and age have pushed me out of the key demographic for a genre of video games that I’ve loved for decades. As I’ve previously remarked, it’s like being a long-standing member of a club and being forced to endure sweeping changes to rules and policy – or be unceremoniously kicked out entirely – in order to appease newcomers. It’s rich to be told that you don’t understand or know the history of an interest or hobby by people who weren’t even born when you first got into it!
Seeing as how I’m dangerously close to shaking my fist at clouds, I’ll simply reiterate that I’m all for seeing the return of the Pressbook, and any features that enhance the immersion and authenticity in NBA 2K. They may not all be in high demand, and that makes them a tough sell in Wishlists, but we can ask all the same. As for online play, while there’s merit in not dwelling for too long and preparing for the next showdown, it shouldn’t douse your competitive fire or turn you into a poor sport. Above all, no matter the mode you play, you should enjoy the moment and create fond memories. After all, moving on to the next one without any joy feels awfully empty after a while.
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