My thoughts on 2K so far: My experience (99, level 40, two career finishes, 6'3 PG, playing on Next Gen). I've played four or five previous versions of NBA 2K23; in terms of gameplay, NBA 2K23 is definitely the better ending. Also some of the issues I encountered and heard were obviously animation resets and high VC prices.

Starting with the builder, I like how it makes you think about your build if you want a 99 stat; I'll definitely make you pay, but the advantage is overpowered, which is fairer in my opinion because You have to sacrifice more to have it. I believe 2K should have a mode before the game is actually released that will allow you to rig animations and have better features rather than a quick build without a real signal and just a pro game, I see people spending hundreds of builds just to Regret it was because they were only able to unlock the animation once.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by new players who are just getting into the game, the game itself is not bad, but for people who don't have time, facing someone who already has it, will definitely feel the pressure to have to give in and grind VC. nba2king can help you easily solve this series of problems.

As far as the community is concerned, I believe the whole 2K has a community like no other. When people don't yell at each other for every little thing; when there is a common goal. Communities can easily advance and have their voices heard. I've heard talk about ditching VCs, but it's certainly a good thing in theory, but unlikely.

Some of the new things I like are hidden player builds and eras. I've seen people complain that MyCareer has to get things done, which is understandable, I personally love it, it's the only career I've enjoyed since I was 17; with small rewards. But I feel like for those who just want to jump straight into the game, there should be an option when you first let the player skip the story and go straight to the game, but there should be pros and cons (play the story and get x, skip but finish faster).

I'm sure there was something behind the scenes that forced 2K to make something in a hurry, but didn't polish it. But my ideal 2K would have better options to grind badges, maybe Eras in Mycareer? .. imagine making MyPlayer back in the Jordan era and having some quests to help you get to max faster. Maybe switch the game version from yearly to every 2 or 3 to have more time to make the game and add more content. Maybe a grind like having a rep system like 2K17 and seasons together.

From a 2K perspective, they obviously have to do a lot to get the actual names of people and products etc. But as a video game, there has always been a struggle between realism and arcade. The community best always fights for itself based on what they want, I remember 2K17 being treated like shit, but now it's seen as 10/10.

Overall I really enjoyed this game, I'm sure I missed a lot, but to reiterate, I love that the builder makes people think, but is definitely overwhelming for casual players. From a content creator's perspective, I can also see things like false glitches and other things happening because there isn't much content to make because it's pretty much the same every year. I believe people shouldn't copy people's builds because it will break the original builds because everyone wants to be a demigod. The VC prices are insane and it feels like consumers are being punished for being forced to make a decent game.

As a final note, I've heard something from people who play on PC who think their games are so different from the negative way of consoles when they usually have better parts, it's crazy.