NBA 2K17 is a 2016 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the 18th installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K16. It was released worldwide on September 20, 2016, for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Players who pre-ordered the game received it on September 16, 2016.Carpenter, Nicole (June 2, 2016). "NBA 2K17 Cover Star, Release Date Announced". IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers is the cover athlete for the regular edition of the game,SI Wire (June 1, 2016). "Pacers' Paul George revealed as cover athlete for NBA 2K16". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 2, 2016.Conway, Tyler (June 1, 2016). "Paul George Named NBA 2K17 Standard-Cover Athlete". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 2, 2016. while Kobe Bryant is the cover athlete for the 'Legend Edition'.Makuch, Eddie (April 13, 2016). "NBA 2K17 Getting Special Kobe Bryant "Legend Edition"". GameSpot. Retrieved April 14, 2016. In Italy, the cover athlete is Danilo Gallinari,Mojica, Nicholas (July 25, 2016). "Danilo Gallinari Featured On 'NBA 2K17' Italian Cover" . Design&Trend. Retrieved July 28, 2016. and in Spain, the cover athlete is Pau Gasol.Otero, Jose (August 19, 2016). "NBA 2K17 And The Quest To Make A More Authentic Basketball Game". IGN. Retrieved August 20, 2016. A version of the game for iOS and Android was released on September 23, 2016. NBA 2K17 was succeeded by NBA 2K18.Tylwalk, Nick (September 23, 2016). "NBA 2K17 Review: Great Game, Weak Handle". Gamezebo. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
NBA 2K17 simulates the experience of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Several game modes are included, such as MyCareer, where the player creates a customizable player and plays through their career, MyGM and MyLeague, both franchise modes where the player controls an entire organization, and MyTeam, where the player creates a team to compete against other players' teams. Along with current NBA teams, other teams are included, such as classic NBA teams, national teams, and EuroLeague teams. The game's soundtrack, which features 50 licensed songs, was curated by Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons, and Noah Shebib.
NBA 2K17 was released to universal acclaim. Most critics praised the presentation, the soundtrack, as well as the gameplay and amount of content. By February 2017, the game had shipped approximately 7 million copies. NBA 2K17 is highly regarded as one of the greatest video games within the NBA 2K franchise.
Gameplay NBA 2K17 is a basketball simulation game which, like the previous games in the series, strives to realistically depict the experience of the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as present improvements over the previous installments.Sarkar, Samit (August 22, 2016). "NBA 2K17 wants to give you the tools to stop Steph Curry". Polygon. Retrieved August 23, 2016.Lowe, Mike (August 31, 2016). "NBA 2K17 Features Improvements Across The Board, Here's 75 of Them" . Operation Sports. Retrieved September 1, 2016. The player mainly plays NBA basketball games with real-life or customized players and teams. As such, games follow the rules and objectives of NBA basketball games. Several game modes are available for the player and many settings can be customized. The game contains many presentation qualities that are modelled on real-life presentation, such as crowd animations, commentary, pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows, camera angles, lighting, and player animations. There are eleven different commentators and announcers, including Kevin Harlan, Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, David Aldridge, Brent Barry, Steve Smith and Doris Burke. Different arenas have different commentary teams.Kato, Matthew (September 8, 2016). "NBA 2K17 — Expanding The Commentary Team". Game Informer. Retrieved September 9, 2016. The menus have also been modified.
Along with playing games with current NBA teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, other teams are featured, such as the 2016 United States men's Olympic basketball team, the 2016 Australia men's Olympic basketball team, and the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team."NBA 2K17 Features Australian Boomers For The First Time". IGN (July 21, 2016). Retrieved July 28, 2016.S. Good, Owen (July 27, 2016). "2016 USA Olympic men's basketball team stars in NBA 2K17". Polygon. Retrieved July 28, 2016.Devine, Dan (July 28, 2016). "2016 Team USA, 1992 'Dream Team' will be featured in NBA 2K17". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 28, 2016. Historic NBA teams, such as the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls, the 2000–01 Los Angeles Lakers, and the 1985–86 Boston Celtics, are also present, as are 21 EuroLeague teams, such as CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Real Madrid.Mazique, Brian (August 17, 2016). "'NBA 2K17' News: All Euroleague Clubs Confirmed". Forbes. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
One of the touted improvements is concerning the game's returning MyGM and MyLeague game modes. Both modes have the player acting as the ruling force of all basketball operations for a specific team and allow the player to customize many aspects of the team. MyGM is more focused on maintaining a realistic, functioning team and impressing the owner, whereas MyLeague offers far more customization options. In both modes, the player simulates through seasons, changing personnel, playing in games themselves, and participating in off-season activities, such as the draft. The introduced features focus on league expansion. As well as happening dynamically, the player can start either mode with up to 36 teams and may modify many aspects of every team. The player will go through the process of creating an expansion team in a model very similar to real-life occurrences of expansion teams. As well as creating the logos and jerseys of the teams, an expansion draft is held and other teams must protect a select number of players. The league will automatically adjust the schedule, draft, draft lottery, etc. if expansion teams are created. The player can also download other players' creations.S. Good, Owen (July 19, 2016). "NBA 2K17 will let you expand the league to 36 teams". Polygon. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
NBA 2K17 again, for the fifth time in the series, features MyTeam mode, a mode based around the idea of building the ultimate basketball team, and maintaining a virtual trading card collection. Players build their own custom team, selecting the players, jerseys, logos, coach, court, and other basketball related things, and play with their team in basketball tournament-style competitions against other players' teams. Players collect cards that unlock players, playbooks, and other items that can be used in their team or sold. Players purchase card packs, which give the player random items, with Virtual Currency (VC). Cards are classified by their overall rating including four new gem levels: Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, and Pink Diamond. In addition, a fifth gem level is added called Onyx, which is exclusively for Free agent cards regardless of their overall rating.
MyCareer mode returns. Like previous iterations of the mode in the series, the player creates a basketball player and plays through their career. The player customizes their player's appearance and upgrades their attributes as they play through a college career and enter the NBA. The player plays basketball games and participates in off-court activities."NBA 2K17 Is Doing Something the Franchise Has Never Done Before". GameSpot. Retrieved August 27, 2016. A storyline, written and directed by Creed scriptwriter Aaron Covington, is also present; it features appearances by actors Michael B. Jordan and Hannibal Buress, among others.(September 2, 2016). "Creed's Michael B. Jordan To Star In NBA 2K17 MyCareer Mode". IGN. Retrieved September 3, 2016.Makuch, Eddie (September 2, 2016). "Creed Actor Michael B. Jordan Will Star in NBA 2K17's Career Mode". GameSpot. Retrieved September 3, 2016.Spyrison, Sam (September 7, 2016). "New Trailer for NBA 2K17's MyCAREER Mode Features Celebrity Cast". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
Development and release NBA 2K17 was officially announced on April 13, 2016; the first trailer was revealed."NBA 2K17 Official Kobe Players Vs. Haters Trailer" (April 13, 2016). IGN. Retrieved April 20, 2016. It was released worldwide on September 20, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Players who pre-ordered the game received it on September 16, 2016.Makuch, Eddie (June 2, 2016). "How to Play NBA 2K17 Four Days Early". GameSpot. Retrieved June 3, 2016. An iOS and Android version of the game was released on September 23, 2016. It is the 18th installment in the NBA 2K series and the successor to NBA 2K16. Aside from the regular edition, a 'Legend Edition' of the game will be available for players to purchase; it features Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete and contains several physical and digital bonuses, such as a poster and Virtual Currency. (Additionally, a 'Gold' version of the 'Legend Edition' is also available, featuring further bonuses.) The 2015–16 NBA season was Bryant's final season in the NBA so a special edition featuring Bryant was developed as a way of paying tribute to what many consider to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time."Roundtable: Is Kobe Bryant one of the NBA's top 10 players of all time?" (April 14, 2016). Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 19, 2016.Devine, Dan (March 14, 2014). "Kevin Durant: Kobe Bryant is 'the greatest of all time,' Kobe and Michael Jordan '1 and 1A'". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2016. As such, NBA 2K17 and its 'Legend Edition' were announced on the day Bryant played his final NBA game in April 2016.Good, Owen S. (April 13, 2016). "NBA 2K17 honors Kobe Bryant with 'Legend Edition' this fall". Polygon. Retrieved April 14, 2016. Bryant was also the cover athlete of NBA 2K10.IGN staff (June 5, 2009). "Kobe Bryant Named NBA 2K10 Cover Athlete". IGN. Retrieved April 14, 2016. The standard edition cover art for the game, featuring Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, was unveiled in June 2016. George was chosen to be cover athlete because he is an avid player of NBA 2K games. Visual Concepts also wanted a player who grew up idolizing Bryant. In Italy, the cover athlete is Danilo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets, and in Spain, the cover athlete is Pau Gasol of the San Antonio Spurs.