Software:ESPN NBA Basketball (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 2003 video game
ESPN NBA Basketball
Xbox cover art featuring Allen Iverson
Developer(s)Visual Concepts
Publisher(s)Sega
SeriesNBA 2K
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
  • NA: October 21, 2003
  • EU: November 28, 2003
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

ESPN NBA Basketball (alternatively known as NBA 2K4) is a 2003 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It is the fifth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K3. It was released in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Allen Iverson is the cover athlete of the game (and is his last cover). ESPN NBA Basketball is the predecessor to ESPN NBA 2K5 in the NBA 2K series. It is the penultimate NBA 2K game before being sold by Sega company to form 2K Sports. It is also the first game to feature the ESPN logo full-time and the only game not to feature "2K" in its title, but was instead featured "2K4" on the cover art.

ESPN NBA Basketball simulates the experience of the National Basketball Association, as well as basketball in general, and features a mix of realistic NBA games, and arcade style play. Players play NBA basketball games with real teams, as well as playing street basketball with customizable players. NBA games feature commentary, pregame shows, and other affects. Several improvements to the game were made; new dribbling, dunking, shooting, and passing systems are introduced, while the visuals and sound were also improved. A hip hop focused soundtrack is present. The game features several game modes, such as 24/7, a mode where the player creates their own basketball player and takes on NBA stars, and online multiplayer, which is a first for the series.

ESPN NBA Basketball received a positive reception upon release, with some critics calling it the best basketball game available for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Positive comments were mostly concerning the game's wealth of content, visuals, and overall gameplay.

Gameplay

ESPN NBA Basketball is a basketball simulation game that simulates the experience of the National Basketball Association, as well as basketball in general, and features a mix of realistic NBA simulations, and arcade style play. The game features several game modes, such as 24/7, a mode where the player creates their own basketball player, and online multiplayer. Players play NBA games with real teams and players, as well as playing street basketball with customizable players. NBA game simulations feature commentary from Bob Fitzgerald (and is the first time to call him by that name instead of Bob Steele) and Tom Tolbert, and pregame shows by Kevin Frazier. The game features online multiplayer for the first time in the NBA 2K series.[1][2]

Several gameplay improvements and additions were made. The passing game for example has been rebuilt; instead of one type of basic pass, the player can freely choose from basic, behind the back, between the legs, or alley-oop passes. The previous dribbling system has been replaced by IsoMotion, a system that features many animations, allows the player to perform hesitations, in-and-outs, or ankle breakers, and emphasises quick timing and reflexes.[1]

24/7 mode is one of the game's main features. The player creates their basketball player, customizing the physical appearance (facial features, hair, skin colour, accessories, jersey, etc.), and journeys across the United States, competing against other basketball players, including NBA stars, in tournaments or street pickup games. The player completes different challenges in different types of events against their opponent(s). For example, the player's goal in one event could be to get five dunks in a one-on-one game, while in another, the player may be tasked with completing a five-on-five event without getting a shot blocked. The player upgrades their basketball player's abilities and attributes, thus getting better, unlocks different animations, and equips different accessories, as they complete events. The player also improves their "rank", which in turn, unlocks more events or items, and improves the player's reputation, allowing the player to play with certain players and take on bosses.[1]

In addition to the 24/7 mode, online multiplayer, and local multiplayer game modes, the game features other modes, such as quick play. The player may play playoff games, play through a full NBA regular season, practice in an empty arena, play street basketball games, which are considerably different to regular NBA games, as well as manage a team in the franchise mode, where players can fire coaches and other personnel, trade players, and play through the NBA.[1]

Development

Allen Iverson is the cover athlete of the game. This is the final time he appeared on an NBA 2K cover; Iverson appeared on the cover of the first five games in the NBA 2K series.[3]

Unlike past games in the NBA 2K series, every NBA player in the game features a unique facial design, giving the game more realism.[1]

Release

The game was released worldwide in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. ESPN NBA Basketball is the only game in the NBA 2K series not to feature "2K" in the title, but instead featured "2K4" on the cover art. It is also one of two games in the series (the other being ESPN NBA 2K5) to have "ESPN" in the title and featured in the game itself.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS2Xbox
EGM9/10[4]9/10[4]
Game Informer9.5/10[5]9.5/10[6]
GameProStarStarStarStarStar[7]StarStarStarStarStar[7]
GameRevolutionB+[8]B+[8]
GameSpot8.9/10[9]8.9/10[10]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[11]StarStarStarStar[12]
GameZone9.5/10[13]9.5/10[14]
IGN9.2/10[15]9.2/10[15]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStarStar[16]N/A
OXM (US)N/A9/10[17]
BBC Sport82%[18]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic89/100[19]87/100[20]

ESPN NBA Basketball received "favorable" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[19][20]

Game Revolution's review cited the graphics, game modes, and online features as positives, and the unpolished mechanics of rebounding and isolation play as negatives. The review concluded, "With its excellent graphics and myriad game modes, ESPN NBA Basketball is a good, strong title. The gameplay quirks like rebounding difficulty and the canned animations are there and can be frustrating, but are easily overlooked when you take in the big picture. It holds its own in the paint."[8]

IGN's Jon Robinson said: "Sure, the addition of a pro hop button and the separation of the shoot and dunk buttons would make the game all the better, but even without those features, ESPN NBA Basketball is still overall the best playing basketball game this season. For the first time, basketball fans have an excuse to be playing a game at four in the morning. It's 24/7, the life of a baller. Forget Jon Robinson. The life of Jrob Andsteal has now begun. See you on the courts."[15]

Giancarlo Varanini of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine praised the gameplay, calling it "nearly flawless", the "top-notch" commentary, the 24/7 mode, which was commended for its addictiveness, and the visuals. Varanini had minor complaints about certain gameplay aspects, mostly the controllability while on a fast break. He concluded, "There's just so much to like about ESPN NBA Basketball that any basketball fan--casual or hardcore--would be deemed insane for even considering passing it up."[16]

Bob Colayco of GameSpot said: "While there are a small handful of faults with the game, ESPN NBA Basketball has just about everything a hardcore NBA fan could ask for. It includes a tough, but rewarding, simulation-style of gameplay, a feature-packed franchise mode, street-style game modes, and the truly unique 24/7 gameplay mode that might be good enough to be its own game. If you're a hardcore NBA fan with an Xbox or PlayStation 2, your game library just isn't complete without a copy of ESPN NBA Basketball."[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Navarro, Alex (October 1, 2006). "ESPN NBA Basketball Preview". http://www.gamespot.com/articles/espn-nba-basketball-preview/1100-6076243/. Retrieved August 23, 2015. 
  2. ↑ "ESPN NBA Basketball - PlayStation 2". http://www.ign.com/games/espn-nba-basketball/ps2-552387. Retrieved August 23, 2015. 
  3. ↑ Bailey, Andy (October 17, 2011). "Ranking the Greatest NBA Video Game Covers (Page 10)". http://bleacherreport.com/articles/895907-ranking-the-greatest-nba-video-game-cover-athletes/page/10. Retrieved August 23, 2015. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 EGM staff (December 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball". Electronic Gaming Monthly (173). Archived from the original on January 5, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040105141639/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,4364,1361226,00.asp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  5. ↑ Leeper, Justin (November 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball (PS2)". Game Informer (127): 146. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090411041948/http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/37DB190E-9658-4805-A718-D5F9F26855C3.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  6. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (November 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball (Xbox)". Game Informer (127): 170. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080121074306/http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200311/R03.1124.1105.56159.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tokyo Drifter (October 21, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball". GamePro. Archived from the original on April 3, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050403202141/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/31454.shtml. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Dr. Moo (October 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/espn-nba-basketball. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Colayco, Bob (October 22, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball Review (PS2)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/espn-nba-basketball-review/1900-6077183/. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  10. ↑ Colayco, Bob (October 24, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball Review (Xbox)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/espn-nba-basketball-review/1900-6077319/. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (November 17, 2003). "GameSpy: ESPN NBA Basketball (PS2)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/espn-nba-basketball/6366p1.html. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  12. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (November 19, 2003). "GameSpy: ESPN NBA Basketball (Xbox)". GameSpy. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/espn-nba-basketball/6367p1.html. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  13. ↑ Valentino, Nick (November 2, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080213140534/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22557.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  14. ↑ Surette, Tim (November 3, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006154458/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22557.htm. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Robinson, Jon (October 21, 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/22/espn-nba-basketball. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Varanini, Giancarlo (December 2003). "ESPN NBA Basketball". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 7, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040107113146/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,4364,1359557,00.asp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  17. ↑ "ESPN NBA Basketball". Official Xbox Magazine: 153. December 2003. 
  18. ↑ Beevis, Paul (January 2, 2004). "Let's play: ESPN NBA Basketball (PS2)". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/game_reviews/3363593.stm. Retrieved April 30, 2016. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "ESPN NBA Basketball for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/espn-nba-basketball/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved August 23, 2015. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "ESPN NBA Basketball for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/espn-nba-basketball/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved August 23, 2015. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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