NBA 2K17: What You Need To Know About ‘The Prelude’


Put away your iPhones, earbuds, and any actual piece of gym equipment because we’ve reached the start of video game season. In the coming months, everything from sports games (FIFA 17, WWE 2K17, and Pro Evolution Soccer 17) to shooters (Battlefield 1, Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and Gears of War 4) to even open-worlds (Mafia 3 and Watch Dogs 2) will hit the market for the still-a-bit-much price of $60 dollars.

Of course, most gamers don’t have the patience to wait until October or November for the latest entry in their favorite series and are already preparing for the upcoming release of the latest basketball game. With NBA Live 17 not releasing on consoles this year, NBA 2K17 is back to being the only licensed game for those who prefer the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to iPhones and Samsungs.

Though NBA 2K17 is officially two weeks away, gamers will have the opportunity to officially start playing on Friday. They will not play through a system similar to ‘EA Access’, but through ‘The Prelude’ mode. Blending elements from NBA 2K10‘s ‘Draft Combine’ with the college element from last year’s game, ‘The Prelude’ is a free add-on that takes players through several college games in an attempt to build their NBA Draft stock.

Alfie Brody, NBA 2K’s VP of Marketing, told Forbes Magazine the following in August.

“The incredible excitement during the first week of NBA 2K16’s launch showed us there was an opportunity to connect with even more fans prior to the formal release of NBA 2K17. We think we’ve given our passionate community something special with this year, and can’t wait to see the response from not only existing fans, but new ones as well.”

A trailer for ‘The Prelude’ can be seen below.

With the game starting in just a few days, what do we need to know about ‘The Prelude’ mode? Is this a mode that players should actually download to their consoles? Don’t worry, we at The Inquisitr are here to help you with that!

  • During this version of ‘The Prelude’, you have just one opportunity to make things work with your player meaning that if you bomb and wind up as a second-round pick, there’s no going back. This could change when the game officially drops, but this is a one-time attempt with your ‘first’ player.
  • Ten schools are available for you to pick from: Oklahoma, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Wake Forest, UConn, Louisville, Arizona, Georgetown and Kansas. Interestingly, the Duke Blue Devils, whose head basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, actually plays a role in the game, are nowhere to be seen.
  • Fans of the PC will not get to play ‘The Prelude’ on Steam barring a last-minute change as this is a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One exclusive.
  • Again, ‘The Prelude’ is a free mode. 2K isn’t making you pay five dollars or ten dollars, nor is there a cost to upload your player to the retail game. Surprising? Sure, but a good decision by the company? Definitely.
  • No longer is your character stuck with the name of “Frequency Vibrations”, but now goes by the “President of Basketball” or “Prez” for short. Again, this is understood because of the need for dialogue, but “President of Basketball” seems worse than “Frequency Vibrations.”
[Image via 2K Sports]
  • Mike Krzyzewski will star in a tutorial mode called ‘2KU’ that will introduce rookie gamers to the premier basketball simulation. It remains unknown if this mode is just aimed at first-time players and will introduce basic strategies (i.e. passing, shooting, dunking) or if there will also be a focus to more elite, veteran players with tips on ankle-breakers or alley-oops.
  • Players will have the opportunity to define their virtual character’s skill early, whether it’s making the next Shaq as a dominant big-man or creating Stephen Curry 2.0 as a sniper from three-point range. Hopefully, the glitches in years past where players could turn an Andre Drummond-like center into the next Curry is gone and replaced with actual cap limits.
  • MyCareer will have unique branching storylines, though it’s unknown how much this will be featured in ‘The Prelude’ and what will transfer over to the retail game.
  • NBA 2K16 featured high school games in MyCareer and while there will be some high school scenes in this year’s game, don’t expect to be playing any games while a so-called ‘friend’ flirts with cheerleaders.
[Image via NBA 2K]
  • Tweets will now appear from spectators after a big play or, perhaps, a big mistake.
  • Finally, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and The Wire alum Michael B. Jordan appear to talk to you about the MyCareer mode itself and how to become an NBA player. Thankfully, retirement hasn’t dampened the Black Mamba’s spirit as Kobe comments that if anyone has a better career than his, he’ll make a return to the court.

NBA 2K17‘s ‘The Prelude’ will release Friday, September 9, while the retail game will release Friday, September 16 for customers who pre-ordered and Tuesday, September 20 for all other consumers. The eighteenth installment of the award-winning series, NBA 2K17, features Indiana Pacers forward Paul George on the main cover and Bryant on the special edition.

[Image via 2K Sports]

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