On Wednesday in New York at a special pre-release event for NBA 2K19, 2K unveiled the new and improved Neighborhood, which includes MyCareer, PARK, Pro-Am and a bushel of other activities.

2K19 PARKCREDIT: 2K

The trailer had hints and teases, but it left room for tons of speculation. I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff Thomas, the vice president of sports development at Visual Concepts and 2K, and he added detail to the scope of the Neighborhood and its expansive components.

I’ll be honest, as he went through as many of the layers as he could touch on in our one-hour session, the one thought that kept beating in my head was, “I hope all of this stuff works.” I tweeted on Wednesday, if everything 2K has planned is executed as it is designed, it will again break new ground in the sports video game genre and it will become one of the most memorable versions in the series.

If it falls short, the 2K community will vilify the publisher on a daily basis on social media. No pressure.

Let’s get into what was discussed.

The Dynamics of the Neighborhood

Chris SmooveCREDIT: 2K

For starters, The Neighborhood is square this year. This was done to make travel easier and to accommodate the various activities and events that are on tap.

2K wanted a more social environment, and naturally, it has turned to the Neighborhood as a means to accomplish that goal. Thomas said, “The Neighborhood has purpose this year.” It has been designed with the feedback of fans in mind as well as what should equate to more functionality and a user-friendly structure.

Some small things were among the most-requested features.

MyCAREER and It’s Big-Little Details

Travis ScottCREDIT: 2K

As has been reported, users can now skip the cut scenes in MyCareer’s story mode. The new All-Star Game format is in, and your MyPlayer can even become a captain who is choosing squads opposite the next-highest vote-getter. This is a new dynamic that may not be present in NBA Live 19’s The One mode.

We learned about the takeover feature in traditional head-to-head gameplay. That feature is also available in MyCAREER for your individual player and his team.

You’ll manage team chemistry with your quotes, dialog with fans, teammates, coaches and the media. If you can help to foster a high level of team chemistry, your whole team can be in takeover mode in your MyCAREER games. This is a much-needed fresh injection to the MyCAREER gameplay. Perhaps next year we’ll have a feature that allows friends to play co-op or against you in MyCAREER games.

Off the court, Your MyCAREER player has some new functionality as well. He can negotiate the terms of his endorsements and deals. If you would like to get paid more VC for public appearances than games, it’s possible to have that changed in your contract. However, if your terms are seen as too unreasonable, then the company may pull their offer.

It’s a nice risk-reward element added to a non-gameplay piece.

Cosmetics

Wheels StoreCREDIT: 2K

Your character can now change his clothes at any time, and anywhere within the world. In NBA 2K18, you always had to go all the way back to the loft to change clothes. That was a little too realistic, and just not a fun exercise. A few of those valueless tasks have been removed. There will also be new NBA 2K League clothing in the stores. It’s not as much involvement as I’d like to see between the league and 2K’s annual release, but it’s a start.

Clothes on a whole will see an upgrade in 2K19. In fact, there will be scheduled drops of new brands and styles throughout the 2K19release cycle. Expect to learn more about these drops as they happen over the next 10-12 months.

Mascot costumes are making a comeback in 2K19, which definitely wasn’t one of my suggestions, but I’ve heard it requested a number of times, so it obviously makes sense to add.

The amount of vehicles has been expanded for NBA 2K19 as well. Now players can get beach cruisers, BMX bikes, skateboards and scooters. All of these items can be purchased and customized at the in-game store called Wheels.

Your MyPlayer, his clothes and transportation are customizable, and his personal workout venue is as well. You’re still able to customize your MyCOURT with a few more options for wallpaper and art. You still cannot upload images, which is a bummer. That said, you will be able to add banners that show your Neighborhood accomplishments, but more on that later.

Also on the cosmetic side, your character’s haircuts will now be free and you can preview them before deciding on a new look. Thomas said, “if there was one thing I was I could change from last year’s release, it would be those damn haircuts. That shouldn’t have been that way.”

In 2K18, the haircuts cost virtual currency, and that created quite the backlash in the 2K community. It really helped to kick off the major complaints about VC gouging. To combat the complaints and to make the game more consumer friendly, 2K has cut back on the VC demands and made it easier to acquire the in-game currency. According to Thomas, “just about everything in The Neighborhood allows you to earn VC.”

Grinding For VC and Badges

This one will show you how much more your MyPlayer has to accomplish to get to the next level for every badge and every in-story promotion, such as attaining 6th-man status, becoming a starter, etc. Even endorsement deals are included in the progression bar.

This could lead to a more focused approach to the building of your MyPlayers. There are even more activities for you to explore in the new Neighborhood.

New and Old Ways to Play

Crew ModeCREDIT: 2K

Some of the concepts are new, but some are features that have returned at fans’ request. The Jordan Rec Center was a feature fans loved and hated in NBA 2K15. It was dropped in NBA 2K16 and fans apparently missed it. One of the drawbacks to the mode in 2K15 were the long wait times.

To remedy that, 2K implemented a matchmaking system that is designed to allow any two teams to play without having to wait for an entire game to finish. I spoke with one prominent YouTuber after the event, and he said he didn’t like the matchmaking component in JRC, but that approach would seemingly appease most fans of human 5v5 competitive team play.

We’ll have to wait and see how well it is received upon launch.

Jordan Rec CenterCREDIT: 2K

Players will receive daily bonuses and even an opportunity to spin a prize wheel at the in-game casino once for the chance to win prizes such as shoes, clothing, equipment or VC for their MyPlayer. Once a player reaches a Level 92, they spin on the elite wheel where you can win large amounts of VC. These players also get 24 hours advanced access to sales and in-game deals on Neighborhood items.

It’s clear, 2K wanted to give players a lot more opportunities to gain without spending real money.

Another interesting wrinkle added was the ability to go into MyTEAM from The Neighborhood. There will be a MyTEAM building where you can actually create your own MyTEAM card that will be available to you in the collector mode. On top of that, you can also jump into the mode from the Neighborhood. We’ve never seen that kind of integration before, but it could be fun to see your MyPlayer competing in MyTEAM.

This does make me wonder when or if we’ll see NBA 2K League players in MyTEAM. Perhaps that’s something that can come down the road.

Private matchmaking in Pro-Am was already announced during the NBA 2K League Finals, and I maintain, that addition is perhaps the most important of any enhancement that we’ll see in any mode in this year’s game. It will not only make playing with friends easier, it will also give smaller leagues the tools necessary to operate more efficiently.

That means, leagues like the MPBA, SL2K, WR and Union can become feeders for the NBA 2K League.

I believe there could be another layer of competitive team play on the way.

The Crew concept returns to NBA 2K this year, but it’s not the same Crew we remember from NBA 2K11, or the less-than-impressive incarnation we saw in NBA 2K15. This version is all about 3-on-3 action.

You and two friends can team up in tournaments, single games and other events against other human users and even the A.I. in challenges that will award all of you VC, while assisting in the badge grind. The A.I. won’t be generic players, or even just NBA players.

YouTubers and celebrities who have been scanned for the game will be in and will provide opposition for you and your teammates. In the trailer, you may have caught a glimpse of Chris Smoove and Shakedown 2012. Both guys are longtime 2K YouTubers and influencers. Their renders looked great in the trailer, as did Travis Scott, Quavo of the Migos and more.

Just like Pro-Am, users will be able to customize uniforms for their teams just as they can in Pro-Am. Only in Crew, the uniforms isn’t restricted to a jersey and shorts. Crew unis can be sweatshirts, sweatpants, sleeveless t-shirts and more. You can even import images and textures to make looks unique.

Along with the customization and head-to-head play, Crew also has a segment that has a similar feel to MyTeam Domination. You and your teammates will take on the three best players from all NBA teams with a chance to win major rewards and VC. You’ll also play against All-Time Big Threes from each organization as well for even bigger rewards.

Crew will have periodic challenges such as Protect This House, which challenges your squad to put together a streak of wins. There is also Top Crew, which is one of a variety of tournaments. It’s easy to see how this could grow into its own eSport, or at least another event on the 2K competitive gaming landscape.

I have to admit, I was impressed with this feature, which usually isn’t the type of thing I’d like. While that mode seems a little like PARK, it isn’t. PARK will have its own new additions and being one of the most popular modes in the franchise, the enhancements are aplenty.

For starters, the PARK will operate on a 6-hour day-to-night progression system. This means if you play for 6 hours straight, you will have played from sun up to sundown in the Neighborhood world. You’ll see it turn daylight and night in the game. This is separate from the Park After Dark feature, which will be making a comeback this year.

PARK DarkCREDIT: 2K

Hopefully it works better than it did last year.

The PARK will be an ever-changing environment in NBA 2K19. There are several theme days with backdrops such as castles, airplanes, walls, picnic tables for virtual block parties and more. On some days, there will be a collective challenged issued by 2K to the community.

For example, one challenge may be to get 10,000 blocked shots collectively across the entire 2K community. The prize might be a 2,000 VC reward. Reeses Crunch will have Saturday events and Ruffles is back with its 4-point line and more. There are a lot of ways to play PARK this year, and as I said earlier, I just hope it all works as planned. You may hear me reiterate that a few more times before I’m done.

The Ante Up room gained popularity late in the 2K release cycle and it will return to the game this year too.

If you think those concepts are radical, then brace yourself. The Neighborhood will introduce a number of mini-games. Some hoops purists might be cringing, but Thomas assures he will never allow the game to become a mockery of the sport. However, he does want to add some fun elements.

Cage BallCREDIT: 2K

This year’s game will feature the Under Armour Cages, which will introduce Cage Ball. This is very similar to Slam Ball where your players compete on a caged-in court with springboards on different sections of the court. As you saw in the trailer, it can make for some over-the-top moments. It’s not designed to be realistic, as the new mini-mode allows you to bounce passes off the wall and more.

It looks fun in the trailer, but I’ll have to see how well it controls to determine if it has the potential to become a fun way to play the game. Cage games will have their own sets of daily challenges, such as win 4 games and earn a VC prize.

Dodgeball 2KCREDIT: 2K

There is another section of mini-games. It’s called the Corral and it’s even crazier than Cage Ball. It’s essentially a hub for MMO games. Dodgeball, Red Ball-Blue Ball and Trivia are all games you can play with a chance o win in-game t-shirts, exclusives and big VC prizes.

If you’re interested in playing any of these games, you’ll have to venture over to the Corral. You’ll see a sign on the screen that says Dodgeball will begin in X-minutes. If you’re in the Corral when it starts, you’re in the game. A collection of balls will fall from the sky and then it’s every person for themselves. The last player left standing is the winner and receives the VC bonus.

Red Ball, blue BallCREDIT: 2K

Red Ball, Blue Ball is similar, only it’s a team game with coordinate ball colors and times. Lastly, there is Trivia. The call to play will be similar to what you see in Dodgeball, only the eliminations happen in droves. There are six rounds and as they progress the pool dwindles but the VC reward is rising. By the time the pot goes up to its max (1,000,000), the last players remaining, and who gives the right final answers will receive a share of the VC prize.

Rep or Ranking System

Rep UpCREDIT: 2K

I was still trying to grasp exactly what the “They Will Know your Name” slogan meant, but the 2K Compete and Ranking System helped to explain the concept. 2K Compete is essentially an internal leaderboard between you and your friends. It maintains a list of the best performers in every mode awarding them gold, silver and bronze awards for every category.

In fact, once someone on the list surpasses someone, you will be notified in your in-game messages. This is one way to determine which player is really the most accomplished. To add to that, and to further drive home the “They Will Know Your Name” slogan, 2K will introduce a ranking system. This system will give respect to every mode. A person who plays a ton of MyCAREER, but nothing else, will see low rankings in every other mode (PARK, Pro-Am, etc.)

It starts at Amateur 1 and goes all the way up to Legend. Players will see your ranking the moment you step into any of The Neighborhood’s arenas. It took just under 2,500 words to cover most of The Neighborhoof, but this is all I could capture from my interview with Thomas.

The series has long been known for its depth and innovation, and if its development team can deliver on the massive feature set that has been promised, fans could be treated to the most fun, consumer-friendly version of the game we’ve seen in almost a decade.