NBA 2K21 Is the Next Game to Include Unskippable Adverts After Launch - Push Square

If it's not EA, it's publisher 2K causing controversy by applying unskippable adverts to load screens after launch?

PlayStation 4 title NBA 2K21 now sports in-game ads before you hit the court as the game loads in the players, crowd, and arena.

A quick clip of an actor applying the headset appears before the $299 price flashes on-screen.

On any given day, Liam is most likely playing the latest PS4 release or hunting for a Platinum Trophy.

I doubt it will carry to the ps5 version as there should be no noticeable loading screens on ps5.

To think they are just being included to kill time is astonishingly naive.

If in game ads are added for "realism", it should be the user's option to turn on or off.

Otherwise, it's simply a cash grab for a full priced game.

@I_Like_It how much you wanna bet they slow down loading to keep advertising?

Outcome is obviously the same — it's still an unskippable ad at the end of the day — but I think this is part of the 2KTV episode that plays while the game is loading.

It’s ‘realism’ that just so happens to make 2K money through adverts.

With microtransactions being "phased out", developers have to make their money somewhere, so they sell airtime in their games instead!

In a loading screen its alright to me since it can't be skipped anyway.

Not while you are trying to play the game like the EA scumbags.

Regardless of whether the hardware has superfast loading or not, they can still build in unskippable ads that pop up and pause any progress to loading, cannot be clicked away etc until a set time has passed.

Its not just 'loading' screens, as in when the game is actually' loading but can be a 'splash' screen with a set time before it can be clicked away?

Point is, they can actually build it into the game so it doesn't matter how fast the game loads, it will still display an advert with a set time until an action button to skip pops up.

Nonsense like this is why you can’t justify the price increase of games.

We’re told there has been no increase of price but between in game adverts, dlc and micro transactions a single title generates more for a publisher than it ever did.

I hate this and there is no excuse for adds in a almost $100 game (canadian price tax included) but playing devil's advocate what if this is a way legacy systems and servers can justife staying on longer.

Again still no excuse for this it sucks im just wondering if this might have something to do with it.

I just don't know anymore?

Ah, so the casino simulator with a side helping of basketball has added adverts to its game...

If they (game developers) are trying to make games so authentic; are they going to pay the players say 10mil a season too?.

Should be at the end of each quarter not before the game.

this game.

Buffering and streaming a 15 second ad in HD will obviously make the game load slower.

Fair enough in a free game, but defending this in a $60 game is nothing short of corporate bootlicking.

If we're going for this kind of realism, can we get the actual Amazon app inside GTAs phone, Sears catalogue, up to date, in RDR2, and Smith & Wesson ads in....

That would compliment just about every 2k franchise equally

The day I see this in a game I'm playing, is the day I stop playing that game

@hi_drnick I couldn’t tell you the first thing about basketball point scoring so let’s just say yes, it was absolutely tongue in cheek

I knew that raising the retail price wouldn't stop people from putting DLC, in-game transactions, and ads into games

If they give away the game for $10 or $20 and the get the rest of the income from ads, ok

Like "pay way less and get the ads" or "pay full price and never ever see an ad"

@MattSilverado Microsoft does this with their windows 10 start games like solitaire and minesweeper

I could play without Ads in 1995

At this point sport games, just like mobile games, are already lost, gamers will rarely receives a good normal sport games again thats just a games with no mtx/lootbox/ads as long as there's exclusive publishers deals 😕

If they're going to do this, offer it as a 30 dollar cheaper version or something, or just don't put them in the game

I don't play sports titles and if it's a clever add for realism, maybe but it's very blatant they're making way more off of this

The day this stuff turns up in a genre I like is the day I quit for good

When I buy an ad simulator, the last thing I want is for a game of basketball to break out

I can't wait for the scandal of 2k intentionally prolonging loading screens to increase advertising time

@Robinsad While dev costs have increased, the entry price of games have remained relatively flat

This is due to DLC, ads, and in game transactions

I'm not at all surprised or upset unless game prices increase

Part of the problem is gamers who facilitate this kind of thing by continually throwing their money at companies who are greedy, anti-consumer to the extreme, and fill their $70 game with MTs, loot boxes etc

I realise the options for basketball games are limited but if consumers actually voted with their wallets instead of complaining about it pre or post purchase, it sends a message to the corporate hacks who green light this garbage

It’s an obvious and greedy pattern, used and abused by the same 4 or so conglomerates who generally make ***** lowest common denominator trash anyway

Why would I play Destiny or COD or NBA2K when I could play Resident Evil or Dark Souls or Nioh or Ghost of Tsushima or any of the numerous other games which don’t bleed you dry or prey on children

This is illegal in Sweden unless the game is sold only to adults (18+) Commercials aimed directly to kids is not allowed here

You could tolerate it baked organically into the game, court / pitch / track side billboards and the like that update from the web

Every game that lets you transfer from PS4 to PS5

All Free EA Play Games on PS4

All PS5 Launch Games

All PS5, PS4 Games with Cross-Play

NBA 2K21 Is the Next Game to Include Unskippable Adverts ..