Orange Juice
Orange Juice? Really? I’m sure that’s what you’re all wondering. And as strange as it sounds, Orange Juice is an important part of MyCAREER this year. Orange Juice represents the chemistry between MyPLAYER and Justice Young. As their relationship develops, Orange Juice becomes a nickname for the two of them, and a key element in the story. Think of the Splash Brothers, or Showtime. There’s a little more to it, but I’ll let you discover that as you play the game.
Perhaps even more exciting though, is what it signifies on the court. As MyPLAYER and Justice continue to work together off the court, it has a real impact in what happens during games. When the two of you are locked in, you have the opportunity to utilize dual player controls for the first time ever in MyCAREER. Not only can you tell Justice to do things like cut to the basket, take a shot, or isolate, you can also switch over and control him entirely.
Again, this is a totally different way to play the game in MyCAREER. It really adds an exciting twist to what is already a greatly enhanced gameplay experience. We have had so much fun around the office finding ways to work the two-man game within the offense, and then hearing the characters react and interact after the game to a great (or not-so-great) performance only adds to the immersion. And of course, if that doesn’t seem to be your thing and you just want to focus on MyPLAYER, that’s certainly still something you can do. But I really think you’ll enjoy the new perspective it brings to MyCAREER gameplay, and I can’t wait for everyone to be able to try it.
Off-Court AI
One of the biggest changes in MyCAREER this year is our new Off-Court AI system. In NBA 2K16, we introduced the ability to choose between practice, connections, and endorsements on your off-days. This year we took it to a whole new level. Now many different things will be scheduled throughout a given off-day, and it’s up to you to decide what you want to do during each period of time.
The practice gym is always open, so putting in work is never a bad idea. Maybe you want to take up some of your time earning extra VC making an appearance for a local endorsement company. Or maybe you’ve connected with Karl-Anthony Towns recently, and he’s in town and wants to do something. Cultivating that relationship could be very beneficial, both in terms of earning fans and other rewards, and in connecting with other players around the league. But time is a valuable commodity, and you can’t do everything. It’s up to you to decide what’s most important for your MyPLAYER. And our Off-Court AI system will be constantly evaluating your play and your relationships with players, endorsement companies, and other people around the league to determine what opportunities will become available to you next.
Text Messages
The main form of communication in MyCAREER with the various people you interact with is text messaging. In past years, this type of communication was very primitive, and usually one-way. This year, the conversations are completely interactive. You decide what to say and how each conversation will unfold. As you build relationships with players around the league, they’ll be in regular communication with you, setting up events, commenting on your play, and even occasionally stopping by to hang out when they’re around.
Endorsements
Endorsements are a crucial part of what you do off the court, and this year we put a ton of effort into creating a more realistic system that will give you at least a little bit of a taste of what it’s like for an NBA star to decide who he wants to associate himself with.
First off, and one of the changes we’re most excited about, is the way that shoe deals work. Instead of waiting weeks and weeks for shoe companies to come around, in NBA 2K17, you make the decision right at the beginning of your career, just like a real NBA rookie would. But it’s not an easy choice to make. Each company offers different benefits. Some will give you more swag right away, while others will require you to work harder to move up the ladder. Your draft position plays a big role in this, so the better you do in college, the more likely you’ll be able to jump right into a cash deal or even a custom colorway deal, rather than just a simple merch deal.
As your star continues to rise, more companies will come calling. And this is completely dynamic in that it’s all based on the way you play. A company like Mountain Dew might be looking for a flashier player, while a company like Spalding is more interested in players that exhibit strong ball handling abilities. If you fit either of those criteria, expect those companies to reach out sooner rather than later. And this concept extends to players too, by the way. Steph Curry will connect with you sooner if you make a lot of deep threes (or sign with Under Armour). Kobe Bryant will take an interest if you put in a lot of extra work in your MyCOURT or at the Practice Gym. And so on, and so on.
Below is an example of what an endorsement contract offer might look like. You can see that sometimes you will have the opportunity to earn additional incentives based on your play, along with your regular appearance rewards. In some cases, the deal you sign will be exclusive, locking you in with that company, but preventing you from signing on with a competing company. You also have the ability to negotiate for things like more VC or fewer appearances, and it really becomes a game within the game as you work with your agent to navigate the waters and fit all of your commitments into your busy schedule.