I received an invite to attend a developer conference call for the upcoming 2K Sports title College Hoops 2K8. The interview was moderated by Chase, the Media Relations Director for 2K Sports' PR firm and was with Zach Timmerman (Producer, 2K Sports) and Jerson Sapida, Assistant Producer, 2K Sports. Oh yeah, a special guest dropped in, former Ohio State All-American and #1 overall NBA draft pick Greg Oden. Greg is the cover athlete for College Hoops 2K8.
The interview lasted just under an hour, and Chase asked quite a few pre-submitted questions from the audience regarding the upcoming release of College Hoops 2K8. I have transcribed and posted many questions from the interview including those that are relevant to the Xbox 360, but there are close to an additional 40 or so question that were not transcribed. At the bottom of this piece is a link to download the complete interview. Unfortunately, the Audio quality is poor and is garbled in places due to technical difficulties. However, there is a lot of good information that is easy to hear and understand. All questions and answers are paraphrased unless direct quotes used:
MOD = Chase asking the question
ZT/JS/GO = Zach Timmerman, Jerson Sapida and Greg Oden paraphrased answer
To get the interview started, Zach was asked to provide a brief overview of College Hoops 2K8.
MOD Zach, do you want to kick off with an overview of the game?
ZT Definitely. I just want to thank everybody for coming along. My goal was to create the most authentic basketball game available. In doing so over the past few years, we felt like we were hitting more of the hardcore audience more so than we were hitting the general audience. One goal was to bring in more of the casual fan, which we feel like we have done with the latest game. Games are getting more and more complicated, so we wanted to help out the casual gamer with more features. Some other things we added were the play vision and six man advantage. Did a lot of work on the Legacy mode, which we always felt was the second half of our game. We added a few features there to create the look. We also added a new feature called Play Designer, which allows you to create your own plays. Every year we evaluate the features and we are really excited about 2K8 College Hoops and cant wait for everybody to get their hands on it.
MOD Can you explain some of the differences between the 360 and PS3 versions?
ZT There actually is not a whole lot of differences between the versions. The PS3 has the SIXAXIS controller which we allow to shot free throws. There are a few online features that the PS3 is not able to have such as play-a-friend or the Pontiac Final Four like the 360 has.
MOD What is the frame rate on each platform?
ZT It is 60 frames per second for both platforms.
MOD What are some of the improvements made from last years version of College Hoops?
ZT Tons of things all across the board. We increased the atmosphere, made changes to the boards, added to the legacy mode, worked with the AI so that when you are losing you will have fun getting beat.
MOD So what is the process you go through to evaluate what areas of the game to focus on each year, as well as new features you decide to implement?
ZT We do a lot of research into what the fans want. Play other games to see what others are doing and see if we can incorporate that into CH 2K8.
MOD On a personal level, what are you most excited about with the game?
ZT There is lots to be excited about, but the one that keeps coming back to me is 2K Share, which I think if a really big deal in games nowadays to be able to share you files with friends.
MOD What type of challenge does creating a collegiate basketball game present while having to deal with Conference and University licensing issues and not violating NCAA rules and requirements? (XboxAmerica submitted question)
ZT There are challenges here and there. We have a few contacts we talk to with the NCAA to see if some of the features we are putting are legitimate under their rules and requirements. (Unfortunately the remainder of the answer was garbled)
MOD Do you feel a college basketball game is more challenging to develop than an NBA game because the college players are more transient?
ZT In a way, I think the NBA has their own challenges, as they are more expected to have the likenesses for the players. There are 400 players in the NBA and they need to look as real as possible. In our game, we can enter a few values into our roster and it will generate a head for us. You know the size of the conferences is a big issue for us and 339 teams to deal with. However there are things that they do that are more complicated and things that we do that are more complicated.
MOD How do you make sure the College Hoops franchise stays fresh?
ZT Features, try to get that much close to reality and I think that is the goal of every game is to make it as realistic as possible. So we are constantly looking at references and watching games to see win what ways we can improve upon our game. We look at what people really want and give it to them and that is a big deal for us.
MOD What AI improvements were made to this years edition that were not in 2K7?
ZT We did a lot of AI improvements from both the feature standpoint and overall improvement. The AI is a lot smarter on offense so you have to be a little more diligent about how you play the game. There is a new movement model in the game so the players move a lot more smoothly with better transition.
MOD According to fan response and forum feedback, what is the most anticipated aspect of College Hoops 2K8?
ZT Its kind of a mix, but I think most are latching onto the 2K Share idea. Especially from forum posts, this is most of our hardcore users. 2K Share may be more of a hardcore feature.
MOD Can you talk about the challenge of rendering stadiums in the game?
ZT Its definitely a lot of work and one of our most tedious tasks each year. We are constantly contacting different schools to get what we would like from them, such as different photos, ceiling shots, shot from above and different shots of what the court looks like.
MOD Can you talk about role the community plays in the development, how often do developers look at fan sites and their wish lists?
ZT Honestly, I would say every single day. It is just a continual effort for us and we enjoy going to the forums and see what people say good or bad, as it gives us great input.
MOD What kind of team-building options will be offered in CH 2K8?
ZT There will be a lot of options, including recruiting and developing a player in the development modes.
MOD Will 2K Sports release a demo of College Hoops 2K8 on Xbox Live Marketplace?
ZT Yes, that should be out very quickly.
MOD Will we actually be able to see the players names in the game?
ZT No, just the players we signed up for the game Greg Oden, JJ Redick and Glen David and will appear on their classic team.
MOD Will the recently announced 90 classic college teams be usable online?
ZT Unfortunately no, the classic teams will not be usable online this year.
Former Ohio State All-American and 1st overall NBA pick Greg Oden joined the call at this point:
MOD What excites you most about the game as both a basketball player and a gamer?
GO What excites me personally is that I am on the cover. I cant wait to show all my friends and then be able to play with me, since I m on the cover should be pretty good in the game, so I will be shooting threes and everything so I am excited just to be able to play on that.
MOD Can you tell us about the experience of being on the cover and what went through your mind the day the offer was made?
GO I was just excited there was chance I would be on the cover. Play it off like I wasnt that happy, but there was a lot of excitement even though I tried to keep it low key.
Greg answered about 10 questions before having to depart. Jerson Sapida, Assistant Producer, 2K Sports jumped in to answer a few questions regarding the 2K Share feature:
MOD Are there any limits on the 2K Share feature and will users be able to edit every roster and upload a single file for everyone?
JS Definitely, you can change the basket size, key color and everything in the roster file and upload that.
I want to thank Chase, Zach, Jerson and Greg for setting up and participating in the conference call. To hear the entire call, right-click to download the 6.2 MB audio file HERE.
The interview lasted just under an hour, and Chase asked quite a few pre-submitted questions from the audience regarding the upcoming release of College Hoops 2K8. I have transcribed and posted many questions from the interview including those that are relevant to the Xbox 360, but there are close to an additional 40 or so question that were not transcribed. At the bottom of this piece is a link to download the complete interview. Unfortunately, the Audio quality is poor and is garbled in places due to technical difficulties. However, there is a lot of good information that is easy to hear and understand. All questions and answers are paraphrased unless direct quotes used:
MOD = Chase asking the question
ZT/JS/GO = Zach Timmerman, Jerson Sapida and Greg Oden paraphrased answer
To get the interview started, Zach was asked to provide a brief overview of College Hoops 2K8.
MOD Zach, do you want to kick off with an overview of the game?
ZT Definitely. I just want to thank everybody for coming along. My goal was to create the most authentic basketball game available. In doing so over the past few years, we felt like we were hitting more of the hardcore audience more so than we were hitting the general audience. One goal was to bring in more of the casual fan, which we feel like we have done with the latest game. Games are getting more and more complicated, so we wanted to help out the casual gamer with more features. Some other things we added were the play vision and six man advantage. Did a lot of work on the Legacy mode, which we always felt was the second half of our game. We added a few features there to create the look. We also added a new feature called Play Designer, which allows you to create your own plays. Every year we evaluate the features and we are really excited about 2K8 College Hoops and cant wait for everybody to get their hands on it.
MOD Can you explain some of the differences between the 360 and PS3 versions?
ZT There actually is not a whole lot of differences between the versions. The PS3 has the SIXAXIS controller which we allow to shot free throws. There are a few online features that the PS3 is not able to have such as play-a-friend or the Pontiac Final Four like the 360 has.
MOD What is the frame rate on each platform?
ZT It is 60 frames per second for both platforms.
MOD What are some of the improvements made from last years version of College Hoops?
ZT Tons of things all across the board. We increased the atmosphere, made changes to the boards, added to the legacy mode, worked with the AI so that when you are losing you will have fun getting beat.
MOD So what is the process you go through to evaluate what areas of the game to focus on each year, as well as new features you decide to implement?
ZT We do a lot of research into what the fans want. Play other games to see what others are doing and see if we can incorporate that into CH 2K8.
MOD On a personal level, what are you most excited about with the game?
ZT There is lots to be excited about, but the one that keeps coming back to me is 2K Share, which I think if a really big deal in games nowadays to be able to share you files with friends.
MOD What type of challenge does creating a collegiate basketball game present while having to deal with Conference and University licensing issues and not violating NCAA rules and requirements? (XboxAmerica submitted question)
ZT There are challenges here and there. We have a few contacts we talk to with the NCAA to see if some of the features we are putting are legitimate under their rules and requirements. (Unfortunately the remainder of the answer was garbled)
MOD Do you feel a college basketball game is more challenging to develop than an NBA game because the college players are more transient?
ZT In a way, I think the NBA has their own challenges, as they are more expected to have the likenesses for the players. There are 400 players in the NBA and they need to look as real as possible. In our game, we can enter a few values into our roster and it will generate a head for us. You know the size of the conferences is a big issue for us and 339 teams to deal with. However there are things that they do that are more complicated and things that we do that are more complicated.
MOD How do you make sure the College Hoops franchise stays fresh?
ZT Features, try to get that much close to reality and I think that is the goal of every game is to make it as realistic as possible. So we are constantly looking at references and watching games to see win what ways we can improve upon our game. We look at what people really want and give it to them and that is a big deal for us.
MOD What AI improvements were made to this years edition that were not in 2K7?
ZT We did a lot of AI improvements from both the feature standpoint and overall improvement. The AI is a lot smarter on offense so you have to be a little more diligent about how you play the game. There is a new movement model in the game so the players move a lot more smoothly with better transition.
MOD According to fan response and forum feedback, what is the most anticipated aspect of College Hoops 2K8?
ZT Its kind of a mix, but I think most are latching onto the 2K Share idea. Especially from forum posts, this is most of our hardcore users. 2K Share may be more of a hardcore feature.
MOD Can you talk about the challenge of rendering stadiums in the game?
ZT Its definitely a lot of work and one of our most tedious tasks each year. We are constantly contacting different schools to get what we would like from them, such as different photos, ceiling shots, shot from above and different shots of what the court looks like.
MOD Can you talk about role the community plays in the development, how often do developers look at fan sites and their wish lists?
ZT Honestly, I would say every single day. It is just a continual effort for us and we enjoy going to the forums and see what people say good or bad, as it gives us great input.
MOD What kind of team-building options will be offered in CH 2K8?
ZT There will be a lot of options, including recruiting and developing a player in the development modes.
MOD Will 2K Sports release a demo of College Hoops 2K8 on Xbox Live Marketplace?
ZT Yes, that should be out very quickly.
MOD Will we actually be able to see the players names in the game?
ZT No, just the players we signed up for the game Greg Oden, JJ Redick and Glen David and will appear on their classic team.
MOD Will the recently announced 90 classic college teams be usable online?
ZT Unfortunately no, the classic teams will not be usable online this year.
Former Ohio State All-American and 1st overall NBA pick Greg Oden joined the call at this point:
MOD What excites you most about the game as both a basketball player and a gamer?
GO What excites me personally is that I am on the cover. I cant wait to show all my friends and then be able to play with me, since I m on the cover should be pretty good in the game, so I will be shooting threes and everything so I am excited just to be able to play on that.
MOD Can you tell us about the experience of being on the cover and what went through your mind the day the offer was made?
GO I was just excited there was chance I would be on the cover. Play it off like I wasnt that happy, but there was a lot of excitement even though I tried to keep it low key.
Greg answered about 10 questions before having to depart. Jerson Sapida, Assistant Producer, 2K Sports jumped in to answer a few questions regarding the 2K Share feature:
MOD Are there any limits on the 2K Share feature and will users be able to edit every roster and upload a single file for everyone?
JS Definitely, you can change the basket size, key color and everything in the roster file and upload that.
I want to thank Chase, Zach, Jerson and Greg for setting up and participating in the conference call. To hear the entire call, right-click to download the 6.2 MB audio file HERE.
