Hey kids! Have you ever wanted to be forced to watch advertisements in the middle of your video game? Does NBA 2K21 have a deal for you!
In what we can only describe as a consumer-hostile move by 2K, that’s, the company’s newest NBA video game does just that. Jordan Oloman of IGN was among the first to notice the new “feature.”
They embed the ads into the NBA 2K21’s loading screens. The game will not move onto the next bit of action until those ads play all the way through.
Loading screens and in-game video content has been a part of the NBA 2K franchise for years. The difference there though, is that once the game is loaded up and ready to go, players can go into the action.
They don’t have to sit there and watch the pre-game show to completion. This time around, even if the loading screen is ready to move, it won’t. That’s a step that has frustrated plenty of gamers and the “feature” hasn’t been around long at all.
The other big difference between previous loading screen content and these advertisements, is that while you were waiting to go into a game, you could do a few things. You could set your lineup and look at matchups.
The most galling thing about this move? This isn’t the first time the 2K has tried this exact tactic.
The reaction from the community has been fast and furious. Among the most often used argument against the ads is that NBA 2K21 is a full priced game. If the title was free-to-play, it would be a different situation entirely.
NBA 2K21‘s Money Grab
However, with 2K already making $60 a copy (and $70 per on the next generation) fans are seeing the move as a naked money grab. The only question left is whether these advertisements will show up on the Xbox Series X and PS5.
