The last sports video game I played with any real passion was "NHL ’94" which probably says something about how old I am. And it also speaks to my age that I had no idea sports games had evolved to the point where you can do single player campaigns. Nor did I realize video game companies were now hiring top talent to write and direct those storylines.
But yes, that is the case, as Spike Lee has been hired by 2K Games to write and direct the single player story for their upcoming "NBA2K16" (guess the boring titles of these games are still the norm). Anyway, the plot will focus on a player that is actually named Frequency Vibrations (wtf) in what sounds like an episode of HBO‘s upcoming "Ballers." "It’s about the trials and tribulations of life on a big stage with the money, fame, temptations, family members, the press, fans, all that stuff," Lee told Associated Press.
And Lee’s work is pretty much done as he marvelled at the motion capture process he used on the project. "I didn’t really realize how quick it was going to be," he said. "We didn’t have to do costumes, makeup or hair. We didn’t have to move props around. We didn’t have to move from location to location. Everything was just there."
"NBA2K16" arrives on September 25th. But if you can’t wait, maybe revisit Lee’s "He Got Game."
It will be the first NBA video game to deal with racism.