NBA 2K17

Overview

NBA 2K17 is a 2016 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the 18th game in the NBA 2K series and the follow-up to NBA 2K16. It came out worldwide on September 20, 2016, for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with a mobile version following on September 23, 2016. Anyone who pre-ordered it got the game on September 16.

Paul George of the Indiana Pacers is on the cover of the regular edition and Kobe Bryant is on the Legend Edition. Italy got Danilo Gallinari on its cover and Spain got Pau Gasol. The Legend Edition was announced on the day Bryant played his last NBA game, as a tribute to him. Bryant had also been the cover athlete of NBA 2K10.

The game simulates the NBA. You play games with real or custom players and teams, with crowd animations, commentary, pre-game, halftime and post-game shows, and licensed arenas. There are eleven commentators and announcers, including Kevin Harlan, Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, David Aldridge, Brent Barry, Steve Smith and Doris Burke. Besides current NBA teams you get classic teams such as the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and the 1985-86 Boston Celtics, national teams including the 1992 and 2016 US Olympic men's teams, and 21 EuroLeague teams.

MyCareer lets you build a player and take him from college to the NBA, with a story written and directed by Creed scriptwriter Aaron Covington that features actors Michael B. Jordan and Hannibal Buress. MyGM and MyLeague are the franchise modes, and in this edition you can start either with up to 36 teams and create expansion teams. MyTeam is the card-collecting mode, where packs are bought with Virtual Currency and cards now come in four new gem levels: Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby and Pink Diamond, plus an Onyx level for free agent cards.

Visual Concepts sent a team to every NBA arena to record sound, so each arena has its own effects and dribbling sounds, and players' shoes were scanned in as well as their faces and bodies. The soundtrack has 50 licensed songs curated by Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons and Noah Shebib. A free title called The Prelude let players create their MyPlayer ahead of launch. A companion app, MyNBA2K17, featured Karl-Anthony Towns.

NBA 2K17 was released to universal acclaim. Critics praised the presentation, the soundtrack, the gameplay and the amount of content, while some criticized the microtransactions and the tutorials. It had shipped about 7 million copies by February 2017 and was nominated for Sports Game of the Year at the 20th D.I.C.E. Awards. The online service was shut down at the end of 2018, so ranked online play no longer works.

Official trailer

NBA 2K17 - Momentous, XBOX. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

NBA 2K17 MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS FULL GAMEPLAY (PS4/Xbox One), Gamemode. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Sports, Basketball simulation

Developer

Visual Concepts

Publisher

2K

Series

NBA 2K

Writers

Aaron Covington (MyCareer story)

Modes

Single player

Yes

Online multiplayer

Yes

Release dates

Editions

Buy this game

Subscription history

Achievements

Achievements49 (1,000G)

1000G possibleNo

Total

49

Gamerscore

1000

Online servers running

No

Online note

The Xbox Store listing says all multiplayer servers closed on 31 December 2018. About two dozen of the 49 achievements belong to Play Now Online, MyPARK, 2K Pro-Am and MyTEAM, including Perfection (65G, win all 10 Greatest of All-Time games in Play Now Online). GameRevolution reports that offline quick games, MyCAREER and MyGM still work offline.

Gamerscore, base game

1000

Grind

• Perfection: win all 10 Greatest of All-Time games in Play Now Online
• 198 Problems and Domination IS One!: 198 stars across MyTEAM Domination and Historic Domination
• Man Of The People: 5,000,000 fans in MyCAREER

• I Got You Make 5 Jump Pass assists in a single game. 15G 15.64% of players
• Wait, There's More! Perform a celebration after an "And-1" during a MyCAREER/MyPARK/Pro-Am game. 15G Needs online 54.69% of players
• Makin' Adjustments Make an on-the-fly defensive coaching adjustment during a game. 15G 60.39% of players
• The First Of Many Earn a Call-Up in Play Now Online. 15G Needs online 7.22% of players
• Perfection Win all 10 games of 'Greatest of All-Time' in Play Now Online. 65G Needs online 0.36% of players
• Ringer Beat a Tier 1 team with a team from a lower tier in Play Now Online. 15G Needs online 1.65% of players
• No TV, No Newspapers... Get in some extra work with Justice. 15G Hidden 72.39% of players
• That's Got a Ring To It Come up with a nickname for your dynamic duo. 15G Hidden 61.8% of players
• Poetic Justice Publicly state your support for Justice remaining with the team. 15G Hidden 30.89% of players
• Leavin' On a Jet Plane Get the sad news from Denver. 15G Hidden 41.26% of players
• Get By With a Little Help Reach out to Xavier about setting up a better workout plan. 15G Hidden 38.36% of players
• Ice Is Nice Go to the barbershop with Justice. 15G Hidden 52.9% of players
• Friend For Life Say hello to an old friend. 30G Hidden 31.93% of players
• Play It Safe Choose to rest and not risk further injury. 30G Hidden 16.57% of players
• Always the Comedian Choose to do the funny shoe commercial. 30G Hidden 0.97% of players
• Ah, Memories Get the gift from Coach Falls. 65G Hidden 27.57% of players
• Mano a Mano Play 1-on-1 with a teammate in MyCOURT. 15G 61.96% of players
• In Your Image Create your own jump shot in MyCAREER. 15G 29.54% of players
• Man Of The People Get 5,000,000 fans in MyCAREER. 30G 9.95% of players
• My Every Day Player Become a starter in the NBA in MyCAREER. 15G 53.26% of players
• My All-Star Be named an NBA All-Star in MyCAREER. 15G 25.62% of players
• How Much Ya Got? Sign a max deal in free agency in MyCAREER. 30G 1.37% of players
• Run It Get a win streak of 5 or more in MyPARK. 15G Needs online 21.58% of players
• Bust A Move Bust a 5 or more game win streak of an opposing team in a MyPARK game. 15G Needs online 21.67% of players
• What's My Line? Get at least 5 PTS, 5 AST, and 5 REB in a MyPARK game. 30G Needs online 11.54% of players
• Mount Up Join a Squad in MyPARK. 15G Needs online 42.41% of players
• Flexin' Go shirtless in MyPARK. 30G Needs online 3.95% of players
• Represent Win 3 Rival Day games in MyPARK. 15G Needs online 1.78% of players
• Form Blazing Sword Upgrade a Park Card by applying 5 duplicates in the same slot in MyPARK. 15G Hidden Needs online 1.34% of players
• No 'I' In Team Join or Own a 2K Pro-Am Team. 15G Needs online 21.6% of players
• Get Your Feet Wet Complete a 2K Pro-Am Walk-On game. 15G Needs online 20.23% of players
• On The Rise Win as a member of a Pro-Level or higher 2K Pro-Am team. 15G Needs online 6.28% of players
• Insurance Policy Add a Pick Protection on a traded pick in MyGM/MyLEAGUE. 15G 14.21% of players
• Total Confidence Add a Pick Swap on a traded pick in MyGM/MyLEAGUE. 15G 12.4% of players
• Plus One Start a new MyLEAGUE with an Expansion Team. 15G 13.71% of players
• Back To The Future Start a new MyGM/MyLEAGUE in the Offseason. 15G 22.7% of players
• Lift It Up Win an NBA Title in Playoffs mode. 30G 4.05% of players
• Just Say No Purchase a Card Pack in MyTEAM. 15G Needs online 48.25% of players
• I Want To Go Home Acquire a Ruby Player in MyTEAM. 15G Hidden Needs online 17.86% of players
• Déjà vu Prestige in MyTEAM Online. 30G Hidden Needs online 0.15% of players
• History Lesson Unlock Historic Domination in MyTEAM. 30G Needs online 4.53% of players
• 198 Problems and Domination IS One! Earn 198 Stars in Domination and Historic Domination in MyTEAM. 30G Needs online 2.65% of players
• To The Victor... Earn a Challenge Token in MyTEAM. 15G Hidden Needs online 20% of players
• ...Go The Spoils Earn a Challenge Prize in MyTEAM. 15G Hidden Needs online 4.37% of players
• Pssst! Solve a code in MyTEAM. 15G Hidden Needs online 1.99% of players
• Nothing But Net Find a points card and make a basket in MyTEAM Blacktop. 15G Hidden Needs online 11.03% of players
• Next Level Reach level 10 in MyTEAM Blacktop. 15G Hidden Needs online 0.28% of players
• Got My Passport Travel to a Rival Park in MyPARK. 15G Needs online 26.62% of players
• Movin' On Up Earn a Rookie 3 Rep level in MyPARK. 15G Needs online 20.24% of players

Space and patches

Space needed55.94 GB

DLC

There were no paid story or content packs. Virtual Currency was sold in the game for MyCareer and MyTeam, and a free title called The Prelude let you create your MyPlayer before launch.

Items

Name	Adds	Price
NBA 2K17: The Prelude	A free title to create your MyPlayer for MyCareer	free

Playable today

Playable offline todayPartly

MyCAREER, MyGM, MyLEAGUE and Playoffs still play. Everything that needed the servers closed on 31 December 2018.

Online

Online servers runningNo

The Xbox Store listing says all multiplayer servers shut down on 31 December 2018 and the game was removed from sale on 20 December 2018. Offline modes still work.

Plays offlinePartly

The multiplayer servers were shut down on December 31, 2018, and the game was removed from sale on December 20, 2018. The offline modes still work.

Services

Service	Status	Shutdown date
NBA 2K17 online multiplayer and servers (Xbox One)	closed	2018-12-31

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
Metacritic	Xbox One	90	100
Metacritic	PlayStation 4	88	100
Metacritic	Windows	90	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
Game Informer	9.5	10
GameSpot	9	10
IGN	8.9	10
Polygon	8	10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	7.5	10
GamesRadar+	4.5	5
Hardcore Gamer	4.5	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Visual Concepts
Publisher	2K
MyCareer story writer and director	Aaron Covington
Soundtrack curators	Michael B. Jordan, Grimes, Imagine Dragons, Noah Shebib
Commentators and announcers	Kevin Harlan, Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, David Aldridge, Brent Barry, Steve Smith, Doris Burke

Cast

Actor
Michael B. Jordan
Hannibal Buress

Notes for collectors

• Paul George is on the standard cover. Kobe Bryant is on the Legend Edition, Danilo Gallinari on the Italian cover and Pau Gasol on the Spanish one.
• Pre-orders were playable four days early, from September 16, 2016.
• A free title called The Prelude was released for Xbox Live so you could make your MyPlayer before the game came out.
• The soundtrack has 50 licensed songs.
• The Xbox One version was removed from sale on December 20, 2018, and the multiplayer servers closed on December 31, 2018.
• Several achievements need MyPark, Pro-Am, Play Now Online or MyTeam, which depended on the servers. 26 of the 49 are tied to those modes, so the full 1,000 Gamerscore cannot be earned today.

Credits

Publisher

2K

Developer

Visual Concepts

Released

2016-09-20

Age rating

E (Everyone)

Region

US

Time to beat

about 33.6 hours

Copies in the shop

• NBA 2K17 (XBOX ONE) CA$14.99