| NBA 2K17 | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuring Paul George | |
| Developer(s) | Visual Concepts |
| Publisher(s) | 2K Sports |
| Series | NBA 2K |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Xbox 360 Xbox One iOS Android |
| Release date(s) | WW September 20, 2016 iOS and Android WW September 23, 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Rating(s) |  : E (Everyone)
|
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Series information | |
| <- NBA 2K16 | |
| NBA 2K18 -> | |
NBA 2K17 is a basketball video game that was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the eighteenth installment of the NBA 2K series. It was released on September 20, 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers became the cover athlete while Kobe Bryant is the cover athlete for the 'Legend Edition'. It is the successor of NBA 2K16.
Development[]
A 'Legend Edition' of the game will be available for players to purchase; it features Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete and contains several physical and digital bonuses, such as a poster and Virtual Currency. (Additionally, a 'Gold' version of the 'Legend Edition' is also available, featuring further bonuses.) The 2015–16 NBA season was Bryant's final season in the NBA so a special edition featuring Bryant was developed as a way of paying tribute to what many consider to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. As such, NBA 2K17 and its 'Legend Edition' were announced on the day Bryant played his final NBA game in April 2016.
One focus Visual Concepts has for NBA 2K17 is the balancing of NBA players who "break the rules" with their unique styles of play. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in particular is a player that gameplay director Mike Wang said was problematic to balance in NBA 2K16. In real life, Curry frequently takes, and makes, shots that are historically viewed as bad shots. Examples include half-court or three-quarter-court shots, contested off-the-dribble three-pointers, and heavily contested layups. Wang says that over the course of the NBA 2K series, taking these sorts of shots has been penalized because this makes sense for "99.9% of the league". In an attempt to allow for some exceptions, Wang says Visual Concepts has had to come up with a system that allows certain players to not be penalized for taking historically bad shots. However, this creates further balancing complications as there is the potential to effectively "break the game". Experimentations with such a system were made in May 2016 via an update for NBA 2K16, which modified Curry's shooting ability for a thirty-hour period.
The game's soundtrack was curated by Grimes, Imagine Dragons, and Noah Shebib, and features 50 licensed songs. A companion app, titled MyNBA2K17, for iOS and Android is available alongside the game; it features Karl-Anthony Towns as its cover athlete. Additionally, a free title for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live called The Prelude is also available; in it, the player can create their MyPlayer for use in the main game's MyCareer mode. On August 10, 2016, a trailer showcasing both the 1992 and 2016 nited States men's Olympic basketball teams was revealed.