Earlier this week, NBA 2K21 players noticed that the latest game in 2K’s annual franchise had become a touch bit…annoying. Unskippable adverts for Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 VR headset had been placed into loading screens, and even if you were running the game on an SSD on PC, you had to watch the whole advert before you’d be allowed to start playing a game of five on five.

The latest iteration in the NBA 2K series also has another touch of authenticity this year: Adverts that you can’t skip.

Sooner or later, video game prices are going to break past that almighty threshold. And on the cusp of a new generation of consoles, NBA 2K21 is looking to be the first game on the court to set that new precedent. While NBA 2K21’s effort to dunk its way towards a PS5 and Xbox Series X score was inevitable, it’s next-gen price came as a surprise to faithful fans.

NBA2K drew a lot of ire from gamers this year, especially as it continued to defy changing industry attitudes towards loot boxes and gambling, by doubling down on those aspects of the game. The game has slot machines in it, which seem a little out of place in a basketball sim. Despite the blowback from core gamers, NBA2K has gone on to be the best-selling game in the US.

The latest trailer for NBA 2K20, a highlight of “MyTeam” that isn’t even trying to hide the fact that it’s a glorified casino thanks to its use of pachinko, card packs that allow you to power up your players and an actual slot machine

NBA 2K19 is out today, and by all accounts is a very good basketball game – just as it is every year. Unfortunately, every year there seems to be some or other server issues or technical glitch that makes players angry. Right now, there’s a maelstrom of complaints about the game’s Virtual Currency – or VC. May say that instead of the 100 000 VC they were promised, they're stuck with -1 VC

The digital age is upon us, and the NBA seems to be considering influences from Twitch for the future of their broadcasts.

2K Games have been releasing annual NBA games for a couple of years, games which have built on a solid system of passes and dribbles while also making players look unbelievably realistic. That’s a pedigree which continues in NBA 2K18, which releases later this month on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But before your journey from the street to the prime-time court begins for real, you’ve got to try out the Prelude.