NBA2K23
TITLE
Senior Designer
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
For the Xbox 1 and PlayStation 4 releases of NBA2K23 I was the lead designer for new, signature live-operations event content. Ideation and implementation was a collaborative effort among me and my small team of junior designers. We pitched gameplay concepts through approval and fully designed the systems and features through iteration and feedback. We worked on several concepts from start to finish, and worked to re-design events from previous years.
During this release cycle I was also tasked with being the primary designer and subject matter expert (scripting purposes) for the “Jordan Challenge” game mode. A highly acclaimed game mode that sees players travel back in time to re-enact some of Michael Jordan’s most memorable feats in Basketball. I was tasked with providing scripting assistance for lighting, camera work and specific cut-scene story sequences during the Jordan Challenge.
LIST OF EVENTS AND FEATURES
Jordan Challenge Mode (2K23)
Serving Greens (NEW)
Badge Hunter (NEW)
Power Up (NEW)
Onslaught (NEW)
Wizard’s Duel (NEW)
Jordan Challenge
Description :
The Jordan Challenge is a re-design of a fan favorite game mode from NBA2K11. It was brought back for 2K23 due to Jordan’s number being the same as the yearly release. The Jordan Challenge for 2K23 was favorably reviewed and helped earn the title a nomination for Sports Game of the year at the Game Awards.
Players engage in pre-constructed challenges that highlight key moments from Michael Jordan’s storied career. Players must enact Jordan’s specific accolades for each game, playing as Michael Jordan and completing the same feats that he did. Players earn stars based on their performance in the game mode, and receive rewards based on accumulation of stars.
My Role :
I worked to provide scripting support for creating custom cameras and presentation effects. Many key issues with in-game script actions were solved by me and my personal experience and knowledge of the scripting tools used on the project. The game mode presents many different aspects of gameplay that were not present in previous releases, as such a lot of new features had to be implemented. I was a key resource in the process for getting this game mode to release.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following is a link to a community member playing through the game mode.
Serving Greens
Description :
Serving Greens is a multiplayer community focused event where users work together to accumulate as many “Green” shots as they can before the event ends. Participating users earn prizes based on their individual contribution to the community score.
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through a pitch process, design iteration, and development to see this event come to life.
Badge Hunter
Description :
Badge Hunter is an event that rewards users with a specific type of experience that is used to purchase ‘badges’, badges function like perks, or additional passive abilities. Badge Hunter rewards users for playing during the event with Badge Progress multipliers in specific attribute categories such as Defense, Shooting, Playmaking and Finishing. This is a fan favorite event considering it offers a way for users to earn Badge Points in a more efficient way than was previously present in game. We also designed and integrated a leaderboard scoring system for competitive players to see who could earn the most badge points during this event.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development to see this event come to life.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Power Up
Description :
Power Up is an online PVP matchmaking event where a subset of players get ‘Powered Up’ every quarter period of gameplay. This was immediately enjoyed by the userbase and has become a fan favorite, so much so that it was redesigned for next gen consoles with improvements.
My Title :
Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player character boosting was most effective for enjoyment. We also worked to incorporate cinematic effects into the pre and post game sequences.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Onslaught
Description :
Onslaught is a multiplayer PVE event where users face off against increasingly difficult waves of basketball players. Teams must work together in order to reach the highest possible score they can during the match. Matches end early if too many turnovers occur. Leaderboard prizes available for users who reached the highest waves during the event.
My Title :
Senior Designer
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development as a team to see this event come to life.
Gameplay Video Links :
The following are links to YouTubers playing through the event.
Wizard’s Duel
Description :
Wizard’s Duel is a PVP event in NBA2K for the PS4 and Xbox 1. Wizard’s Duel gave users the opportunity to grab in-game boosts and use them at their behest during gameplay. This even gave users a new level of strategic decision making in game that had never been seen before in NBA2K. Different types of magical runes spawn on the court, each one granting a set of different abilities and powers. Rune powers are temporary, and more can be acquired and used throughout the game. Rune powers also increase in strength and availability as the game nears it’s end, facilitating intense clutch-time gameplay.
My Role :
I was the Lead Designer on this event mode, my team consisted of two other direct report designers. We collaborated together in order to plan out playtests, gather data and iterate on what level of player rewarding was appropriate for this event. We went through iteration, pitch and development as a team to see this event come to life.