Ben Vollmer - "The old adage “a tale of two halves” really encapsulates the NBA 2K24 experience. On one hand, the hardcourt experience is as good as it ever has been (as we should demand from a game that iterates annually), and there are a handful of game modes that allow all of that to be enjoyed without interruption. On the other, much more nefarious hand, MyCareer is nearly unplayable unless you open your wallet or endure an absurd grind. Even worse, mechanics like badge regression reinforce the worst parts of the microtransaction scheme. Beneath those issues, NBA 2K24 still offers a solid basketball experience, but it requires looking in the right places. Clearly, there is a love for the game of basketball on display in modes like MyNBA and Mamba Moments. But a lot of that love is lost the moment we’re asked to pay an absurd amount of money to compete in the main multiplayer mode."
Live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
These reviews neither hurt or help the sales of this franchise because it is the sole definitive version of an NBA video game.
This is what happens when you practically have a monopoly. Maybe they will listen and make improvements and maybe they won’t.
End of the day it will move millions of copies regardless.