Take NBA 2K7 Online

2K Sports has always treated their multiplayer games with the same care that they craft their offline experience, and NBA 2K7 is no different. There's an enormous depth to the available online features and options, and this preview will show you what to expect when you take your game on Xbox Live®.

The Answer is still quick to the basket.

The Basics
We don't need to bore you with detailed accounts of the standard features, but you can be sure that these will be present:

• Ranked Match: Classic match that affects your overall ranking.
• Player Match: Unranked match, just for fun.
• Quick Match: A matchmaking system that puts you right into a game.
• Lobbies: Whether you're a beginner, an advanced player, or looking for a game of street ball, you'll find a lobby to match you up with the right players.

Special delivery!

Player Card
It's in the Player Card menu that NBA 2K7 really begins to shine and demonstrate just how comprehensively it treats the multiplayer experience. You'll find all the following information there:

• Overview: This is a quick look at your overall online status. You'll find your wins, losses, overall ranking, your drop and quit percentages, as well as totals of overall games and hours played.
• VIP: The computer tracks your tendencies, your win and loss record, and your overall ability for every game you've played. All this information in funneled into the VIP system. This not only shows you a comprehensive scouting report of yourself (I can see that I rarely use pump fakes, for example), but other players can even download and play against a virtual you, where the computer emulates your play style and ability.
• Stats: Here you can check the box scores from your last online game, your career online averages, as well as team and player highs.
• Rankings: This allows you a detailed look at just where you fall on the NBA 2K7 leaderboards in the following categories:
  • NBA Overall
  • Street
  • Points
  • Blocks
  • Steals
• 2K Rating: This tells you how other players have rated the experience of playing against you, and you can also see any comments that have been posted about you.
• My Availability: This handy feature allows you to leave notes informing other players what times during the coming week you anticipate being online and able to play.

I wonder how Starbury will get along with Isaiah on the bench.

Leagues and Tournaments
Both season-long leagues and short-term tournaments are available for setup with NBA 2K7. Whether it's a league or a tournament, you can decide:

• If it's public or invitation only.
• How many people can play.
• The difficulty rating.
• How long the quarters will be.
• How many games will be played (anything from 8 to 82 for league play).
• What the playoff or tournament series will be set at (e.g. best of 7).
• Whether injuries are turned on or off.
• Whether trades are available.
• Whether to use the teams as they are, or setup a player draft.

Online Desk
The Online Desk category allows you to check on any of the following:

• Leaderboards: Unlike the leaderboards under Player Card, you can see the overall leaders for each major category, as well as checking to see where folks on your friends list fall in the overall ranking.
• Downloads: You can check here to see what new downloads are currently available.
• Online Options: Change any of the basic preferences here, from Custom and Street Match settings to Fast Messages, and your Game Settings.

NBA 2K7 offers a tremendously detailed online experience to rival the options available offline in The Association or the 24/7 modes. Whether you just want a quick street ball match before you head out for the evening or are looking for a dedicated season-long league with a whole community, all the options and features are here for you to experience.

Article by Ryan Treit