2K Games doesn't really have the best reputation with gamers. This generation, the company has released a slew of games riddled with bugs and greedy microtransactions, like WWE 2K20, which was so broken that there won't be a WWE 2K21. Now, 2K is facing backlash once again for announcing its plans for NBA 2K21.
With next-gen consoles launching later this year, other developers have been promising that gamers who want to play the latest games on their current hardware won't have to repurchase them if they upgrade. However, instead of taking this consumer-friendly approach, 2K isn't offering a free upgrade for NBA 2K21.
The only exception to this is with $99.99 Mamba Forever Edition honoring Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in January. But while this version has additional content (which you can also get if you purchase it specifically for next-gen), the current-gen version will only net you the standard edition for next-gen. Players who are willing to wait it out the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will also have to pay an additional $10 for the game, which will launch for $69.99 instead of the current industry standard (and current-gen price) of $59.99.
Obviously, this has not gone over well, with many gamers calling 2K's decision greedy. Most other publishers with games announced to be releasing for both current and next-gen platforms have committed to giving anyone who purchases a game on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One a free upgrade that takes advantage of the new hardware. "Smart Delivery" has been a huge part of Microsoft's push for the Series X, and Crystal Dynamics recently announced that Marvel's Avengers will be a free PS5 upgrade. Even Electronic Arts, who's faced plenty of criticism for its business practices over the years, is offering something of the sort for Madden NFL 21. While it did put a time-limit on redeeming the offer (a deadline it pushed by several months after facing backlash), it's still more than 2K is offering.
2K's decision is especially hard to defend when you look at how it's monetized the NBA 2K series. The game is riddled with microtransactions, so closing this door to players that upgrade to next-gen hardware but choose not to repurchase the game might not even be a smart financial decision. Depending on how much the next-gen ports actually improve, the cost of making it and giving it as a free upgrade likely pales in comparison to how much 2K would make off of microtransactions by encouraging gamers to continue playing.
Of course, making games is getting more and more expensive, and even small things in development take a lot of time and effort that deserves to be properly compensated. But if other developers are pulling these free upgrades off with brand-new triple-A games, there's no reason why an annual sports title shouldn't be able to do the same. These games are often criticized for offering essentially the same experience with small improvements and changes to the roster year after year. And while 2K is saying it's building the entire game from the ground up, fans are hesitant to believe NBA 2K21 will be that different from NBA 2K20.
Locking a next-gen upgrade in a $100 special edition, particularly one meant to commemorate the life and untimely passing of a basketball legend, is greedy at best and insensitive at worst. And of all the gaming companies that might be able to justify such a move, 2K is not one of them, especially not with a yearly franchise that's already making millions in microtransactions. However, if this approach to NBA 2K21 works, other publishers may feel less incentivized to offer free upgrades. Even if that doesn't happen, 2K has already confused the story surrounding cross-generational releases, something that will make navigating the next year or so of gaming all the more confusing for the average consumer.