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Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Sports
Release Date: Available now
Would you pay to play a demo? That’s a question that has been lobbed by marketing forces ever since digital distribution really began to take root and thrive in the video game console space. While most consumers eagerly chomp at the bit to take the latest demo for a whirl, the moment a price gets slapped on the content, the voices often sing loud and clear in opposition. That hasn’t stopped publishers from attempting to make a little bit of scratch off those itching for their next eagerly awaited release, which was evident last summer when Microsoft and Lionhead Studios offered up Fable II Pub Games to whet fans’ appetites before Fable II dropped in October. This summer, 2K Sports has released their own premium pre-release content with the unveiling of NBA 2K10: Draft Combine on the XBLA and PSN networks.
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine is essentially the Create-a-Player mode made available a few weeks before the full release of NBA 2K10 hits retail. The first thing a player will do is create their in-game avatar from scratch, using the robust toolset designed by Visual Concepts. This allows you to tweak the character’s appearance and then apply a starting level of experience points to augment the player’s skills. If you’re looking to build a better center, boost that guy’s stature and vertical leap and get ready to hit the court.
 Once you’ve carefully crafted your character, you’ll have access to a host of training drills designed to improve your player’s statistics. The drills cover all angles of the game (rebounding, foul shots, 3-pointers), and each drill provides a pre-set condition that must be met (i.e. % of shots drained) in order to medal in the competition. The greater the medal, the more experience earned in that stat category. The goal is to build your rookie’s stature by excelling in the drills and winning scrimmages in order to move your character higher up in the Draft charts. In addition to the scrimmages, there are also six full games that can be played to earn more experience and unlock Achievements. Players who opt to purchase the full retail copy of NBA 2K10 will then be able to import their created player into that game with all of their earned stat bonuses intact.
The design of NBA 2K10 is fantastic – presenting an in-depth training and tutorial mode that feels ripped from the retail game. To that end, the production values are terrific, with lifelike player animations and some gorgeous graphics that really sell the illusion. The game plays tightly and as a preview of the full title, this looks like a solid purchase for those fans hankering for some roundball action. The various drills offer a nice level of depth and it will take solid skill to meet the assorted challenges laid out by the developers in order to earn each medal and get the maximum experience boost. The drills coupled with the scrimmages and full games provide for a good dose of game play. I could easily see this title keeping someone occupied until the full game releases.
 The main problem I have with this title is on a philosophical level. I’m not entirely on board with this pay-to-play approach to demos. I’d argue that this title goes one step further along that path, asking gamers to pay for a game mode that is traditionally part of the full retail package. Create-a-Player is an expected mode in every legitimate sports title. What we have here is that mode ripped from the package in advance (although the main title does offer it as well). While it’s commendable that the progress made in Draft Combine carries into the full release, it would be nice to see those who purchased the NBA 2K10: Draft Combine receiving a discount off the major retail release. At this time, that does not look to be in the cards.
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine is ultimately a nice preview of the upcoming NBA 2K10 with the added bonus that your actions will carry over to the full retail release. While the gameplay is rewarding and there is a good deal of trials to challenge virtual basketball fans, it’s hard to shake the fact that adopters are getting a pinch of the double-dip mentality by paying for a preview. That said, if you absolutely can’t wait to get your hands on the main game and have $10 to burn, NBA 2K10: Draft Combine is worth your while.
Our Score: 
Our Recommendation: 
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combine costs 10 dollars and it is not simply a create a player, it is a pretext to a my player mode (like in madden) where u carry your player through the draft and so on. in create a player, u are simply undrafted and you can make your ratings as high as you would like for them to be. i actually have the game, and some of the things the author is talking about confuses me because there is no drill for foul shooting and so on. did the author even play the game?
im sorry i meant to say it costs 5 dollars
I’m sorry to hear that you do not agree with my take on the game. My 4 star rating should reflect its quality, but I did harbor fundamental reservations that it feels less like a stand-alone product (which is what I look for in titles distributed via the various digital distribution sites such as XBLA and PSN) and more like the Create-A-Player/Fantasy Draft modes so common to current day sports titles. Like last years Fable II Pub games, it feels like the consumer is paying for a preview of the main event. Aside from that, as my review dictates, it is a top-notch product and I think anyone interested in purchasing the retail version (and who are very invested in this series) would do well by this title – at the very least, to help the wait go by quickly.
As for the typo on price, I apologize for that simple error, but whether it’s $5 or $10 – I still think paying anything for a glorified demo runs contrary to my personal beliefs. As I mentioned, I’d be more in favor of the pricing if it guaranteed a discount on the full retail release.
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