NBA 2K11 Featurette: A Legend Reborn - PAGE 1

2K Sports is gearing up to release a new entry into the NBA 2K series, titled NBA 2K11. Sitting down with us in a teleconference, producer Eric Boenisch and gameplay director Rob Jones delivered answers to a few questions ourselves and a few other publications had on hand. Read on for a few highlights, and be sure to listen to the full recorded interview below.

One of the major focal points for NBA 2K11 has been the introduction of Michael Jordan. Ever since he's been announced as a playable character, developer Visual Concepts has felt the pressure to exceed our expectations. As Jones explained: "Michael had to be perfect, so we really spent a lot of time researching him.  Not just visually, but also the way he played...in order to get him right."

Having MJ as a playable character is definitely a feature to be excited about. However, you will need to complete all ten of the "Jordan Challenges" before you can unlock the pro. These consist of special moments from Jordan's career you will need to duplicate. We were assured these weren't minigames where you just drop in and make the final shot -- you will have to work hard to earn those achievements.

Once you have Michael Jordan unlocked you will be able to use him in the "MJ: Creating A Legend" mode. Here you will take Jordan from a rookie to a pro, and witness him age as he comes up through the modern NBA teams. The developers really feel gamers will take note of how they captured Jordan, not only in style but graphically as well, right down to the signature tongue sticking out when he shoots.

While the team recognizes playing as Michael Jordan is a huge feature for fans, they definitely do not want to lose sight of the improvements they've made to the franchise as a whole. This year will push it even further.

"The biggest [improvement we made this time] was the complete polish in terms of how well the game animates this year in relation to the way it did last year," Jones noted. "I think that as many animations as NBA 2K  is known for, the fact that it's so smooth and seamless is really a testament to how well we've been able to perfect what we've done in the past."

The frame rate from NBA 2K10 was mentioned as being "questionable at best" when using cameras other than the default. The team states they have put in a lot of hard work to make sure that 60fps was a priority for ALL cameras in this iteration, something the developers are very proud of.

The team is also excited about the "press conference" feature. While playing in the "My Career" mode, you may be prompted after each game to partake in a press conference. During these conferences you can criticize your team mates for a poor performance, or even stand behind them and help build camaraderie. It will be entirely up to you how arrogant or humble you wish to be during your NBA career.

Another improvement involves the AI -- not just with the players on the court, but also with the team management as well. The AI players will exploit your weaknesses and will even double team you if you are a strong player. Likewise, team management won't be making any dumb trades, relying heavily on their needs and the strengths of the player.

The new Playstation Move controller will also be implemented into the gameplay. While we were told the Move is very handy to use in the Dunk Contest, Boenisch wanted to stress the controller won't be used for just dunking.

"The Move is supported everywhere in the game. The idea behind the Move that we took with it was a very casual approach. If you want to do a layup, you can just extend your arm out -- very simple movements rather than complex motions. It's very much a casual experience getting people involved in having a good time with the game."

So will 2K11 be able to surpass its predecessors? We will find out shortly when we receive it for review. In the meantime, feel free to download the demo on PSN and XBL and let us know what you think.