NBA 2K10 tips off October 6

NBA 2K10 may be coming out in 2009, but that doesn't mean the big one-zero on the end of the title is without significance. This year, 2K Sports' annual basketball sim celebrates its 10th anniversary. To honor the occasion, 2K Sports today announced the NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition, a special retail package for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

In addition to a copy of the game, the Anniversary Edition includes a combination lock-equipped 2K Sports locker, a McFarlane Toys-produced figurine of NBA 2K10 cover athlete Kobe Bryant, a Kobe Bryant poster designed by Shephard Fairey's Studio No. 1, and access to an in-game VIP online lobby.

As detailed in GameSpot's interview with 2K's vice president of sports development Jeff Thomas, the collector's edition will also include a retrospective commemorative DVD that tracks the evolution of the series. Thomas also notes that the in-game VIP lobby, known as the Gold Room, is still a work in progress, but will allow Anniversary Edition purchasers a more exclusive in-game experience, including "a certain amount of VIP events."

The NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition for the Xbox 360 and PS3 will retail for $99.99. NBA 2K10 will also ship in standard editions for the Xbox 360, PS3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, and PC on October 6.