College Hoops 2K7 Preview
U-N-I-T-Y (You gotta let 'em know). We check out the new team-unity system in College Hoops 2K7.
How do you explain George Mason University's unlikely Cinderella story during the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament? Was it raw talent that got them to the Final Four, toppling traditional powerhouses like Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut? Was it pure luck? If you ask the folks at 2K Sports that same question, they might have a different answer for you: unity. The concept of team unity plays a big role in the gameplay of the publisher's upcoming college basketball game, College Hoops 2K7, and we got a hands-on look at how the concept is being worked into the game.
Unity is a measure of how well a team is playing together on the floor. It's dependent on a number of factors--how experienced your players are, how often you make substitutions, and, of course, how well you perform. Teams with high unity are better at nearly every aspect of the game, from the little things like setting up the screen and making smart passes to larger components of the on-floor action such as defensive ability and shot making. Conversely, teams with low unity will often be less apt at these team-related fundamentals, regardless of how talented a team they are. In fact, how unity is applied in the game means that a high-talent, mediocre-unity team such as UConn might struggle against a team comprising less talented but better-unified players (think George Mason and the Huskies). Unity isn't going to necessarily guarantee a win, but it might just keep you in a game or two.
In the game, your unity level is designated by a meter--to fill up the meter, you have to make plays happen on the court and increase your players' confidence ratings (which are indicated visually by a white semicircle underneath each player's feet). The higher your players' confidence, the better they'll play and the more your unity rating will increase. Miss some open shots, or have the ball stripped by your opponent a few times, and your unity will suffer accordingly. As the coach, the actions you take will have an affect on your team's unity, as well. For example, substituting fresh (but inexperienced) players into the game to relieve your starters will certainly take a notch or two from your unity meter. As a result, there will be even more importance for you to make substitutions at the right times.
Team unity will also improve if you have what's known as a "coach on the floor" playing on your team. These natural floor generals help build the confidence of your younger players and help all five players on the court gel together. It's possible to have multiple coach-on-the-floor players, though you won't receive additional bonuses for having more than one on the court.
While the concept of unity is a bit abstract, it was easy to see in effect during a game we played against one of the developers. We played as Michigan and our opponent played as last year's champs, Florida. Though the Gators didn't start at a full unity rating, once they filled out their meter, the difference in their play was immediately noticeable on both sides of the ball. Three-point shots were drained from every point on the court; no-look, gorgeous behind-the-back passes were executed flawlessly; and the Florida defenders were like flies to honey whenever we made an errant pass or bobbled the ball. In essence, the team played like a team on fire.
From a control standpoint, one of the biggest changes is that crossover and spin moves normally associated with 2K's isomotion system have moved to the Y and B buttons on the Xbox 360 controller. While you can still pull off the moves using the analog stick and triggers, this control change was made to add more ease to the system. In the past, you had to choose your spin direction based on which ball your hand was in. Now, it's simply a matter of hitting the spin button and letting the computer execute the context-sensitive spin for you. Another change: The free-throw system has been borrowed from NBA 2K7 for the college game. Just as in NBA, you move the stick back and release at the right moment in conjunction with the player animation. You'll also want to make sure the stick is pulled straight back to ensure an accurate shot; if you want to miss the free throw on purpose and give your team a chance at an easy rebound, you can move the stick back left or right before releasing the ball.
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