NBA 2K21 Pricing Scheme Raises Eyebrows

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Pricing and next-generation upgrades for NBA 2K21 have been announced and, wow, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny to just play the game.

According to the official NBA 2K website, there will be four different versions of the game for pre-order: Standard Edition for current generation, Mamba Forever Edition for current generation, Standard Edition for next generation, and Mamba Forever Edition for next generation.

The Standard Editions for both current and next generation are just the base game. Each comes with a pre-order bonus of currency, points, packs and a digital collection – Damian Lillard for current, Zion Williamson for next.

The Mamba Forever Editions come with more of these amenities and a Kobe Bryant Digital Collection. Additionally, the current generation version comes with the Damian Lillard Digital Collection while the next generation version comes with the Zion Williamson Digital Collection.

What’s shocking about this model, however, is pricing and paywall. For starters, the pricing for the standard edition of the games are priced at $59.99 and $69.99 for current and next generation, respectively. The $10 price hike for a next generation game is a first in the industry, and one that could normalize charging more for games in this next generation.

Even more consumer-unfriendly, however, is the paywall-ing of next-generation upgrades. Both Mamba Forever Editions come out at $99.99 and these include access to both current and next generation forms of the game. Essentially, NBA 2K21 is asking players to pay for Smart Delivery, something that other developers like CD Projekt Red and Bungie have made free. Additionally, the Mamba Forever Editions vary between in cover art, meaning that collectors will have to buy both to get everything.

NBA 2K recently has been known for its intense monetization schemes. This pricing scheme and next generation download model certainly doesn’t help. It’s not like the game won’t have in game monetization, so players may end up spending multiple of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in this one game.