Fans Blast ‘NBA 2K22’ For Adding Bizarre Rapping Minigame Instead Of Fixing The Biggest Issues With The Franchise

• NBA 2K22 players are tearing into the video game for adding a rapping minigame while failing to address the many glaring issues that continue to plague the franchise
• The newest installment of MyCareer features a subplot that allows created players to pursue a rap career and pick from various lines while recording a song in the studio
• Read more video game news here

At the beginning of the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt started using the big stick he was so fond of to wallop the American conglomerates that were targeted by the “trust-busting” initiatives designed to rein in the massive corporations with a stranglehold on various industries that had largely been allowed to operate unchecked.

The fact that monopolies are in a prime position to exploit virtually powerless consumers with no real alternatives is probably the most notable reason they’re generally frowned upon, but it’s far from the only one. History has shown competition is a major driver of innovation, but a dearth of rivals in a particular space tends to breed the stagnation that occurs when there’s no real incentive to continue to invest in improvements.

I can’t think of a better way to highlight that phenomenon than taking a look at the current state of the sports video game landscape, At times, it seems like the developers at EA and Take-Two go out of their way to make sure they don’t address any of the inevitable deluge of complaints they’re treated to whenever the newest installment of FIFA, Madden, and NBA 2K drops, as they know most gamers will still begrudgingly pick up a copy when the only other option they really have is “nothing.”

History repeated itself yet again when NBA 2K22 was released on Friday only to immediately fall victim to the server issues that a lot of prospective players encountered after booting it up.

Plenty of people were also less than thrilled with what they were treated to once they managed to get NBA 2K22 working, as it didn’t take long for players to realize that a franchise that’s had years to address complaints concerning repetitive commentary, game-breaking glitches, and an infuriatingly increased focus on microtransactions and ads continues to be plagued by many issues that remain unaddressed.

With that said, NBA 2K22 does feature some new additions. That includes some updates to MyCareer mode, as the game’s developers have finally given fans of basketball video games what they really want by giving them the option to, um, ride a bike, take selfies, and pursue a rap career.

That last “feature” includes a minigame that allows your created player to step into the booth and spit some incredibly lukewarm fire, which is certainly a choice.

https://twitter.com/Swandre3000/status/1436872774656663554

It might not be the only thing in NBA 2K22 that makes it clear the folks at Take-Two need to reevaluate their priorities, but it still drew the ire of plenty of fans who used it to illustrate everything that’s wrong with the current state of the franchise.

Lmfao I’ve seen the trailer and shit and they legit do everything to this game except fix the gameplay 🤦🏽‍♂️ you can be a rapper, you can race bikes for some odd reason, you can be a model, you can even DECIDE TO BE GAY, but no, let’s not worry about that actual basketball gameplay

— DJeneric (@DJenericLive) September 8, 2021

Sounds about right.