Everyone’s favorite gambling simulator/basketball game NBA 2K20 now features unskippable advertisements before games. Similar ads were added to last year’s NBA 2K19 earlier this summer, but 2K20 players are getting them only a few short weeks after launch.
Reddit user Boostermiester spotted the Converse ad pictured below while the game was loading, but even after the game was fully loaded and ready to go, there was no way to stop the ad from playing. Other users stated that they too had come across unskippable advertisements when trying to load into various 2K20 modes like MyCareer, and nobody seems to be happy about their inclusion in a full-price video game. “It’s embarrassing that anyone pays $60 for it,” writes one user. “I didn’t pay full triple A price to be force fed ads,” says another.
2K Games didn’t have much to say about the addition of unskippable ads in NBA 2K19, so it’s unlikely they’ll have a response this time around, either. Still, we’ve reached out for comment and will provide an update if we hear anything.
2K Games has been monetizing the NBA 2K franchise on an increasingly aggressive level year after year, with 2K20 being the culmination of years of predatory business practices. While some have made comparisons between loot boxes and gambling, 2K20 features a literal slot machine, among other things, that allows players to earn in-game rewards. Now that unskippable advertisements are sprinkled into the mix, it’s hard to play 2K20 without feeling like you’re constantly being marketed to or sold something.
The monetization has slightly affected the game’s review scores, with it having a lower (although still respectable) score on OpenCritic and Metacritic when compared to its predecessors, but NBA 2K20 has still sold incredibly well to no one’s surprise. When you have one of the biggest licenses on the planet, anti-consumer practices and bad press can only do so much to hinder sales.
NBA 2K20 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game will be available on Google Stadia when it launches on November 19th.
