This is where you might want to pay attention if you're a sports person, because 2K Sports has upped the interactivity ante in their NBA 2K franchise, and then some. Dubbed "The Neighbourhood", NBA 2K18 has combined MyPARK, Pro-Am and MyCAREER into a single, living shared space for players, that is literally designed as a mini open-world neighbourhood.

From the official press release:

The Neighborhood is unlike anything ever seen in NBA 2K or any other sports career mode before. MyPLAYERs live in a neighborhood environment with several locations in the city blocks to visit, flush with other MyPLAYERS and characters with whom to interact. Experiences and ratings revolve around player actions, whether it’s running into Kyrie Irving while getting a shave at the barbershop, competing on the courts in The Playground, getting inked at the tattoo parlor, listening to the latest beats or showing off the latest gear to friends while strolling the block. A user’s experience is entirely shaped by how they compete, allowing them to reap the rewards of playing NBA 2K18 the way they enjoy it most.

But words can't really do this justice, so have a look a video embedded below offering up the best visual description of this unique new gameplay innovation (for sports games).


“We’ve elevated the NBA 2K experience to new heights by putting players at the center of a fully-immersive basketball environment to explore, socialize, and most importantly compete,” said Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts via the same press release. "We can’t wait to see what this means for the future of the brand, and for fans to get their hands on NBA 2K18 starting September 15th.”

And while this does actually look very exciting, a question will remain for Aussies about connectivity, because in the past we've had some pretty ordinary online experiences where this specific franchise is concerned.

What do you think -- is this shared, living space enough to peak your interest in a sports title if you don't normally dabble?