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NBA 2K24 Case Study
A winter break project focused on improving player experience through user-centered design.
Timeline
2 Weeks
Role
UX Designer
Copywriter
Tools
Google Suite
Photoshop
Team
Solo
As a long-time consumer of NBA 2K video games, I wanted to know what the player based favoured the most about the current game, as well as what held them back from enjoying it to the fullest. I decided to focus on the MyCareer side of the game as that is the most popular according to my survey. The hope was to get to the bottom of held them back the most, and propose a player-first approach to fixing the issue. I also wanted to use the Adobe Creative Suite to help demonstrate what those changes could like fully realized.
Gain insight from the community using surveys, analyze the data, and propose a solution to evolve the MyCareer experiencce with the use of creative software.
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To identify the target audience, explore their favorite NBA 2K24 features, and uncover factors that limit their enjoyment of the game.
My survey research revealed that the primary motivation for players is the opportunity to engage with friends online. Creative expression through "builds" (custom avatars) also ranked highly, as this feature deepens player engagement by offering personalized gameplay experiences based on their chosen archetypes. Interestingly, core gameplay mechanics and game loops ranked third in player priorities. 30 participants could select up to four answers.
Pain Points
I wanted to understand exactly where the game fell short in the opinions of the players. The biggest gripe with the game thus far seems to be with the fact that you cannot refund attribute points spent. Currently, NBA 2K24 allows for players to play the game in order to earn a currency called VC, alternatively, they can also spend real money to gain VC. This currency can be used to purchase clothing/accessories, modes of transport (skateboards, bikes, etc.), and attribute points. All respondents are aligned with the idea that their hard earned VC should be more flexible, as it remains impossible to test out a build to its full capabilities before VC is spent to raise the avatar’s overall (or level). Participants could select up to four answers.
NPS
Survey participants were asked to rate the game on a 7 point likert scale.
Net Promoter Score
Participants were asked the likelihood the would recommend the game to a friend, 1 to 10.
Using photoshop, I came up with rough design interventions that could help with the pain points “Finding others to play with” and “Shallow Social Features” detailed by our surveyed users.
The Draft Board design was created to add the ability for players in the game to find others and quickly squad up. The idea is to give users more chances to meet new teammates and friends, without making them waste time looking waiting for their real friends to get online, or roll the dice looking for new teammates in the middle of a game.
The interface opens as the user interacts with the Draft Board. The initial screen shows the availability of squads currently online, what game mode they are looking to play, and what positions are filled. By pressing one of the bumper buttons on the user’s controller, they can swap to the “Players” overlay that shows the players available to recruit to your squad. The option to sign up solo, or as a squad is included on these screens as well.
Regarding the top-voted issue, “Unable to respec/refund a created build,” I implemented a solution inspired by RPGs and some sports games: the ability to refund digital currency. This ensures users don’t waste time or money on ineffective builds. I added this feature to the attributes screen, allowing easy refunds with just a few inputs.
Unfortunately, I was unable to test with the same group I gathered my research from initially. However, 6 of the 30 respondents were gracious enough to donate their time again to conduct an A/B test, and a short survey.
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This was my first time conducting a case study on a video game, and I really enjoyed it. While I was familiar with the game, connecting with and empathizing with other players sparked new ideas. I believe I addressed their key concerns well and look forward to doing more game-related case studies in the future.
Despite the time constraints, I wish I had recruited a more committed participant group for better accuracy. I also would have liked to explore a design solution for the social aspect—something that encourages players to stick with the same teammates after a game, making it easier to form squads on the fly. Next time, I'll give myself more time to fully tackle the pain points presented in the data.