The latest installment of the popular NBA 2K series — NBA 2K18 — was unofficially released last week, and it's safe to say it's as real as it gets. From the player's face, tattoos, hair, and other accessories, the attention to detail was just top notch.
Of course, the same thing goes for the sneakers in the video game. Although the way shoes look was just considered secondary in the game's earlier years, the developers gave more attention to footwear now and made it appear as realistic as possible.
And according to the game's Senior Producer Rob Jones, via Mike Destefano of Sole Collector, it's all thanks to the advances in technology that allowed them to recreate the sneakers the way it is today.
“We have a 3D laser scanner. We scan everything. We see how the light hits it, and now when you can go close to the [Air Jordan 4], and you can see that mesh, and it's perfect,” says NBA 2K18 Senior Producer Rob Jones. “For me, and for a lot of the guys at the office, accuracy and authenticity is the biggest thing.”
He also said that through their partnerships with the major sneaker brands, they can release the latest signature pairs from the players the same time they are out in the real world. Jones even added they are always watching the players throughout the season to make sure how they look all the way down to their shoes are updated in the game.
“We are always extremely reactive,” says Jones. “We are on there with a microscope to say, ‘He was wearing this yesterday. Get that on him.' Especially when it's changing like that.”
NBA 2K18 has indeed exerted a lot of effort to include every sneaker possible, and while gameplay is still the most important thing for the video game, it can't be denied that sneakers have been and will always be a big part of the game and the sport itself.
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