NBA Playgrounds

NBA Playgrounds
Developer: Saber Interactive Publisher: Mad Dog Games Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Released internationally: May 9, 2017 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models.

NBA Playgrounds is definitely not another NBA Street game. Nope. Stop that.

To do: Unused models, more graphics, final comparisons for Ref directory, and more information on the Ref directory images.

Unused Graphics

UI\Textures\Ref

All images in this directory just contain a file name. They have been categorized below for better organization.

In-Game

Reference images for the hud and pause menu. The notification on the bottom right of the first image is an Unreal Engine 4 prompt. The crowd in the background of the second image consists of numerous unused Kobe Bryant models.

Mockups for local and online scoreboards respectively. Both of these also exist within the Kobe dimension.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Menus

Arena Selection

Card Collection

Pau Gasol's name is misspelled here. This image also has a prompt to "buy gold", presumably with real-world money to unlock more playable characters. In an interview with Polygon, Saber Interactive president Matthew Karch stated that they could add the ability to purchase character booster packs in the future if there was demand for such a feature.

A team selection screen and player stats screen. The team selection screen uses a different logo for the Detroit Pistons, which was later changed for the final release. (The Pistons delayed the rollout of this logo by a year, probably to coincide with a move to a new arena.) The player stats screen gives a good look at the early design for LeBron James.

Booster Packs

Two images for opening player booster packs. The first one here shows an early logo for NBA Playgrounds, which can be seen in many other reference images below. It also reveals that Lebrom LeBron James used to be the cover athlete for Playgrounds. The final game features Allen Iverson as the cover athlete.

Lobby

"lobby", "lobby_v4", and "online_lobby" respectively.

Tournaments

Main Menu

"mainmenu_ref", "mainmenu_v2", and "mainmenu_v6". Curiously, ref uses a near-final logo (it's just missing some "NBA" text above the NBA logo), but still features an option to purchase card packs. v2 has this option removed, but then it's brought back for v6.

Options Menu

Options menus for PlayStation, Xbox One, and Switch. These are quite close to the final menus, with some minor differences.

Credits

EULA

Placeholder EULA screen with a Lorem Ipsum. The final game requires the full EULA to be read (or at least scrolled through), rather than being able to accept it from the top or part-way through.

Miscellaneous

"customizematch" and "leaderboards".

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Tutorials

Menus

These slides read as follows:

"Welcome to NBA Playgrounds. Begin completing your player album by opening your first surprise packs."

"When new packs are available to open, a symbol will be shown on the "Open Packs" option. Visit this option now to open your new player pack."

"The Tournament mode is now available. Travel the world competing in the most incredible and exciting events, and unlock Crazy Events and new courts to play on."

"You're now ready to compete against players from around the world. Compete to rise through the ranks as you make your way to the Diamond League and become one of the best players in the world."

In-Game

"Welcome to the exhibition mode of NBA Playgrounds. Now's the time to learn the basic movements and become an expert player. Don't worry, it's quick and easy. Let's begin!"

"Wait for the ball to reach its highest position. At that moment, press the jump button to take the ball."

"This is the Crazy Event bar. When you perform certain game options (dunks, alley hops [sic], blocks, steals, etc.), the bar will fill up. When it's full, a special event will activate that will give you great advantages for a limited time."

"When you make a shot, you must press the shot button at the exact moment. If you leave the button pressed for too long, the shot will go too long. If you press it too soon, the shot will fall short. To make a good shot, pay attention to the player's animation to press it at the exact moment."

"The yellow bar represents your player's stamina. When you perform actions, the bar will decrease. Some actions, such as spring or shoves, require a certain amount of stamina."

"To make a dunk, you must be running toward the basket with the spring button held down and press the shot button at the same time. The dunk system works just like a basket shot. You must keep the button pressed down for the right amount of time. If you shoot too early or too late, you'll fail the dunk."

"You can perform incredible dribbles moving the right stick in any of the four directions. Remember that you must have sufficient stamina to pull them off."

"Perform spectacular alley ops [sic] pressing the Alley Ops [sic] button so that your teammate jumps. While holding down the button, pass him the ball using the passing button."

"Gain experience points to raise your player level. Every time your level goes up, you'll get a new pack of players."

"Play with your favorite players and gain experience points to raise their level. All players in NBA Playgrounds begin at the Bronze level and can be leveled up to Gold."

This final tutorial image is the only one with English text. It features a magenta box around all the UI elements.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Miscellaneous

Player Card

LeBron James's name is misspelled here.

Player Select

Chauncey Billups's name is misspelled in this player selection image.

Team Logos

The Pistons logo goes unused because of the aforementioned decision by the Pistons to delay its rollout a year.

(Source: Original TCRF research)