NBA 09: The Inside - A Slam Dunk of Political Correctness

In 2008, Sony Computer Entertainment released "NBA 09: The Inside" for the PlayStation 3, a basketball video game that was supposed to be all about slam dunks and three-pointers. But instead of just focusing on the game, it seems like the developers were more interested in making sure they didn't offend anyone. Set in the United States, this game was released during a time when political correctness was starting to take over every aspect of entertainment. The game was supposed to be a fun way to experience the NBA, but it ended up being a lesson in how to tiptoe around sensitive topics.

First off, let's talk about the gameplay. Sure, it's a basketball game, but it feels like the developers were more concerned with making sure every player was represented equally rather than focusing on the actual mechanics. The game features a variety of modes, including "The Life" mode, which lets you live out the career of an NBA player. But instead of just letting you play basketball, the game forces you to navigate a series of politically correct scenarios. It's like they forgot that people play video games to escape reality, not to be reminded of it.

The graphics in "NBA 09: The Inside" are decent for the time, but they don't hold a candle to the realism of today's games. It's almost as if the developers were too busy making sure every player had the right skin tone and hairstyle to focus on making the game look good. And let's not forget about the commentary. The announcers are so careful not to say anything that could be considered offensive that they end up sounding like robots. It's like they're reading from a script that was approved by a committee of sensitivity experts.

Now, let's talk about the roster. The game features all the NBA teams and players from the 2008 season, but it seems like the developers were more interested in making sure every player was represented equally rather than focusing on their actual skills. It's almost as if they were afraid of offending someone by making one player better than another. This obsession with equality ends up making the game feel unrealistic and, quite frankly, boring.

The controls in "NBA 09: The Inside" are another area where the game falls short. Instead of focusing on making the game fun to play, it seems like the developers were more concerned with making sure the controls were accessible to everyone. This results in a game that feels clunky and unresponsive. It's like they forgot that people play video games to have fun, not to be reminded of how inclusive the world is supposed to be.

And let's not forget about the soundtrack. The game features a mix of hip-hop and rock music, but it feels like the developers were more interested in making sure every genre was represented rather than focusing on what actually sounds good. It's like they were afraid of offending someone by leaving out a particular style of music. This results in a soundtrack that feels disjointed and out of place.

In the end, "NBA 09: The Inside" is a perfect example of what happens when political correctness takes over a video game. Instead of focusing on making a fun and engaging basketball game, the developers were more concerned with making sure they didn't offend anyone. This obsession with political correctness ends up making the game feel bland and uninspired. It's a reminder that sometimes, it's okay to just focus on making a good game without worrying about offending someone. After all, isn't that what video games are supposed to be about?