NBA2K25 MyPark Social Behavior Study
Overview
Objective: To observe and document player reactions to changes in social behavior within NBA2K25’s MyPark environment. Location: MyPark voice/game chat Purpose: Analyze how players respond to shifts in communication style and whether toxic behavior can be influenced.
Experiment Scenarios
Initial Scenario 1: Toxic to Nice (Individual) Initial State: Exhibited toxic behavior Progression:
- Initial toxic interaction
- Me: “You’re trash at this game, uninstall bro”
- Them: “Whatever, you’re just spamming cheese”
- Me: “Grown A** man being this bad at a video game is crazy”
- Them: “Talk when you learn how to shoot”
- Post-loss interaction
- Them: “Hold that L you toxic *****”
- Me: “That’s what you get for playing like that”
- Them: “Scoreboard don’t lie”
- Me: “Your peoples would be real disappointed by this performance”
- Slight improvement in tone but still condescending
- Me: “Hey, at least you’re trying. Maybe stick to rookie mode though?”
- Them: “Still won tho”
- Me: “Next time do [this, this and that] so you can stop me”
- Them: “Nobody asked for your advice *****”
- Second game victory
- Me: “You getting better man good job!”
- Them: “Don’t act nice now after being toxic”
- Me: “Nah fr though, good adjustments”
- Them: “Whatever man…”
- Third game being nice
- Me: “What’s your name how are you?”
- Them: “Why you switching up now?”
- Me: “Say you actually pretty good I can’t lie”
- Them: “Yo, why you trynna be so nice all sudden chill”
- Outcome
- Me: “GG man, you’ve tuff. Add me if you want to run some games”
- Them: “You bipolar or something?”
- Me: “Nah just tired of the toxic stuff”
- Them: “Ight bet, but no more toxic stuff”
Scenario 2: Toxic to Nice (Group Setting) Initial State: Group toxicity towards opponents Progression:
- Initial group toxic behavior
- Us: “Yall some **** straight garbage fr”
- Them: “Says the **** with 0 points”
- Us: “Deleting the game might help your IQ levels”
- Them: “1v1 me you scared **** “
- Post-loss interaction
- Them: “Hold that L bozos”
- Us: “Y’all got lucky with that **** cheese”
- Them: “Cry more, skill issue”
- Us: “Touch grass you **** sweats”
- Individual shift
- Me: “Come on guys, they’re not that bad”
- Team: “Nah **** them they’re dogwater”
- Them: “At least someone got sense”
- Team: “You switching sides now? **** outta here”
- Victory interaction
- Me: “Good games anyway”
- Them: “You cool but your squad toxic af”
- Team: “Still trash tho frfr uninstall”
- Them: “3-1 scoreboard don’t lie”
Scenario 3: Targeted Toxicity with Defenders Initial State: Group targeting one player Progression:
- Initial targeting
- Team: “This PG selling harder than a garage sale”
- PG: “My bad, I’m new to point”
- Team: “My grandma got better handles than this ****”
- PG: “Yall dont gotta be like that fr”
- Them: “Leave gang alone”
- Team: “Or what LMAOOOO”
- Performance criticism
- Team: “7 turnovers?! Delete the build expeditiously”
- PG: “Chill bru im new”
- Team: “Actual NPC behavior right here”
- PG: “How bout you guard your man instead of ****riding me”
- Them: “Nah i cant lie you playin like *** gang”
- Them: “Yea I can’t even defend you”
- PG: “Bru what??”
- Them: “LOCK IN DUMB***”
- Other team jumps in
- Team: “Yall really bullying your own teammate?”
- Them: “Wasn’t yall just talkin ya own ****? Mind ya business before you catch these L’s too”
- Team: “1v1 after this, put your VC where your mouth is”
- Them: “Bet pull up then”
- Unexpected turn
- Team: “Your PG ain’t even bad, yall just ball hogging”
- Them: “Now we got ops defending sells, I’m done”
- PG: “Thanks but I don’t need yall pity”
- Team: “Just saying they toxic for no reason”
- PG: “Yall the idiots who started it”
Scenario 4: Nice to Toxic (Individual) Initial State: Positive behavior Progression:
- Initial friendly
- Me: “Nice shot selection bro”
- Them: “Thanks fam, you got good IQ”
- Me: “We could go crazy if we sync up”
- Them: “No cap, let’s cook”
- Post-loss shift
- Me: “Bro what are these passes…”
- Them: “Maybe if you hit an open shot”
- Me: “You playing with your monitor off?”
- Them: “Least I don’t play like I got parkinsons”
- Full meltdown
- Me: “My dead dog got better stick skills”
- Them: “Crazy how you went from nice to **** real quick”
- Me: “Crazy how you went from decent to selling”
- Them: “You the type to cry in park cuz you lost yo vc fr”
- Peak toxicity
- Me: “You the reason 2K needs parental controls”
- Them: “All that talk but won’t 1v1”
- Me: “**** go back to Fortnite kid”
- Them: “Your mom should’ve closed her legs”
Scenario 5: Nice to Toxic to Nice Initial State: Positive meeting mild toxicity Progression:
- Initial friendly
- Me: “Clean moves bro!”
- Them: “Whatever, you just cheese screens”
- Me: “Just tryna hoop fr”
- Them: “You call that hooping? **** pathetic”
- Energy matching
- Me: “Shooting bricks like you building a house”
- Them: “Still dropped 21 on your head”
- Me: “With 12 shot attempts you **** ball hog”
- Them: “Better than yo selling ***”
- Cooling down
- Me: “We both acting childish rn”
- Them: “You started being toxic tho”
- Me: “This community toxic enough already”
- Them: “Facts, mb for getting heated”
- Resolution
- Me: “Run it back? No toxic this time”
- Them: “Bet, lemme hop on my guard build”
- Me: “Ight don’t sell tho lmao”
- Them: “Only W’s from here”
Key Observations
- Toxic behavior intensifies after losses but often initiates from early-game mistakes (missed shots, turnovers)
- Players are more likely to become toxic when teammates reinforce negative comments
- Initial plays heavily influence the match’s social dynamic
- Solo players tend to adapt their behavior based on group majority
- Defensive players receive most toxic comments, especially after opponent scores
- Players maintain toxic behavior longer when supported by teammates
- Direct confrontation typically escalates toxicity while indirect positivity can de-escalate
Patterns Observed
- Players show strong initial resistance to attitude changes, often interpreting positivity as sarcasm or weakness
- Individual reform happens gradually over 3-4 games while group toxicity tends to be self-reinforcing
- “Alpha” players (highest rep/score) heavily influence group behavior
- Toxicity peaks after game-changing plays (turnovers, missed open shots)
- Players are more receptive to positive feedback after showcasing individual skill
- Cross-team defenders of targeted players often escalate rather than defuse situations
- Victory often softens players’ receptiveness to positive interaction
- Early-game toxicity is harder to reform than late-game reactions
