NBA 2K10 is expected to deliver the most realistic, stylistic, and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise – from gameplay to graphics, presentation and online features.

Virtual athletes ready to test their skills against the best players in the country can now sign up to participate in the NBA 2K10 All-Star Challenge Presented by Nike Basketball. The All-Star Challenge, driven by 2K Sports, will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360 through the Xbox Live online entertainment network. After the qualification period, and advancing through the online playoffs, two finalists will be flown to Dallas, Texas to compete in the championship tournament held during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, February 12-14. The two finalists may bring a guest to the championships, and will also have special access to Nike VIP events in Dallas. The NBA All-Star Challenge champion will walk away with the incredible grand prize of $10,000, along with the exclusive opportunity to design one of the colorways for Kobe Bryant's signature shoe, the Zoom Kobe V, through NIKEiD (subject to NBA approvals). The Zoom Kobe V that the winner designs will be worn by Kobe in an actual Los Angeles Lakers game, and the virtual version of the design will appear in next year's NBA 2K11. Interested participants can sign up and view the official rules starting today.

After registering for the tournament, participants must qualify and check-in to participate in the online playoffs. During the qualification period, all ranked games played online will count towards an entrant's qualification ranking. The leaderboard will track player rankings, which will be displayed and updated daily on the dedicated tournament website. The 60 tournament participants with the highest ranking, as determined by 2K Sports, who have checked-in and played at least 15 completed games during the qualification period, will advance to the online playoffs. For more information on rules and other details, please visit the dedicated tournament website.

Following are the key dates for the NBA 2K10 All-Star Challenge Presented by Nike Basketball:

• 12/23/09 Registration & Qualification Period Open
• 1/16/10 Registration Ends (11:59 p.m. EST)
• 1/17/10 Qualification Ends & 24 Hour Check-In Period
• 1/23/10 Playoffs, Round 1 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)
• 1/24/10 Playoffs, Round 2 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)
• 1/30/10 Playoffs, Round 3 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)
• 1/31/10 Playoffs, Round 4 (9 a.m. EST start)
• 1/31/10 Playoffs, Round 5 (TBD, Based on Round 4 Winner Availability)
• 2/13/10 Championship Finals (Champion Crowned)

NBA 2K10 raises the bar for authenticity this year with groundbreaking new features:

• NBA Today: Real world matchups, news and stats automatically stream right into the game.  NBA Today keeps commentary and overlays fresh and up to date based on what is really happening in the NBA.  
• My Player: Giving fans what they have long requested, the all-new My Player career mode allows fans to create their own ultimate NBA player and guide his every career move.  Players start as an undrafted rookie in the Summer Circuit, and if their skills become advanced enough, they may get an invite to participate in an NBA team's training camp or end up in the NBA Development League. The road to being an NBA star is a long and hard battle, and each player has the opportunity to create their own unique experience making it to the league.
• The Association: The Association strives to be the best franchise mode in sports video games. Full incorporation of the NBA Development League and the ability to control all 30 NBA teams at once, including restricted free agency, real-time practice, an all-new player progression system, and a host of other enhancements gives NBA 2K10 players the tools to rule the court and lead their team to victory. 
• Crews: Crews, a new online feature, allows dedicated online players to round up their friends and build the ultimate squad using either created players from My Player or an actual NBA team.  Players can go online and battle other Crews for bragging rights and progression points as they try to climb their way to the top of the Crew leaderboard rankings. 
• Signature Play: Signature Play pulls together all of NBA 2K's player Signature Styles and adds in all-new Signature Tendencies and facial expressions, creating NBA 2K10 teams that play and react like their real life counterparts for an unbelievably realistic NBA experience.  Improved easy-to-use offensive controls for dribbling and post game let players pull off ankle breaking IsoMotionTM moves and dominate from the perimeter to the paint.  Gamers can shut down teams like never before with innovative defensive controls that allow you to shadow your opponent's every move, deny position off-ball, and even select different approaches to contest shots.