NBA 2K's Double XP coins are a dirty trick to keep us hooked like meth addicts

I play NBA 2K almost every year, but I typically don't start until after the holidays. It's often something I get for Christmas. But as anybody who plays MyTEAM knows, it can be a full time job. Since it's part of my actual job, I decided to start at launch this year. The grind is real, and has led to my discovery of the coveted Double XP coin.

You unlock those coins along the Season Pass and as you might expect, they give you double XP for up to two hours. I unlocked one, played a couple of games of Breakout and got sleepy. I began again the next day because every XP item I have ever used in four decades of gaming counts in-game time, not real-world time.

That is, until now. I thought I had forgotten to turn the PlayStation off or something, leading to my coin expiring. After some research, I found out that no, once you cash in an NBA 2K XP coin you have two real-world hours to grind. Better not need to eat, use the bathroom or take a phone call. What in the gacha, NBA 2K?

What if there's a PlayStation service outage? Too bad, you cashed in that coin. What if anything pertaining to having a life outside gaming happens?

This is the kind of scummy tactic that has earned this once beloved franchise nothing but scorn. I love figuring out the best way to unlock new cards, but I hate being told I have to do it. NBA 2K25 doesn't want you to stop playing long enough to take a pee. I understand that's gaming's new normal, but it shouldn't be.