2K Sports reveals upcoming lineup
In addition to NBA, MLB, NHL, snowboarding, and tennis (both standard and table varieties), the Take-Two subsidiary is stepping into the boxing ring.
Take-Two Interactive today held a conference call with analysts and investors to disclose the company's Q1 fiscal results, which ended January 31, 2006. Although the numbers were bad news for the company (a $29.1-million-dollar loss, compared to $55.2 million in profit from the same period before), news of the company's future plans looks great for sports fans.
Even though Take-Two baffled many by announcing a next-gen table tennis game this week, it should come to no one's surprise that the company already has plans to continue its long-running 2K Sports franchises. NBA 2K7, NHL 2K7, and College Hoops 2K7 are already in the works and are all expected to be released in 2006.
2K Sports has already shown that it's not content to use its exclusive third-party rights to Major League Baseball to release just one baseball game per year. Last year, the publisher released a standard version of its annual MLB 2K game, as well as a World Series Edition, which added various features and bonuses centered on the Fall Classic, later in the year.
It appears that 2K Sports may do something similar in 2006, though it isn't clear how. While the company named the specific titles of its forthcoming NBA, NHL, and college basketball games in its earnings report, it chose a different path for its baseball games, merely stating "additional products based on the Major League Baseball license."
So what could these additional products be? Though history states that another World Series spin-off is likely, it could very well be something entirely different. The MLB-rights agreement clearly states that 2K can, in addition to simulation-style games, make arcade, strategy, and management MLB-branded games.
2K Sports is also promising more tennis and snowboarding games in its fiscal 2007, which will likely be further editions of the Top Spin and Amped franchsies, respectively. One sport that 2K is venturing into for the first time is boxing. Though no details were given, the game is scheduled for the company's 2007 fiscal year, which begins in November 2006, meaning that Electronic Arts' Fight Night series may have a title contender by this Christmas.
For more information on the company's recent-past and future, read GameSpot's coverage of Take-Two Interactive's earnings call.
By Tim Surette -- GameSpot
Posted Mar 7, 2006 3:58 pm PT
Comment