The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning in 2021

[Kanobi]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

All I'm suggesting here is maybe let's wait for the hype train to arrive at the station this time rather than party on the tracks only for it to run us over with disappointment.

"Party on the tracks" put me in the ground

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

What if they used the term "arcade" simply because they don't have an NFLPA license? That, IMHO would be the best case scenario. They give us a game that plays simulation style football (as in, simulates football, instead of super powers and swag), but with fake rosters. Naturally, this would require them to have been investing money in a next gen football engine in secret, anticipating this time.



One can dream.

[illwill10]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

What if they used the term "arcade" simply because they don't have an NFLPA license? That, IMHO would be the best case scenario. They give us a game that plays simulation style football (as in, simulates football, instead of super powers and swag), but with fake rosters. Naturally, this would require them to have been investing money in a next gen football engine in secret, anticipating this time.



One can dream.

They will be given guidelines of what they can and can't do. I'm sure they will walk that line since they said want to be authentic. I don't think "Arcade" will be enough since Madden does Arcade. At best, we can hope that 2k can say there gameplay is different than Madden. Where the game plays more realistic but is labeled as non-simulation since it doesn't do XYZ. Non-simulation is such a loose term since we don't know what it entails.

Since they will do "multiple games" I could see a Mobile Card game and a console game. I still feel that since EA exclusive license expires after 2021 season, that the console game gameplay engine will be built in a way that it can translate to a simulation game. If there is a chance that the simulation license opens up, then I'm sure 2k would want to be able to have a simulation game ready by the Summer 2022.

[Manndark31]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

2k will indeed make a AUTHENTIC NFL game of football ...EA has the right to a so called sim game but EA doesn't have the rights to the game of Football itself...Football rules are basically the same from Pop Warner up until NFL ...yes there's some slight things different in NFL and College but for the most part its the same....All 2k have to do is is change a few slight rules such as (Overtime rules, kick return rules, Field Goal placement etc) and it will be good enough to be called authentic (See APF)...A NFL game with College rules or XFL rules wont be game breaking...2K already stated they're making a AUTHENTIC game of football...So im happy with that anything other than Madden is a plus for me..

[mestevo]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

2k will indeed make a AUTHENTIC NFL game of football ...EA has the right to a so called sim game but EA doesn't have the rights to the game of Football itself...Football rules are basically the same from Pop Warner up until NFL ...yes there's some slight things different in NFL and College but for the most part its the same....All 2k have to do is is change a few slight rules such as (Overtime rules, kick return rules, Field Goal placement etc) and it will be good enough to be called authentic (See APF)...A NFL game with College rules or XFL rules wont be game breaking...2K already stated they're making a AUTHENTIC game of football...So im happy with that anything other than Madden is a plus for me..

Just responding to the bold since that's the context for the balance of it...

2k tried to get cute with football games, and failed. Despite the fervent fan-base the APF franchise was not viable and other alternatives to Madden have come and most have gone... mobile, console and otherwise.

The difference is the license. If they want to use the NFL branding they play by the NFL's rules. There's no pulling one over on them, and like EA they'll have to submit their game for approval to the NFL. There will be no 'surprise, it's sim football but the field goal is crooked, so not sim!' on release.

Back to the original point of the topic, I think we can expect something like the Playgrounds series (which I'm not that familiar), something to drive a particular brand of stylized football, maybe 3v3, 5v5, etc. Not expecting big heads, but not photo realistic. Some quick modes to grab the Rocket League 5-8 minute match type of player, competitive season passes have picked up steam in a number of games so probably no different with this title. Of course a number of mechanisms to earn/drive VC sales (cosmetics, players, etc). Released on all platforms including PC and Switch.

[Kanobi]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

2k tried to get cute with football games, and failed. Despite the fervent fan-base the APF franchise was not viable

Not sure what you mean by they "tried to get cute" but lack of the NFL/NFLPA licenses and lack of a mutli-season mode ultimately doomed APF.

As for the current NFL/2k partnership, an NFL playgrounds is the simplest assumption given the NBA and WWE "'grounds" games already under 2k.

But as I stated in the other thread, without knowledge of the specific language of the EA/NFL agreement, nobody here can say for sure what kind of football game 2k is or isn"t allowed to release next year other than it won't be an NFL 2k game.

[mestevo]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Not sure what you mean by they "tried to get cute" but lack of the NFL/NFLPA licenses and lack of a mutli-season mode ultimately doomed APF.

Right. They tried their hand at simulation football with a different take (vets, gold stars, etc) and fans said no.

[Blzer]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Right. They tried their hand at simulation football with a different take (vets, gold stars, etc) and fans said no.

This had a lot of problems with it, including no franchise mode and the fact that generic players had no chance of upending any of the stars in any facet whatsoever.

I have so many other problems with that game not underneath the "gameplay" portion of it that 2K5 did not have, and though I bought and like the game, that was not a direction that I hoped they continued in.

[Kanobi]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Right. They tried their hand at simulation football with a different take (vets, gold stars, etc) and fans said no.

Did you even play APF 2k8?

[mestevo]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Did you even play APF 2k8?

Yup, got my $6 worth in April of 2008.

[Elite Virtual Hockey]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Did you even play APF 2k8?

A lack of replayability (no Franchise mode, no progression, no "myLeague" modes) killed this game, not the actual football or the star system imo. It played a great game of football imo, and the customization suite was very fun! I think they needed to allow users to fully customize/use every team they had in the game rather than limiting the users to their 8 "user teams". Also, because the league was clearly fictional, they could've easily went the "esport" route with their games and embraced the fantasy nature of it via franchise mode, pro-rel system for a "MyLeague" like game mode, or something of that nature.

I think they had a really good product football-wise, but missed how truly unique and customization the experience could've been had they embraced what it was. A "myLeague" game in 2k8 would mean this game is still be played, talked about, and maybe even released to this day imo.

[Kanobi]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

Yup, got my $6 worth in April of 2008.

I got you...

[Kanobi]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

A lack of replayability (no Franchise mode, no progression, no "myLeague" modes) killed this game, not the actual football or the star system imo. It played a great game of football imo, and the customization suite was very fun! I think they needed to allow users to fully customize/use every team they had in the game rather than limiting the users to their 8 "user teams". Also, because the league was clearly fictional, they could've easily went the "esport" route with their games and embraced the fantasy nature of it via franchise mode, pro-rel system for a "MyLeague" like game mode, or something of that nature.

I think they had a really good product football-wise, but missed how truly unique and customization the experience could've been had they embraced what it was. A "myLeague" game in 2k8 would mean this game is still be played, talked about, and maybe even released to this day imo.

Agreed! I had posted a suggestion on the old APF 2k (or was it the NFL2k forum? lol) back when APF 2k8 was released, about what a multi-season mode for APF 2k9 could look like.

I envisioned a sort of keeper league based on the tiers (gold, silver, bronze) with an offseason auction/fantasy draft hybrid. So basically, while the players wouldn't age or progress for obvious reasons, the dynamics of the teams would shift and be in constant flux in terms of team strength and talent.

Additionally, there would have been new legends/NFL retirees each year. I'm sure Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Deion Sanders, Brett Favre etc would have made for an even more enticing roster and game overall. Marketability would have been off the charts with the right ad campaign.

But oh well...it is what it is/was what it was. Still fun to imagine what might have been.

[illwill10]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

I enjoyed APF 2k8 mainly for the pure gameplay experience. Once in a awhile(a year or so), I can get a season in and enjoy it. But that's about it because of depth issues. My main issues was lack of depth and legends approach. Going from 2k5 to 2k8, there was a huge dropoff in depth. It was primarily just Play now, Online, and Season mode. It doesn't matter how good the gameplay is, when there no depth, that means there is little replay ability. The main reason for legends is the lack of license. If they couldn't have NFL players, they thought the next best thing was NFL legends. The problem is NFL legends aren't as marketable as current NFL players and the legends approach really limited what they could do. Unless you are a student of game, most of the casual fans won't know guys like Raymond Berry, Lem Barney, or Dexter Manley. Then with legends, you couldn't have a traditional franchise mode.

[mestevo]

Re: The NFL and 2K Are Back Together, 'Non-Simulation' Games Will Release Beginning i

I enjoyed APF 2k8 mainly for the pure gameplay experience. Once in a awhile(a year or so), I can get a season in and enjoy it. But that's about it because of depth issues. My main issues was lack of depth and legends approach. Going from 2k5 to 2k8, there was a huge dropoff in depth. It was primarily just Play now, Online, and Season mode. It doesn't matter how good the gameplay is, when there no depth, that means there is little replay ability. The main reason for legends is the lack of license. If they couldn't have NFL players, they thought the next best thing was NFL legends. The problem is NFL legends aren't as marketable as current NFL players and the legends approach really limited what they could do. Unless you are a student of game, most of the casual fans won't know guys like Raymond Berry, Lem Barney, or Dexter Manley. Then with legends, you couldn't have a traditional franchise mode.

Agreed. I think many people forget this was competing with NCAA too, so two franchise-based games fully licensed for their respective IPs. They took a different path, think we all agree it was the wrong one and wished they continued down it a bit further to allow them to pivot from their mistakes.

I've played more NCAA 14 since the NFL season ended than Madden this year. The power of effective gameplay loops - I don't even watch college football.