2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

[RealmK]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

Ben Bishop, the Producer for NHL2K says they are working on gameplay videos for us. That they are fully aware of the situation. Could just be blowin' smoke and we may not see any for a couple weeks or so, but at least I got a response out of him.

While I certainly welcome them doing so, this is something they should have already done in the first place in response to all the raw footage we got from Littman. Just another example of how 2k rides the failboat when it comes to marketing and just "doesn't get it" with communicating to the fan base on a timely regular basis.

[dorismary]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

2k in general can stop all this self inflected bad PR by just being prepared each pre release .

[wurstman3000]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

The Wii version did not sell well, which has to be a disappointment. I honestly thought it'd sell a lot more since it's the only game in town and the Wii is the most popular console out there.

Well, I thought the Wii version would sell just as bad as most third party titles on that console, but it did quite good for a sports title. It sold 200.000 according to a someone from VC - more than the other versions combined (Link, posts 46, 48 - btw. the other numbers on that page are not sales but registered gamertags on a site, which at least gives a good look at the ratio between EAs and 2Ks NHL)

VGChartz.com says ...

Why would anyone still trust that site? I don't get it.

[CarryTheWeight]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

Why would anyone still trust that site? I don't get it.

Haven't heard anything negative about the site myself (guess I'm not looking in the right places)...what's wrong with it?

[wurstman3000]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

First, their methodology section is a joke - was a complete joke, it seems, because the old link doesn't work anymore.

At the latest after this article, most pages stoped citing their numbers- It gives a brief look on the low level of their estimation methods and the sites owners behaviour. The same article was posted somewhere else too, but with a long and interesting comment section, giving more information.

[CarryTheWeight]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

Good find. Guess doing some research on official NPD numbers may be the best thing we can do regarding game sales.

On a semi-related note I can't help but wonder how many more years the NHL 2K series will be around. I saw a post on 2KHockey that poses the thought of 2K ending the series on PS3 and 360 due to poor sales and only continuing to produce on Wii because it's the only game in town and because it sells more than the next-gen versions do. I don't see this as an unrealistic thought (because it's certainly possible), yet you have to take into effect all of the profits or losses 2K makes on the game. Remember, the CHoops series ended as the top-selling game in college basketball yet couldn't make enough money to maintain its licenses. If the marketing doesn't improve and if enthusiasm doesn't increase, the series may be gone. And as a proud hockey gamer without any brand loyalty, that's not what I want to happen.

[RealmK]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

Good find. Guess doing some research on official NPD numbers may be the best thing we can do regarding game sales.

On a semi-related note I can't help but wonder how many more years the NHL 2K series will be around. I saw a post on 2KHockey that poses the thought of 2K ending the series on PS3 and 360 due to poor sales and only continuing to produce on Wii because it's the only game in town and because it sells more than the next-gen versions do. I don't see this as an unrealistic thought (because it's certainly possible), yet you have to take into effect all of the profits or losses 2K makes on the game. Remember, the CHoops series ended as the top-selling game in college basketball yet couldn't make enough money to maintain its licenses. If the marketing doesn't improve and if enthusiasm doesn't increase, the series may be gone. And as a proud hockey gamer without any brand loyalty, that's not what I want to happen.

I wouldn't want to see it happen either as we all know the only reason EA's game improved at all was because of NHL2k's success and competition last gen. Quite honestly as a hockey fan first and foremost, two solid games or even just having two choices is always better than one. On that same token though 2ksports really has noone to blame but themselves for the series getting to the point its been at the last few years declining sales wise.

People like to place the entire blame on Kush Games as a scapegoat for the down trend but I think what alot of people fail to remember is Ben Bishop has been producer on the title at VC the whole time so I have to lay at least some of the blame at his feet. My opinion of the whole thing they had a fairly solid albiet at times buggy game that did very well due to how bad EA's title was for a long time, but once this current gen started they waited too long to take the drastic steps to make it truly a next gen game rather than a last gen port legacy issues intact. Cue EA making a large effort to improve the last 3 years and thats why we are where we're at.

Basically they got complacent, and to some extend lazy and now its coming back to bite them in the ***, combine that with the pathetic marketing the last couple years and its a recipe for failure. Really its sad because the series has always had such great potential and I'd hate to see it go away not only due to competition for EA but there still is a decent hockey game in there screaming to come out.

[Blzer]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

What was wrong with the interview?

I know what's wrong with their marketing... but I saw no indication of that in this interview. Is there something that I'm missing?

[savoie2006]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

People like to place the entire blame on Kush Games as a scapegoat for the down trend but I think what alot of people fail to remember is Ben Bishop has been producer on the title at VC the whole time so I have to lay at least some of the blame at his feet.

You could place some of the blame on Bishop, but why is it that now that VC has taken over several things that have never happened with Kush developing are happening. 1. The Graphics finally looking next gen for the most part 2. Player positioning and sliders being corrected. Now of course we'll see if all the sliders truely work once the final version drops, but if they do, then somehow VC will have accomplish in less than 2 years what Kush couldn't ever accomplish for whatever reason.

[RealmK]

Re: 2k VP of Marketing Interview...(Video)

You could place some of the blame on Bishop, but why is it that now that VC has taken over several things that have never happened with Kush developing are happening. 1. The Graphics finally looking next gen for the most part 2. Player positioning and sliders being corrected. Now of course we'll see if all the sliders truely work once the final version drops, but if they do, then somehow VC will have accomplish in less than 2 years what Kush couldn't ever accomplish for whatever reason.

I think it was only a matter of time before the graphics had to get better, they hadn't put a hockey game out so far this gen that actually resembled anything capable of the current systems. Theres alot of key IFs in your second statement. If the sliders work, If the AI is actually capable of an offense greater than skate in, look for one timer, or skate in, cycle once or twice looking for one timer. If the franchise freeze is indeed fixed and cpu teams handle roster issues correctly to prevent freezes. But I do agree that it at least appears on paper they're moving to get the series back on track finally which is a good thing.