NBA 2K13 Cover Athletes Are Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose

[Sasquash]

At the end of the day no one's going to play the cover they're going to play the game so getting mad over a cover is pointless lmao..

[first_playa419]

Just because Lebron got a ring and MVP doesnt mean he deserves to be on the cover' they could've asked him and he turned them down. Or maybe 2k sports just decides who they want on the cover and they dont go by who won the championship or got MVP..

[cyborg.ninja24]

Quote: Originally Posted by ojandpizza

First of all nobody cares who live picked for past covets because live sucks, and second of all Jordan on the past two cover, before that Kobe coming off a CHAMPIONSHIP, before that Garnett coming off a CHAMPIONSHIP, I don't know why they would go from that to 3 guys who not only didnt win anything but they have nothing at all on common, nothing ties them together to be on the cover, it just does not make any sense... And once again I NEVER said those 3 players weren't good or great, I said they didn't do anything, I just don't see how you go from Jordan, Magic, Bird to Durant, Rose, Griffin, I mean wtf? And maybe the fact that you can't read or comprehend the fact that I'm not trying to dis those players is what's ludicrous..

I only reference Live because those cover athletes had sub-par seasons yet were able to graced the cover. Look at 2K, Iverson didn't win a single championship yet graced the cover for four straight years. Shaq (2K6) and Chris Paul (2K8) appeared on the cover and they didn't win the title nor the MVP the year before.

My point is the cover athlete is all about MARKETABILITY. It's not about accomplishments and accolades or who deserves to be on it. Look at all the other sport franchises and their cover athletes over the years. It is about which athlete will help you sell the most copies of the game. The hardcore fan will buy the game regardless of who is on the cover. The casual fan or a clueless parent will most likely buy the game based solely on who is on the cover.

[NowAndLaterCARZ]

so there aren't 3 separate covers?

[J_Posse]

Pretty sure that the cover athlete(s) are chosen way before the NBA Finals outcome. They had these three guys in mind for a while now and I like the choice.

I do find it funny that Kevin Durant, who is a known fan of the NBA Live series, is switching sides and heading on the 2K13 cover. I guess money does talk and bull**** walks.

Side-note: The cancellation of Elite, how that was handled and EA's lack of communication - Kevin didn't even that Live was returning until ASW - probably soured their relationship. Or the money was too much for Durantula to turn down.

From Spurs Nation/Bills Backer Clubhouse

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by iLLosophy

Bottom line, I don't have a problem with the cover or allstar weekend itself. I have a problem when the hype and promotion (i.e. facebook campaigns, twitter hashtag counts) is highly outlandish compared to the actual content or feature they are revealing. There's only so many "Wait till you see what we have this time" cards they can play on subpar surprises before people just write you off as selling wolf tickets.

I don't remember seeing them say they were making some fantastic announcement or that people's wildest dreams would come true with either the All Star announcement or the cover announcement. I could kind of see your argument regarding All-Star weekend, but to my knowledge there was nothing put out saying "this will be huge news". I think they said it was something hardcore fans would appreciate, or something to that effect. It was only people HERE that began raising their hopes that it'd be some huge gameplay reveal. I don't think they can be faulted for setting that expectation.

This cover situation was even less of a reach. Imo they tried to have some fun w/fans and let them guess who would be on the cover with a slow reveal. Again, there was never some "this will be the greatest thing ever so stay tuned" type announcement to my knowledge - it was simply clues as to who would be on the cover. This thread officially announced the cover. There was no announcement for an announcement, or any of the nonsense they've done in the past. Again, what hype? This thread popped up out of the blue. If you came into the thread expecting your dreams to be fulfilled that's your own fault for setting that expectation.

They have done somewhat outrageous things in the past and likely will in the future regarding hyping their product. But I don't see how these are two instances of unnecessary buildup/overrated hype.

[cyborg.ninja24]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

To be fair, Michael Jordan's likely not going to be topped. There wasn't really going to be any current player that was going to be able to outshine MJ, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. So somehow, someway, 2K was going to have to bridge the gap from Jordan, Magic, and Bird. I'd say selecting an NBA Finalist (2nd in MVP voting, 3-time scoring champion), an NBA MVP (one year removed), and one of the most recognizable and exciting up-and-coming All-Stars all on one cover isn't too rough of a way to bridge that gap. Yes, NBA2K has had champions on their cover before (Ben Wallace 2K5, Shaquille O'Neal 2K7, Kevin Garnett 2K9, Kobe Bryant 2K10) but clearly a championship has never guaranteed a cover, as those guys represent just four of 2K's now fourteen editions. In terms of what ties the 2K13 cover subjects together. . . they're young guns. 2K's tagline to the reveal article was "New Dynasty". 2K is looking to shift the focus toward the new, young batch on NBA assassins. And again, I think 2K could have done a lot worse than going with three exciting superstars who've sprung onto the scene in recent years to help lift each of their teams to new levels and prominence. To say the cover subjects "haven't done anything" I suppose would be dependent upon what one considers to be "anything". In my opinion, they've all done a lot, and I have zero issue with any of them finding their way onto the cover of a video game. I do not believe the only players eligible for an NBA cover should be those who've won championships.

AMEN! Couldn't have said it any better. If Jeremy Lin would guarantee 2K13 better sales, 2K would throw him on the cover. It's all about MONEY.

[J_Posse]

Quote: Originally Posted by youvalss

I wonder what it means when it comes to motion capture. Are they all taking part in it?

Obviously, Rose is out of the question due to injury. I think they have some of his signature moves and shots in the game already, since I'm pretty sure he's done Mo-Cap work in the past.

I'd be a little surprised if Durant and Griffin can make it to a Mo-Cap session since I believe they both have commitments to team USA. Hopefully, 2K/VC can get them in before August or after September. We'll see......

From Spurs Nation/Bills Backer Clubhouse