Is it Time to Stick a Fork in the NHL 2K Series?

[jyoung]

2K Sports definitely did this to themselves with their poor handling of the NHL series on next-gen consoles.

We are 5 games into the console cycle, and not a single innovation has been made with regards to 2K's hockey franchise.

The best they've been able to do is create poorly implemented versions of stuff that EA came up with in the year before.

Forget about marketing (EA NHL actually has less) or limited development resources (do we really think that its much better at EA?), new ways to play the game (skill stick) and new online modes (EASHL) are why people have shifted away from NHL 2K over to EA NHL; EA has been the leader this generation, while 2K has simply been the follower.

I feel it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to MLB 2K and NBA 2K.

Both are getting surpassed by companies who are putting a lot more innovation into their product than 2K is.

MLB will be next (maybe as soon as next season), then in another 3 or 4 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see NBA 2K go, too.

[bcgudely]

This looks pretty bad. I knew it couldn't have been good when they decided against patching the PS3 version. I guess I'll enjoy 2K10 for the rest of the year, and just hope that NHL 11 takes steps in the right direction..

If it doesn't, I guess I'll be doing what I've done with football games.. ignoring them.

[EnigmaNemesis]

Quote:

I also worry for the future of 2K Sports as a publisher. Their existence seems like it’s being increasingly marginalized on all fronts: the MLB 2K games that have come out since Take-Two bid reportedly $40 million for an exclusive third-party development license -- MLB 2K6, 2K7, 2K8, and 2K9 -- have been poor, to say the least, compared to Sony’s spectacular MLB The Show series (especially the last two years); EA’s recent hockey games have just been better than 2K’s; thanks to EA’s exclusive NFL license, the company can’t even make a football videogame. Only their highly acclaimed NBA 2K franchise remains a dependable success, and even that was challenged by a solid effort from EA this year in NBA Live 10. And with Take-Two’s recently stated preference to put out easily marketable titles for hardcore gamers (“the safest place to be is in triple-A,” said CEO Strauss Zelnick) -- games like BioShock 2 and Max Payne 3 -- I wonder if the company will continue to bother (or can afford to continue bothering) trying to compete in the sports game market, or at least in any sport other than basketball.

http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-nhl...--158261.phtml

[Jamin23]

Quote: Originally Posted by EnigmaNemesis

http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-nhl...--158261.phtml

That really is a shame.

[LuGer33]

I've been playing NHL 2K10 the past few days and there is definitely a foundation here for a good game. It's just a shame because the only other next-gen 2K Hockey game I own is 2K8, and with the exception of the AI and some newer animations, that is still the better game. 2K8 should have been the foundation, 2K9 should have been a progression, and 2K10 should have been at the very least on the level of EA's game, if not better.

Instead they had the crapfest that was 2K9, and while NHL 2K10 is a much better game, it still can't hold a candle to NHL 10, imo. I hope this isn't the last game in the 2K series because I don't want to see EA NHL become the only hockey game on the market... I think the team can and will still innovate, but I also know they play NHL 2K, see what they like and what they can add to their own games, etc, so it would be unfortunate to lose that competition...

[Vikes1]

I really hate to see NHL2K go under.

I love having a choice. And that having a choice, brings better games for the gaming public. If NHL2K does fold...I sure hope EA Canada keeps moving it's game forward, as they have the last few years.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

I really hate to see NHL2K go under. I love having a choice. And that having a choice, brings better games for the gaming public. If NHL2K does fold...I sure hope EA Canada keeps moving it's game forward, as they have the last few years.

As long as the team they have now stay's in place, I don't see anything changing.
However, bean counters love to screw things up.

They might see that there's no longer any competition and decide to cut resources from the NHL team to save cash. I hope not though.

[DaveDQ]

I think if you asked all of us what title was next after CHoops got canned, I think we would all say 2K's NHL series.

Remember the reason Take Two gave for not developing for the PS2 and Xbox? They said they wanted to focus on the next generation of consoles. I again blame Take Two for poor management of 2K sports. They have all but ruined the 2K brand name. There is one thread hanging in NBA 2K. That's it.