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

[Poro24]

2K has gone downhill since EA stealed the ESPN lisence after 2K5. 2k6, 2K7 and 2K8 were still great hockey simulations with great tv-style presentation, stat overlays, multi angle replays etc. All these are lost in 2K10 and the presentation is just laggy and boring. I enjoy the gameplay, but the presentation, unresponsive controls and laggy gameplay are turning me away.

But just one hockey game in the market would be a disasder. We all know how bad EA games can be when they don't have competition.

[plaidchuck]

not surprising, you reap what you sow, I mean you can't even put out a measly patch for both systems?

[kerosene31]

Very sad if true but not surprising.

2k (and Konami with PES) basically just woke up a sleeping giant. When next gen came around, EA decided that they were sick of getting beaten by NHL 2k and PES. So, they put all their effort into next-gen. While 2k was putting out games that felt like last-gen, EA was moving forward quickly.

What worked for EA was finding the perfect balance between "sim" and playability. NHL10 is a pretty good hockey sim in many areas, yet it is easy for someone to learn the controls in a matter of minutes.

People say they want a pure sim, but they don't. Few gamers really want to fight through a neutral zone trap. EA found the sweet spot with this and buried it.

You can't ignore the EASHL either. Perhaps without the EASHL things might have been different, but that was the final nail in the coffin.

I hope 2k sticks around, but I can't say I would be the least bit surprised if it didn't.

[Myloman]

2k Hockey was my first love, but they lost me several years ago and now I've switched over to the EA series. I still have a soft spot for 2k though and buy their yearly release with my Christmas money so this is disappointing, but they brought this on themselves. Hopefully someone else steps in so we don't have EA releasing Madden like turds on the NHL side.

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by Myloman

Hopefully someone else steps in so we don't have EA releasing Madden like turds on the NHL side.

I sure hope that doesn't happen.

Not to unnecessarily bash the Madden game...but with the NHL game, I see an attention to detail at EA Canada, that imo...seems to be missing at Tiburon.

[grunt]

I blame this on T2. The only games T2 support are the NBA and MLB series.

[robcoop]

In my opinion, as sports games get the ax, it eventually will impact sites like OS AND PastaPadre. If my ONLY choice of an NHL game, an NFL game, a College Hoops game and even an MLB game is limited to ONE option, why do I need to come by a sports video game site to tell me what is coming down the pike for something I have no choice but to buy. I expect EA to sit on development and pump out junk (or little changes) because there is no competition and ultimately, there isn't as MUCH anticipation as there had been in prior years. So, my point: axing NHL 2K, College Hoops 2K, exclusive contracts, so on... is bad for Sports Video game journalism.

[goh]

Can't say I really enjoyed either game this year but sad to see it go anyway.

It's not even the marketing. There's barely anything to market. The game hasn't really been...anything above average recently. Much of the problem is likely how they started the gen with 2K6 being a HD upgrade and then couldn't do much from there.