NHL 2K11 News Post

NHL 2K11 Cover Athlete is Ryan Kesler

03:43 PM - March 8, 2010 by Money99

According to Globe Sports, Ryan Kesler has been named cover athlete for NHL 2K11.

Quote:


	"At the recent Olympics, he scored in the men's hockey final and emerged with a silver medal as part of an impressive young U.S. team. Since returning to the Vancouver Canucks, he has three goals in four games � with two of those goals coming in Detroit near where he grew up in Livonia. And now the 25-year-old can celebrate being the cover athlete for the NHL 2K11 video game, following in the footsteps of Alexander Ovechkin, Rick Nash, Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton, Marty Turco, Martin St. Louis, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan. Kesler calls it the �icing on the cake� after his Olympic experience. �Everything just keeps getting better for me,� he told The Canadian Press. �I'm very excited."

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Member Comments

# 1 Flyermania @ 03/08/10 03:47 PM

Or maybe they actually hired one.

I like the choice, but it's not a name/player casual fans are going to really recognize.

# 2 Money99 @ 03/08/10 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyermania


	Or maybe they actually hired one. I like the choice, but it's not a name/player casual fans are going to really recognize.

I agree.
But I think it's a great sign though. Obviously someone in marketing got their head out of their butt and picked a player that is recognizable to the US and was a big face to the US Olympic team.
But bigger yet was they didn't wait until July to capitalize on something that occurred in February.
This to me is a huge sign that Take-Two actually gives a crap about it's hockey game.

In the end, maybe their strategy was to blow everyone away with a great, great Wii game so when they did return to the 360/PS3 more attention would be drawn to next-gen as well?
If that's the end game (and I hope it is), it could be a great marketing scheme.

# 3 Sabresfan2630 @ 03/08/10 03:59 PM

Is there a way to vote for the guy we want on the cover?

# 4 DrJones @ 03/08/10 04:17 PM

You guys know that this game is essentially a Wii port of 2K10, right? My 2K sources tell me that their NHL series is unofficially dead.

EDIT: Shoulda looked at the forum, apparently that info was announced this week. I'll be REALLY surprised if there's a 2K12 in any shape or form, however.

# 5 Bellsprout @ 03/08/10 04:39 PM

I badly want the cover picture to be of him diving for the puck to score that empty netter at the end of the first Canada game.

# 6 Shadow71 @ 03/08/10 05:23 PM

Kesler = awesome

# 7 Madman55 @ 03/08/10 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeAreAllWitnesses


	I badly want the cover picture to be of him diving for the puck to score that empty netter at the end of the first Canada game.

Possibly him receiving his silver medal?

# 8 Bellsprout @ 03/08/10 05:34 PM

Considering this is the best pic I could find of that goal, disregard my idea:

# 9 Flyermania @ 03/08/10 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeAreAllWitnesses


	Considering this is the best pic I could find of that goal, disregard my idea:

That certainly doesn't look like "Is Party Now"

# 10 Money99 @ 03/08/10 06:26 PM

The one thing that confuses me is how Take-Two's CEO makes a point to say how popular the Wii version was in Canada and yet they choose Kesler for the cover?

Maybe it's because they know it'll sell in Canada regardless of who the coveryboy is and Kesler will draw more fans from the US?

# 11 Bellsprout @ 03/08/10 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	The one thing that confuses me is how Take-Two's CEO makes a point to say how popular the Wii version was in Canada and yet they choose Kesler for the cover? Maybe it's because they know it'll sell in Canada regardless of who the coveryboy is and Kesler will draw more fans from the US?

He appeals to both. Plays for Vancouver, played for the Americans.

It's actually pretty smart.

# 12 DrJones @ 03/08/10 06:35 PM

I live in Vancouver and am a Canucks fan, but Kesler is the most obscure player to ever be a coverboy for an NHL title. Having some experience with how these things operate, I'm guessing Kesler had a pre-existing deal with 2K from last year for mocap/marketing purposes, and it was tweaked. In other words, Ryan Miller would've cost more, and it's not worth it for less than a full release.

# 13 Bellsprout @ 03/08/10 06:38 PM

EA will leap at the chance to get Ryan Miller.

Hell, they might already have an agreement with him, leading 2K to go to a second choice. (Or third. Parise was pretty noticeable to Joe Public during the Olympics)

# 14 jerk @ 03/08/10 07:14 PM

Good for kes!

# 15 DrJones @ 03/08/10 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	Now this made me laugh! Why? Because you thought you had some inside info. Only problem is we knew this already.. Classic Sir.

True. I shoulda made this post in December, I suppose.

# 16 slickdtc @ 03/09/10 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeAreAllWitnesses


	Considering this is the best pic I could find of that goal, disregard my idea:

Insert caption here.

That was the most exciting empty net goal to ever be scored, though. Well, up there with Ron Hextall's...

# 17 FORMULA316 @ 03/10/10 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJones


	I live in Vancouver and am a Canucks fan, but Kesler is the most obscure player to ever be a coverboy for an NHL title. Having some experience with how these things operate, I'm guessing Kesler had a pre-existing deal with 2K from last year for mocap/marketing purposes, and it was tweaked. In other words, Ryan Miller would've cost more, and it's not worth it for less than a full release.

Obscure indeed. Ryan Miller would have been a more suitable candidate
to cover NHL 2K 11. Right now his name is right up there Ovi & The Kid.

# 18 Money99 @ 03/10/10 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FORMULA316


	Obscure indeed. Ryan Miller would have been a more suitable candidate to cover NHL 2K 11. Right now his name is right up there Ovi & The Kid.

Ryan Miller = $$$$$$
Ryan Kesler = $

That's the only reason why I can see why they picked the lesser Ryan.

# 19 FORMULA316 @ 03/10/10 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	Ryan Miller = $$$$$$ Ryan Kesler = $ That's the only reason why I can see why they picked the lesser Ryan.

True, but by how many points? Say Kesler is at $75k and Miller $150k?
I doubt the difference would be dramatically different.

Any info on what Kobe got for 2K10? Ovi for 2K10?

# 20 DrJones @ 03/10/10 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	Ryan Miller = $$$$$$ Ryan Kesler = $ That's the only reason why I can see why they picked the lesser Ryan.

My guess is Kesler was still under contract from last year, when he did some mocap work for them. Although Patrick Kane was EA's coverboy for NHL 10, they still had Milan Lucic and John Tavares do a little PR for them. I imagine they gave serious consideration to bumping Kane for Lucic when the "20 cent" episode happened.

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