NHL 2K11, Wii Exclusive

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flyermania

Not hard to catch EA? I totally disagree...2k's fanbase has been deteriorating for years. Inferior releases, reoccurring bugs, and non-existent marketing has dug the grave -- and 2k themselves had the shovel.

So hard to disagree with this point.
EA's fanbase is very strong. Go into the EA forum here and you'll see lots of people who've never watched a hockey game claim NHL10 to be game of the year in their household.

EA's been able to capture the fun that NHL94 generated.

2K has a very steep uphill battle if they return to next-gen with 2K12.
But like Flyermania, I have severe doubts we'll ever see another hockey game from Take-Two on either the PS3 or 360.

It's really a shame. 2K10 was a good game. It needed some polish but much like MLB2K9, it was a strong base to build off of. Just look at MLB2K10. That could have been NHL2K11.

It seems almost impossible to believe that at one time 2K was the King of the rink. Sales, reviews, fanbase, it had EA in a corner and was pummeling it.
Then next-gen came and 2K did nothing to capitalize on it. EA comes out with Skill Stick and it's all over.
How many different control schemes did 2K have between 2K7 and 2K10? I think it was different every year. That destroys a fan base. Especially when the competition has something so intuitive and fun.

Oh well. It is what it is. I'll rent 2K11 for my kids Wii but chances are, I'll probably never own another 2K hockey game on my PS3 or 360.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

So hard to disagree with this point. EA's fanbase is very strong. Go into the EA forum here and you'll see lots of people who've never watched a hockey game claim NHL10 to be game of the year in their household. EA's been able to capture the fun that NHL94 generated. 2K has a very steep uphill battle if they return to next-gen with 2K12. But like Flyermania, I have severe doubts we'll ever see another hockey game from Take-Two on either the PS3 or 360. It's really a shame. 2K10 was a good game. It needed some polish but much like MLB2K9, it was a strong base to build off of. Just look at MLB2K10. That could have been NHL2K11. It seems almost impossible to believe that at one time 2K was the King of the rink. Sales, reviews, fanbase, it had EA in a corner and was pummeling it. Then next-gen came and 2K did nothing to capitalize on it. EA comes out with Skill Stick and it's all over. How many different control schemes did 2K have between 2K7 and 2K10? I think it was different every year. That destroys a fan base. Especially when the competition has something so intuitive and fun. Oh well. It is what it is. I'll rent 2K11 for my kids Wii but chances are, I'll probably never own another 2K hockey game on my PS3 or 360.

Spot on Hank, I have my doubts as well. Though considering how bad MLB2k9 was 2k10 had to be an improvement, and even then the early reports still point out a ton of long standing issues like players being moved reverting to a bald guy and franchise contracts being so far out of whack it makes that mode worthless. Its kinda like a reoccuring theme when it comes to 2k sports titles at this point that key issues never get fixed.

Thats not to say I don't at least hope they actually pull off what I suggested in my initial post. But if the're going to do it, do it right for a change. They pissed away their fanbase aside from a few straglers that have a hate on for all things EA in the first place. It's due time to try and win some of that fanbase back while the're still a glimmer of hope among said fans, myself included.

[TDKing]

RIP 2k hockey, thanks for everything EXCEPT 2k9!

[savoie2006]

Flyers, 2K skipped a year right before 2K3, remember. Also the reason I say it wouldn't be hard for them to catch EA is because who in their right mind after NHL2K5 thought EA would EVER be King of the Rink? Nobody and well a short three years later EA pulled a rabbit from their hat and had taken hockey gamers by suprise. Look at where 2KHockey is now and it looks very similar to the gloom that surrounded EA Hockey. Who's to say they can't pull the same rabbit out?

ALSO:If the CEO isn't writing off the series off for next gen, why is everyone else?

[Sting]

Well this sucks for me, I'm a 2K guy PS3. I'll pick it up next year for the Wii. Hopefully they'll be back to PS3 after a year.

This really sucks, they may not come back at all.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by savoie2006

Flyers, 2K skipped a year right before 2K3, remember. Also the reason I say it wouldn't be hard for them to catch EA is because who in their right mind after NHL2K5 thought EA would EVER be King of the Rink? Nobody and well a short three years later EA pulled a rabbit from their hat and had taken hockey gamers by suprise. Look at where 2KHockey is now and it looks very similar to the gloom that surrounded EA Hockey. Who's to say they can't pull the same rabbit out? ALSO:If the CEO isn't writing off the series off for next gen, why is everyone else?

Good points savoie.
But the one Ace that EA has is money and resources. They have spades in both that allowed EA to employ two completely different teams so one could focus on last-gen while the other could use a full 24 months for a next-gen version.
I doubt Take-Two gives Shadow and the boys that kind of help.

Another thing to consider is that a lot more people were upset with EA's offerings prior to 2K taking a lead.
Right now, I would say that majority of hockey gamers really enjoy NHL10.
When 2K3 dropped, NHL2003 was a disaster. It was a sitting duck. NHL11 won't be so easy to dethrone.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by savoie2006

Flyers, 2K skipped a year right before 2K3, remember. Also the reason I say it wouldn't be hard for them to catch EA is because who in their right mind after NHL2K5 thought EA would EVER be King of the Rink? Nobody and well a short three years later EA pulled a rabbit from their hat and had taken hockey gamers by suprise. Look at where 2KHockey is now and it looks very similar to the gloom that surrounded EA Hockey. Who's to say they can't pull the same rabbit out? ALSO:If the CEO isn't writing off the series off for next gen, why is everyone else?

Actually the canned 2k2 halfway through development, not really the same situation as deciding to take a year off to rebuild from the ground up early on. You're right though, last gen no one thought EA would turn it around yet they took an opertunity with a new generation of consoles to do the right thing, rebuild, innovate, go in a more sim direction and it worked quite well for them. Which I think the majority have asked 2k to do since 2k6 and are still waiting for that to happen. Hopefully it does, because even though NHL2k10 has its flaws, its not a completely horrible game, it just lacks polish.

[Flyermania]

Quote: Originally Posted by savoie2006

Flyers, 2K skipped a year right before 2K3, remember. Also the reason I say it wouldn't be hard for them to catch EA is because who in their right mind after NHL2K5 thought EA would EVER be King of the Rink? Nobody and well a short three years later EA pulled a rabbit from their hat and had taken hockey gamers by suprise. Look at where 2KHockey is now and it looks very similar to the gloom that surrounded EA Hockey. Who's to say they can't pull the same rabbit out?

It's already been said, but their overall budget and marketing tools are vastly inferior to their competition. I don't think they have the resources to pull it off.

Quote: Originally Posted by savoie2006

ALSO:If the CEO isn't writing off the series off for next gen, why is everyone else?

Do you really believe what he is saying? What is a year off really going to do for this series? It's still the same budget and development team that has run this series into the ground.

Of course he will say that they will be back in a year...it's not politically correct for him to say "Well, we sure sure blew it. Sorry about that --- see ya on the Wii!"