Mike Wang Returns to 2K Sports: NBA 2K Series (ESPN)

[ehh]

^^ Yeah, this ain't exactly rocket science. A little market research and they should have all the answers they'd ever need.

[ataman5]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

So at best Live 12 is going to be the rightful sequel to Live 10.

Well my guess would be 2015 unfortunately as they release good bball games in 5 years circle, while changing direction in some point they make it right as wee see with 2000, 2005 and now 10 so.

[kcxiv]

Quote: Originally Posted by 23

spense, while I understand what you're saying, its all EA's fault for not being competetive. Im all for having the most basketball I can have, period. Hate to say it but EA doesnt seem to be driven by competition either. I really dont know what they're doing. If its anything like my company, corporate decisions almost never make sense, and they never seem to to be made off of whats really needed. All of the red tape you have to go through makes it not only difficult but takes an extra long time to get anything done. Corporate processes sucks hard, but whats turning me off is the look of no stability. Change is good but not when you are constantly changing things on top of changing things.

Considering EA has tried to buy every exclusive license possible, they dont care about competition only themselves. They even bought ESPN for 15 years and they dont even use it.

While people say competition this and competion that. EA shot themselves in the foot by trying to monopolize most of the sports genre. AFL, NFL, Nascar. NCAA, PGA, Nascar. I am sure i missed something in there.

[Pared]

This isn't a bash EA thread. Keep the topic focused, please.

[kgisbeast]

this is good news. Mike imo is an AI guy and sim developer who is just trying to make the most realistic game and best basketball game possible. 2k's development team are masters at creating realistic animations and melding them together. Mike was teh glue imo. EA imo is trying to sell games and is too concerned with appealing to a mass audience with their games, and ends up missing hte point of just trying to make the best game possible which will sell and instead you end up with a watered down game trying to do too many different things and not doing anything that great. They are too concerned with marketing imo. Not bashing. I just think it's true. These companies have a certain formula for how they do things and it never made sense to me why Mike left 2k. It seemed like a perfect fit.

[DaveDQ]

This idea that one individual is going to make or break a game doesn't float. Look at the MLB 2K series and the addition of Ben Brinkman. He had the 3 year plan and that found him leaving and the game being given to another developer.

I honestly had no idea who Mike Wang was. I did though see a few of his videos pre-release of NBA Live 10. They focused on the new controls for passing and being able to take over your players. I thought what he introduced was very nicely done.

What you have here is 2K enjoying some positive press. They have the best selling basketball game, the one game that EA can't beat. They don't have the NFL, their baseball game is routinely getting trumped by The Show and hockey is possibly gone. Now they have a guy who went and came back, talking about how it's good to be home and then reflecting on EA in a negative fashion.

2K is enjoying this win. They should, but this idea that the welcoming back of Wang is going to create the "best basketball game ever" is wishful thinking. I'm sure the team is excited and it has sparked them, but it all won't be on one guy.

[kgisbeast]

I agree with you there. All the press Mike is getting is kind of ridiculous. This is one guy. I've never been someone who gets caught up in the drama of these things. If mike has one flaw it's that he talks to much and is a bit of a drama queen imo. It's like dude you make video games. You aren't a celebrity. Just do your job. I know he's probably a nice guy who thinks we all want to hear what he's doing, but we don't really care. I knwo I don't. All this talk is about him. it's not about him. It's about making a good game and he's kind missing the point. If he wanted to make the best game he jsut would and stop talking about himself. Some of us here aren't gah gah fans. We are intelligent people like he is, and some of us might be even smarter.

[ehh]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaveDQ

This idea that one individual is going to make or break a game doesn't float. Look at the MLB 2K series and the addition of Ben Brinkman. He had the 3 year plan and that found him leaving and the game being given to another developer. I honestly had no idea who Mike Wang was. I did though see a few of his videos pre-release of NBA Live 10. They focused on the new controls for passing and being able to take over your players. I thought what he introduced was very nicely done. What you have here is 2K enjoying some positive press. They have the best selling basketball game, the one game that EA can't beat. They don't have the NFL, their baseball game is routinely getting trumped by The Show and hockey is possibly gone. Now they have a guy who went and came back, talking about how it's good to be home and then reflecting on EA in a negative fashion. 2K is enjoying this win. They should, but this idea that the welcoming back of Wang is going to create the "best basketball game ever" is wishful thinking. I'm sure the team is excited and it has sparked them, but it all won't be on one guy.

Just because Brinkman failed doesn't mean that's the rule.

I certainly don't know the specifics of what Wang did and he may not have had any hand in it but after he left 2K the player control and movement went way downhill in 2K9-10 and improved tremendously in Live 10 to a point where it's head and shoulders above 2K10. Coincidence? Maybe.