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

[Pared]

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.

Great, logical post.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmood88

It's speculation coming from the guy who left while talking about the reasons for him leaving.

Got it, Major mood,

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by 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.

There's no need for this. The companies are playing games in their marketing with his acquisition. That's all. You're taking it to another level.

[DaveDQ]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

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.

No, I agree. I don't mean to say he won't have influence. He did have a positive influence with Live and I'm sure he will back at 2K. I think though that too much is put behind it. It's not fair to the one dev either. Look at David Ortiz for example. I wasn't crazy about his direction, but who knows what he had to battle with. If Wang is saying EA's leadership is a challenge with Live, imagine Madden's.

Look at the excellence in commentary 2K has pulled off, and Wang wasn't around when they did it. I don't know if Wang was behind the whole DNA thing Live does, but that's a positive.

[michaeljordanjr]

I love Mike Wang, something smelled fishy in this years Live that made me think Wang wasn't given creative control.

I'm glad he's back at 2K and I'm hoping for good and better things out of 2K11, much better things and I'll buy it day one.

[3stepdrop]

Good maybe he can whip the 2k testing team into shape so they can put out some patches that actually work.

[statum71]

I thought Live was at least getting "better" with Mike Wang. Now 2K's really gonna smoke 'em.

Good for us.

[BroMontana82]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

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.

i posted this on the live thread where the news was published originally but i think it's relevant to these opinions.

people are missing the point i think. it's not that wang leaving could be taking the series in the wrong direction, it's the decisions (probably strictly business) being made by those higher up. this is what can make or break a series. while wang was and is obviously important, it is obvious he's not making the ultimate decision of which way the series goes. even if he did, he may not necessarily be right.

the problem here is that we obviously know they are taking live to a new direction that wang didn't agree with. and we can assume it's the direction most people on here applauded. but a few people can make or break things if those few people are the ones in control making the big strategic decisions. if a certain direction is decided by a few of those at the top of leadership structures, it sets the business on a certain course. and this can lead to it's demise. one example would be myspace. there was nothing inevitable about MySpace’s decline when Facebook overtook it. it made strategic mistakes. newscorp. set tough revenue goals and the site neglected its technology and added new features such as job listings and horoscopes that drove web traffic but had nothing to do with its core users’ interest in music.

it will be determined to see what happens in terms of direction and sales next year but the opinion of one might not even make business sense. what if EA figures that arcade sells more than sim? and it works? then for them, it's a win. it can obviously go the other way too depending on what the core fanbase wants.