2K - The Blueprint For All Sports Game Companys

[TomAH30]

This thread is basically going to compare two of the biggest sports games that are going to be released this year. It is also going to highlight the difference in quality between EA Sports and 2K Sports. It will have facts and also my opinions so obviously people are going to disagree with some of the things that I say but that's cool, you can't please everybody.

Now first of all the two games I am going to compare are EA Sport's FIFA 12 and 2K Sports' NBA 2K12. Now most people would probably say the most recognisable and well known Sports gaming company is EA Sports. Now why is that exactly? Well once again as most of us know it is due to the incredible amounts of money they spend of TV advertisements, they also advertise at many Premier League Football (Soccer) stadiums in England which gets millions of viewers all around the globe, basically EA Sports are a fantastic company when it comes to marketing. With this huge financial advantage they hold over other companys such as 2K Sports they can also buy exclusive licensing for their games, Madden NFL for instance. I believe in 1994 EA Sports began using the real NFL teams for their Madden games and 10 years later EA Sports secured an EXCLUSIVE license for Madden for the next 5 years. This license was extended to the year 2012, obviously this ment that no other sports video game companys could produce an NFL video game. You do not need me to tell you, that is a huge advantage to have over your competition, being able to stop your rivals from using the official teams, players, stadiums, everything.

There is a similar story when it comes to the battle of Football (Soccer) video games. EA Sports' number one selling video game FIFA has a huge amount of official licensing, it has steadily grown over the years and although it does not have exclusive licensing to all of the worlds competitions and teams (which would be nearly impossible) it has clearly followed the EA plan of attack, simply stopping your nearest rivals (in this case Pro Evolution Soccer) being permitted to using official licensing which everybody knows is essential to a high selling video game, especially in the world of sports. I personally do not blame EA for doing this, they have built up an incredible business producing a huge amount of video games world wide and if they can continue to afford these licenses then of course they will continue to negotiate for them and will probably continue to get them. This is not to say that FIFA is not a good game, it is a fairly realistic representation of Football (Soccer). The gameplay has vastly improved over the years and credit to EA for that.

If we now have a look at a sport in which EA does not hold exclusive licensing to, or even the majority of the licensing to that sport then we can begin to realise why 2K Sports deserves an incredible amount of credit. The sport we are going to compare now is Basketball. We have establised that EA outsell Konami in the battle of the Football (Soccer) video games world wide (2.6 million) copies of FIFA 11 sold in the opening weekend and it is reported that Pro Evolution Soccer only sold a tenth of that figure in the first weekend of sales with their rival product. Moving onto American Football (or real Football as most of you will say) EA outsell... Well, sell a massive amount of copies of Madden every year which is great for EA but when it comes to Basketball and more specifically the NBA then the playing field is much more level. With 2K Sports, EA have realized that they have a noisey neighbour when it comes to NBA video games. From 1995 to 1999 NBA Live was the only NBA video game on the market (just the way they like it) but since then 2K Sports have gradually been working on and improving their NBA title NBA 2K, improving doesn't really do it justice. 2K Sports have been revolutionising Basketball gaming to the point where EA admitted defeat in 2009 as they announced they were dropping the NBA Live series and that it would be replaced with NBA Elite, which as everybody knows didn't release in 2010 nor will it be released in 2011. To me that is how Sports gaming battles should be won and lost, it should be fought on a fairly level playing field (as level as it can be with EA's levels of wealth) with regards to licensing and the better game will come out on top and let's face it, that happened. The majority of NBA fans realized that NBA was leaps and bounds ahead of NBA Live/Elite. Whether NBA Elite can come back from this is yet to be seen but to me I am doubting whether NBA Elite will ever be released. I think many people were of the opinion that 2K may rest on it's laurels and not improve NBA 2K as much each year as when they were in direct competition with EA but they are smart. They respect their fans and they understand that this is not a time to relax, this is the time to push forward even more and that is exactly what they are doing at 2K Sports.

Finally I am going to compare two games. I will compare EA's very own FIFA 12 and 2K's pride and joy NBA 2K12. FIFA 12 is due to be released on the 27th of September in North America and the 30th of September elsewere, NBA 2K12's release date is October 4th. This comparision should highlight the difference in improvements between the companys two leading games and should backup my opinion the NBA 2K12 is much more value for money than FIFA 12 (and this is from a life-long Football (Soccer) fan that has been buying FIFA since 2001).

FIFA 12

FIFA 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Experience the way real-world footballers challenge each other for the ball, win possession, and test each other physically. Enjoy an infinite variety of natural and believable outcomes in every collision. Players feel more resilient, push and pull during the fight for possession, and recover from light challenges more easily.

Revolutionary gameplay innovations make FIFA 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight spaces, more time to make decisions on attack, and more control over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by a re-designed defending mechanism, making it as skilful and meaningful as real-world football. With all-new Tactical Defending, positioning and intercepting passes are as important as tackling. Tactics and timing are crucial. Plus, CPU players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, a self-awareness that enables them to behave and make decisions based on their own skills and tendencies, and gives them the aptitude to understand the strengths and weaknesses of teammates in every situation.

(It's amazing how EA can make a feature out of nothing. Tactical Defending? Let's break this down. If you want to know what tactical defending is, it is basically taking away the use of the A/X button to easily disposses the opposion. The collision system is a joke in the demo, I just can't stand EA hyping parts of the game that 2K would not even mention. It would be a given that 2K would improve parts of the AI and collisions between players. These arn't features EA! These are really basic parts to improving a sports title.)

New presentation: Matches now have a real-world broadcast look and feel. Dramatically improved lighting, more authentic crowds, and a new default camera make every game feel special.

(The crowds have not changed at all. The crowds are just like Madden's if not worse).

Easier navigation: Redesigned menu system for fast and easy navigation, featuring customizable Main Menu based on arena player, Virtual Pro and favorite club.

(Since when has a new menu screen been a feature? I have played the demo and the new menus are very basic, they look good in my opinion but are not worth mentioning as feature).

Complete authenticity: Over 500 officially licensed clubs and more than 15,000 players.

(This is EA marketing 101. Need I say more?)

NBA 2K12

NBA's Greatest – Experience 15 of the NBA’s most celebrated careers and rivalries, painstakingly recreated in historic detail. Featuring such legends as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.

(If this was EA then there would be nothing else in the game. NBA 2K has got NBA's Greatest, Create a Legend and a much more in depth My Player mode, I for one and very happy about this!)

Total Shot Stick Control – All IsoMotion offensive moves are now mapped to the right analog stick, providing for more intuitive control than ever before.

(Improving the controls, something that players really want. Will have to wait before we can judge them properly. I'm not going to say it's great before I've played it but it's certainly good to see 2K working on the controls.)

New Post Play System– Become a force to be reckoned with in the post via full 360 degree player movement, an innovative defensive counter system and a whole new arsenal of moves such as drives, step-backs, and aggressive back downs. Plus moves can now be queued ahead of time and combined together allowing you to dominate the paint in true big man fashion.

(2K adding much more depth to a part of the game that was not as stellar as other parts of the gameplay).

• This is the difference between the two companys. 2K listens to fans and really has a passion for improving it's game. EA Sports markets their games very well and tries to over-sell features to boost sales. 2K Sports really do deserve an incredible amount of credit for the work they do on a year-to-year basis with NBA 2K12, this is the only sports games I am getting excited about this year. I'm not falling for the EA Sports B.S anymore. Thank you for reading.

[The Bad Man]

Quote:

I think many people were of the opinion that 2K may rest on it's laurels and not improve NBA 2K as much each year as when they were in direct competition with EA but they are smart. They respect their fans and they understand that this is not a time to relax, this is the time to push forward even more and that is exactly what they are doing at 2K Sports.

this is what i love about 2k

[bSmooth]

Quote: Originally Posted by TomAH30

From 1995 to 2004-2005 EA was the only NBA video game on the market

False, and way off. You're forgetting the first four games with AI on the cover.

NBA 2K was originally released in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast and was a breakthrough in sports gaming. Their NFL 2K brand was also released this same year and again was another breakthrough in sports gaming. 2K games, in my opinion, have been superior to EA Sports titles since their conception.

I can remember when I first got my Dreamcast and all I had was Sonic, NBA 2K, and NFL 2K, but that was all I needed. Can't believe it's been over a decade ago, my how time flies...

Link to NBA 2K Wiki, for some more information and history behind the brand and Visual Concepts.

[TomAH30]

Quote: Originally Posted by bSmooth

False, and way off. You're forgetting the first four games with AI on the cover. NBA 2K was originally released in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast and was a breakthrough in sports gaming. Their NFL 2K brand was also released this same year and again was another breakthrough in sports gaming. 2K games, in my opinion, have been superior to EA Sports titles since their conception. I can remember when I first got my Dreamcast and all I had was Sonic, NBA 2K, and NFL 2K, but that was all I needed. Can't believe it's been over a decade ago, my how time flies....

Yeah you're right my bad, should of proof read before posting.

[Paul Pierce_OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by TomAH30

This thread is basically going to compare two of the biggest sports games that are going to be released this year. It is also going to highlight the difference in quality between EA Sports and 2K Sports. It will have facts and also my opinions so obviously people are going to disagree with some of the things that I say but that's cool, you can't please everybody. Now first of all the two games I am going to compare are EA Sport's FIFA 12 and 2K Sports' NBA 2K12. Now most people would probably say the most recognisable and well known Sports gaming company is EA Sports. Now why is that exactly? Well once again as most of us know it is due to the incredible amounts of money they spend of TV advertisements, they also advertise at many Premier League Football (Soccer) stadiums in England which gets millions of viewers all around the globe, basically EA Sports are a fantastic company when it comes to marketing. With this huge financial advantage they hold over other companys such as 2K Sports they can also buy exclusive licensing for their games, Madden NFL for instance. I believe in 1994 EA Sports began using the real NFL teams for their Madden games and 10 years later EA Sports secured an EXCLUSIVE license for Madden for the next 5 years. This license was extended to the year 2012, obviously this ment that no other sports video game companys could produce an NFL video game. You do not need me to tell you, that is a huge advantage to have over your competition, being able to stop your rivals from using the official teams, players, stadiums, everything. There is a similar story when it comes to the battle of Football (Soccer) video games. EA Sports' number one selling video game FIFA has a huge amount of official licensing, it has steadily grown over the years and although it does not have exclusive licensing to all of the worlds competitions and teams (which would be nearly impossible) it has clearly followed the EA plan of attack, simply stopping your nearest rivals (in this case Pro Evolution Soccer) being permitted to using official licensing which everybody knows is essential to a high selling video game, especially in the world of sports. I personally do not blame EA for doing this, they have built up an incredible business producing a huge amount of video games world wide and if they can continue to afford these licenses then of course they will continue to negotiate for them and will probably continue to get them. This is not to say that FIFA is not a good game, it is a fairly realistic representation of Football (Soccer). The gameplay has vastly improved over the years and credit to EA for that. If we now have a look at a sport in which EA does not hold exclusive licensing to, or even the majority of the licensing to that sport then we can begin to realise why 2K Sports deserves an incredible amount of credit. The sport we are going to compare now is Basketball. We have establised that EA outsell Konami in the battle of the Football (Soccer) video games world wide (2.6 million) copies of FIFA 11 sold in the opening weekend and it is reported that Pro Evolution Soccer only sold a tenth of that figure in the first weekend of sales with their rival product. Moving onto American Football (or real Football as most of you will say) EA outsell... Well, sell a massive amount of copies of Madden every year which is great for EA but when it comes to Basketball and more specifically the NBA then the playing field is much more level. With 2K Sports, EA have realized that they have a noisey neighbour when it comes to NBA video games. From 1995 to 1999 NBA Live was the only NBA video game on the market (just the way they like it) but since then 2K Sports have gradually been working on and improving their NBA title NBA 2K, improving doesn't really do it justice. 2K Sports have been revolutionising Basketball gaming to the point where EA admitted defeat in 2009 as they announced they were dropping the NBA Live series and that it would be replaced with NBA Elite, which as everybody knows didn't release in 2010 nor will it be released in 2011. To me that is how Sports gaming battles should be won and lost, it should be fought on a fairly level playing field (as level as it can be with EA's levels of wealth) with regards to licensing and the better game will come out on top and let's face it, that happened. The majority of NBA fans realized that NBA was leaps and bounds ahead of NBA Live/Elite. Whether NBA Elite can come back from this is yet to be seen but to me I am doubting whether NBA Elite will ever be released. I think many people were of the opinion that 2K may rest on it's laurels and not improve NBA 2K as much each year as when they were in direct competition with EA but they are smart. They respect their fans and they understand that this is not a time to relax, this is the time to push forward even more and that is exactly what they are doing at 2K Sports. Finally I am going to compare two games. I will compare EA's very own FIFA 12 and 2K's pride and joy NBA 2K12. FIFA 12 is due to be released on the 27th of September in North America and the 30th of September elsewere, NBA 2K12's release date is October 4th. This comparision should highlight the difference in improvements between the companys two leading games and should backup my opinion the NBA 2K12 is much more value for money than FIFA 12 (and this is from a life-long Football (Soccer) fan that has been buying FIFA since 2001). FIFA 12 FIFA 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Experience the way real-world footballers challenge each other for the ball, win possession, and test each other physically. Enjoy an infinite variety of natural and believable outcomes in every collision. Players feel more resilient, push and pull during the fight for possession, and recover from light challenges more easily. Revolutionary gameplay innovations make FIFA 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight spaces, more time to make decisions on attack, and more control over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by a re-designed defending mechanism, making it as skilful and meaningful as real-world football. With all-new Tactical Defending, positioning and intercepting passes are as important as tackling. Tactics and timing are crucial. Plus, CPU players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, a self-awareness that enables them to behave and make decisions based on their own skills and tendencies, and gives them the aptitude to understand the strengths and weaknesses of teammates in every situation. (It's amazing how EA can make a feature out of nothing. Tactical Defending? Let's break this down. If you want to know what tactical defending is, it is basically taking away the use of the A/X button to easily disposses the opposion. The collision system is a joke in the demo, I just can't stand EA hyping parts of the game that 2K would not even mention. It would be a given that 2K would improve parts of the AI and collisions between players. These arn't features EA! These are really basic parts to improving a sports title.) New presentation: Matches now have a real-world broadcast look and feel. Dramatically improved lighting, more authentic crowds, and a new default camera make every game feel special. (The crowds have not changed at all. The crowds are just like Madden's if not worse). Easier navigation: Redesigned menu system for fast and easy navigation, featuring customizable Main Menu based on arena player, Virtual Pro and favorite club. (Since when has a new menu screen been a feature? I have played the demo and the new menus are very basic, they look good in my opinion but are not worth mentioning as feature). Complete authenticity: Over 500 officially licensed clubs and more than 15,000 players. (This is EA marketing 101. Need I say more?) NBA 2K12 NBA's Greatest – Experience 15 of the NBA’s most celebrated careers and rivalries, painstakingly recreated in historic detail. Featuring such legends as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more. (If this was EA then there would be nothing else in the game. NBA 2K has got NBA's Greatest, Create a Legend and a much more in depth My Player mode, I for one and very happy about this!) Total Shot Stick Control – All IsoMotion offensive moves are now mapped to the right analog stick, providing for more intuitive control than ever before. (Improving the controls, something that players really want. Will have to wait before we can judge them properly. I'm not going to say it's great before I've played it but it's certainly good to see 2K working on the controls.) New Post Play System– Become a force to be reckoned with in the post via full 360 degree player movement, an innovative defensive counter system and a whole new arsenal of moves such as drives, step-backs, and aggressive back downs. Plus moves can now be queued ahead of time and combined together allowing you to dominate the paint in true big man fashion. (2K adding much more depth to a part of the game that was not as stellar as other parts of the gameplay). This is the difference between the two companys. 2K listens to fans and really has a passion for improving it's game. EA Sports markets their games very well and tries to over-sell features to boost sales. 2K Sports really do deserve an incredible amount of credit for the work they do on a year-to-year basis with NBA 2K12, this is the only sports games I am getting excited about this year. I'm not falling for the EA Sports B.S anymore. Thank you for reading.

Wow man greate write-up. Good Ideas and good comparison great job

[Xx Qontrolz xX]

tbh as much as i LUUUV nba2k, fifa has really became a monster in term of football simulation with fifa 12, i really love the demo..

if u took EA US football or basketball as examples ok.. but fifa is the nba2k of football ! they erased PES (absolute simulation reference like 5 years ago) off the virtual soccer map like 2k has erased elite/live..

i know u only comparing marketing strategies here but the goal for any company in the world is.. to SELL, so let's say EA does a pretty good job at it + they have an incredibly solid product with fifa for every football fan

imo, u're mistaken by attacking fifa cause it's easily the 2nd best sport simulation on the market, i would even add that it's a close race with nba2k


and yes the new physic engine in fifa is so advanced in term of collisions that it deserves its own part of the marketing plan imo

[The Senator]

Would FIFA have "wiped PES off the map" without EA's near monopoly on club licenses? If the shoe was on the other foot and if PES had a boatload of exclusive club licenses, would it "wipe FIFA off the map?"

Personally, I don't think so. While it is certainly true that PES has struggled to adapt to the current console era, the main reason FIFA succeeds is because it owns the game. Does it play a better game of futbol than PES now? Perhaps. The gap of playability between the two is not as great as it was in the PS2 era however, when PES's physics and control leagues were lightyears ahead of FIFAs.

NBA 2K is king of all sports games, if you ask me, though.

[Xx Qontrolz xX]

believe me bro, i was the biggest PES fan (and the biggest fifa h8er) untill konami started making their game more arcade with pes 6 (while fifa was going the opposite way), since then the gap in term of gameplay between both games is even bigger than the gap in term of licenses

ps : back in the days (for pes2, 3, 4 and 5)i used to move my *** everywhere in my country for PES leagues, national cups etc... little precision just to make u understand that i know what i'm talking about when it comes to virtual soccer.. now i'll try pes demo for sure but i dont see how i wont chose fifa again this year