News Post

NHL 2K9 First Look (Gamespot)

12:45 AM - July 16, 2008 by hdaniel1

Gamespot has posted their first look preview of NHL 2K9.

Quote:


	"Speaking with the Jeff Thomas, the executive producer of the game, it was clear that 2K wasn’t pleased with the complexity of controls in last year’s game. As a result, NHL 2K9 will feature an all-new control scheme built from the ground up. From single-button passing and shooting to the trigger used for turbo, the controls are designed to be as intuitive as possible—at least on the default setting."

Game: NHL 2K9Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 15 - View All

NHL 2K9 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Money99 @ 07/16/08 08:59 AM

Absolutely pathetic amount of news.
I'm a 2K supporter but I can't hold back on this. The only info we get is playoff beards and zamboni mini-games?

Something tells me 2K is putting all it's eggs in the Wii basket.
I pray that I'm wrong and I'll continue to seek out info on this title, but this early information is brutal.

# 2 warnerwlf98 @ 07/16/08 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	Absolutely pathetic amount of news. I'm a 2K supporter but I can't hold back on this. The only info we get is playoff beards and zamboni mini-games? Something tells me 2K is putting all it's eggs in the Wii basket. I pray that I'm wrong and I'll continue to seek out info on this title, but this early information is brutal.

I hope there is more info today, and some vids too. I enjoyed 2K8 and loved the new controls - clumsy yes to start with, but they became second nature after a while. At least they've kept this control scheme for 2K9.

# 3 Money99 @ 07/16/08 10:45 AM

From what I've been hearing the entire 2K booth at E3 has been pretty pathetic.
The impression I got was that 2K knows they're going to be extinct soon and their lack of enthusiasm has shown that.

# 4 warnerwlf98 @ 07/16/08 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	From what I've been hearing the entire 2K booth at E3 has been pretty pathetic. The impression I got was that 2K knows they're going to be extinct soon and their lack of enthusiasm has shown that.

They didn't talk much about NBA 2K8 last year until close to the release and that game turned out well.

Unfortunately, it is obvious that VC appears to be licking its wounds more than wounding the competition. I just hope that "natural selection" doesn't doom them - they have the potential to keep getting better and putting out high quality works of software - but I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it happened and they went the way of the dodo and the mammoth.

# 5 tabulaRasa @ 07/16/08 02:00 PM

uhm, NBA2k8 is their best selling B-Ball title, so maybe it didn´t was so bad to do what they did last year

Let´s hope EA doens´t buy 2k, since NBA live stink. And we need to have 2 good NHL games. EA didn´t do crap until they had no hardcore and review support for their NHL games (NHL 2003-2006). Competetion is good.

Anyhow, who knows, some PR dept think the noise is too loud at e3 that they hold back a few days before they release the good stuff.

# 6 metallidevils @ 07/16/08 03:00 PM

I've always been pretty loyal to EA, but I'm all for competition between games. Not having any competition for NCAA Football has turned it into a terrible game, and Madden isn't the same as it was when the 2k football games were around. Comparing MLB 08 to MLB 2k8, and what we've heard so far from NHL 09 and 2k9, it does seem like 2k Sports might be throwing in the towel, which I really hope doesn't happen.

# 7 Money99 @ 07/16/08 04:14 PM

The NBA comparison is a good one, but I've been hearing that NBA Live is awesome this year. And some of these people are admitted 2K hoops fans.

I know I'm being pessimistic, but after getting your *** absolutely handed to you by NHL08, why on earth is 2K not bringing their 'A' game to take EA down a peg?

If you want to beat the champ you don't hide in the shadows until 2 weeks before release. The only time that happens is when you know you don't have a chance in hell.

Saying that, I'm still interested in seeing what 2K9 brings, but I don't have a lot of faith in it. It's apparently being built from the ground-up so I'm hoping for a good foundation. But the way things have been heading, 2K will be in EA's vault before the year ends.

# 8 Falkon @ 07/16/08 04:57 PM

I loved both 2k8 and 08 this past year, but if 2k wants to even think of making a game in 2010, they can't be sitting this expo out. The fact that they haven't released nearly every aspect of the game to magazines and websites is a joke as far as I'm concerned. To me though, 2k just had a bad setup due to no roster updates. Once you got used to the new controls, the game was just fine, but the fact that they hadn't updated the rosters really killed it for me. The goalies are still better in 2k than in EA, the realism in 2k is in some aspects higher than in EA, and in other aspects lower. There is still a lot of potential in 2k hockey, they aren't out of the competition yet. They just need to step up in a big way. They have, for years, been making better hockey titles than EA, with the exception of 2008. I just hope it really is just an off year.

# 9 TDKing @ 07/16/08 05:36 PM

Where is that Wiz guy doesn't he have any info ? At first, I hated the controls in 2k8 but once I re-trained myself I loved the new scheme glad they are keeping it in.

# 10 catcatch22 @ 07/17/08 03:09 PM

People keep bringing up controls but the controls aren't the problem it's the horrible AI.

# 11 ColdForged @ 07/17/08 05:01 PM

I think this will be another transition year for the title, similar to when Kush took over from Treyarch. Like it or not, it takes time to bring in a new development team for an existing code base so I imagine they'd be hesitant to truly rebuild it from the ground up as they are advertising. The only way to really pull it off would be to skip this year entirely and put a full 18-22 month development cycle in for it.

Never know, they might still come out with something that knocks everyone's socks off, but the focus on the Wii in all the current press is disturbing.

# 12 Money99 @ 07/17/08 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdForged


	I think this will be another transition year for the title, similar to when Kush took over from Treyarch. Like it or not, it takes time to bring in a new development team for an existing code base so I imagine they'd be hesitant to truly rebuild it from the ground up as they are advertising. The only way to really pull it off would be to skip this year entirely and put a full 18-22 month development cycle in for it. Never know, they might still come out with something that knocks everyone's socks off, but the focus on the Wii in all the current press is disturbing.

This I can believe. 2K is making a great name for themselves as liars. They lied through their freakin' teeth when it came to MLB2K7 so why not do the same with NHL2K8?

Besides, it's a moot point. This will be the last year for 2K sports. EA is on the verge of buying them so 2K has decided to go out with a whimper.

# 13 Eddie1967 @ 07/17/08 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	From what I've been hearing the entire 2K booth at E3 has been pretty pathetic. The impression I got was that 2K knows they're going to be extinct soon and their lack of enthusiasm has shown that.

Wow such negativity. You should be used to 2k putting out very little info about their games but that hardly translates into their going to be extinct. I'm sure with VC behind this game it will be outstanding.

# 14 Money99 @ 07/18/08 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddie1967


	Wow such negativity. You should be used to 2k putting out very little info about their games but that hardly translates into their going to be extinct. I'm sure with VC behind this game it will be outstanding.

Sorry Eddie, but read this:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6193458...result;title;0

This will be the last year for 2K sports. Take-Two's stock barely moved an inch despite record-breaking GTAIV sales.
This company is leaking water and EA is doing everything in their legal boundaries to buy them up. And Take-Two can't do a freakin' thing about it.

VC is mailing this years versions in.

And like realmk said, it's too bad because competition is essential. I doubt NHL07 and NHL08 would have been as good as they were without 2K breathing down their necks.

I was expecting big things from VC and NHL2K9 as well. But after seeing this video and actually speaking to someone who was at E3 and saw 2K's presentation (which he described as embarrassing and pathetic) I don't have much hope.

And I don't want anyone to label me an EA sheep. I've been a big supporter of 2K sports and I don't know if you'll find a bigger slappy when NHL2K3 is concerned. But the downward spiral this series has taken of late doesn't leave me too optimistic.

# 15 Eddie1967 @ 07/18/08 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	Sorry Eddie, but read this: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6193458...result;title;0 This will be the last year for 2K sports. Take-Two's stock barely moved an inch despite record-breaking GTAIV sales. This company is leaking water and EA is doing everything in their legal boundaries to buy them up. And Take-Two can't do a freakin' thing about it. VC is mailing this years versions in. And like realmk said, it's too bad because competition is essential. I doubt NHL07 and NHL08 would have been as good as they were without 2K breathing down their necks. I was expecting big things from VC and NHL2K9 as well. But after seeing this video and actually speaking to someone who was at E3 and saw 2K's presentation (which he described as embarrassing and pathetic) I don't have much hope. And I don't want anyone to label me an EA sheep. I've been a big supporter of 2K sports and I don't know if you'll find a bigger slappy when NHL2K3 is concerned. But the downward spiral this series has taken of late doesn't leave me too optimistic.

I hear ya but to me it's pure speculation until something happens. I tend to think on the positive side of things.

# 16 Eddie1967 @ 07/18/08 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	Same here Hank, I was really hoping VC would put a rabbit out of the hat and actually take the series to where it should be by now 4 years in on the 360. I do expect the 360 sku to at least look a little better than the Wii movie floating around the intratubes but if the gameplay remains the same from 2k8 I won't even bother to gamefly it. Hell even NBA Live this year looks like its finally on a competing level with NBA2k. If Live doesn't have the herky jerky animations issue it's had the past couple of years and the Player DNA 365 thing doesn't end up being just a buzz word gimmick what does that leave 2k with? Topspin?

Let's wait until the game comes out instead of assuming that it will be the same as the previous versions. You kill me realm, EA sat on their butts for 3 years after 2004 and did nothing but destroy their hockey series and now after one decent year(according to some of you) you act as if their game has been the best all along and 2k was the crappy game for the last 3 years. I get it, your an EA guy and that's cool, there isn't one 2k game that you like, but come on, NBA LIVE is on a competing level with NBA 2K? It may improve but it will not be on par with 2k9, because that is one series that is so far ahead of the competition.

# 17 Flyermania @ 07/18/08 09:40 PM

NBA Live is not even in the same league as the 2k basketball series IMO.

I will admit I was underwhelmed with what I saw of NHL 2k9 from E3, but it all seemed to be centered on the Wii. I can only hope the 360/PS3 versions are totally different, as what they showed look bad and was anything from a new game from the ground up. Instead it looked like the same tired engine that reached its peak 3-4 years ago.

Time will tell. Hopefully they will be true to their word on the demo and that will be out soon.

# 18 tabulaRasa @ 07/19/08 05:39 AM

Come on , don´t give credit when a turd has been polished. NBA2k has annihilated Live for years, the only reason that game even sold is because of stubborn EA fans. NBA live is so far behind it´s laughable people say they have catched up. But it´s the same BS every year. "live looks amazing this year... bla bla"...
If there is one series that is highly dominant in a genre, it´s NBA2k.

About hockey, NHL08 was my game of choice last year, even if I owned both. But mostly because it had positioning that felt realisitic (somewhat), and players didn´t check like maniacs as in 2k8. I really did prefer the controls over 2k8s, shooting sucked going down, but when you play online you can choose to only skate upwards so...

2k does a few things better , but if they don´t fix checking and focus more on positioning, along with more atmosphere I don´t see how they can be dominant again.

# 19 Money99 @ 07/19/08 11:51 AM

I'm sorry Eddie, but to call RealmK an 'EA guy' is downright hilarious.
This guy favored the 2K line for years (much like I did). In fact, he was one of the more active members at 2Khockey.net for years.

Along with that, he was one of the more vocal people against EA's product for years as well.

He's like a lot of people these days in that he only wants the best hockey game available regardless of where it comes from.

From what I've read he's not betting that this game is truly built from the ground-up. Looking at those videos you'd have to be either blind or a complete 2K sheep to think otherwise. It looks exactly like 2K4-2K8. Even the style of play by the AI is the exact same.

We were outright lied to about MLB2K8 so I'm not going to hold my breath about NHL2K9. 2K has let us down the last couple of years (with the exception of their NBA games).

While I liked aspects of NHL2K8 it still felt last gen to me (even as far back as Dreamcast). This whole series really needs to be blown up and started from scratch. But judging by the latest vids, that's not what's happening. And it's too bad. By this time next year, Take-Two won't even exist.

# 20 savoie2006 @ 07/19/08 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daflyboys


	Just as I thought........ a little something leaks outta E3 and guys are gettin' all worked up about an inflexible, arcade-set, incomplete game most likely being played by a cheeser and jumping to a bunch of conclusions. VC has shown their ability to be professional and put out quality. Lame duck series or not, somehow I imagine this will (has) seep into the hockey development team as well. Jury is out until the game (NOT demo) is sitting in your tray and you can tweak the sliders to what's needed for sim play (sorry guys, but sim out of the box is a pipe dream). Can I get an 'amen'.

I agree Daf,but it is a bit disheartening to get just the info we have gotten.it doesn't really even make me want to even try the demo at this point.I'm really hoping that VC will release a "Sim" video of 360 gameplay like they did last year.Something that will help sell the game as something other than fun for the entire family.

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