NHL 2K10 News Post

Is it Time to Stick a Fork in the NHL 2K Series?

11:00 AM - December 18, 2009 by RoyalBoyle78

Pasta Padre has done some extensive research, it looks like the NHL 2K series is dead. He posted an update, right here. A few other sites have also chimed in with their thoughts. What say you?

Quote:


	"Ever since Take Two decided to shut down College Hoops due to the lack of sales potential vs development costs the next game that appeared to be in danger was the NHL 2K series. Sales have been dropping to miniscule levels as EA Sports NHL has grown and dominated the market. While it has been clear that resources have been limited with NHL 2K there have been no official statements made as to the future of the franchise. However now there is an indication that NHL 2K11 may not be in development. In the Q4 fiscal report from Take Two on Thursday the games planned for the next fiscal year were laid out. Noticeably absent from the list is the mention of NHL 2K11."

Is the End Near for the NHL 2K Series? (First Cuts)

Quote:


	"I reached out for comment, and received this note back from Brian Roundy with 2K Sports: 2K has the following comment: �We are currently in the process of evaluating our sports portfolio and have not announced any new NHL titles at this time."

2K Sports benching NHL series? (Gamespot)

Quote:


	"Dropping the NHL series would make some sense for Take-Two. 2K's games have been a distant second to EA's efforts this generation, both critically and commercially. And while the recent Wii edition of NHL 2K10 was warmly received by critics and vigorously supported with TV advertising, that hasn't significantly boosted sales over last year's edition. With the publisher's stated focus on AAA game development, a middling licensed franchise with a limited potential audience up against tough competition every year might be a tempting target for cost-cutting."

NHL 2K11 likely canceled, 2K Sports in trouble? (Destructoid)

Quote:


	"This is not an entirely shocking prospect for 2K Sports, whose NHL 2K games have been badly outsold in the past two years by EA Sports� celebrated hockey titles. Competition in the simulation sports genre is very tough, to be sure: NHL 2K9 and 2K10 weren�t bad games, by most accounts, but it just so happened that NHL 09 and NHL 10 were better. If it turns out that this is, indeed, the end of NHL 2K, then I�m sad for all the folks at developer Visual Concepts who may soon be out of work."

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Member Comments

# 21 jyoung @ 12/19/09 12:37 AM

2K Sports definitely did this to themselves with their poor handling of the NHL series on next-gen consoles.

We are 5 games into the console cycle, and not a single innovation has been made with regards to 2K's hockey franchise.

The best they've been able to do is create poorly implemented versions of stuff that EA came up with in the year before.

Forget about marketing (EA NHL actually has less) or limited development resources (do we really think that its much better at EA?), new ways to play the game (skill stick) and new online modes (EASHL) are why people have shifted away from NHL 2K over to EA NHL; EA has been the leader this generation, while 2K has simply been the follower.

I feel it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to MLB 2K and NBA 2K.

Both are getting surpassed by companies who are putting a lot more innovation into their product than 2K is.

MLB will be next (maybe as soon as next season), then in another 3 or 4 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see NBA 2K go, too.

# 22 bcgudely @ 12/19/09 12:39 AM

This looks pretty bad. I knew it couldn't have been good when they decided against patching the PS3 version. I guess I'll enjoy 2K10 for the rest of the year, and just hope that NHL 11 takes steps in the right direction..

If it doesn't, I guess I'll be doing what I've done with football games.. ignoring them.

# 23 EnigmaNemesis @ 12/19/09 01:04 AM

Quote:


	I also worry for the future of 2K Sports as a publisher. Their existence seems like it�s being increasingly marginalized on all fronts: the MLB 2K games that have come out since Take-Two bid reportedly $40 million for an exclusive third-party development license -- MLB 2K6, 2K7, 2K8, and 2K9 -- have been poor, to say the least, compared to Sony�s spectacular MLB The Show series (especially the last two years); EA�s recent hockey games have just been better than 2K�s; thanks to EA�s exclusive NFL license, the company can�t even make a football videogame. Only their highly acclaimed NBA 2K franchise remains a dependable success, and even that was challenged by a solid effort from EA this year in NBA Live 10. And with Take-Two�s recently stated preference to put out easily marketable titles for hardcore gamers (�the safest place to be is in triple-A,� said CEO Strauss Zelnick) -- games like BioShock 2 and Max Payne 3 -- I wonder if the company will continue to bother (or can afford to continue bothering) trying to compete in the sports game market, or at least in any sport other than basketball.

http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-nhl...--158261.phtml

# 24 Jamin23 @ 12/19/09 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnigmaNemesis


	http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-nhl...--158261.phtml

That really is a shame.

# 25 LuGer33 @ 12/19/09 04:03 AM

I've been playing NHL 2K10 the past few days and there is definitely a foundation here for a good game. It's just a shame because the only other next-gen 2K Hockey game I own is 2K8, and with the exception of the AI and some newer animations, that is still the better game. 2K8 should have been the foundation, 2K9 should have been a progression, and 2K10 should have been at the very least on the level of EA's game, if not better.

Instead they had the crapfest that was 2K9, and while NHL 2K10 is a much better game, it still can't hold a candle to NHL 10, imo. I hope this isn't the last game in the 2K series because I don't want to see EA NHL become the only hockey game on the market... I think the team can and will still innovate, but I also know they play NHL 2K, see what they like and what they can add to their own games, etc, so it would be unfortunate to lose that competition...

# 26 Vikes1 @ 12/19/09 04:13 AM

I really hate to see NHL2K go under.

I love having a choice. And that having a choice, brings better games for the gaming public. If NHL2K does fold...I sure hope EA Canada keeps moving it's game forward, as they have the last few years.

# 27 Money99 @ 12/19/09 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikes1


	I really hate to see NHL2K go under. I love having a choice. And that having a choice, brings better games for the gaming public. If NHL2K does fold...I sure hope EA Canada keeps moving it's game forward, as they have the last few years.

As long as the team they have now stay's in place, I don't see anything changing.
However, bean counters love to screw things up.

They might see that there's no longer any competition and decide to cut resources from the NHL team to save cash. I hope not though.

# 28 DaveDQ @ 12/19/09 10:51 AM

I think if you asked all of us what title was next after CHoops got canned, I think we would all say 2K's NHL series.

Remember the reason Take Two gave for not developing for the PS2 and Xbox? They said they wanted to focus on the next generation of consoles. I again blame Take Two for poor management of 2K sports. They have all but ruined the 2K brand name. There is one thread hanging in NBA 2K. That's it.

# 29 Poro24 @ 12/19/09 11:53 AM

2K has gone downhill since EA stealed the ESPN lisence after 2K5. 2k6, 2K7 and 2K8 were still great hockey simulations with great tv-style presentation, stat overlays, multi angle replays etc. All these are lost in 2K10 and the presentation is just laggy and boring. I enjoy the gameplay, but the presentation, unresponsive controls and laggy gameplay are turning me away.

But just one hockey game in the market would be a disasder. We all know how bad EA games can be when they don't have competition.

# 30 plaidchuck @ 12/19/09 01:33 PM

not surprising, you reap what you sow, I mean you can't even put out a measly patch for both systems?

# 31 kerosene31 @ 12/19/09 01:34 PM

Very sad if true but not surprising.

2k (and Konami with PES) basically just woke up a sleeping giant. When next gen came around, EA decided that they were sick of getting beaten by NHL 2k and PES. So, they put all their effort into next-gen. While 2k was putting out games that felt like last-gen, EA was moving forward quickly.

What worked for EA was finding the perfect balance between "sim" and playability. NHL10 is a pretty good hockey sim in many areas, yet it is easy for someone to learn the controls in a matter of minutes.

People say they want a pure sim, but they don't. Few gamers really want to fight through a neutral zone trap. EA found the sweet spot with this and buried it.

You can't ignore the EASHL either. Perhaps without the EASHL things might have been different, but that was the final nail in the coffin.

I hope 2k sticks around, but I can't say I would be the least bit surprised if it didn't.

# 32 Myloman @ 12/19/09 02:54 PM

2k Hockey was my first love, but they lost me several years ago and now I've switched over to the EA series. I still have a soft spot for 2k though and buy their yearly release with my Christmas money so this is disappointing, but they brought this on themselves. Hopefully someone else steps in so we don't have EA releasing Madden like turds on the NHL side.

# 33 Vikes1 @ 12/19/09 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myloman


	Hopefully someone else steps in so we don't have EA releasing Madden like turds on the NHL side.

I sure hope that doesn't happen.

Not to unnecessarily bash the Madden game...but with the NHL game, I see an attention to detail at EA Canada, that imo...seems to be missing at Tiburon.

# 34 robcoop @ 12/19/09 04:43 PM

In my opinion, as sports games get the ax, it eventually will impact sites like OS AND PastaPadre. If my ONLY choice of an NHL game, an NFL game, a College Hoops game and even an MLB game is limited to ONE option, why do I need to come by a sports video game site to tell me what is coming down the pike for something I have no choice but to buy. I expect EA to sit on development and pump out junk (or little changes) because there is no competition and ultimately, there isn't as MUCH anticipation as there had been in prior years. So, my point: axing NHL 2K, College Hoops 2K, exclusive contracts, so on... is bad for Sports Video game journalism.

# 35 Cusefan @ 12/19/09 11:02 PM

I dont buy all of this Competition breeds quality as far as NHL is concerned. Unlike Football, people will not go out and buy a NHL game because of the updated rosters, there has to be real improvment to get customers to keep on buying.

# 36 bcgudely @ 12/20/09 03:36 AM

Take Two is awful and this is just the result. College Hoops, now NHL, next it will be MLB, and then NBA.

Terrible management has led 2K Sports into this hole. The developers that work on these games are obviously talented. It's just everyone else in the company that's completely inept.

# 37 videobastard @ 12/20/09 11:58 AM

As it is now all of 2K sports games have gone backwards in quality. Its a shame. Its like one by one every sports game is being picked apart by EA

# 38 bcgudely @ 12/20/09 01:33 PM

They're not being picked apart by EA. They're being picked apart by 2K's own terrible management. This hasn't happened overnight.

# 39 spit_bubble @ 12/20/09 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Roundy with 2K Sports


	We are currently in the process of evaluating our sports portfolio...

Bring back College Hoops!

# 40 Jamin23 @ 12/20/09 02:44 PM

It's never good for any game to stop being made no matter how good or bad it is.

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