Could NHL 2K Go The Way of College Hoops?
by 
2K Sports has generally supported their more prominent titles with at least a patch and a handful of roster updates throughout the year. NBA 2K9 has already received a significant patch and effort has been made to provide more roster updates than in the past. On the other hand the lesser-regarded 2K titles have gone largely ignored post-release, one recent example being Prizefighter which did not receive a patch.
News comes now that there will be no patch for NHL 2K9 and to date there hasn’t even been a single roster update. While the game showed improvement with the studio move to Visual Concepts that hasn’t resulted in better post-ship support.
Last year just a few weeks before 2K canceled College Hoops I had an article about how the sales for college basketball games didn’t seem to be able to support two titles. While their MLB and NBA franchises are completely safe in this regard, NHL would appear to be in a similar situation. The market for hockey games is relatively small and this year EA Sports’ NHL 09 captured a large majority of those sales.
With Take Two struggling financially it once again becomes a question of whether the license and development costs support producing the game based on potential sales. The absense of support for the game following its release could potentially be a sign it is on the way to being cut. Even if the series continues the low level of support and concern isn’t very encouraging.
December 3, 2008 at 1:11 am
pretty accurate actually…
December 3, 2008 at 1:14 am
NHL2K was a once proud franchise and I am a little surprised that they even released a game this year w/the vast popularity of EA's hockey title. I am now positive that the NFL2K would be just like NBA2k & NHL2k…GAMES THAT WERE "before their time technically and then behind the times just a few years later".
December 3, 2008 at 1:17 am
College Hoops received a lot of support last year with a beatiful patch, nonetheless it died, so it doesn't necessarily mean we're not gonna see nhl 2k next year just because it hasn't been patched. Besides NHL 2k9 was an unfinished product due to the fact that it was rebuilt from scratch with the change of studios, it would be silly to give up after 1 year of development, better make it die last year with Kush then.
December 3, 2008 at 2:58 am
haha, wow, so 2k can have rebuild years? Wtf, Madden was inferior to NFL2k5, NBA live is poop in a box as always, EAs college bb has been bitchslapped by 2k forever, and not until NHL08 did EA actually have anything on 2k in the hockey genre. 2k dropped the ball with 2k8 and because they didn´t rebuild with 2k8.
But come on… Competetion is great and good for the consumers. And as it looks, EA fans are amnesiac fools. Don´t forget the past, it usually repeats. No competetion means that EA turns it all to pooooooooop.
December 3, 2008 at 3:09 am
Over the last 20 years, we've seen what happens when EA has no competition. Their product sucks. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.
December 3, 2008 at 3:34 am
no patch actually really upsets me. i bought nhl 09 too and have been playing that waiting to see what the patch for nhl 2k9 would do and waiting to see when the roster update would finally hit. its a joke that they dont feel the people who bought this game are worth their time
December 3, 2008 at 3:35 am
aw YEA
if UR not 1ST UR LAST
December 3, 2008 at 3:35 am
I'm big on having competition to push quality but I doubt anyone would miss NHL 2K. I really dont think quality would drop for EA NHL if it wasnt around either.
December 3, 2008 at 3:37 am
how can you say EA sucks? lets take a look at their sports games–nhl 09 is not only a great sports game but one of the best games overall of this year,take a look at the reviews. nhl09> nhl2k9. ncaa football and madden are both great games as well and tiger woods 09 is the best golf game ever made. and now fifa has beaten winning 11 at soccer.fifa 09 is a great game.the only sport that is lacking is basketball where 2k is still the king but EA is strating to show improvement there as well ,so when you say EA sucks you are just going along with the crowd that says EA sucks no matter what and there is that crowd that thinks it's cool or something to say that but the fact is if you look at their games and the reviews that they get,it's just not true.
December 3, 2008 at 3:38 am
They didnt show much care for MLB 2K8 buyers either especially the PS3 side. 2K doesnt really care once they get your money.
December 3, 2008 at 4:00 am
NHL 09 is very good, but it also had competition. Madden and NCAA both suck, IMO, and have for awhile now. When you only have one stinking camera angle, no on-field refs, receivers who are allowed to run out of bounds and come back in and make the catch, a ridiculously hard running game (2 yards and a cloud of dust), ridiculous OL/DL interaction, etc., and this is the FOURTH game on the next gen systems, I'd hardly call it great. If EA/Tiburon still had competition in football, they'd be mopping the basement when it comes to sales. In fact, I'd venture to say that it would be EA who would be in danger of being put out of business, at least in football, if that was the scenario.
December 3, 2008 at 4:31 am
Only good 2k Games
1. NBA 2k5 +Chris Berman ESPN Highlight Shows
2. College Hoops 2k8 +Commentary + College hoops tonight
3. BioShock
END
December 3, 2008 at 5:38 am
2k<garbage…no resources, less than average development teams=crappy games PERIOD.
-Old 2k fanboy
December 3, 2008 at 6:49 am
I wouldn't say that Madden & NCAA suck but I do agree that they are hardly great. Kieth is right that this is going on 5 years into Next Gen & the only thing better about Madden compared to Last Gen is graphics. Madden 05 is still better than Madden 09 & that's a problem. Yea EA is make strides but they're taking baby steps. I don't want to hear that crap about they only have a year at a time to improve the game. With all the money & resources that EA has there's no excuse why a hockey game is their best sports game.
December 3, 2008 at 6:52 am
Sports gaming are a dieing genre. not like it was in the PS1 and Xbox days. Everyone has to be a millonth seller I blame the consoles for having such high end hardware that development costs are too high. Its great people game but It seems like more poeple game now then in the ps1 one days and it just boggle the mind that sports game aint getting at least a cut. like I said Game companies have to be millonth seller to be profitable with development costs up with the hardware being high end. Then we have exclusive contracts bullshit.
December 3, 2008 at 7:08 am
madden and ncaa are great games IMO but your points are well taken,i agree with you that there should be on the feild refs ect..ect..you are right about those things,with every game there is room for improvement and you may very well be right about EA if they had competition in football because i liked 2ks football games,i still play 2ks all pro game but the point i was trying to make is you have to give credit where its do and EA does have some great games–nhl09–fifa 09–tiger woods 09 and even nascar 09 is very good,so i don't understand why a lot of people just say EA sucks.i'll be the first to admit that some of their past games did and there's room for improvement in all their games but if everyone looks at the reviews of their games they can't say EA sucks just because they made some poor games in the past,heck every big game company made some bad games.
December 3, 2008 at 7:13 am
man 2k is dieing and you fanboys need to open your eyes damm you can complain about 2k not having the nfl licence O well that was 3 years ago, if they put as much effort as they put in nba2k maybe they would have a larger fanbase in there other games, Ea has games like fifa, nhl, foot tittles , and fight night to ride on, 2k just has nba come on now I'm no fanboy of either companys but I not stupid to see which one is making crap games, EA will all ways have there haters but they ll always get there money.
December 3, 2008 at 7:23 am
maaden and ncaa are good I wouldnt say great but there not bad, man we all know people that come on internet and do the whole ea suck thing do it to be cool, EA haters arent strong enough the general public buy games to buy them not for whos making it.
December 3, 2008 at 7:24 am
Is it possible all of VC is working on fixing MLB2K9? I hope so!
December 3, 2008 at 8:22 am
As long as 2K keeps basketball that's all I care about. I'm not a 2k fanboy I'm a NBA 2K fanboy. Truth be told I don't even like any other 2K Sports games but basketball. EA makes good Sports games but they should be great with all the money that company has and they're not. What does that say about EA when they have 10 times as much money and resources as 2K but yet they can't make a better basketball game than them? Why is Madden 05 better than Madden 09? Why is it that EA's best sports games are for genres that the majority of people don't care about (hockey, soccer, & golf)?
December 3, 2008 at 8:32 am
Thank You!!!! Please put NhL 2k9 out of its misery and bring back a real college basketball game for us to play!!!!!
December 3, 2008 at 8:34 am
NBA 2k doubled this year in sales. EA fanboys probably finally realized NBA Live sucks. Every year these fanboys scream "Oh NBA Live is coming back, watch out!" Then it gets left in the dust and ends up in a trashbin somewhere. NHL 2k9 rules and 09 is arcade garbage. Face facts fellas. Madden is QB 80% garbage robo QB, cheating AI cheating everything like all their games. How many points are scored in the last minute of an EA sports game? Like 1 million probably. LOL at EA sports games.
December 3, 2008 at 8:35 am
J Tuck you must be some fat guy who sits at home all day!!! As long as there are sports fans with no or limted athletic abilities …..(like yourself)….sports games will forever rule!!!!
December 4, 2008 at 3:16 am
Let me be one of "those guys" to unmask NHL 09 for what it really is. If you are a serious fan of NHL hockey, I mean the real thing on Versus, then you have to admit that NHL 2K9 mimics the game better that EA'S attempt at re-creating a "true" hockey atmosphere. The face-off controls for '09 stink – totally unrealistic, while in 2K9 you have the option of a forward or backward grip on your stick. Also, the player movement in 2K9 is much more fluid (tweaking the ice friction slider will give the effect of actually skating rather that running on ice). The only advantage I can see '09 having is in the artwork for the player models; faces, body type etc. I do like 2K's stadium cut-scenes of the "roof view" with the working scoreboard. Would it have been that difficult to realisically map the player's faces like they did in NBA 2K9, and why can't 2K get stadium licensing i.e. HSBC Arena vs. Buffalo Sabres Arena?? All in all, I believe the "Emporer" needs to be unmasked for what he really is… a buck-naked attempt to pull the wool over every "hockey puck" that plays the fastest game on ice!
December 4, 2008 at 4:39 am
2K is a garbage company that makes second rate companies. 2K is the red-headed step head child of the sports gaming world. I never understood how there are "2k Fanboys" when 2K is such a halfassed company. If you want to hate EA thatr's fine, but at least they don't abandon their products.
December 4, 2008 at 4:42 am
LOL Sports games are dying? Let me guess you are one of these losers that only plays stuff like Final Fantasy or you are a 35 year old with a Wii playing Super Mario Sunshine? Yes sir YOU are in touch with reality. Sports games keep growing in popularity, Madden will always be a top seller and The Show always sells well in the spring. The NBA games do great as well.
December 4, 2008 at 8:02 am
best sports games i've played so far,
nfl 2k5, nba 2k series, mvp baseball 05, mlb the show '08, 2k college hoops '08, and winning eleven series.
i'm not sure how some of you can call out 2k sports and blame them for being second rate when i see more support for ea sports that isn't necessary about their sports at all. business is business……whoever advertises their products better and dilutes the playing experience by catering to the masses is going to win the battle…….plain and simple…….because majority of sports gamers are casual gamers who look to play with friends or online……maybe franchise mode players included. when you can't make profit(s) as well or better than the competition, then you would normally want to part ways with your product(s) to make up whatever you have left. i think its smart business decision that 2k is waiving some of their games but very sad also……….you don't want to have more expenses that revenues, right? in my opinion, 2k sports has gotten down the technical side of sports better that other sports games i've played……ever. i've have a much more appreciation for watching and playing sports just by playing it virtual via 2k/sega…….for that, i truly thank them. thank you, 2k/sega sports. as for ea sports, hmm……..they sure know how to hype up their games, better than any company………..aside from that, thats pretty much it……….only the mvp 05 stood out for me as a quality game.