Mike Wang Reunites With 2K Sports
by 
We now know why EA Sports was eager to reveal that lead gameplay designer Mike Wang had left NBA Live after just over a year on the series. Wang is returning to the NBA 2K team. I’ve been talking about the developments throughout the evening on my Twitter and ESPN has posted up an interview with him that details why he left and adds concerns about the future of NBA Live.
“When I went over there (to EA), a lot of it was for personal reasons. I wanted to try something new, try a new challenge. But after being there and spending some time over at EA, it was clear that they do things a different way, and in a way it’s just inefficient and just not the place to be to make the best games,” …. With some of the creative decisions over at EA, it just made it difficult to stay there. They just want to make a different game than I had a vision for.
All of this is especially interesting given that the reason Wang left 2K Sports was because he felt that the NBA 2K franchise had hit a ceiling and the resources weren’t there to really push it forward. So what he is saying about EA has to be viewed with some level of skepticism given they are about the competitor but there definitely seems to be some truth in it all. Live may now be looking at a shift in its focus and NCAA Basketball is likely gone with poor sales being the reason for both.
This is certainly a huge coup for 2K Sports and a big hit to the state of basketball provided by EA Sports. NBA 2K11 and beyond now has a brighter outlook gameplay wise but they’ll need better quality control and to provide a consistent online experience whether NBA Live lasts just one more year or if it remains around as competition for longer.
AM Update: Some other outlets have provided their take on the situation including Kotaku, Game Informer, and Operation Sports.
February 1, 2010 at 9:37 pm
@pasta do you think madden my see a similar fate as far as going arcade?
February 1, 2010 at 9:44 pm
No I don't think so. There's always the mantra of “accessibility” that will be pushed but both EA and the NFL want realism out of Madden. They'll branch off with an arcade product regularly to fill that gap.
With Live its because they're going head-to-head with a competitor that has the sim market cornered. So they see the only option to gain sales as being trying a different approach. Right or wrong as that may be.
February 1, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Mike Wang returns. I must say, this must be pretty awkward for. Saying that stuff about 2k, then leaving for their competitor EA, then saying those stuff about EA, then going back to 2K. Mike knows he better work his ass off for 2K11 and up to make up for his mistake.
I can imagine it now. Mike gets out of his car, and walks into the building. He says “hey, Im back” to the guy at the front desk. Then the guy says “kiss my ass Mike”.
February 1, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Couldn't this have an effect on 2K as well? Now with no competition, they may think they don't have to do as much as they need to on the game like what the NCAA games have done for EA. They add in just enough to get by. That's the horrible thing about all the sports games, they don't really have any competition. MLB is going to be the only one with two sim games, and even then, if you have a PS3, you would be an absolute idiot to not buy The Show.
February 1, 2010 at 9:53 pm
mike wang just twitted me, he's dropping 2K and moving to oxford to help out with the last few months of backbreaker'd development.
February 1, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Wow…. hahahahahaahahahahahahahah @ EAC and Live
February 1, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Good job, that made me laugh!
February 1, 2010 at 10:00 pm
There is a difference when you say their engines have limitations and when people want to make the game different then what your vision was. Also,, having so many people above him holding him back on what he wants is huge.
He explained he wanted to try something different, but when he got there the grass was not greener.
Great MOVE for 2K getting him back.
February 1, 2010 at 10:07 pm
“it was clear that they do things a different way, and in a way it’s just inefficient and just not the place to be to make the best games,”
I would also say that statement applies to Madden because they have no other NFL Franchise pushing them. It is just the overall culture there.
February 1, 2010 at 10:18 pm
How many resources will be available to Wang when there is no competition anymore? 2k may agree with his vision but that doesn't mean he will be able to do what he wants…why would 2k spend “extra” money to make a fantastic game when they don't have to? I don't see how anyone can find this to be good news in the long run…
February 1, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Wow. This is terrible news for Pasta, my 12 year old nephew, and the 27 other fans of NBA Live 10.
February 1, 2010 at 10:55 pm
he left after he played 2k10!! poor nba live fan boys its like they planned this the whole time its like they hate ya'll #EVL
February 2, 2010 at 12:01 am
Cannot be suprised here, Nba Live 10 was a total bust. Intresting though with all of Nba 2k's problem goes to show that Live's problems are even bigger. And pasta yes it would be nice to have better online performance but the people want better gameplay and I think that speaks for itself in the sales comparison. This is a good coup for 2k especially after this years disaster. Intresting to see what Mike will have inline for 2k.
February 2, 2010 at 12:16 am
And can The Ncaa who already makes billions off television right alone please lower the license agreements so that 2k can get back into college basketball! I'm sick of playing college hoops 2008!!
February 2, 2010 at 3:17 am
Mike did a good job for easports since live 10 was the first live i bought after 2005 for my xbox1.
You know, money is to blame for many mistakes in life.The smart thing to do is to admit it and get back. The team behind nba 2k was a big family for many years BUT i doubt it will stay this way after knocking down the competition so easily.
Every year there is a budget that is distributed to all the games accordingly.If 2ksports decides to cut some none profitable games nba2k11 has some potential. If they insist thowing money on bad products ,we are going to be treated with a slight improvement of 2k10.
Too bad for live 11 though.It's a fun game…not to get very serious about it but a fun game nonetheless, which showed some potential.
Maybe mike will bring some new ideas from live like MORE PHYSICAL GAME AND COLLISIONS, NATURAL PICK AND ROLLS, BETTER PLAYCALLING, NICE CUTSCENES, BETTER SOUND FX AND ATMOSPHERE IN THE STADIUM.
February 2, 2010 at 4:29 am
This tells you how much Wang believe in Nba Live 10 when they were overflowing videogames website with their videos before the game was actually released…
February 2, 2010 at 5:13 am
man, live does not have a chance now, does it?
February 2, 2010 at 5:35 am
you guys are acting like mike WANG is the ultimate creator of basketball so what if he left live and so what if he went back to 2k….trust me there is some other guy out their believes he can make a better game then this guy so does EA…all this news is building drama up for the b-ball games for next year cant wait see how its going to turn out…its marketing ploy….hopefully this brings the best out of two companies….ea has the money and 2k has the creativity….great story line for both games….
February 2, 2010 at 7:04 am
& STILL VHAMPION OF DA WooooOOOOOOORLD
2KSPORTS
ooooOOOOOOOOO TA HA
February 2, 2010 at 7:09 am
translation: 2k realized what they lost and bought me back.
alternate translation: i thought EA had unlimited pockets and so i got upset when the company wouldnt pump a zillion dollars into an ok-selling product. i dont care if they are having layoffs, they need to give me more money.
February 2, 2010 at 7:35 am
@gomagic
translation: i am a live fanboy
alternate translation: i am a live fanboy
I can guarantee you that his salary at EA was twice as much as he'll make at 2K. Well, before bonuses because if its based on sales then we all know who gives out larger bonuses.
February 2, 2010 at 7:38 am
How is Live an ok-selling product?? If your goal is to take away sales from the superior product then I guess they succeeded. But if an ok-selling product means gaining a return on your investment then by all means EA has failed horribly.
February 2, 2010 at 8:41 am
To me, this has turned into an extension of the horrible marketing campaign these two companies waged shortly after release last year. Wang can come out and say he disliked EA's direction, but they are painted in a corner and aren't going to clarify what said direction is. Based on his comments in the past and now, it seems he will talk trash against the competitor. His comments would carry more weight IMO if he were not with the competition.
Each of these companies would be best suited to get to work on the 11 editions of their respective franchises. Both have issues they need to resolve after a year where the games were well-received by many sports gamers. Trotting Wang out for interviews with anyone who will listen reflects poorly on him IMO. He doesn't need to justify why he left 2K originally or EA now. It reeks of sour apples and was unprofessional each time IMO.
Now, I don't want to discredit what he has done, but one guy doesn't run a franchise. This is eerily similar to the praise lavished on Ben Brinkman re: baseball games just a few years ago. He was believed to be the mastermind behind MVP & NCAA Baseball and was going to resurrect the MLB 2K franchise. Currently, he works at Activision and MLB 2K never made the leap many thought it would. He's a great dev too, but one man can't do it all.
February 2, 2010 at 8:54 am
Live is done…..
February 2, 2010 at 8:54 am
Live is Done…..
February 2, 2010 at 9:09 am
This sucks for EA for the reason that they always retool there game and want to make it inovative instead of improving while 2K just looks to improve on a great game already. Wang isn't reallt going to make much of a difference over at 2K because that game is pretty much set in stone but LIVE, well that game sucked again this year so I dont see a bright future for them. EA needs to scrap the game and start from the ground up with 2 things, Graphics/Gameplay. They have a great interface, franchise set up (still needs tweaking) and online. They need to realize that 2K has realistic gameplay and graphics that aren't great. In 2K you can actually play in the post where in EA you can't. EA is still an arcade 1 on 1 game and it seems as if WANG didn't really have that much pull over there to change that. He sounds bitter because he really didn't have much input into the game even though he did add HUSTLE to the game, ha! I think it's funny how EA made all those videos about nothing really and he would sit there and talk about how great it is to fight for loose balls, loser. Oh well, all for nothing I guess. He's smart to go back to the winning team, 2K! Pasta is mad, real mad and my favorite part of his comments was, “2K11 and beyond now has a brighter outlook gameplay wise but they’ll need better quality control and to provide a consistent online experience” He/she always has something to knock about 2K, man, I love this site because it's like reading a whining baby always mad that the other kids have better toys.
In the end EA needs to take a year off or delay the game a bit to make sure they have a quality product. I had both games this year and no matter what bugs/glitches 2K came with at first (2 patches) it just doesn't compare to how bad LIVE was out the box. Live lasted me 3 months and just bad bad gameplay and goofy graphics. I bought into Wangs hype, my bad, and now his for talking big smack and then quitting. Instead of quitting he shouldve told the hire up the problems and said “I can change this game if you let me”. Oh well, it's always easier to quit.
February 2, 2010 at 9:10 am
This means nothing. Live got rocked in sales and they were probably about to lay this clown off. EA is going Sim in Madden and Live so they can sell to a bunch of elementary and high school kids. No room for a sim dude like Wang. Noe he's got to run with his tail between his legs and beg 2k for his job back. 2k wins big time in this fiasco
February 2, 2010 at 9:54 am
I think PastaEAPadre is about to having a nervous breakdown. Live was his choice of BB last year which showed what a lackey he is for EA. Now that 2K squashed EA basketball. And took back the lead gameplay guy. What will PastaEAPadre say next.
We await the great PastaEAPadre and his great feedback on being neutral to the gaming world.
Hahahahahaha
February 2, 2010 at 10:00 am
2k hasn't had any competition in the basketball market for like 5 years and they still put out a great game every year. They're not cheap fucking greedy bastards like EA. NBA2k will continue to be the best sports game out there!
February 2, 2010 at 10:10 am
pasta you better jump ship on Easports too it's headed for an epic crash and burn! They probably won't be able to afford to keep paying you much longer!
Can't wait until the exclusive NFL license is up. No way the NFL will re-sign for more years and if we're lucky EA will go die in some dark lonely corner somewhere.
Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddooooooooooooommmmmmmmmm
February 2, 2010 at 10:38 am
Not really surprised at all by this. Not good news for NBA Live '11 and EA.
February 2, 2010 at 11:31 am
ooh my, thats some funny and true shit right there. You had me lol'ing. The truth is a bitch.
February 2, 2010 at 11:36 am
All he said about 2K, is that he felt that their engines has limitations and EA's ceiling for that was higher. He said nothing bad up to this point. He left for personal reasons, Who doesn't want to take credit for raising the dead. He went over to possibly a bigger pay check as well. He got there and things were not as they appeared behind closed doors.
So in the end, he said, fuck this, i am ghost.
February 2, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Interesting development, but Wang handled this so unprofessionally he should be ashamed. In the gaming industry, you never know where your next job will be. To mouth off like that is silly. Especially when he mouthed off about 2k when he left there.
2k fans felt burned by this year's game, will be interesting to see how they vote next year with their wallets. I played both games, didn't think either were great, but I did enjoy my games with Live a bit more. Even if Live is better than 2k by leaps and bounds next year, it will take years of that to convince fans. I don't think EA's ego would ever allow them to completely abandon the game.
Also, even if it doesn't beat 2k in sales, as long as it pulls a profit is all that matters. I think we as outsiders put too much emphasis on numbers and rivalries.
February 2, 2010 at 12:05 pm
I don't get it!!! How can Wang make such a difference?????
February 2, 2010 at 12:19 pm
“MEN LIE,WOMEN LIE, NUMBERS DONT!”
February 2, 2010 at 12:22 pm
lane kiffin thought mike wang about loyalty
February 2, 2010 at 12:23 pm
lol
February 2, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Just wondering if you were one of the many shit talkers when Wang left 2K, i'm guessing your on his nuts now that he's back at 2K
February 2, 2010 at 12:57 pm
nothing to do with loyalty. How would you feel if your supposed loyal company told you, that you cant make the game the way you want it and you are the lead designer? Thats like taking paint brushes away from a painter.
February 2, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Michael Knight made a difference, and he was one man. Plus he had a car like no other.
February 2, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I think that sales were the way they were was that people don't like to change that much. I actually liked live better than 2k even though both games had problems. But its like saying if battlefield bad comp 2 is better than the new call of duty. More than likely, cod will outselll it by name alone. I bought live and 2k this year and just preferred live a bit more. I really hope this doesn't end in another monopoly of a sports game because as much as I like madden, I really wish 2k could come back with its football games.
February 2, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Let me guess, Jonathan Glapion…
I respected Wang when he was at 2k, I respected him when he went to EA and now I really respect him for coming back to 2k and having the balls to admit he only went to EA for the paycheck, cough cough, sorry, I mean personal reasons. I'm sure you've read what he's had to say by now about EA's development process. He wants to make the best basketball sim possible. EA wants to make money. The writing has been on the wall for a long time now big guy.
February 2, 2010 at 3:27 pm
It already is
February 2, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Agreed somewhat, it's really more like 10 years though, good day.
February 3, 2010 at 7:37 am
well said my man, I can't argue with you on the fact that EA's had it's head in the sand for far to long. I think Mike gave them a jump start they would have never had had he not gone to EA. But what i think is interesting is some of the things he said about Live vs 2K. Remember when he talked about control vs over animation, he was pretty straight forward in his criticism of 2k over animations taking away from player control. So i'll be interested to see if he'll take what live has and finds a middle ground with 2K realistic animations.
The fact is NBA Live 11 is dead if they don't follow what FIFA did in making a sim game. There are only two absolutes with both these games. They will both be over hyped video games and they will both have gameplay issue when they come out.
February 8, 2010 at 10:56 am
5 at max…don't be that foolish and say something like that.
February 8, 2010 at 6:56 pm
5 at max…don’t be that foolish and say something like that.