2K Sports has announced the complete soundtrack for their upcoming NBA 2K12. This year’s cross-genre soundtrack highlights both popular megastars and up-and-coming bands, featuring 28 tracks with music from Eminem & Royce Da 5’9″, Travis Barker, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon, Twista, Cee-Lo, Q-Tip and more.

Vice President of marketing for 2K Sports, Jason Argent stated today:

“Music has always been an integral part of our NBA 2K video games, as it further immerses players into the world of basketball and enhances their gaming experience.

It was important to us that the NBA 2K12 soundtrack was not only what you hear while navigating the menus, but also in real-life situations like pre-game highlight introductions and during timeouts, just as you would hear a song while at a game or watching on TV.”

Check out the full track list for NBA 2K12 below:

• Eminem & Royce Da 5’9″ – Fast Lane
• Travis Barker featuring Yelawolf, Twista, Busta Rhymes and Lil Jon -
• Let’s Go
• CyHi Da Prynce – Sideways (2K Remix)
• Kurtis Blow – Basketball
• Friendly Fires – Skeleton Boy
• Machine Drum – Let It (edIT Remix)
• Aceyalone featuring Cee-Lo – Workin’ Man’s Blues
• Freddie Gibbs – Look Easy (2K Original)
• Chiddy Bang featuring Q-Tip – Here We Go
• Zion I featuring Rebelution- Many Stylez
• Duck Down All -Stars 2 – Shout The Winners Out (2K Original)
• Middle Class Rut – New Low
• Bassnectar – Cozza Frenzy
• Ancient Astronauts – Still a Soldier
• Alex K. and D.J.I.G. – Now’s My Time (2K Original)
• See-I – Haterz
• James Pants – We’re Through
• Shinobi Ninja – Rock Hood
• DELS – Shapeshift
• Hudson Mohawke – Thunder Bay (instrumental)
• Mr. Chop – Intermezzo 2 (instrumental)
• Kid Mac featuring Mat McHugh – Hear You Calling
• Thunderball – Make Your Move
• The Freeze Tag – The Shuffle (instrumental)
• The Death Set – It’s Another Day
• Project Lionheart -They Come Back
• Jamaica – By The Numbers
• XV – Awesome

NBA 2K12 is set to release October 4th for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP and PC.

• 2K Sports Releases First Screenshot of NBA 2K12 – It’s Dirk Nowitzki Scoring on LeBron
• NBA Jam gets Bundled with 360, PS3 Copies of NBA Elite 11
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• The Darkness II Has Co-Op and It’s Awesome (Hands On)
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• Meet The Actors Behind BioShock Infinite (Video)

Today 2K Sports released the very first screenshot of NBA 2K12.

The screenshot highlights the exciting 2011 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.  In the screenshot, Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki soars to the hoop at the American Airlines Center as the Heat’s Lebron James and Chris Bosh attempt to block the shot. Click on the image below to see the full sized version.

NBA 2K12 is set to release on October 4th 2011 for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and… PS2.

• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 30 – Feb. 6
• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 16 – Jan. 22
• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 9 – Jan.15
• New Video Game Releases: Dec. 12 – Dec. 18
• New Video Game Releases: Dec. 5 – Dec. 11
• New Video Game Releases Nov. 28 – Dec. 5th

This list is the most up to date list available (thanks to IGN) and focuses exclusively on games that have been 100% confirmed. While not every game that will be at E3 is on the list, these are the ones that have been promised to the public. Don’t be surprised at the scant offerings by Nintendo, they’ve been very secretive about their booth and announcements so it’s likely we’ll see much more come E3.

2K Games

BioShock: Infinite (PC, PS3, X360)
Duke Nukem Forever (PC, PS3, X360)
The Darkness II (PC, PS3, X360)
XCOM (PC, PS3, X360)

NBA 2K12 (PS3, X360)

Backbreaker Vengeance (X360)
Michael Phelps: Push the Limit (X360)
Supremacy MMA (PS3, X360)
Wrecked: Revenge Revisited (PS3, X360)

Prototype 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure (PS3, Wii, X360)
Spider-Man: Edge of Time (PS3, Wii, X360)
X-Men: Destiny (DS, PS3, Wii, X360)

Modern Warfare 3 (PC, PS3, X360)

Prey 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
Rage (PC, PS3, X360)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, PS3, X360)

Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII (PS3, Wii, X360)
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (PC, PS3, X360)

Bodycount (PS3, X360)
F1 2011 (3DS, PC, PS3, PSP2, X360)

Ben 10: Galactic Racing (3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, X360)
The Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (PS3, X360)
White Knight Chronicles II (PS3)

Dead Island (PC, PS3, X360)
Dead Island (Special Edition) (PC, PS3, X360)
Risen 2: Dark Waters (PC, PS3, X360)

Serious Sam 3: BFE (PC, PS3, X360)

Cars 2 (DS, PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
Disney Universe (PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension (DS, Wii)

Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, X360)
Battlefield 3 (Limited Edition Physical Warfare Pack) (PC, PS3, X360)
FIFA Soccer 12 (PC, PS3, X360)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC, PS3, X360)
Madden NFL 12 (PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
Madden NFL 12 (Hall of Fame Edition) (PS3, X360)
Mass Effect 3 (PC, PS3, X360)
NCAA Football 12 (PS3, X360)
NHL 12 (PS3)
Need for Speed: The Run (3DS, PC, PS3, X360)
SSX (PS3, X360)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
The Sims 3: Generations (PC)

Tera (PC)

A Game of Thrones: Genesis (PC)
Of Orcs and Men (PC, PS3, X360)
Rotastic (PC, PS3, X360)
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Testament of Sherlock (PC, PS3, X360)

High Flyer Death Defyer (Android, iPhone)

Star Trek: Infinite Space (Webgame)

Fortune Online (Webgame)
Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (PC)

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (PS3, X360)

BloodRayne: Betrayal (PS3, X360)
Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures (DS)
Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic (3DS)
Face Racers: Photo Finish (3DS)
Hulk Hogan’s Main Event (X360)
Mind ‘n Motion (X360)
Nano Assault (3DS)
Pet Zombies in 3D (3DS)
Take Shape (X360)
The Hidden (3DS)
Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii)

Forza Motorsport 4 (X360)
Gears of War 3 (X360)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Edition) (X360)
Gears of War 3 (Limited Edition) (X360)

BurgerTime World Tour (PC, PS3, Wii, X360)

Defenders of Ardania (PC, PS3, X360, iPad)

Ace Combat Assault Horizon (PS3, X360)
Dark Souls (PS3, X360)
Inversion (PS3, X360)
Ridge Racer Unbounded (PC, PS3, X360)
Soulcalibur V (PS3, X360)

Dragon Nest (PC)
Vindictus (PC)

Super Mario 3DS (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Prime World (Android, Webgame, iPhone)

Crusader Kings II (PC)
King Arthur II: The Role-Playing Wargame (PC)
Magicka (PC, X360)
Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter (PC)

Blacklight: Retribution (PC)
Raiderz (PC)
Rusty Hearts (PC)

Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC, PS3, X360)

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Starhawk (PS3)
Twisted Metal (PS3)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Collector’s Edition) (PS3)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Explorer Edition) (PS3)
Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PSP2)

DC Universe Online (PC, PS3)
Free Realms (PC, PS3)
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures (PC)

Battle VS Chess (DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)

Dungeon Siege III (PC, PS3, X360)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, X360)
Heroes of Ruin (3DS)
Hitman: Absolution (PC, PS3, X360)
Tomb Raider (X360)
Wakfu (PC)

Tomb Raider (PC, PS3)

MX vs. ATV Alive (PS3, X360)
Margaritaville Online (Webgame)
Metro 2033: Last Light (PC, X360)
Red Faction: Armageddon (PC, PS3, X360)
Saints Row: The Third (PC, PS3, X360)
UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System (PS3, Wii, X360)
UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3, X360)
WWE ’12 (PS3, Wii, X360)
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online (PC)
Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (PS3, X360)
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (PC, PS3, X360)
uDraw Studio: Instant Artist (PS3, X360)

Ninja Gaiden III (PS3, X360)

Back to the Future: The Game — Episode 5: Outatime (PC, PS3, iPad)
Jurassic Park: The Game (PC, PS3, X360)
Puzzle Agent 2 (PC, PS3, iPad, iPhone)

Scivelation (PC, PS3, X360)
Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress (PC, PS3, X360)

End of Nations (PC)
Rift (PC)

Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC, PS3, X360)
Call of Juarez: The Cartel (PC, PS3, X360)
Driver: San Francisco (PC, PS3, X360)
From Dust (PC, PS3, X360)
Rayman Origins (PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
Rocksmith (PC, PS3, X360)
The Adventures of TinTin (DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (DS, PC, PS3, X360)
Trackmania2: Canyon (PC)

Bastion (PC, X360)
Batman: Arkham City (PC, PS3, X360)
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters (3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, X360)
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (X360)
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (PC, PS3, X360)

Of course, with this event you’ll never know what will happen. Stay tuned next week as Ripten will be live at E311 with the latest coverage.

• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 30 – Feb. 6
• Buyer’s Remorse: The Problem With Online Passes
• TorrentFreak Ends 2011 With Its Top 10 Most Pirated Games
• Blockbuster Extends Rental Promotion to Gamers for the Holidays
• Get Modern Warfare 3 for 99p When You Trade in Battlefield 3 to GameStop UK
• Latest Saints Row: The Third Trailer Mocks Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3

Brian Kingrey is a lucky man. He practiced and practiced and eventually became the first person to pitch a perfect game on MLB 2K11. This feat made Brian an instant millionaire due to a contest by 2K sports that would reward the first person to pitch a perfect game with $1,000,000

Brian is the second person to win the contest, the first being Wade McGilberry in MLB 2K10.  He used Roy Halladay, the cover athlete of MLB 2K11. Here’s what he had to say about his victory.

I’m not really into sports games, but I am into competitive games, so when I heard about this competition, I couldn’t leave it alone. Two weeks before the competition started, my wife forced me to go get the game. She was like “I don’t know why you’re not doing this.”

Roy Halladay has the most control on his pitch in the game. And he has this really mean slider that’s amazing against right-handers. The Astros only have two lefties in their lineup. I’d throw it low and to the right and then they would swing and miss.

It has now happened twice that someone has won a million dollars playing virtual baseball. Only in America…

• NBA 2K12 Soundtrack Features Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Cee-Lo and More
• 2K Sports Releases First Screenshot of NBA 2K12 – It’s Dirk Nowitzki Scoring on LeBron
• E3 2011 – The Confirmed Games List
• NBA Jam gets Bundled with 360, PS3 Copies of NBA Elite 11
• 2K Sports Reveals NBA 2K11 Soundtrack
• MLB 2010 Achievement/Trophy Available Today, and Only Today!

Looks like NBA Jam isn’t exclusive to the Wii after all, well, not entirely at least. Today Electronic Arts announced that all new copies of NBA Elite 11 will include a one-time download code that will allow gamers to access three modes of NBA JAM – Play Now, Classic Campaign and Online.

Now seeing that the three modes included with NBA Jam “demo” are the only ones that really matter, it’s actually a great deal for those who were wanting the game on 360 and PS3, and even better for those already planning on getting NBA Elite 11.

“NBA ELITE 11 is going to change the way basketball videogames are played,” says Jordan Edelstein, Vice President, Marketing, EA SPORTS. “The addition of three free downloadable modes of the award winning NBA JAM is an unprecedented value add to a product that is already set to revolutionize the basketball videogame category”

I’m guessing EA will eventually sell NBA Jam on Xbox Live and PSN, but not anytime soon seeing that this will most likely boost sales for NBA Elite 11. And seeing that 2K Sports’ NBA 2K11 has Michael Jordan on the cover and has been the better basketball sim the past few years, EA is doing whatever it takes to be number on the virtual hardwood once again.

NBA Elite 11 is scheduled to hit retailers on October 5.

• NBA Elite 11 Officially Canned
• NBA Elite 11 Demo Now Available
• No Online Multiplayer for NBA Jam on Wii
• NBA 2K12 Soundtrack Features Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Cee-Lo and More
• RipTen Review: NBA Jam (Wii)
• New Game Releases: 10/3 – 10/9

2K Sports has revealed the full soundtrack for NBA 2K11, with Snoop Dogg and Drake leading the list of talent, plus other great artists to complete the soundtrack and complement what 2K Sports calls the “Series’ All-Time Greatest Cover Athlete” in Michael Jordan.

Here’s the complete track list:

1. Snoop Dogg – NBA 2K Theme
2. Big Boi – Shutterbug
3. Drake – Over
4. Cassidy – Game Time
5. Ron Artest – Champion
6. Duck-Down All-Stars feat. Buckshot, Skyzoo, Promise, and Sean Price – Better Than You
7. The Alan Parsons Project – Sirius
8. Art vs. Science – Hollywood
9. Big Rock Candy Mountain – Rocketship
10. Brunettes – Red Rollerskates
11. Chicharones – Little By Little
12. Children Collide – Skeleton Dance
13. Constellations feat. Asher Roth– We’re Here To Save The Day
14. Dan Black feat. Kid Cudi – Symphonies (Remix)
15. Delorean – Deli
16. Ev – Home Of The Brave (Instrumental)
17. Failsafe – Hope & Only If We Learn
18. HOGNI – Bow Down
19. Kidz In Space – Downtime
20. Middleman – It’s Not Over Yet2
21. Rakaa feat. Aloe Blaac – Crown Of Thorns
22. The Redland – So Far
23. The Russian Futurists – Paul Simon & Precious Metals
24. Sonny Bones – Rise
25. Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk
26. Yung Autmatik & Bayroot Productions – Go Hard or Go Home
27. Dux Jones – Pourin’ It On

“NBA 2K is the basketball game that everyone plays, from NBA athletes to celebrities to music artists. Snoop has been a long time
fan of the NBA 2K series and because music is such an integral part to the gameplay experience, it was a perfect fit for this year’s title – one of the greatest rappers making an exclusive track for the greatest NBA game,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “With NBA 2K11 we hope to exceed expectations by featuring both an impressive array of established artists like Big Boi, Kid Cudi and Drake who definitely balance the hoop action, alongside emerging talent, such as the winners of our national MC/producer contest.”

I can’t wait to hear Ron Artest’s Champion song, he fucking cracks me up. Look out for NBA 2K11 when it’s released on October 5.

• E310 Preview: NBA 2K11, Presentation, Polish, and Revamped Controls
• Michael Jordan Announced as NBA 2K11 Cover Athlete
• New Michael Jordan NBA 2K11 Trailer: What If
• NBA Jam gets Bundled with 360, PS3 Copies of NBA Elite 11
• 2K Sports Reveals New Jordan Challenge Mode in NBA 2K11
• NBA 2K11: Offers Up First LeBron James Miami Heat In-Game Image

One of my biggest pet hates when it comes to Xbox 360 Achievements is ones that can only be done during a certain time frame. For example, Gearbox release Band in Arms: Hells Highway with an achievement that could only be done in September, but their game was late to ship and as a result everyone had to wait a year to get the full thousand. Long story short, I got all 950 Gamerscore (I think), then hired the game and finished that achievement at 3am in the morning, on a college day. Wahoo!

Well 2K Sports was stupid enough to include a time sensitive achievement in Major League Baseball 2010, but luckly you can unlock that today. By turning your Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 on right now and playing a game as either the National League or the American League to unlock your 40GS or Silver Trophy on the respective consoles. Make sure to tell all your friends if they play the game.

[Source: x360a]

• Serious Sam 3 Has Some Serious Achievements
• Check Out the Full Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Achievement / Trophy List
• Dead Island – Trophy / Achievement Completion Guide
• Dead Island’s Achievements Rise From The Dead
• Shadows of the Damned – Achievement / Trophy Completion Guide
• F.E.A.R 3 – Achievement / Trophy Completion Guide (Includes Video)

Granted, I was a little ticked off last night when I saw that one of my fellow sports loving writers here at RipTen, Rangebar Merani, wrote up a quick post about LeBron James announcing his signing with the Miami Heat during his “exclusive ESPN primetime show”. My exact words to him in the comments section were:

“Unless EA is planning on renaming NBA Elite into LeBron Basketball 2011 I could care less about King “let me call a press conference to announce what I ate for dinner” James.”

And, while this is not a title rename, the first NBA 2K11 in-game shot of LeBron in a Miami Heat uniform is something I am much more comfortable sharing. On a side note, I can’t wait to lace up as Michael Jordan and dethrone the self-proclaimed king.

Get a better look at James by clicking the image below.

LaBron James wearing his new Miami Heat uni.

• The Final Decision: Lebron Chooses Miami Heat
• E310 Preview: NBA 2K11, Presentation, Polish, and Revamped Controls
• Michael Jordan Announced as NBA 2K11 Cover Athlete
• 2K Sports Releases First Screenshot of NBA 2K12 – It’s Dirk Nowitzki Scoring on LeBron
• NBA Jam gets Bundled with 360, PS3 Copies of NBA Elite 11
• 2K Sports Reveals NBA 2K11 Soundtrack

Ripten was given behind-closed-doors access to a brief presentation on NBA 2K 11. When we say brief, the presentation lasted about five minutes or so and touched on a few key points that the 2K Sports team wanted to hit home. Presentation, polish, and revamped controls.

Presentation: 2K treated us to a few minutes worth of game introduction that features the Lakers and the Celtics. It showed players getting off the bus and walking into the stadium and continued to follow them up until they hit the court. The announcers are what you would expect from a 2K Sports game — lively and entertaining.

We were also told that 2K brought in a former TNT television producer to help them create a more polished and realistic presentation for NBA 2K11. They repeatedly stressed the word “polish” throughout the session and the detailed graphics, crisp sound, and broad array of camera angles used during the pre-game build up provided a convincing backdrop.

Frame rate fanatics will be happy to know that the frame rate in NBA 2K 11 was confirmed to us as a smooth and consistent 60 frames per second throughout.

Revamped Controls: NBA 2K11 will feature a new left stick controlled dribble system, and while they weren’t ready to unveil the specifics of how it will work just yet, the 2K Sports team described it as a “smoother” game control alternative that will allow players to “execute when and how [they] want.”

Michael Jordan: The MJ mystery was kept under wraps as well. Outside of the pre-E3 announcement confirming Michael as the cover athlete for NBA 2K11, the team informed us that additional details outlining Jordan’s involvment would be revealed at a later date.

That concludes our NBA 2K11 E3 preview. We’ve been following 2K Sports since the inception of this site so you can be sure we’ll keep you updated as more new breaks regarding this title as it approaches it’s Fall 2010 release. In the mean time, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

• Michael Jordan Announced as NBA 2K11 Cover Athlete
• 2K Sports Reveals NBA 2K11 Soundtrack
• NBA 2K11: Offers Up First LeBron James Miami Heat In-Game Image
• NBA 2K11: Jordan Cover Art Greatest of All Time, Say 2K Sports
• Michael Jordan Rumored As NBA 2K11 Cover Athlete & Playable Character
• “NBA’s Greatest” include Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Wilt and Larry in NBA 2K12

The heavy hitters over at Take Two have announced their E3 lineup and didn’t bother pulling their punches in doing so, as they not-so-modestly referred to their 2010 E3 offering as their “biggest and most powerful ever.”

Sounds like something meant for the cover of a Superman comic if you ask me, but hey, I gotta’ give them credit for having the chops to “boldly go” where every press release has gone before. Oh see, now I’m just mixing my analogies.

You can see their full line up of games below, with a copy of their press release immediately following. And though I feel like a broken record each time I say this, make sure to check in with us all throughout E3 for complete Take Two coverage.

2K Games
- Mafia® II (August 24, 2010)
- Sid Meier’s Civilization® V (Fall 2010)
- Spec Ops®: The Line™ (2011)
- XCOM® (2011)

2K Sports
- NBA® 2K11 (Fall 2010)
- NHL® 2K11 (Fall 2010)

2K Play
- New Carnival Games® (Fall 2010)
- Nickelodeon Fit (November 2010)

2K Comes to E3 2010 with Its Biggest and Most Powerful Lineup Ever
Exciting shooters, intense third-person action, authentic sports games and family friendly fare show the versatility of 2K’s biggest E3 showing ever

New York, NY – June 9, 2010 – 2K announced today its star-studded E3 2010 lineup that includes premier high-quality games for gamers of all tastes and ages. The full scope of 2K’s experience will be on display* in the South Hall at Booth 2823, as the sequels to some of gaming’s biggest franchises will make an appearance alongside the debut of new and exciting additions to their portfolio, creating 2K’s biggest E3 showing ever.

“By delivering only the hot list-dominating games that we want to play, 2K will take on E3 2010 with its strongest lineup to date across all of its divisions,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The benefit of our strategic approach to this year’s roster of delivering fewer, bigger titles — featuring games like Mafia® II, NBA® 2K11 and New Carnival Games® — is that we can focus on delivering the most engaging and entertaining experiences for today’s broadening gaming audience. From core to casual, 2K will have something for every gamer this holiday season.”

In the past five years, 2K has become one of the gaming industry’s premier publishers, creating titles that are both critically and commercially successful. By developing a mantra that emphasizes quality over quantity, 2K has published a number of multi-million unit selling franchises in a short amount of time for a wide variety of platforms including BioShock®, Borderlands™, Carnival Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization®, NBA® 2K, NHL® 2K, Major League Baseball® 2K and more. This year’s E3 lineup personifies the very essence of the 2K DNA of creating prestigious and meaningful titles that continue to innovate in unique and exciting ways.

The 2K booth will be home to eagerly anticipated titles from 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play. In addition, the 2K booth will be hosting photo-ops with six of Playboy magazine’s most popular Playmates appearances, further enhancing the partnership with Mafia II that features more than 50 of Playboy magazine’s vintage covers and Centerfolds as part of a unique in-game integration. Two Playmates will be present at the booth each day for the full three days as part of the Mafia II Photobooth Experience. Show goers can dress up in period clothing and pose with props and upload their photos to their favorite photo sharing and networking sites. Playboy.com’s 2008 Cyber Girl of the Year and Gamer Next Door Jo Garcia will also be available for autographs at 2K’s booth during select hours and dates. Furthermore, the 2K booth will debut the official Mafia II consumer demo for hands-on play for all E3 attendees, prior to its release later this summer. For more information on the Playmates and 2K’s booth activities, please visit: www.mafia2game.com/e3.

2K Games

Mafia® II (August 24, 2010) – A beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia where clothing, cars, music and advertising are meticulously created to replicate an American city in the ’40s and ’50s. Cinematic storytelling and intense gunplay combine to deliver the action crime game for this generation.

Sid Meier’s Civilization® V (Fall 2010)- The flagship of the award-winning Civilization series returns, introducing an all-new gameplay engine, new combat tactics, ultra-realistic game world and extensive community and multiplayer features.

Spec Ops®: The Line™ (2011) - A provocative, military shooter that challenges players’ own morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable depravity where brutal life-or-death choices take them on a journey into the heart of darkness.

XCOM® (2011) - An intense and gripping experience driven by the fear and tension that result from mankind’s struggle to survive against a faceless enemy that is violently probing and plotting its way into their world.

2K Sports

NBA® 2K11 (Fall 2010) – It’s the #1 selling and rated NBA series that everyone is playing – from the most elite NBA athletes and superstars to the local court gym rats. NBA 2K10 delivered on its promise to TAKE OVER, and NBA 2K11 will build on that momentum by dialing up all of its features – gameplay, AI, presentation, visuals, audio, online and more – to deliver what’s expected to be the best basketball video game experience EVER.

NHL® 2K11 (Fall 2010) - Taking video game hockey to a new level, Wii MotionPlus™ brings revolutionary stick control to your Wii Remote™ with the ability to execute real-time (one-to-one) dekes, puck juggling, shooting and defensive maneuvers.

2K Play

New Carnival Games® (Fall 2010) - And we do mean New! The family fun of the original multi-million unit seller soars to new heights with all-new games, attractions and prizes. There’s multiplayer action for every game and a franchise first: compatibility with Wii MotionPlus™.

Nickelodeon Fit (November 2010) – The first fitness game designed specifically for children featuring Nickelodeon’s favorite characters. It’s exercise fun with Dora, Diego, Kai-lan and The Backyardigans – with a youthful emphasis on heart health, cardio, strength building and endurance.

• Spec Ops: The Line Will Mess With Your Head, Tear at Your Heart (Hands On)
• Spec Ops: The Line Finally Coming in 2013
• Spec Ops: The Line – Details, Trailer, First Images
• 2K Games Announces XCOM: Enemy Unknown for a 2012 Release
• Finally, Some New Spec Ops: The Line Gameplay
• 2K Sports Releases First Screenshot of NBA 2K12 – It’s Dirk Nowitzki Scoring on LeBron

2K Sports announced today that NBA legend and current Charlotte Bobcats owners Michael Jordan will be appearing on the cover of the upcoming NBA 2K11, confirming earlier rumors.

Jason Argent, Vice President of Marketing for 2K Sports, was the one who confirmed the news to CNBC today and said that it was because “we know we have the best NBA video game ever made here” that opted them to go after Jordan for the cover.

“So we thought to ourselves how can we embody that and there was only one person on that list who we wanted to have and that was Michael Jordan. Actually getting this done is the most ridiculous win of all-time,” he said.

Argent wasn’t ready to let out all the details on how Jordan would appear in the game, but did say that there will be “some really good surprises”.

“It’s an honor to be featured on the cover of NBA 2K11,” Jordan said. “I have no doubt that NBA 2K11 will be a bit hit with gamers and basketball fans alike. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the court, virtually.”

While there are dozens of current NBA players that truly deserve to be on the NBA 2K11 cover, I don’t expect to hear many complaints from gamers about Jordan being on the cover. Jordan was, and still is (until Kobe eventually dethrones him), the best basketball player to ever play in the NBA and 2K Sports has one hell of a gameplay to get him back on the virtual court.

Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA—13 with the Chicago Bulls (where he won six titles) and two with the Washington Wizards. He played his last game in 2003 with the Wizards.

Look out for Michael Jordan on the cover of NBA 2K11 when the game is released on October 5.

• E310 Preview: NBA 2K11, Presentation, Polish, and Revamped Controls
• 2K Sports Reveals NBA 2K11 Soundtrack
• NBA 2K11: Offers Up First LeBron James Miami Heat In-Game Image
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Back in 2005, 2K Sports unleashed a new feature called the VIP System in NFL 2K5, and those into the world of online player versus player game play quickly found themselves in love. You see, the feature allowed you to scout the tenancies of your real life online opponent.

If he or she favored running up the gut, you could see that trend, and tailor your defense accordingly. If a player was notorious for brining the house on a blitz every down, you could use that knowledge and employ a dink and dunk passing game to counter it. Many football loving gamers (like myself) have dearly missed that feature over the years, though it seems that EA Sports may be bringing it back (with a twist) via a similar component added to the Madden NFL 2011 release this year.

The new feature is called “Online Scouting”, and Madden 11 Producer Donny Moore, describes it as such:

“Online scouting tracks all of your play-calling and what you like to do in different situations. We’re tracking every online game that you play: online ranked, unranked, and ‘Madden Ultimate Team’ head-to-head.”

Though the end result may be similar to 2K’s VIP system, the process of getting there is much more complex — and costly. According to the team at EA, the system will track and store data on ten different game situations including goal line, redzone, and pretty much every first through fourth down yardage scenario imaginable.

When all is said and done, you’ll have access to 45 various flavors of scouting data, however, all of that data will need to be unlocked. That’s right. I said unlocked.

Each piece of the scouting data available will need to be purchased and unlocked, via the use of an in-game coin system, piece by piece or as a whole for 25 coins. The currency is added to your account at the completion of online contests — assuming you don’t rage quit or disconnect before the match concludes. Madden 11 Producer, Phil Frazier, explains an “alternative” means of coin collecting:

“Gamers will also be able to use real money to buy coin packs or scouting packs, but the prices are not final.”

Sweet! Now we have the option to pay money or spend gobs of time to gain access to something that 2K made available instantly, and for free. Of course, Frazier went on to justify the implementation choice, adding:

“This isn’t a money-grab for us. This is about building up your online skills. We’re trying to provide a competitive advantage and we’re presenting it to you in a way that’s authentic to the sport of football.’”

Did he just imply that real NFL teams have the option to purchase the opposing team’s play-book? And I thought the Jets/Patriots sideline filming scandal was bad. I mean, who needs film when you can apparently buy your opponents play-book on Ebay?

In another move obviously done to make the implementation more “authentic to the sport of football”, the new system will notify the player who has just been victimized by a scouting purchase, all but ensuring they change up their game plan. Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose? Shouldn’t the fact that you are getting your ass handed to you on the field serve as a clue that your game plan isn’t working? I’m pretty sure that’s how it works on Sundays, because I’ve never seen a stadium scoreboard light up with the words “Hey coach, this team’s done their homework. Time to change it up dummy.”

Ponder this for a moment. The new Madden 11 “GameFlow” feature speeds up the play calling process like never before by having the AI call plays for you, and just as that is about to kick in, EA magically presents you with a means to help said AI signal caller make smarter decisions — for a price. Coincidence?

Last but not least, those who buy the game new will receive 50 free scouting reports. My guess is that “buy new” bonus is meant to help build up our “new game purchasing skills.” So thoughtful.

Look, I’m sure that I speak for most gamers when I say that we’re all for innovation. Just stop making it feel like you’re bending us over in the name of “authenticity.” It’s a dollars and cents bottom line world. We get that.

[via ESPN]

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The day has finally come.  A man has finally become a millionaire . . . by playing virtual baseball.  24 year old Wade McGilberry of Alabama has single handedly made Take Two Interactive’s stock price drop by $1.14 due to the fact that he did what many thought was impossible.  He pitched a perfect game in MLB 2K10.  He even made the CBS Early Show this morning.  Read on to watch this great American in action.

“It was actually my wife who convinced me to go for it,” said McGilberry, “I never thought I’d actually win a million dollars playing a video game, it’s all still sinking in for me.”  Wade threw a verified perfect game on the first day of the competition, a feat thought by many to be impossible. He went on to add, “The game itself was fantastic – I’m glad I bought it either way ­- but I have to say, this is a nice return on my investment.”  He went on to say that, “A few weeks before the competition, I saw an ad on Xbox Live for it, I went to her and said, “Honey, can I go out and buy this game? I might win a million dollars.”  We don’t normally buy new games. but she said, “Yeah, that sounds like a good opportunity.”  McGilberry said he had played the game only five times before.  “The sixth game it just happened,” he said. “Almost magically.”

Let me repeat that.  This bozo won a million dollars on the sixth time he booted up MLB 2K10.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

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2K Sport’s 10th Anniversary edition of NBA 2K10 is huge, and I’m not exaggerating by any means, as it may well be the biggest bundle for a limited-edition game ever.

Unveiled today, the $99.99 10th Anniversary package comes with the game (duh), an exclusive Kobe Bryant figurine by McFarlane Toys, a Kobe Bryant poster, a video about the NBA 2K series, and an account to a special VIP online lobby for the game called the “Gold Room”.

Oh, don’t let me forget to mention that the package also comes with a storage locker that stores 20 games. Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. The game actually comes with storage locker fit to hold 20 games. Now do you believe me when I say this anniversary package is huge?

Source: Joystiq via Team Xbox

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I had the privilege of participating in a conference call yesterday where the producers of NHL 2K9 fielded questions submitted by the gaming media. The whole thing has been recorded for your listening pleasure, with the exception of about 20 seconds in the middle where the call dropped out, most likely due to all this hurricane action we’ve been getting.

Producer Ben Bishop and online producer Jay Iwahashi gave some candid and interesting answers to our questions. The big concept for this year’s game is that it’s “different” from last year’s game and is supposed to be a lot easier to just pick up and play. They also lay claim to the first and, so far, only hockey title for the Wii, which they give the impression is their favorite version of the game. I’ll let the men speak for themselves:

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The most recent foray into simulated ball-smacking is 2K Sports’ Top Spin 3. Claiming to be an evolution over Top Spin 2 (a game that I played and enjoyed for about a month straight), Top Spin 3 has some pretty big tennis shoes to fill.

Before I continue, let me first give you some background information: I don’t like sports games. On top of that, I find tennis itself to be especially boring. I played tennis a bit in high school gym class and during “sports day” in the army, but only because the only other option was baseball which I find to be even lamer.

Given my feelings on the subject, it was an absolute triumph in game design that I could not only play Top Spin 2 without falling asleep, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only other time I enjoyed tennis this much was playing the aptly named Tennis on my Game Boy when I was nine and always yelling at that lying bitch line judge Mario for calling my shots out.

That being said, how does Top Spin 3 compare?

The first thing I noticed when I started playing the game was the absolutely horrible soundtrack. Who picks these songs? It felt like a poor man’s EA Trax, and I hate EA Trax, which makes this soundtrack, uh, pretty bad. I mean, it features the song from Napoleon Dynamite when he dances at the presidential speech — it makes me want to load up my Blood Elf in World of WarCraft just to make him bust a move (which also means it doesn’t compel me to play any tennis), and then it makes me want to stab myself in the ear.

For anyone that didn’t know, the Blood Elf dance was inspired by this scene.

Aside from that, the graphics are pretty nice, and will likely be the next thing you notice. All of the pro players look pretty much like themselves, albeit with a few discrepancies like boob placement, ass thickness, and overly perfect posture. Unlike their real-life counterparts, none of the in-game women give me a boner, so points off for that.

Adding to the realism of the visuals is sweat. As a match goes on, the players start sweating, even to the point that my character’s tracksuit was drenched in the pits with a huge ring around the collar. This was a nice little addition over Top Spin 2, but not really all that innovative since players have been sweating in sports videogames since 2005.

Also along the lines of realism is the “signature style” of the pros. All of the athletes are modeled wearing their signature outfits and using the gear they use in real life, and the swing styles were even meticulously recreated… at least, that’s what they say. I haven’t studied the side-by-side video of the players and their in-game likenesses to verify whether or not they really swing the same, and likely not very many other people have either. The animations are decent, however, and the game could possibly be mistaken for an actual televised tennis match during the back-and-forth.

A few things are missing, however, like any kind of announcer. When the players enter the court, the loudspeaker doesn’t even say their names. I thought at first it was because my amateur player was facing some no-name, but this holds true even at a Grand Slam finals match. The only announcements that are ever made are ones related to the score.

Also, when a match is loading up, the music hangs for a few seconds like a scratched CD, and then as it pans around the venue, the camera itself stutters while more loading occurs. At this point in videogame history, we should be past the point of this kind of thing happening, or at least 2K could have done something to better cover up these deficiencies.

Once you get into a match, you will likely notice the change in controls from Top Spin 2 (if you’ve played it). The big difference here is that instead of holding your swing type button to power through your shot, you now don’t swing at all until you release said button. A much greater emphasis has been placed on timing, again for the sake of realism. They have even incorporated a Tiger Woods-style right analog swing for serves and lobs.

At first, this change in swing mechanics really threw me off. Going through the Top Spin School was an absolute nightmare and further confirmed to me that I hate tennis. Of all the heads I’ve sliced off and hookers I’ve said mean things to in other games, never before has a videogame driven me to want to actually murder some people. Who would’ve guessed that tennis of all things would be the game that made me snap…

Top Spin School basically tries to hammer home the difference between this new swing mechanic and the way it worked in Top Spin 2 by having specific timing and power requirements in the individual challenges. For example: You may be tasked with hitting the ball into the far right corner while using the Slice shot type and getting at least 2 out of 3 stars on the power meter. Not really as difficult as it sounds, but most of the time I would accomplish this task and instead of completing it and moving on, the motherfucker tells me I swung too late!

Even more infuriating is that sometimes this matters and I fail and other times the game doesn’t give a shit and lets me continue. I honestly don’t see why it ever matters — I put the ball where you wanted and how you wanted, so why are you being a pain in the dick about the timing of my swing?

So Top Spin School is overly anal about the whole timing thing to make it desperately obvious to me that the swing mechanic is different. Funny thing is that once I started my career and actually got into the game, I really didn’t notice that much of a change. It felt pretty much like the Top Spin I already know. I ignored the right analog stick usage because it’s pointless and more complicated than it has to be, so the only difference I ever noticed was when I forgot to let go of the swing button and ended up just watching the ball bounce past me.

I really don’t understand why anyone felt the controls needed to change for this game. It’s been repeated over and over that it’s supposed to make the game a more accurate depiction of tennis — more realistic, more intuitive. Perhaps the Wii was a major influence, and 2K was trying to give people the same experience on a regular controller as they get with a Wiimote, even if they didn’t realize that’s what they were doing.

That is really the big thing here with Top Spin 3: realism. Even though you can facially deform your created character in ways that make them look like no real human being outside the Jackson family ever could, realism is still the name of the game… and tennis, also the name of the game.

Ultimately, that is the major selling-point and biggest disappointment of Top Spin 3. 2K has taken great strides towards making videogame tennis feel like real tennis, but in doing so, they’ve also made it less fun. There is a certain breed of person out there that would welcome these changes, but I’m not one of them.  Top Spin 3 seems to be missing some things that would have made it feel like a more complete package, though it does feature a more robust online tournament mode and more character creation options than previous iterations.

The character creator actually kind of sucks, with the sole exception of the free-form facial deformation tool. Picking a “character type”, which is basically your ethnicity, gives you a separate set of options to choose from, yet it seems convoluted and completely unnecessary. Just give me all the options!

Scrolling through different facial features usually takes two to five seconds to load up the part, which is extremely annoying when you have to flip through a set of 30 different options.  I guess maybe that’s why they make you pick your character type to begin with so you don’t have to scroll through so much shit (though you probably will anyway if you care what your character looks like).

And all of the female create-a-characters gross me out. They’re all sticking their poochy pelvises forward and have low, saggy, non-bra-wearing boobs with no ass, even with the ass and hips settings cranked up to 11. They actually remind me of trolls from EverQuest 2, and that’s really not what tennis chicks should be compared to.

Regardless, Top Spin 3 is not a bad game. It is the ultimate videogame version of real tennis and has done a good job reminding me just how much I don’t really care for real tennis. The Top Spin series of games would be my recommendation for anyone looking for a tennis videogame, with Top Spin 3 being the ideal choice for the hardcore tennisphile out there. If, however, you are looking for a fun time with a semi-sports game, you should save yourself some cash and try to score a copy of Top Spin 2 instead.  In the end, it’s really a question of how real you want your games to be.

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Justin Blankenship, a former FTC lawyer, expresses concern regarding the potential EA and Take-Two merger. Specifically, he believes that the merger may violate antitrust laws due to the hold the company would have on the videogame sports sector. Justin states:

I wouldn’t consider this [EA/Take-Two deal] inevitable quite yet,” … “Although you’ve yet to see antitrust law rear its head in a videogame merger, this is the best case I’ve seen where it could happen. Don’t be surprised if this gets more interesting than anyone expects.”

EA already holds several exclusive licenses across the professional and collegiate levels and a merger with Take-Two would mean the end of 2K Sports, the largest competitor for EA when it comes to sports related videogame content. It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to figure this one out.

The main argument regarding this merger has been one focused on price, however the bigger picture that we believe concerns gamers even more, is choice and quality of product. We would love to hear your thoughts on this.

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It’s turning out to be a pretty big day for sports related gaming announcements. In what could be taken as a response to EA’s “All your NFL belong to us” press release, 2K Sports releases a list containing some new features for their MLB exclusive licensed title, Major League Baseball 2K8.

The list below is courtesy of the 2K Sports press release (available in full after our post).

- Total Pitch Control: A new, innovative pitching interface that allows players to emulate the realistic motion of pitching a live baseball. Execution of speed and precise accuracy involves matching specific gestures and release with the right analog stick, simulating the arm and wrist action involved in throwing that particular type of pitch.

- Swing Stick 2.0: Improved batting controls that offer players unparalleled ball-to-bat contact that will be determined by timing, direction and pitch location for a greater variety of realistic hits, including grounders, blooper singles, dribblers, gappers, long home runs and more using the right analog stick.

- All-New Baserunning: Simplified controls that allow fans to easily select players with the left analog stick and guide them toward specified bases with ease.

- Precision Throw Control: Provides unprecedented control over throw accuracy using the right analog stick, bringing a new level of realism to playing defense.

- Full Minor Leagues: Fans will be treated to 90 authentic minor league teams, along with 18 minor league stadiums in franchise and exhibition modes.

- Two of the best Commentators in the Business: 2K Sports proudly brings back to the broadcast booth the popular duo of Jon Miller and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, delivering the most entertaining and deepest commentary available in any baseball franchise.

The list above came with a vague footnote stating that “certain features will vary between platforms”, so it appears that certain features (which ones are unclear) may be excluded on certain systems. Press release below.

2K Sports Swings For The Fences With New Features In Major League Baseball® 2K8

Intuitive pitching, batting, fielding and throwing mechanics provide for most realistic baseball simulation experience yet

New York, NY – February 12, 2008 – While dedicated baseball fans eagerly anticipate the start of Spring Training™, the next installment of the wildly popular Major League Baseball 2K franchise steps up to the plate and swings for the fences. 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today unveiled a host of exciting new gameplay features and added content for Major League Baseball 2K8, as fans will have the opportunity this season to play the most enjoyable and authentic baseball simulation experience available.

“With Major League Baseball 2K8, our goal was to bring fans of the Major League Baseball 2K series closer to the exciting baseball action than ever before,” said Ben Brinkman, Executive Producer of the Major League Baseball 2K franchise. “We read the message boards and forums, and spoke to MLB® players in an effort to deliver realism and tap into what the fans want in a baseball video game. From the new pitching system, and fielding and baserunning controls, to a completely overhauled batting interface, and addition of a robust Minor League™ system, Major League Baseball 2K8 will deliver players a fun experience they will want to play year round.”

Some of the exciting new features and added content in Major League Baseball 2K8 include:

- Total Pitch Control — A new, innovative pitching interface that allows players to emulate the realistic motion of pitching a live baseball. Execution of speed and precise accuracy involves matching specific gestures and release with the right analog stick, simulating the arm and wrist action involved in throwing that particular type of pitch.

- Swing Stick 2.0 — Improved batting controls that offer players unparalleled ball-to-bat contact that will be determined by timing, direction and pitch location for a greater variety of realistic hits, including grounders, blooper singles, dribblers, gappers, long home runs and more using the right analog stick.

- All-New Baserunning — Simplified controls that allow fans to easily select players with the left analog stick and guide them toward specified bases with ease.

- Precision Throw Control — Provides unprecedented control over throw accuracy using the right analog stick, bringing a new level of realism to playing defense.

- Full Minor Leagues — Fans will be treated to 90 authentic minor league teams, along with 18 minor league stadiums in franchise and exhibition modes.

- Two of the best Commentators in the Business — 2K Sports proudly brings back to the broadcast booth the popular duo of Jon Miller and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, delivering the most entertaining and deepest commentary available in any baseball franchise.

** Certain features will vary between platforms.

Along with a host of other new features, Major League Baseball 2K8 includes added Signature Style™ animations such as new and improved player walk-ups, batting stances, home run celebrations, steps-ins and step-outs to make each unique player true to life. For competitive players, Major League Baseball 2K8 allows fans to have fun while competing against each other online, testing their skills in a single game, tournament or full league season against more than one million elite online gamers in the 2K community. New online lobbies have been added to help users match up with others who want to play with a similar style, including a “Strikes Only” lobby, where pitchers can only throw in the strike zone, and lobbies where players use the advanced analog stick controls or the controls from previous iterations of the Major League Baseball 2K series.

Major League Baseball 2K8, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, will be available in retail stores on March 4, 2008 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo.

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If there’s one word that defines this generation of sports games, it is complication.

I grew up during the advent of 8 bit gaming and the explosion of 16-bit. For hockey fans, this was a fabulous time to lace up pixelated skates. Between Nintendo’s Ice Hockey and Konami’s cult-classic Blades of Steel, the seeds of simple but fun hockey had been planted. In 8 and 16 bits the hockey games kept evolving, but the basics were what kept fans returning every year.

Hockey games went on to become a household activity that would even penetrate popular culture, like in the movie Swingers. Over time, the N64, Saturn, and Playstation brought NHL games to new heights. EA, Midway, Sega– there was no end in sight to the options available on the market for hockey fans.

But now, things have gotten complicated. The power of the PS3 and Xbox 360 allow nearly unlimited options for designers. Superior graphics are to be expected, and NHL 2K8 looks fantastic, with subtle and improved animation.

I won’t harp on the graphics too much, because there’s nowhere to go but up and developer Kush Games has done this. Every seam is visible on uniforms. The faces look like living action figures. Equipment is authentic. Sweat pours down faces. Again, there’s no surprise here– just improvements and satisfaction.

What is drastically different and complicated in NHL 2K8 are the sheer amount of options, controls, and simulations. It’s actually intimidating to review this game. I was surprised at how much change there was in this year’s edition, and I have to wonder if it’s what we need, or for that matter, what we want.

Last year, EA added a new control scheme to their NHL series that placed more emphasis on the sticks of your joypad. It has been “borrowed” and adapted by 2K, under the moniker of Prostick. From dekes to slapshots, you crank the stick back and shove it forward as opposed to the classic format of pressing buttons.

I won’t get into more detail here, because to be honest, it bores me to tears. It’s not bad– it’s the natural evolution for Kush Games. But when it comes to video games I want to know one thing– is it fun? Making the experience more authentic isn’t the same as making it more entertaining.

I hate saying this– it is setting my soul ablaze as a Canadian and a hockey fan to do so. I don’t want to turn anyone off of this title, or hockey in general. Yet I found that by making this year’s NHL incarnations more realistic I am not having fun.

There, I said it. God help me, it’s out there now. I don’t want realistic. I am not a simulation guy. The difficulty and speed has been amped up to a point where goals are as rare as my Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse T-bone.

You can convert back to the 2K classic controls, but against the AI it makes things even more challenging and frustrating. Sure, there are minigames where the action is arcade-like, but that’s not why you plunk down $50 or $60.

Even die-hard fans may have a difficult time adjusting to this year’s revamp. Like in my recent review of Forza 2, I am left to wonder if designers are forgetting the word “game” in “videogames”.

Developers also seem to forget what made the NHL series popular on the Genesis and in arcades: Skate, check, shoot. Between Prostick and the insomnia-curing Franchise mode, I wonder why we can’t get another Hitz game (Ah, Hitz 2003– Fast, fun, pick up and play. Wouldn’t Hitz be the perfect sports game for the Wii? You want realism, 2K? Then let me slap the puck with my Wii-mote or make a replay-worthy save with my nunchuck).

The poisonous icing on the cake of NHL 2K8 is the soundtrack. I don’t mind ‘real’ music in video games. Sometimes it adds to the experience, if it suits the title. For instance, Halo 2 had a fantastic song by Breaking Benjamin called “Blow Me Away”. Even NHL Hitz 2002 had Limp Bizkit’s “Rolling” and it was truly adrenaline-pumping.

EA and similar ilk have turned annoying eardrum-piercing licensed tunes into a craptacular art form. Seriously, this is terrible music. For all my back and forth concerning other aspects of the game (controls, boredom) there is no disputing the uninspired and awful choices this soundtrack contains.

NHL 2K8 adds more to almost every aspect of the series– more reality, more control, more difficulty, and more complexity. More is not equivalent to better, though, and I am just not sure I care anymore.

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The news is in regarding All-Pro Football 2K8′s initial sales, and the numbers don’t look good. From a business standpoint, the numbers are very important to Take-Two and 2K Sports. The company has come out and said that they realize they are in competition with Madden. This caused many individuals to laugh at the remark, however we ask you this, if you thought you had a superior product that you had busted your butt working on, would you not stand up for it?

We know this may be asking a lot, but if you stripped away the John Madden name, and “heck” why not … the icon is barely in the game these days anyway. Then take away the All-Pro angle 2K is using and the NFL license powering Madden. What would you have left? What would you be comparing? The answer is you would be comparing the gameplay.

Gamers like to play dress up and pretend that they are their football hero. While we understand and can relate to that to an extent, there is an excessive amount of weight put on the words “and Tom Brady drops back, he looks, he throws and finds Randy Moss open in the end zone.” The power of the exclusive NFL license alone effects Madden sales enormously, however for the team at EA Sports to breeze by each year essentially selling us a roster update is just wrong.

We are not saying that Madden has not made progress over the years, that would be a lie. What we are saying is that after acquiring the NFL license it appears to us that EA Sports became content for the most part and saw no problem in not only taking their time, but also overlooking the minor details that made them who they are today. That said, it is pathetic to watch mindless fans follow them year in and year out.

A company that once claimed to have every detail in the game could not even answer us directly as to why they left nets and referees out of the game again for the third year in a row. If that wasn’t bad enough they announced recently that they would be shutting down their 2006 game servers soon essentially forcing gamers to buy the next release of the game.

When a person does these sorts of things people refer to them as an individual who is calling out of help. Is EA calling out for help or are they calling our bluff? Think about it. They know they are a Monopoly when it comes to Pro Football, but this year you finally have a choice as a gamer. You don’t owe it to 2K Sports, you owe it to yourself to give All-Pro Football a chance.

Forget the tasteless videos that were created by Gametrailers.com showcasing their version of Mike Vick and then following that up by taking OJ Simpson and putting him on a team called the Assassins. That was poor judgment on their part, beyond that who are we to determine any other motives they may or may not have had. What we do know is that those clips had nothing to do with Take-Two or 2K Sports directly.

At the end of the day you have a choice. EA Sports has had a choice for 3 years now, and each year they have come to the table with an excuse. This year they were too focused on gameplay to throw in a net behind the goalposts. Too focused on gameplay to bring back the referees. To say to us that they focused so much on gameplay this year, leaves us asking “what did you focus on the other years?”

Look, we don’t have it out for EA, in-fact we are big supporters of some of their games on this site. We grew up playing Madden and we would love nothing more than to see EA Sports give us the game we deserve, yet after three years of marketing hype and disappointing gameplay, it is hard to not feel as if the only control we have over that outcome lies in our decision to purchase the game or not. This is not to say that All-Pro Football is anywhere near perfect, as it has its share of flaws as well.

There is a saying that goes, if someone enters your space and knocks you onto the floor, shame on them … but if they come back in an hour, and you are still laying on the floor, shame on you. In other words, complaint without action gives the appearance of foolishness, and a company will not change when they believe that the majority of their customer base is foolish enough to continue to buy their product as is.

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