Is That It For Info?

[gosharks]

I would like to know if NHL 2K9 has more to it than the features that were recently revealed. It seems like the main focus this year was simplifying the controls and getting the game onto the Wii platform. So, is there any more info to release about this game, or is what we have right now the end of the line? I would love to find out about the gameplay, AI, atmosphere, and realism of the game. Where are the large 3-4 page reviews and previews on IGN?

[b-Dub]

I would like to know if NHL 2K9 has more to it than the features that were recently revealed. It seems like the main focus this year was simplifying the controls and getting the game onto the Wii platform. So, is there any more info to release about this game, or is what we have right now the end of the line? I would love to find out about the gameplay, AI, atmosphere, and realism of the game. Where are the large 3-4 page reviews and previews on IGN?

Press ReleaseNHL 2K9 Fact Sheet
Submitted on: July 15 2008 by Steve Noah

Title: NHL® 2K9
Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Platforms: Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system
Rating: E10+ with mild violence and lyrics
Release Date: September 9, 2008
Cover Athlete: Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Game Overview:
Do you long for the days when hockey video games didn’t require an engineering degree to master? 2K Sports has listened to the masses by bringing the fun back to hockey video games with an intuitive control scheme, hard-hitting action and by announcing the debut of NHL 2K9 on the Wii™ console. Developed by award-winning Visual Concepts studios, NHL 2K9 brings a totally rebuilt NHL experience to life with a brand-new in-game presentation system, as well as fresh player animations and controls that fans will enjoy from the moment they play their first game, until well after they become a seasoned veteran. Further adding to an unmatched level of fun and celebrating the NHL’s uniqueness are an all-new Zamboni™ mini-game, playoff beards, a new fighting engine and more! Complete with new commentary, a user-friendly franchise mode and upgraded online features, NHL 2K9 brings the fun back to game consoles on 9.9.08!

Key Features List:
§ Pick-Up-And-Play Controls – Fans asked and 2K Sports answered with easy-to-learn controls that still provide depth for the season veteran. With 2K Sports' classic default controls, a player’s first game will be as enjoyable as their one-thousandth, while the new and intuitive hybrid controls will provide the depth experienced vets are looking for.

§ Enhanced Gameplay - An updated arsenal of highlight reel-worthy superstar moves, blocked shots, stick-handling moves, hit-by-puck collisions, and a greatly-enhanced skating engine make up for an exciting and all-new hockey experience complete with more than 1,400 new gameplay animations.

§ All-New Presentation System – Pre-game intros, menus, new crowd animations, game summary replays, and brand new commentary featuring Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda of the San Jose Sharks bring a fresh new look and sound to NHL 2K9’s visual and audio experience.

§ True Hockey Fun! – Fans can indulge in what makes hockey such a unique and fun sport with the addictive Zamboni™ mini-game, user-controlled Stanley Cup™ celebrations, playoff beards, enhanced checking and a brand-new fighting engine.

§ Reel Maker™ *2K9 *– Included this year on both Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION3, fans will be able to save, edit, share and rate user-generated NHL 2K9 highlight reels online through Xbox Live™ and PlayStation®Network.

§ 2K Beats – Featuring Pennywise, Bad Religion, The Offspring, NOFX, The Ramones, Inner Circle, Mastodon, Operation Ivy, High on Fire and more.

Wii™ Key Features List:
2K Sports is proud to announce NHL 2K9 will be coming to the Wii Console™ from Nintendo this fall. As the first and only officially licensed NHL and NHLPA video game for Wii, NHL 2K9 will offer fans the fun opportunity to play like the pros using the Wii Remote™ controller as a hockey stick and experience the sport in a new, entertaining and wholly unique manner.

§ Wii Remote™ Shooting – Execute wrist shots with the flick of the Wii Remote or put some power into shots by holding the B button while flicking the Wii Remote to blast a slapper.

§ Wii Remote™ Fighting – Adding a never-before-seen layer of fun to hockey video games, NHL 2K9 features on-ice showdowns. When two players have raised their aggression enough to fight, pointing the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller downward drops the gloves. Once a fight has started, punch with the Nunchuk and balance with the Wii Remote to get your opponent off their feet.

§ Precision Passing / Chain Passing – Exclusive to Wii, take the guesswork out of which player is going to receive a pass by selecting players with the Wii Remote cursor. One-timers, give-and-go and tic-tac-toe passing are executed by selecting multiple players prior to pressing the pass or A button.

§ Wii Remote Goaltending – Gesture-based goaltending allows fans to get between the pipes and flash the leather. Even take control when it counts the most -- in shootouts!

§ Full Featured Simulation – NHL 2K9 on Wii offers the same full-featured, fun hockey experience as available on other platforms complete with franchise mode, practice mode with a tutorial, pond hockey, and much more!
__________________________________________

That's 2K press release sheet. It details a decent amount, but I'm sure they are holding back some info. The guy from OS mentioned that 2K was going to have a press event soon at the VC office, so hopefully, there will be lots of info revealed then.

Oh, and don't expect any reviews from IGN or any site until after the game comes out. As for previews, well, not much was revealed that E3 this year, so there really isn't much to write about. Most of the games under the Take Two banner stayed pretty low-key, with the exception of 1 or 2 games.

[stoney0ne]

i bought reel maker for 2k8. this isnt a new feature. they are just giving it away now


we need to see the goods VC

[NTq]

YES!!! Can't wait to play the game and hear Randy & Drew!!! they are awesome.

[Xboxing2006]

It sucks when the number one feature is "easier controls'.

[Savoie06]

NO!The #1 feature is that the game is sold for the Wii finally.Then Driving the Zhamboni.

[pairunoyd]

It sucks when the number one feature is "easier controls'.

yea, MAJOR SUCKAGE!

[RoadDoggFL]

The #1 feature hasn't been announced yet.

[Grandmaster D]

The #1 feature hasn't been announced yet.
What makes you think so? Only other thing I heard of is the VIP-profile, someone found in the vid.
To be honest, the main things they are so proud of for bringing the "fun back" are not really important to me - nice little flavour stuff; once or twice seen and played and that's it.
While I can understand their point of having easier controls for the casuals and mainly for frustrated reviewers with limited concentration span, I don't like their approach of giving that stuff out - "bring the fun back"... I had and have fun with 2k8 and like the controls (so no improvment for me with their seemingly main focus this year) and besides that, it's bad retaliation.

On a side note: Someone of VC should contact the various game sites that ascibed the wii-vid to the 360- and PS3 versions, as I read in some forums, that a few people actually believe it's footage of these versions. In that way, a(nother) bad tone is set and it's discussions about negative sides.

[joker07]

The #1 feature hasn't been announced yet.

You have right ! I believe in Big feature is online team play multiplayer 6v6 (OTP) as the same as key feature in NBA 2k9.....

[stoney0ne]

You have right ! I believe in Big feature is online team play multiplayer 6v6 (OTP) as the same as key feature in NBA 2k9.....


ok lets pretend thats really going to happen




then the people doing the publicity for this game are complete idiots.


ob top of that, that feature doesnt really do it for me. i hate when i start a game and find out im going to play 2 cheese heads, let alone 6...

[RoadDoggFL]

What makes you think so? Only other thing I heard of is the VIP-profile, someone found in the vid.
To be honest, the main things they are so proud of for bringing the "fun back" are not really important to me - nice little flavour stuff; once or twice seen and played and that's it.
While I can understand their point of having easier controls for the casuals and mainly for frustrated reviewers with limited concentration span, I don't like their approach of giving that stuff out - "bring the fun back"... I had and have fun with 2k8 and like the controls (so no improvment for me with their seemingly main focus this year) and besides that, it's bad retaliation.

On a side note: Someone of VC should contact the various game sites that ascibed the wii-vid to the 360- and PS3 versions, as I read in some forums, that a few people actually believe it's footage of these versions. In that way, a(nother) bad tone is set and it's discussions about negative sides.
What makes you think not? EA is marketing to everybody but the hardcore hockey game fans. They know that we will give the game a fair shot, so what do they make a big deal about? The playoff beards that people noticed for the first time ever after the great Stanley Cup Finals series we just had.

Marketing to us obviously doesn't work too well, so please show some maturity and wait for more info. It's ridiculous how much you people are freaking out about this.

[Grandmaster D]

What makes you think not? EA is marketing to everybody but the hardcore hockey game fans. They know that we will give the game a fair shot, so what do they make a big deal about? The playoff beards that people noticed for the first time ever after the great Stanley Cup Finals series we just had.

Marketing to us obviously doesn't work too well, so please show some maturity and wait for more info. It's ridiculous how much you people are freaking out about this.

You know, looking through press releases of last years game, I have to rethink my view: with every release, new features were revealed or a bit more defined. So, there may be some more stuff to be revealed.
I try to grab a hold on the thought, that an improved sim will be undernaeth all the casual-focused-marketing-blah, but that's not that easy when none of the devs posts something like that and so the statements of "bring back the fun" and "maybe too serious" (regarding 2k8; E3-presentation) have not much counterweight/relativization so far.

That marketing direction is also not that clear to me: EA got seemingly the majority to believe, that their game is the better simulation of hockey. Now, that sim-claim stands for quality, even for ones, who may not be very familiar to the sport but had fun with EAs game - and now here is 2ksports and goes marketingwise a more arcady-direction (if otherwise, they surely had a more sim orientated video presentation at E3.)
So, while the EA-hockey folks may be better addressed with a sim claim, the wii owners are generally seen as THE group of casual gamers - so that may be what 2k is aiming at at the moment and why only that version was shown so far. Not a sim of hockey is the focus but a fun, easy to learn wii sports game, which is by the way a game of hockey. Later, they may change that marketing route - not to say the wii version will be more arcade than the others (they already said it will have all the features of the 'big' versions but online) but is simply marketed specially for the general wii owner in that way.

EDIT:
Anyone found other statements like this? (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/e3-2008-coverage/256230-nhl-2k9-hands-off-first-look.html)
Right off the bat some might be worried that "fun" doesn't mean "sim." It's something I worried about as well, and while I won't really know whether "fun" doesn't mean "arcadey" until a later date, Jeff Thomas assured me that this is still a sim series at heart.

[macpuck]

At the very least, the people trying to promote NHL2K9 have no clue about what gamers really are looking for. Zamboni racing is not even close. "Easier" controls are not nearly as important as more responsive controls. Who said the controls were complicated in the first place? All you do is press a couple of buttons. Perhaps the goalie controls could be a one-button function but I worry that they don't even grasp what was wrong with NHL 2K8. Get rid of the disconnects and other glitches!!!!!!!!

[kingbrehm]

Anyone found other statements like this? (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/e3-2008-coverage/256230-nhl-2k9-hands-off-first-look.html)

Yes and I tend to agree with those statements. Easier controls while making the game more fun sounds an awful lot like an arcade style approach. I sure hope I'm wrong.