Speculation of 2K Football Returning

[Little Steve]

(NFL 2K13 Comes One Step Closer to Reality with Take Two Sales



Thursday, 08 April 2010 00:51 Kenny Kramer


.

Another step towards NFL 2K13 seems to have been made. As reported back in late January, rumors have been swirling around TakeTwo (T2), the parent company of 2K Games and 2K Sports, that preparations were being made to bid on the NFL license in 2012 once EA's exclusivity agreement ends.

The company was planning fire sales throughout its operations in order to raise capital in an attempt to negotiate a deal with the NFL. As mentioned this can't happen until the license ends in 2012. Our sources did mention back in January that the company had to start planning now because of the logistical scope of everything involved. Also mentioned was that talks could start within 6 months of the EA exclusive contract's end, "as to allow all parties adequate time to talk".

The fire sale appears to have officially started. Take2 has sold off one of its largest assets with little notice from the public. Take2 has sold off North America’s largest video game distributor in JOAG, or “Jack of All Games”. The distributor was a huge asset to the company by distributing the mega-publisher’s games on the cheap in addition to turning a profit for Take2 by also distributing the games of most other publishers who sell in the Americas. JOAG is now owned by Synnex of Canada.

Hopefully this pays off in terms of building up funds for the NFL license, but this could certainly hurt Take2 in the long run if they don’t get the license. JOAG gave T2 a great channel of distribution and retail connections that will be sorely missed in the future.

On the positive side, at least it looks like everything is panning out in terms of the rumors we had heard about 2K Sports releasing a new football game. We’ll keep an eye on this one as it continues to develop.
)



:popcorn:http://gofanboy.com/go-fanboy-news/2355-nfl-2k13-comes-one-step-closer-to-reality-with-take-two-sales

(They have no chance of acquiring an exclusive license unless they offer an ungodly amount of money. Even then, I'd be skeptical. Madden is a huge, huge brand.)

(is this cause their stock droped so much? that the nfl is shopping?):D

[gschwendt]

A) That story is two years old
B) The license was extended for another year through 2013 (http://www.1up.com/news/madden-nfl-exclusivity-agreement-extended)

You'll have to wait at least another two years before 2K can release a licensed NFL football game and that's only if the exclusivity agreement isn't extended again, which is a safe bet to assume that it will be.

[gschwendt]

And to answer your "getting delete happy" comment... we clean up trash, especially if it's in the news forum. That discussion had nothing to do with the impressions thread which is why it was deleted in the first place.

[SmoothPancakes]

A) That story is two years old
B) The license was extended for another year through 2013 (http://www.1up.com/news/madden-nfl-exclusivity-agreement-extended)

You'll have to wait at least another two years before 2K can release a licensed NFL football game and that's only if the exclusivity agreement isn't extended again, which is a safe bet to assume that it will be.

Plus, unless 2K is already working on and building a football game right now, their first football game would be so horrendously shitty because there'd be no time to do anything but either copy 2K5 over exactly, or make the most basic football game since the 90s.

[souljahbill]

I've never played 2K5. I did play 2K8 and didn't like it (not because of the fake players but because I didn't like the controls). Is 2K5 really football Jesus?


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[gschwendt]

I've never played 2K5. I did play 2K8 and didn't like it (not because of the fake players but because I didn't like the controls). Is 2K5 really football Jesus?


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI never played 2K5 either but from my understanding, 2K8 & 2K5 are essentially identical from a gameplay standpoint. I really enjoyed 2K8 but NCAA09's Online Dynasty feature pulled me completely away from it. I haven't touched it since.

[SmoothPancakes]

I've never played 2K5. I did play 2K8 and didn't like it (not because of the fake players but because I didn't like the controls). Is 2K5 really football Jesus?


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I think I got both Madden and 2K5 that year, 2K5 was alright, but I never really got what was so great about it that people still to this day consider it "the best football game ever made". It seemed more gimmicky to me than anything. The "celebrity challenge" thing, the first person cam, the "pad" or whatever it was called where you could "buy" crap to make your apartment or whatever it was look "cool". Back at the time, it seemed like they were more concerned with trying to add a bunch of gimmicky things to make the game look cool instead of actually improving the core features (gameplay, franchise, etc).

[JeffHCross]

I think it boils down to taste, in terms of the gameplay. As you said, you didn't like the controls. I did either. But I know some people that swear by them. Now that turbo has been eliminated from EA games, I think maybe I'd like the 2k controls more (since their method for turbo was my major complaint). I bought both NFL 2k(something) and NCAA one year, and I wasn't happy with the 2k product, but that was largely because the adjustment was more than I expected.

The real advantage of 2k, in a lot of people's minds, is the design decisions they made. If you look at 2k8, the OL/DL interaction is quite superior to what we had then, and even what we have now. The animations/reactions of the sideline players is superior.

However, and this is a big however, a lot of animation-related decisions are made based on their impact to frame rate. 2k8's stadiums, while very detail-rich, were probably not nearly the polygon count of any NCAA stadium. And that goes a long way toward impact frame rate.

IMO, most of the people clamoring for a 2k game just want it out of EA's hands. That's why you saw many of the same screaming in favor of Backbreaker. They just want competition. I can't disagree with their intent, but sometimes the way they go about it is questionable.

[JBHuskers]

2K can barely afford to hold two licenses as it is. Highly doubt they can afford to take on the NFL license again.

[JeffHCross]

Well, they're absolutely getting rid of the MLB license. But yes, that's a good point ... a lot of analysts have been speculating that 2k might not be in the sports business much longer, even with the success of NBA.

[I OU a Beatn]

I never got the 2k love...I thought 2K8 was garbage.

[SmoothPancakes]

2K can barely afford to hold two licenses as it is. Highly doubt they can afford to take on the NFL license again.

If Sony would make MLB The Show for both consoles, 2K's baseball title would be dead before it hit the ground.

The MLB 2K series has been riddled with loads of bugs, glitches and non-working features for years (definitely since I started playing the series with 2K9) and some of the most fucked up animations I've ever seen. The graphics are quite possibly the worst of all professional sports games released in the last 12 months. I'd almost be willing to say that the amount of bugs and glitches in the MLB 2K series is WAY worse and more numerous than the amount we see in the NCAA series. This past year, the game SOUNDTRACK was one of the top 5 new features for 2K12. :fp: Hell, this year, MLB 2K12, one of their main feature addition, MLB Today Season, didn't even work for the first two weeks of the season and is still having issues from the last reports I've seen.

Of course, from the reports and rumors that have come out over the past year or so, MLB 2K may be dead anyways after this year or next year with the license expiring.

[JBHuskers]

I never got the 2k love...I thought 2K8 was garbage.

:+1:

Couldn't get into the game play.

The love is just because it wasn't EA. Remember Backbreaker? It was supposed to "save us".

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[JeffHCross]

If Sony would make MLB The Show for both consoles95% sure that would never, ever happen.

[Little Steve]

I just want a good football game and i can't get that with EA. Next year i'll be playing collage basketball.... so i might is well give up vedio games now. maybe in 15 year i might try to get into it again... Last post ttyl guys.

[SmoothPancakes]

95% sure that would never, ever happen.

Sadly true. :( Since 2K is pretty much dumping baseball, I can only hope EA will pick up the license and put out a baseball game (be it the MVP series or something else). 2K's MLB 2K has just been way too glitchy and buggy over the years that I haven't even bothered to consider buying it since 2K10. Way too many issues with it. And people like to harass EA about their football games and their problems. I'd fear what we'd see in a football game from 2K in terms of bugs and glitches with as horrendously bad as the MLB 2K series is (and even NBA 2K with some bugs and glitches that series has).

[souljahbill]

I just want a good football game and i can't get that with EA. Next year i'll be playing collage basketball.... so i might is well give up vedio games now. maybe in 15 year i might try to get into it again... Last post ttyl guys.

"Collage basketball?"

Be sure to spend LOTS of time in the athletic center in study hall and not playing "vedio games."

[jaymo76]

I never got the 2k love...I thought 2K8 was garbage.

I loved 2k3 and 2k5 but in all honesty, it wasn't the gameplay.... it was the absolutely AMAZING IMMERSION AND PRESENTATION. Handsdown it's some of the best immersion in sports gaming history. Sadly, this is the area that EA/Tiburon really struggles with.

[SmoothPancakes]

"Collage basketball?"

Be sure to spend LOTS of time in the athletic center in study hall and not playing "vedio games."

:nod:

I've heard these are some good programs that could help:

http://www.spellingtime.com/

http://www.spellingcity.com/

http://www.spellingmadesimple.com/

http://www.spellingzone.com/

http://www.artofspelling.com/

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. :D Yes, I am an asshole. :D

[JeffHCross]

Last post ttyl guys.Au revoir.

[I OU a Beatn]

I just want a good football game and i can't get that with EA. Next year i'll be playing collage basketball.... so i might is well give up vedio games now. maybe in 15 year i might try to get into it again... Last post ttyl guys.

Don't most schools require athletes to maintain a certain GPA to be eligible to play? I can't imagine you'll be meeting that requirement based on your horrid spelling/grammar, but good luck.

Yeah, JB, I know most people raved about 2k8 because it wasn't EA, but I bash EA's games just as much as anyone else and no matter how hard I tried, I could never say 2k8 was a good, or even better game than NCAA/Madden. Backbreaker was even worse. I still read comments about how BB is better than NCAA/Madden. LOL. BB was the single buggiest, glitch filled and horrid game I've ever played.

[SmoothPancakes]

Don't most schools require athletes to maintain a certain GPA to be eligible to play? I can't imagine you'll be meeting that requirement based on your horrid spelling/grammar, but good luck.

Yeah, JB, I know most people raved about 2k8 because it wasn't EA, but I bash EA's games just as much as anyone else and no matter how hard I tried, I could never say 2k8 was a good, or even better game than NCAA/Madden. Backbreaker was even worse. I still read comments about how BB is better than NCAA/Madden. LOL. BB was the single buggiest, glitch filled and horrid game I've ever played.

While I never played BB, like I said on the previous page, that was my experience with other 2K games like the MLB 2K series. The NBA 2K series, while it hasn't been as bad as the MLB 2K series, has had it's fair share of bugs and glitches.

2K fanboys love to go on and on about the issues, the bugs, the glitches, etc that are in the NCAA and Madden series, but apparently in their minds, the words bug and glitch don't exist when it comes to 2K games. They loved trashing EA because of the custom playbook problems in NCAA 12, but you don't hear them trashing 2K when the MLB Today Season in MLB 2K12 didn't even work at all for the first two weeks of the MLB season, and then even after that, after 2K released a fix for it, it still only partially worked.

I have no problem with someone bashing EA for problems (legit problems) with their games, but my problem is people bashing EA solely because they view EA as the Nazis of the gaming world and think 2K is god. I've played EA games for many years. I've played 2K games for many years. Both have their own problems. In my experience, 2K's problems, at least as far as the MLB series, have been much worse than the problems we've seen with EA, but that doesn't excuse EA for their problems.

I think that is reason number one why I would be very fearful for what we will see if 2K puts out a football game. Their MLB is riddled with bugs, glitches, horrendous animations, horrible graphics, and other problems. The NBA series has problems as well, though thankfully not as bad, so I can still keep playing the NBA series. It's their track record with other sports games that makes me think that 2K making a football game instead of EA would not be a better thing, but could very well be an even worse thing. Some of these pro-2K people think 2K will make the best, closest to perfect, football game the gaming world has ever seen if 2K got the college football and NFL license. Based on my own personal experience with the MLB and NBA series, that would never happen and any annual release football game that they would make would be just as bad as the problems that we have with EA, if not worse.

[steelerfan]

This past year, the game SOUNDTRACK was one of the top 5 new features for 2K12. :fp:

I remember one year that 2 of the big features in their shitstain of a hockey game were playoff beards and the ability to drive the Zamboni during intermissions. :fp:

Here it is. Read the Overview. Nice features, 2k. :D:D:D

http://2ksports.com/games/nhl2k9

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[ryby6969]

The one thing I like about 2K8 is the animations while the players are interacting, along with the tackling animations.

[souljahbill]

I remember one year that 2 of the big features in their shitstain of a hockey game were playoff beards and the ability to drive the Zamboni during intermissions. :fp:

Here it is. Read the Overview. Nice features, 2k. :D:D:D

http://2ksports.com/games/nhl2k9

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LMAO!

That's back-of-the-box material right there.

[JBHuskers]

LMAO!

That's back-of-the-box material right there.

More like pine box. One that is 6 feet under.

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[JeffHCross]

In their defense, that was also the year they debuted (and only released) on the Wii. Not exactly normal-target-audience for a mainstream sports title. Still sad, but slightly more defendable.

On the PS2, 2k dominated hockey, IMO. They never quite figured it out on the new generation though.

[ram29jackson]

I think it boils down to taste, in terms of the gameplay. As you said, you didn't like the controls. I did either. But I know some people that swear by them. Now that turbo has been eliminated from EA games, I think maybe I'd like the 2k controls more (since their method for turbo was my major complaint). I bought both NFL 2k(something) and NCAA one year, and I wasn't happy with the 2k product, but that was largely because the adjustment was more than I expected.

The real advantage of 2k, in a lot of people's minds, is the design decisions they made. If you look at 2k8, the OL/DL interaction is quite superior to what we had then, and even what we have now. The animations/reactions of the sideline players is superior.

However, and this is a big however, a lot of animation-related decisions are made based on their impact to frame rate. 2k8's stadiums, while very detail-rich, were probably not nearly the polygon count of any NCAA stadium. And that goes a long way toward impact frame rate.

IMO, most of the people clamoring for a 2k game just want it out of EA's hands. That's why you saw many of the same screaming in favor of Backbreaker. They just want competition. I can't disagree with their intent, but sometimes the way they go about it is questionable.

the only reason it would come down to taste is because people wre so familiar with madden they couldnt understand anything else or thought it was bad because it wasnt madden.

I was guilty of that...you had to actually play 2k5 for a couple weeks straight before you really started to understand what you were looking at.
madden was all i knew but aftyer playing 2k5 for a while and then going back...you realized maddens players just moved like speedy little ants in one direction.

2k had more of a subtlety to it with player cuts and turns and the ball flight was a little better too. sure people can like what they want. But the fact is..in a sports game sense, 2k got it right with football and basketball and hockey earlier on..now, all they have is basketball...and i even like how madden plays better than I like NCAA now

[souljahbill]

If I were 2K, this is what I would do. I'd make a generic football game but I'd make EVERYTHING customizable. Team cities, team names, custom built stadiums, moddable players & coaches, etc. I'd also make it so you could upload your own images/decals into the game (like teambuilder). I'd also make everything easily shareable across everyone (like NCAA roster files) and I'd sell it for $40.

Think my game would sell?

[steelerfan]

Most everything was customizable in Backbreaker. But the game was shit. It didn't sell.

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[SmoothPancakes]

Most everything was customizable in Backbreaker. But the game was shit. It didn't sell.

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Yep. If you're gonna go that route, you better make damn sure there is not a single bug, glitch, issue or problem in the game and that it is deep as hell in stuff like dynasty. If you're going to put in the work and time to either create 123+ teams and stadiums or at least go through the hassle of downloading that many teams and stadiums to put in the game, it better be one HELL of a game, when for $20 extra (or $5 extra if you just preordered '13 for the 360 on Amazon), you can get all of the real teams, real stadiums without having to create or download 123+ created teams/stadiums.

[steelerfan]

Yep. If you're gonna go that route, you better make damn sure there is not a single bug, glitch, issue or problem in the game and that it is deep as hell in stuff like dynasty. If you're going to put in the work and time to either create 123+ teams and stadiums or at least go through the hassle of downloading that many teams and stadiums to put in the game, it better be one HELL of a game, when for $20 extra (or $5 extra if you just preordered '13 for the 360 on Amazon), you can get all of the real teams, real stadiums without having to create or download 123+ created teams/stadiums.

Not only that, but if a game did play great and was fully customizable, how often would you really need to upgrade? Every few years. That kind of business model would not support a yearly release and would immediately kill such a franchise.

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[SmoothPancakes]

Not only that, but if a game did play great and was fully customizable, how often would you really need to upgrade? Every few years. That kind of business model would not support a yearly release and would immediately kill such a franchise.

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Exactly. The only reason for a yearly release (or every two years) would be updated graphics and features. Rosters? Just download the newest rosters/created team/version. New teams in FBS? Just download those teams once they are created.

[JeffHCross]

the only reason it would come down to taste is because people wre so familiar with madden they couldnt understand anything else or thought it was bad because it wasnt madden.No ... taste can work both ways. As in: Some people preferred Madden, others preferred 2k.


Think my game would sell?I don't think your game would get released. Backbreaker, and maybe one other game, were supposed to release with full customization options, including team name, logo, colors, etc. But suddenly those customization options disappeared. Most of the suggestions I saw were that the NFL/NFLPA/some entity had some legal threats going on, which would be consistent with other actions I've seen with mods/customizations. "Full customization" pretty much reads "lawsuit waiting to happen" now.

[JBHuskers]

...but there was going to be a sequel to Backbreaker for sure. On mobile devices. :D

They actually came out right at release and said there would be a sequel. Probably will have the same long wait as it did to finally get that turd out to market.

[souljahbill]

Most everything was customizable in Backbreaker. But the game was shit. It didn't sell.

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Yeah, but don't you think "Football Jesus" 2K could do it since their game 7/8 years ago is still the G.O.A.T.?

[steelerfan]

Yeah, but don't you think "Football Jesus" 2K could do it since their game 7/8 years ago is still the G.O.A.T.?

:D

No.

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[souljahbill]

:D

No.

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:D LOL!

I bet the disciples of 2K would pee their pants.

[JeffHCross]

Yeah, but don't you think "Football Jesus" 2K could do it since their game 7/8 years ago is still the G.O.A.T.?2k8 was well considered to have superior gameplay to, at least, NCAA 08. I don't know how it compared to Madden 08. Yet on the 360/PS3 alone (ignoring PS2 sales), NCAA was more than double APF 2k8. NCAA was more than double the game that was supposed to compete with Madden 08. Needless to say, Madden trounced it.

A fully customizable game won't sell early. It would have to have obviously better gameplay, and gameplay wins the argument over time, not immediately. Winning Eleven is really the case study for being the best selling title despite a lack of licenses (and even Winning Eleven had some), but that was a battle fought over years, not individual titles.

It would take someone with deep pockets and a willingness to lose some money in the short term to make a Madden/NCAA competitor. 2k's probably burned enough on the MLB license that I don't see them producing another football game anytime soon. I wouldn't mind being wrong, I just don't see it happening. Now, if that studio were to get spun-off (as oft rumored) and they hooked up with a publisher that was willing to spend a ton of money on football, I think they could get enough attention, over time, to be competitive. But the casual audience is going to gravitate to the licensed product. Word of mouth from the hardcore is the only way to gain the sales, short of endorsements or licenses. And that takes plenty of time.

Combine all that with the fact that EA has quite a deal with ESPN, and it's a very hard market to get into.

[SmoothPancakes]

2k8 was well considered to have superior gameplay to, at least, NCAA 08. I don't know how it compared to Madden 08. Yet on the 360/PS3 alone (ignoring PS2 sales), NCAA was more than double APF 2k8. NCAA was more than double the game that was supposed to compete with Madden 08. Needless to say, Madden trounced it.

A fully customizable game won't sell early. It would have to have obviously better gameplay, and gameplay wins the argument over time, not immediately. Winning Eleven is really the case study for being the best selling title despite a lack of licenses (and even Winning Eleven had some), but that was a battle fought over years, not individual titles.

It would take someone with deep pockets and a willingness to lose some money in the short term to make a Madden/NCAA competitor. 2k's probably burned enough on the MLB license that I don't see them producing another football game anytime soon. I wouldn't mind being wrong, I just don't see it happening. Now, if that studio were to get spun-off (as oft rumored) and they hooked up with a publisher that was willing to spend a ton of money on football, I think they could get enough attention, over time, to be competitive. But the casual audience is going to gravitate to the licensed product. Word of mouth from the hardcore is the only way to gain the sales, short of endorsements or licenses. And that takes plenty of time.

Combine all that with the fact that EA has quite a deal with ESPN, and it's a very hard market to get into.

And the ESPN integration was one of the big things people at the time loved about NFL 2K5. With EA going more and more gung ho with the ESPN integration, 2K loses that aspect of drawing people to their game if they made one.

And yeah, I've seen pastapadre reporting numbers of something like $30 million that 2K stands to lose with the MLB license this year. Probably one of the main reasons that MLB 2K may be about to die (if it hasn't already been hacked internally and just not made public yet) in the near future. With losing that much money on a professional sport, and talk of them getting ready to dump the series, I can't see them being willing to try and fight their way into the NFL or NCAA markets (where for all intents and purposes, they'd be starting from behind much like EA with the NBA battle right now), meaning they'd be losing money hand over fist for the first however many years.

[JeffHCross]

Well, especially because in the NFL or NCAA markets, they don't have a license. In the MLB market, they have the license, and they're still getting killed.

[SmoothPancakes]

Well, especially because in the NFL or NCAA markets, they don't have a license. In the MLB market, they have the license, and they're still getting killed.

Yep. And that's the sad thing, they're the only ones even in the MLB market for the Xbox 360, and selling on both systems, whereas The Show is PS3 only, and they're still getting killed.

[steelerfan]

Yep. And that's the sad thing, they're the only ones even in the MLB market for the Xbox 360, and selling on both systems, whereas The Show is PS3 only, and they're still getting killed.

As you know, The Show is the shit. Fantastic franchise.

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[DariusLock]

I HATE 2k games.