NHL 2K
NHL 2K is a series of hockey games by 2K Sports for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Its main competitor is EA Sports' NHL video games. The game is officially licensed from the National Hockey League Players Association.
History
Series beginnings
The NHL 2K series first appeared on the Sega Dreamcast on February 9 2000 as part of an exclusive lineup of sports titles (such as NFL 2K). The game was received fairly well, and looked to become a true competitor to the EA Sports series of NHL games. Its success led to it becoming one of the few Sega All Stars titles. A year later the developers did not release NHL 2K1, and instead took a break, following up with NHL 2K2, which was the last game ever released for the Dreamcast in the United States.
Multi-platform and new license
NHL 2K3 was released on the Xbox, Playstation 2, and GameCube. It was the first in the series to feature a franchise mode, and the Xbox version also featured online play. It was the first NHL 2K title to feature an ESPN license along the whole 2K lineup of games giving it credibility among sports fans. It had many improvements over its predecessor, although players complained that goalies were too hard to score on. Even so, with this title the NHL 2K series was starting to form its own identity as a more 'simulation-like' style of game, as opposed to EA's more 'arcade-like' style. It addressed some issues like scoring, and presentation, and was acknowledged as an exceptional sports title. Even with the lockout looming, video game fans didn't have to worry about the series being put on hiatus, as ESPN NHL 2K5 was released on August 30 2004. Because Sega had signed a deal with Take-Two Interactive in which Global Star (Take-Two's low-price unit) distributed and copublished all titles in Sega's ESPN franchise, ESPN NHL 2K5 was priced at US$19.99 the day it shipped—versus the typical new-release price of US$49.99. This earned it a wide audience among more casual hockey fans on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. However, EA soon signed an agreement with ESPN to become the sole licensee of ESPN's brand in sports games on all platforms.
NHL 2K6 and beyond
Nevertheless, NHL 2K6 was soon released, again at US$19.99, with a new deeper franchise mode, as well as other new extras (such as Bob Cole and Harry Neale providing commentary). With the Xbox 360 launching, NHL 2K6 was quickly released for that system as well, with a new 'goalie control' feature. NHL 2K7's new features consist of all new animations, mainly geared towards skating, and 'Cinemotion' which is designed to capture the intensity of hockey through close up angles and orchestral music.
NHL 2K8 NHL 2K8 was released in September of 2007. The game features an all new face-off system which includes tie-ups, warnings, jostling, and penalties. The game also includes a new goaltending engine with improved goalies that react according to the situation. Goalies will challenge the puck carrier when appropriate, perform spectacular butterfly saves, and guard the post. Other mini features include variable attendance, better graphics, a new skating engine, authentic player equipment, and more.
NHL 2K9
NHL 2K9 will be released in September of 2008. It was recently announced that Columbus Blue Jackets' star Rick Nash will be the cover athlete
[1]. 2K Sports has announced that NHL 2K9 will be released on the Nintendo Wii in addition to the Playstation 2, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3, making it the first NHL licensed game on the Wii[2].