Tagged: basketball

Predict NBA 2K9 Cover Athlete

2K Sports has announced that the cover athlete for NBA 2K9 will be revealed through a 30 second TV spot scheduled to air during the NBA Countdown pre-game show for Game One of the 2008 NBA Finals, June 5 on ABC.

As part of the event, the publisher has set up a community website where registered participants can register and predict the cover athlete for the game from a roster of 16 NBA candidates. Those who predict correctly will be entered into a special drawing for the opportunity to win exclusive prizes.

“We’re extremely excited to offer this online promotion to our loyal community of 2K Sports fans, as we think it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to interact more closely with them through a refreshingly fun and rewarding experience,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The NBA 2K franchise is king among basketball players and passionate fans who know and understand basketball. Revealing our cover athlete prior to Game One affords us a unique opportunity to capitalize on the anticipation surrounding the NBA Finals while simultaneously generating excitement for the release of NBA 2K9.”

The game, in development at Visual Concepts, will be released for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall.

NBA LIVE 08 Gets Online Team Play

A free downloadable feature for NBA LIVE 08 has been pushed out, adding online team play to the basketball game. This update enables 10 people on 10 different consoles anywhere in the world to connect online to play a single match. The new feature is automatically available to all PS3 users and will be released for the Xbox 360 later this month.

Removing the need to use artificial intelligence in online matches, the update allows the players to control the athletes on-screen. This mode can be enjoyed using fewer friends from one to five in which case the CPU takes control of any players not controlled by the users.

College Hoops 2K8 Features 90 Classic Teams

2K Sports has announced that College Hoops 2K8 will contain 90 classic teams for gamers to play. The game will offer historically famed college teams as well as current favorite ones; out of the 90 classic teams, 69 will consist of teams from years past including the 1982 North Carolina Tarheels to the 1990 Loyola Marymount Lions. Additionally, gamers can choose to play from six all-time conference teams or 15 all-time school teams.

The game will be out later this month on PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Create Jerseys for NBA Live 09

EA Sports, in conjunction with NBA, have launched an online contest to design a new jersey to be featured in NBA LIVE 09. Users can create their own NBA team jerseys using various assets from all 30 NBA teams as well as custom shapes, numbers and text with the “Jersey Creator” tool. The winning entry will featured in the upcoming game.

Winners will be determined based on creativity, talent and originality; last date for entries is November 16. Other contest prizes for two runners-up include an autographed Gilbert Arenas jersey and video game “library” packages.

College Hoops 2K8 Gets New Features

2K Sports has announced new features for College Hoops 2K8, its upcoming entry in the annual college basketball series. Here’s the deal:

In the All-American Training Challenge, players will be able to improve their game skills by competing in passing, shooting, and defensive tests against former college basketball standouts like Mike Conley Jr. of Ohio State, Julian Wright of Kansas, Glen “Big Baby” Davis of LSU, Alando Tucker of Wisconsin, Al Thornton of Florida State, J.J. Redick of Duke, and College Hoops 2K8 cover athlete, Greg Oden of Ohio State. Gamers can progress through the challenge drills against these great players while tracking their best times and highest scores in the game. With multiplayer support for up to four players, gamers can compete against their friends to see who has the best College Hoops skills.

College basketball fans will truly feel the benefit of playing in front of a frenzied crowd-be it at home or in a neutral tournament venue-with the 6th Man Advantage where the energy of a team’s fans can motivate a team to play harder and with more confidence. During a game, the 6th Man Meter measures the current energy and excitement level of the crowd. By scoring often, playing good defense, and raising the excitement level of the crowd, the 6th Man Meter will rise. Once the meter is full, the home team will gain the advantage of playing with less fatigue for a brief period while the opposing team will start to lose confidence in their playing ability. The 6th Man Advantage delivers a realistic element with how a great crowd can inspire their team to victory.

The game will be out this Fall on PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Chris Paul to Grace NBA 2K8 Cover

act_chris_paul.jpg2K Games has announced that Chris Paul, starting point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, has been named as the cover athlete and official spokesman for NBA 2K8, the upcoming entry in the basketball franchise.

“It’s a great honor to be a part of the best NBA video game title, let alone the guy on the cover,” said Chris Paul. “I’m a big time video gamer and it’s a dream come true to be on the cover and represent the next NBA 2K game, NBA 2K8.”

Here’s the deal on the man:

Chris Paul has made an immediate impact in the NBA. Following two All-American seasons at Wake Forest University, the Winston-Salem, NC native was the fourth overall selection by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, Paul led all rookies in points, assists, steals, and minutes en route to earning Rookie of the Year honors, receiving the most votes (124 of 125) since David Robinson in 1990. The only unanimous selection for the 2005-2006 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Paul continues to evolve as one of the most exciting players on the USA Basketball Senior National Team that represented the United States in the 2006 World Championship of Basketball, playing in all nine of the USA’s games, and averaging 7.0 points and 4.9 assists per game. The 2007-08 season looks bright for Paul as he will lead the Hornets’ return to New Orleans and continue to prepare for his expected participation on Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

One of the top-rated NBA simulation games in the market, the next entry in the series will see the studio building and expanding on the Signature Style feature, as well as adding new moves, animations and more. NBA 2K8 will be available for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall.

Left-of-the-dial Soundtrack for College Hoops 2K7

Ever heard of a “left-of-the-dial” soundtrack? Well, now you can tell your grandchildren that you have: 2K Sports has compiled such a soundtrack for College Hoops 2K7, according to a press release by the company. The soundtrack features a diverse roster of underground hip-hop artists ranging from 3rd Degree to Traxamillion, as well as rock acts like Cities in Dust and Tokyo Police Club; P.O.D. also makes an appearance. As an added bonus, the game features original songs from 3rd Degree, Deux Process and Traxamillion.

2K Sports also mentioned 2K Beats, its internet radio station for fans of the publisher’s games. The site streams the music from all of the company’s best games, with access to artist bios, photos, discographies and more.

College Hoops 2K7 is now available for the PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360; a PS3 version will be available this winter.

Dan the Automator Automating 2K Sports Tour

To promote the release of NBA 2K7, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Casual (Hieroglyphics) and A.G. (D.I.T.C.) will tour and perform with Dan the Automator across the States as part of the 2nd Annual 2K Sports Bounce Tour. This event will see the above artists performing in 13 West Coast cities, with additional shows pending.

Dan the Automator has produced the soundtrack to NBA 2K7, which “involved sculpting the beats to mirror the tempo of a basketball game and enlisting rappers from across the nation for a diverse sound.”

The 2nd Annual 2K Bounce Tour is a series of live events that bridge hip-hop, sports and videogame culture by featuring renowned musicians, sports, gaming kiosks and more. Below are the dates:

Nov 29 – San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brewing Company
Nov 30 – San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
Dec 1 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
Dec 2 – Chico, CA – Senator Theatre
Dec 4 – Portland, OR – Berbatti’s Pan
Dec 5 – Bellingham, WA – The Nightlight
Dec 6 – Seattle, WA – Neumo’s
Dec 8 – Park City, UT – Suede
Dec 9 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
Dec 10 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre & Cafe
Dec 12 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Dec 14 – San Diego, CA – Canes Bar & Grill
Dec 15 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

In addition to the above, 2K Sports has also announced the release of the Official 2K7 Mixtape, mixed by world famous DJ Clinton Sparks. The mixtape is a free download of non-stop 40 minutes of hip-hop, including tracks by Fabolous, Ghostface, Lupe Fiasco, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Dilated Peoples and more.

NBA 2K7 is now available for PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox.

Team Unity in College Hoops 2K7

Up until now, team sports games on consoles have only been about “you”. But we all know that there is no “u” in team, and that’s why 2K Sports will implement a “Team Unity” system in College Hoops 2K7, emphasizing the importance of team chemistry in sports games.

“A positively-focused, cohesive team makes all the difference when it comes to competing in any sport,” said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “Team chemistry is crucial in college ball as it can make or break a team and make the impossible seem possible for underdog teams. George Mason’s entrance into the Final Four last year is an excellent example of how great team unity will often lead to great success. Team Unity in College Hoops 2K7 allows gamers to focus on the important factors of fundamental team basketball to maximize winning potential.”

Team Unity in the upcoming game will help gamers gauge and predict their team’s performance. Four key factors will be taken into consideration when calculating Team Unity: individual player confidence, overall team awareness, rating lineup consistency and a strong team leader. If the level of Unity is low, it will result in bad rotational defense, sloppy screen setting, missed passes, and a myriad of other consequences. This feature will also play an important role in Legacy Mode, as it impacts a team’s performance over the course of one or several seasons.

College Hoops 2K7 Is now available for Xbox and Xbox 360; December will see the release of the PS2 version, and a PS3 version is expected later this Winter.