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[rs7k]

I'm not sure why the Wii isn't getting a hockey game. It couldn't do something like the skill stick, since you NEED two sticks.

But something old-school like the PS2 games is definitely possible. I'm guessing the teams responsible for hockey games are too small to pull resources away from 360/PS3.

 

[bdoughty]

I'm not sure why the Wii isn't getting a hockey game. It couldn't do something like the skill stick, since you NEED two sticks.

But something old-school like the PS2 games is definitely possible. I'm guessing the teams responsible for hockey games are too small to pull resources away from 360/PS3.

(neutral) rs7k
not that smart
(Today, 12:17 AM)
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Well heck, I disagree with that tag you have. You hit the nail on the head in the last sentence. If anything 2k is probably wanting EA to make a hockey game for the Wii to test the waters. Hockey games are the lowest sellers amongst the mainstream sports games.

 

[Manager]

Spezza is the cover-boy:

Jason Spezza Named Cover Athlete for NHL® 2K8

New York, NY - July 10, 2007 - 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today that Jason Spezza, first-line center for the Ottawa Senators, has been named cover athlete and official spokesman for NHL® 2K8, 2K Sports' top-rated NHL video game for five years in row*.

"It's a great honor to be the NHL 2K8 cover athlete," said Jason Spezza. "The NHL 2K series has always selected some of the best players in the NHL and I'm really excited to follow in their footsteps of representing the finest hockey video game title this year."

The Canadian-born Spezza was only the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a 16-year old. The first round choice of the Ottawa Senators and second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, his great skills were apparent very early in his career. Reinvigorating the sport with his raw talent and enthusiasm, his magnificent performance in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres made him one of the most exciting players in the next generation of NHL stars.

"We are thrilled to have Jason Spezza as our cover athlete for NHL 2K8. Spezza is a player that truly embodies the spirit of hockey which is something that we pride ourselves in with the NHL 2K series," said Graeme Bayless, President of Kush Games. "We are very pleased to be working with a cover athlete that is such an avid gamer and who is committed to contributing valuable insight to the authenticity and development of the NHL 2K series."

The top-rated* NHL franchise returns with NHL 2K8, showcasing new in-depth gameplay mechanics, all-new goaltending animations and stunning next-gen visuals that truly take advantage of the power of next generation consoles. More exciting features will be revealed soon that deliver an entirely new NHL experience from the critically acclaimed makers of the NHL 2K series.

NHL 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.

For more information, log onto http://www.2ksports.com.

 

[BradVanDam]

wii is a nintendo player to me.

now thats out of the way.

The graphics are looking amazing in NHL 2K8 and NHL 08 im sure will be solid its great to be a next gen system owner hockey fan.

 

[BojTrek]

The differnce is mind blowing... and when I see the comparison shot here, all I could say was "that is really beautiful"

I am a graphics whore and I find this difference amazing... I hope it really looks like this in motion...

 

[radjago]

It amazes me how every year, even when they're using the same engine, they can fix some things from the previous year, add a few features, and introduce a whole new set of bugs and glitches and move on to the next year's game.

That being said, I'm still very much looking forward to 2K8.

 

[RBH]

They just showed a brief demo of the game (360 version) on Gamespot's live coverage. Looks like they've improved the presentation a bit. In addition, the 2K guy said that the game will be in full 1080p @ 60 fps.


E3 hands-on preview

 

[Maverick]

Spezza? What a weird choice......

 

[Kabuki Waq]

man that write up did not fill me with confidence....speed burst and shooting mapped to teh same button?

no mention of puck physics but lots of talk about reebok? Hopfully it still delivers.

 

[koam]

So none of the hockey games are coming to wii at all? Damnit.

 

[speculawyer]

IGN provided a write-up too. (The link is to a PS3 article because IGN xbox 360 seems to be down but the article is the same.)

2K has implemented a version of a skill stick that uses it for stick-handling on both offense & defense but not for shots.

July 11, 2007 - 2K Sports took notice when EA released NHL 07. They liked the whole "skill stick" gameplay mechanic whereby players control shots and puck movement with the right analog stick. 2K liked the idea so much it's been implemented as a major new feature in NHL 2K8, though not in exactly the same way. Now the right analog stick will control stickhandling and let you set the position of a player's stick for receiving passes and setting up shots. It won't be used for shooting however, but on defense you can use it for poke-checks and laying your stick on the ice. Pass and shoot controls will be mapped to the shoulder buttons, and face buttons will govern deking, a sprint function, drop passes, flips, and dump-ins. The sprint, a new addition, will give players a significant speed boost for a short while, and quickly tire them out.

 

[Kintaro]

So, which of the hockey games seems to be the one to get? It's been over 5 years since buying a hockey game for me and I think I'm due for one.

 

[speculawyer]

So, which of the hockey games seems to be the one to get? It's been over 5 years since buying a hockey game for me and I think I'm due for one.

There were both really good last year, so you really can't go wrong with either one. They each had strengths & weaknesses, so it is best to pick one that suits your needs. IGN had a good comparison between the two.

As for this year, you'll need to wait for more info.

 

[Kabuki Waq]

So, which of the hockey games seems to be the one to get? It's been over 5 years since buying a hockey game for me and I think I'm due for one.

dont trust anything until real hockey fans give you there impressions. (Kingpen gets easily wowed and is not as jaded so you might wanna avoid his impressions tho.)

LAst year EA's version got the Stick control and puck physics right but got everything else including AI and framerate wrong. It felt like playing shinny with retarded monkeys. NHL2k7 was solid but same ol same ol. who knows how its gonna go this year.

 

[speculawyer]

gamespot has a nice stage demo with gameplay demo and an interview with a developer. The game has new features including the 'pro-stick' for right analog stick control of the player's hockey stick. Best of all, it will be 1080p and 60fps.

It will be interesting to see how the pro-stick works . . . I find the the idea of having shooting on the shoulder buttons a good one since that way you don't have to worry about the computer mistaking your stick control movements as a shot request as could happen with the EA skill stick.

 

[speculawyer]

man that write up did not fill me with confidence....speed burst and shooting mapped to teh same button?

speed burst and shooting are NOT mapped to the same button. Shooting is left bumper and speed burst is A button. Shooting was moved to the bumper so that you don't have to take your right thumb off the pro-stick right analog stick. That way you can control where the puck is before you let the shot fly. i.e. you can deke the goalie by moving the puck left & right to pick the right spot before you shoot. They sorta had something like that in 2K7 but it didn't really work well (or at least I could never master it). But it seems they got it working in full now. Nice use of the analog stick since the checking with the right analog stick in 2K7 was just a "give me a penalty stick.":lol

However, unlike 2K8's major competitor, you won't be shooting with the right stick. Instead, shooting and passing will still be executed with buttons, the right button and left button, respectively. The new mechanics--coupled with some more observant referees--means you'll need to pay attention during face-offs more than before. If you go too early, you can get warned or even booted out of the face-off, bringing your winger in to take your place. Guys with strong face-off skills will have a larger "window" of time they can use to win the face-off. In addition, a higher skilled player will be more liable to win in case of a face-off tie-up.

Another new twist to the controls is separate speed burst and sprint buttons. Your standard speed burst will be controlled with the right trigger (the left trigger is still for skating backward). But if you're looking for that extra push over the top when chasing a dumped puck or making a last-second breakaway, you can hit the A button for a dramatic, if brief, charge. The upside is the burst of speed can give you some crucial clearance on the defenders; the downside is that, after a sprint, a player won't be able to handle the puck, their turning radius will greatly increase, and they'll be gassed at the end of a sprint and will be due for a line change more or less immediately.

 

[SuperBonk]

I just hope they bring back the skills competition. And put it online.

 

[speculawyer]

I just hope they bring back the skills competition. And put it online.

I like the mini-game collection that they have. And you can play them online.

 

[tuco11]

Mini rink with 4 people is a blast in 2k7. I hope it is back for 2k8.

 

[Kingpen]

dont trust anything until real hockey fans give you there impressions. (Kingpen gets easily wowed and is not as jaded so you might wanna avoid his impressions tho.)

LAst year EA's version got the Stick control and puck physics right but got everything else including AI and framerate wrong. It felt like playing shinny with retarded monkeys. NHL2k7 was solid but same ol same ol. who knows how its gonna go this year.

Oh yeah, I get easily wowed.... Go back and look at the threads from last year. I gave glowing praise from both games and easily gave detailed impressions about each title when I got my hands on them... You right that I'm not jaded but I will tell it how it is and give you impressions on the most minute details with out being a snob on a particular series just because of it's name (like a lot of people are around here). I plan to buy NHL08 at launch this year and then try 2k8 later (reverse of what I did last year)

My advise is that either one is a really good pick (they have strengths over each other) but both are really fun games regardless...

 

[speculawyer]

Whoa . . . Kush has come back hard with their own 'Pro stick' that uses the right-hand analog stick for stick handling.And they've got a slick new video to show it off.

But what will be most impressive is if they deliver the final product in 1080p and 60fps as they said in a gamestop stage demo.

 

[Souther]

I wonder if the rosters are already finalized. Hopefully they add a roster update on Oct 4, if thats the 1st day of the season.

EA better follow suit aswell.

 

[Galaron]

You guys need to wait and play NHL 08; it's the most realistic recreation of hockey I've ever played. Last year's skill stick was a revolution, but the god-awful defensive AI just killed it for me. I was a 2K man for 2k3 - 2k7, but last year's lack of innovation, poor graphics and just horrendous UI had me on the fence. Now I'm off the fence and back with the NHL series (but I haven't played an early builds of 2k8 yet.)

What's so amazing about NHL 08 is that the realism of the skill stick is now extended throughout the entire gameplay. No more sprint buttons - just push the stick all the way in the direction you want to go. That means for normal movements, defense, powerplays, etc. you are often moving the stick only halfway because you are just doing half-pushes or s-curves and not sprinting all out. It takes some getting used to, but the brilliant thing is if you are in better position, or say you intercept that cross-ice pass at the blue and take off in the other direction, the days of your opponent turning around and jamming on the sprint button are over. Also, while there is a sort of check button on the right analog, it doesn't do shit if you don't have angle and momentum. No more of that bullshit where as the D you are parrallel to the puckhandler, press the check button, and suddenly you change directions 90 degrees and fly into the guy with a hip check. If you don't know how to position your body, you can't rely on button presses to get you out of it.

Finally, for the first time ever in a hockey game you can actually chip 'n chase. You hold down LB and move the left stick in the direction you want your body to go and right stick in the direction you want the puck to go. Most people are going to use this as Malkin or Ovechkin or whomever as simply a way to try and beat their man one-on-one during a rush, which is fine but you'll get flattened by anyone who knows how to play D, but I've used is a way to chip the puck past scrums on the board and start the breakout. It still feels a little too canned in terms of the animation, but otherwise the concept and execution is fantastic.

But even beyond tactical improvements, the strategic improvements are spectacular as well. The create-a-play feature allows you to create the rush exactly the way you want it, but using your player to "paint" arrows on the ice to show direction. Tired of having your winger just circle back mysteriously by the halfboards on a 3 on 2? Now you can tell him exactly where you want him to go and bring it into game. It's just brilliant.

My only concern is that I haven't played any dynasty so I haven't the first clue if they fixed some of the problems from last year. I've actually spent quite a bit of time in the practice mode watching how friendly AI moves. It really a fantastic effort. NHL 07 feels like half a game to me know. This is the next-gen hockey I've been waiting for and last year's just seemed like the game they had to release before getting to this year. If 2k8 is even close to NHL 08 this year, we're going to have the two best hockey games ever release in the same year.

 

[SantaC]

wtf, why isn't there a hockey game for wii?!

 

[Phthisis]

wtf, why isn't there a hockey game for wii?!

Thanks for your contribution.

 

[bdoughty]

wtf, why isn't there a hockey game for wii?!

Go purchase Ice Hockey on the virtual console. Flail controller around aimlessly. Enjoy!

 

[Kabuki Waq]

You guys need to wait and play NHL 08; it's the most realistic recreation of hockey I've ever played. Last year's skill stick was a revolution, but the god-awful defensive AI just killed it for me. I was a 2K man for 2k3 - 2k7, but last year's lack of innovation, poor graphics and just horrendous UI had me on the fence. Now I'm off the fence and back with the NHL series (but I haven't played an early builds of 2k8 yet.)

What's so amazing about NHL 08 is that the realism of the skill stick is now extended throughout the entire gameplay. No more sprint buttons - just push the stick all the way in the direction you want to go. That means for normal movements, defense, powerplays, etc. you are often moving the stick only halfway because you are just doing half-pushes or s-curves and not sprinting all out. It takes some getting used to, but the brilliant thing is if you are in better position, or say you intercept that cross-ice pass at the blue and take off in the other direction, the days of your opponent turning around and jamming on the sprint button are over. Also, while there is a sort of check button on the right analog, it doesn't do shit if you don't have angle and momentum. No more of that bullshit where as the D you are parrallel to the puckhandler, press the check button, and suddenly you change directions 90 degrees and fly into the guy with a hip check. If you don't know how to position your body, you can't rely on button presses to get you out of it.

Finally, for the first time ever in a hockey game you can actually chip 'n chase. You hold down LB and move the left stick in the direction you want your body to go and right stick in the direction you want the puck to go. Most people are going to use this as Malkin or Ovechkin or whomever as simply a way to try and beat their man one-on-one during a rush, which is fine but you'll get flattened by anyone who knows how to play D, but I've used is a way to chip the puck past scrums on the board and start the breakout. It still feels a little too canned in terms of the animation, but otherwise the concept and execution is fantastic.

But even beyond tactical improvements, the strategic improvements are spectacular as well. The create-a-play feature allows you to create the rush exactly the way you want it, but using your player to "paint" arrows on the ice to show direction. Tired of having your winger just circle back mysteriously by the halfboards on a 3 on 2? Now you can tell him exactly where you want him to go and bring it into game. It's just brilliant.

My only concern is that I haven't played any dynasty so I haven't the first clue if they fixed some of the problems from last year. I've actually spent quite a bit of time in the practice mode watching how friendly AI moves. It really a fantastic effort. NHL 07 feels like half a game to me know. This is the next-gen hockey I've been waiting for and last year's just seemed like the game they had to release before getting to this year. If 2k8 is even close to NHL 08 this year, we're going to have the two best hockey games ever release in the same year.

err.... i just went through your post history when it comes to EA games and i am going to have to not trust you ever again.

Anyways both games look great but NHL2k8 looks much smoother as usual( new video on IGN).

going to be hard to decide this year.

 

[Kintaro]

Go purchase Ice Hockey on the virtual console. Flail controller around aimlessly. Enjoy!

:lol

That shit is cold blooded bro.

 

[professor_t]

They've been promising us a graphics overhaul this year...

I WANT TO BELIEVE!

But wasn't there supposed to be a graphics overhaul last year as well? They added some slick new animations, but the visuals were still pretty lackluster.

The goalie animations/tendencies definitely need to be fixed. If I see a goalie dive headfirst to make a save instead of a simple butterfly, I'm heading to 2k headquarters with a shotgun.*

Also, please, please, please make it harder to enter the defensive zone. The D collapses like a house of cards when I rush the zone with Adam Mair. This. should. never. happen.




* -- that fires rubber bullets. Soft ones. But they'll still sting like a sonofabitch.

 

[professor_t]

You guys need to wait and play NHL 08; it's the most realistic recreation of hockey I've ever played. Last year's skill stick was a revolution, but the god-awful defensive AI just killed it for me. I was a 2K man for 2k3 - 2k7, but last year's lack of innovation, poor graphics and just horrendous UI had me on the fence. Now I'm off the fence and back with the NHL series (but I haven't played an early builds of 2k8 yet.)

What's so amazing about NHL 08 is that the realism of the skill stick is now extended throughout the entire gameplay. No more sprint buttons - just push the stick all the way in the direction you want to go. That means for normal movements, defense, powerplays, etc. you are often moving the stick only halfway because you are just doing half-pushes or s-curves and not sprinting all out. It takes some getting used to, but the brilliant thing is if you are in better position, or say you intercept that cross-ice pass at the blue and take off in the other direction, the days of your opponent turning around and jamming on the sprint button are over. Also, while there is a sort of check button on the right analog, it doesn't do shit if you don't have angle and momentum. No more of that bullshit where as the D you are parrallel to the puckhandler, press the check button, and suddenly you change directions 90 degrees and fly into the guy with a hip check. If you don't know how to position your body, you can't rely on button presses to get you out of it.

Finally, for the first time ever in a hockey game you can actually chip 'n chase. You hold down LB and move the left stick in the direction you want your body to go and right stick in the direction you want the puck to go. Most people are going to use this as Malkin or Ovechkin or whomever as simply a way to try and beat their man one-on-one during a rush, which is fine but you'll get flattened by anyone who knows how to play D, but I've used is a way to chip the puck past scrums on the board and start the breakout. It still feels a little too canned in terms of the animation, but otherwise the concept and execution is fantastic.

But even beyond tactical improvements, the strategic improvements are spectacular as well. The create-a-play feature allows you to create the rush exactly the way you want it, but using your player to "paint" arrows on the ice to show direction. Tired of having your winger just circle back mysteriously by the halfboards on a 3 on 2? Now you can tell him exactly where you want him to go and bring it into game. It's just brilliant.

My only concern is that I haven't played any dynasty so I haven't the first clue if they fixed some of the problems from last year. I've actually spent quite a bit of time in the practice mode watching how friendly AI moves. It really a fantastic effort. NHL 07 feels like half a game to me know. This is the next-gen hockey I've been waiting for and last year's just seemed like the game they had to release before getting to this year. If 2k8 is even close to NHL 08 this year, we're going to have the two best hockey games ever release in the same year.

I thought the AI in NHL07 sucked sweaty balls (particularly the computer offensive AI). If they can fix the AI, lock down a good framerate, and improve the transitional animations, they might be on to something.

 

[speculawyer]

The goalie animations/tendencies definitely need to be fixed. If I see a goalie dive headfirst to make a save instead of a simple butterfly, I'm heading to 2k headquarters with a shotgun.

According to the gamespot stage demo, they had someone working full-time on goalie AI. The goalie will now come out of the net to cut down the angle on breakaways. And yes, the goalie will do butterflys far more often.

 

[professor_t]

According to the gamespot stage demo, they had someone working full-time on goalie AI. The goalie will now come out of the net to cut down the angle on breakaways. And yes, the goalie will do butterflys far more often.

I hope they're not just blowing smoke up our collective asses. An overhaul of the goalie system is long overdue.

Also, I would love to score a top shelf goal that doesn't go *under* the goalie's glove (if you play enough 2k, you know what I mean).

 

[jaundicejuice]

You guys need to wait and play NHL 08; it's the most realistic recreation of hockey I've ever played. Last year's skill stick was a revolution, but the god-awful defensive AI just killed it for me. I was a 2K man for 2k3 - 2k7, but last year's lack of innovation, poor graphics and just horrendous UI had me on the fence. Now I'm off the fence and back with the NHL series (but I haven't played an early builds of 2k8 yet.)

What's so amazing about NHL 08 is that the realism of the skill stick is now extended throughout the entire gameplay. No more sprint buttons - just push the stick all the way in the direction you want to go. That means for normal movements, defense, powerplays, etc. you are often moving the stick only halfway because you are just doing half-pushes or s-curves and not sprinting all out. It takes some getting used to, but the brilliant thing is if you are in better position, or say you intercept that cross-ice pass at the blue and take off in the other direction, the days of your opponent turning around and jamming on the sprint button are over. Also, while there is a sort of check button on the right analog, it doesn't do shit if you don't have angle and momentum. No more of that bullshit where as the D you are parrallel to the puckhandler, press the check button, and suddenly you change directions 90 degrees and fly into the guy with a hip check. If you don't know how to position your body, you can't rely on button presses to get you out of it.

Finally, for the first time ever in a hockey game you can actually chip 'n chase. You hold down LB and move the left stick in the direction you want your body to go and right stick in the direction you want the puck to go. Most people are going to use this as Malkin or Ovechkin or whomever as simply a way to try and beat their man one-on-one during a rush, which is fine but you'll get flattened by anyone who knows how to play D, but I've used is a way to chip the puck past scrums on the board and start the breakout. It still feels a little too canned in terms of the animation, but otherwise the concept and execution is fantastic.

But even beyond tactical improvements, the strategic improvements are spectacular as well. The create-a-play feature allows you to create the rush exactly the way you want it, but using your player to "paint" arrows on the ice to show direction. Tired of having your winger just circle back mysteriously by the halfboards on a 3 on 2? Now you can tell him exactly where you want him to go and bring it into game. It's just brilliant.

My only concern is that I haven't played any dynasty so I haven't the first clue if they fixed some of the problems from last year. I've actually spent quite a bit of time in the practice mode watching how friendly AI moves. It really a fantastic effort. NHL 07 feels like half a game to me know. This is the next-gen hockey I've been waiting for and last year's just seemed like the game they had to release before getting to this year. If 2k8 is even close to NHL 08 this year, we're going to have the two best hockey games ever release in the same year.

Scroll through this guys post history and look at every post where the subject is an EA game.

 

[Pewp]

NHL 07 was an absolute piece of garbage. Which made me buy 2k7 which although simplistic was a better game. 07 was to broken in too many ways the only bright side was the skill stick.

Now that 2k8 has a version of the skill stick this becomes an easy choice for me.

 

[FightyF]

Whoa . . . Kush has come back hard with their own 'Pro stick' that uses the right-hand analog stick for stick handling.And they've got a slick new video to show it off.

But what will be most impressive is if they deliver the final product in 1080p and 60fps as they said in a gamestop stage demo.

Well, they did have it since 2K4 AFAIR, but you had to press the Left Trigger to do it, and you could only do it deep in the offensive zone. I'm guessing they made it more universal now?

I hope they're not just blowing smoke up our collective asses. An overhaul of the goalie system is long overdue.

Also, I would love to score a top shelf goal that doesn't go *under* the goalie's glove (if you play enough 2k, you know what I mean).

They mentioned this even just as 2K7 came out. So count on it. The real question is whether or not it will match EA's goalie AI/animations.

Galaron: Sounds good. Posting history aside, if they really made those changes to the hitting and such, it's gonna be great.

NHL 07 was an absolute piece of garbage. Which made me buy 2k7 which although simplistic was a better game. 07 was to broken in too many ways the only bright side was the skill stick.

Now that 2k8 has a version of the skill stick this becomes an easy choice for me.

Skill stick got all the media attention, but what really made 07 special were the goalie AI and animations. When you scored it's as if you beat a real goalie reacting to your movements and shots. In 2K7, the gameplay was there on a macro level, setting up plays and controlling the game on the whole, but beating the goalie relied on either screen shots, tip ins, or one timers. In 2K6 you could be skating in on the wing and slap it into the top corner. In order to make the game "harder" 2K7 eliminated those sorts of goals, which lead to reliance on the methods I've described above.

So Skill Stick was a great improvement, but Goalie AI/animation was the more revolutionary. Though the goalie animation/ai wouldn't have shined as much if the skill stick didn't exist.

 

[Jube3]

Whoa . . . Kush has come back hard with their own 'Pro stick' that uses the right-hand analog stick for stick handling.And they've got a slick new video to show it off.

But what will be most impressive is if they deliver the final product in 1080p and 60fps as they said in a gamestop stage demo.

That trailer for 2k8 was sick, i love good competition like this. It was really hard for me to pick one last year but i went with EA cause of the shoot stick. Its gonna be down to the demos for me this year.

 

[Phthisis]

That trailer for 2k8 was sick, i love good competition like this. It was really hard for me to pick one last year but i went with EA cause of the shoot stick. Its gonna be down to the demos for me this year.

Same for me, too, probably. But man, having the AHL for franchise mode in 08 already has it being slightly ahead.

 

[FightyF]

AAAAH where are my sedatives etc. etc. etc.

Those 2K8 vids look insane! The way it's been implemented for faceoffs looks better than how 07 does it. The goalies look far more natural this time.

I think I'm gonna grab both again this year...

 

[OnPoint]

2k Sports didnt do well on GC, they cut a few versions, why believe that same fanbase will support it on Wii

No market...

I think at this point, given the numbers, the Wii has a different audience than the GC did.

But it probably still wouldn't do well.